The River Maid (28 page)

Chapter Thirty One

Adrianna lay on the bank, Christian
’s cloak covering her tail, laughing at something he had said. Christian lay on his back next to her, his shirt sleeves rolled up and one tanned arm behind his head. The sun was warm, the sky clear and blue with not a single cloud in sight. It was a perfect day.

“
You really did that?” she asked.

“
You should have seen his face,” Christian replied.

“
And he didn’t tell your mother?”

He rolled onto his side, his head propped up with his hand. “
Gaspard said nothing. He never mentioned the frog.”

They broke into fresh laughter. Earlier that morning, Christian
’s horse had thrown a shoe and so Gaspard had taken the horses and left them to go in search of a blacksmith. She had intended to keep her distance from the prince, but her efforts hadn’t lasted for long. She liked spending time with him. She treasured every minute in his company, because she knew once they reached St Goarshausen, she would be alone again. She felt wrong for wanting to be with him, but it was always so easy speaking to Christian. She felt like she could tell him anything. 

“Why didn’
t you marry?” Christian asked suddenly. “Surely you must have had a dozen boys asking for your hand?”

“There was only Peter, but I didn’t love him.”

“Do you wish you had married him? None of this would have happened. Lorelei would never have stolen your legs.”

She thought about all that had happened to her. Being in the river and then going to Paris and seeing the Emperor. She had wanted to see more of the world and she had. She would never have met Christian.

“Do you regret joining the army?” she asked.

He looked out at the river for a moment before he answered.
“No, I don’t regret it. There was a time when I did, but everything that has happened has brought me to where I am now. Here with you.”

Shyly, she looked away. It happened sometimes that things became serious between them. One of them needed to say something to lighten the tone, but she couldn
’t think of anything to say. Hesitantly, she looked up and met his eyes.

They heard horses heading toward them. Frowning,
Christian got to his feet. “Gaspard shouldn’t be back already.” 

Half a dozen French soldiers rode out of the trees and formed a semi-circle around them. Christian moved to stand in front of her.

“Go, Adrianna,” Christian said, his voice urgent.

“
I’m not leaving you,” Adrianna replied.

She slipped into the water as they dismounted. She recognised the soldiers. They were Fournier
’s men.

“
If you swim away we will shoot your friend.” Their leader spoke to Adrianna in German. She remembered him. He was one of Fournier’s lieutenants. A burly man with brown eyes and close cropped hair and meaty jowls, he had been responsible for many of the bruises she had received during her stay in Fournier’s cellar. He hadn’t liked having to touch her and he would punish her if she struggled. She remembered him forcing her down on the bench, slamming her head down if she resisted, his hand on her throat.

The soldiers raised their muskets at Christian.
“Step away from the creature,” the lieutenant ordered.

“
She’s not a creature,” Christian said. “She’s just a girl.”

She was powerless to help him. She knew they would shoot him. Fournier would go to any lengths to get her back.
“Christian, do you trust me?” she asked softly.

He kept his eyes trained on the soldiers as he answered.
“Yes.”

“
Then jump.”

He glanced back and met her eyes and then he turned and dived into the river. The soldiers opened fire. Underwater, Adrianna took his hand and pulled him down. Musket balls zipped by, but she pulled him away before they could hit him. He struggled, trying to get to the surface, needing to breathe, but Adrianna held onto him, dragging him further and further down. Just as he ran out of breath, she cupped his face and pressed her lips to his and breathed into his mouth. Pulling away, she met his gaze. He pulled her back to him and pressed his lips to hers and she breathed into his mouth again, giving him her breath. When he finally pulled away, he stared at her for a long moment. They couldn
’t speak, but she preferred it that way. Together, hand in hand, they swam further up the river, only stopping when he ran out of air and then she would give him her breath before they continued on. He was a strong swimmer and easily stayed by her side, matching her pace.

When they had travelled far enough, she tugged on his hand and he followed her up to the surface. She put her head above the water first, ready to duck down again, but there was no sign of the soldiers. Christian
’s head broke the surface and he gulped in air.

“
I should go and look for Gaspard,” he said, when he had caught his breath.

She nodded, unable to meet his eyes. He swam to the bank and hauled himself out. She watched as he disappeared into the trees. He was soaking wet and she worried he would catch a chill. She swam slowly over to the bank to wait for him to come back. Tentatively, she touched her fingers to her lips, remembering how he had pulled her back to him. Her cheeks heated as she remembered his hands on her waist and back, holding her firmly against him. Confusion swirled inside her. She didn
’t know what she was feeling. She had never felt like this before.

Night had fallen by the time Christian returned with Gaspard and the horses. She was afraid they had been captured. She had seen the French soldiers searching for them along the river and had hid to avoid them. Her cheeks flushed as soon as she saw Christian, but she smiled at Gaspard as if nothing was wrong.

“We were worried they had found you,” Christian said as he dismounted.

She was glad of the darkness to conceal her blush.
“I thought the same of you.” She couldn’t look at Christian.

“
You were lucky you weren’t killed,” Gaspard said to Christian. “We will have to be more careful until we get back to St Goarshausen.”

They didn
’t dare make a fire that night and they couldn’t speak for fear of being heard, but Adrianna was glad. She couldn’t meet Christian’s gaze. Every time he looked over at her, she flushed and quickly looked away. Her feelings for him were too much for her to deal with. 

After that, Adrianna was careful to stay out of sight. She stayed underwater, hiding as much from Christian and what she was feeling as she was from the French. Was loving Christian part of being a mermaid, she wondered? Had Lorelei changed more than just her legs?

Tired from swimming the next day, she rested her arms on the bank. 

“
You could ride with me if you need to rest,” Christian said, stopping his horse. 

She pushed away from the bank. “I’d rather swim
.”

She thought she saw disappointment flash across his face before she ducked back under. She was so confused. She wanted to hide away in the river where she wouldn
’t have to deal with how she felt. He was a prince while she was nothing. She was just a girl. A girl with a fishtail instead of legs. They had no future together with him on land and her in the river. For brief moments perhaps, but it would only be temporary. She wouldn’t become like Lorelei, she vowed.

That evening, they camped by the river. Drizzle came in steady streams and the men were cold and wet. Gaspard came to sit by her, his knees creaking as he eased himself down. Travelling had been hard on him; he wasn
’t as young as Christian.

“
We’ve travelled as far as we can along the Seine,” Gaspard said. “We need to travel over land now to get to the Rhine. You will have to ride with Christian.”

“
Can’t I ride with you?” she asked.

“
I don’t think my horse will take both our weight. I’m not as light as Christian is.” He patted his stomach before his face sobered. “Is there something wrong between you and Christian?”

“No.
I just thought that Christian might grow tired of riding with me.”

“
I’m sure he doesn’t mind.”

Christian returned from seeing to the horses and she made her excuses and ducked down into the river. But she couldn
’t hide from him forever. The next day, Gaspard lifted her up and handed her to Christian, who took her and set her before him on his horse. She felt helpless out of the water. Now that she had her freedom back, she wanted to keep it. Christian’s arms were tight around her, holding her firm against his chest. 

“
You’ve been quiet lately,” Christian said as he guided the horse forward.

“
I’m just worried about going home.”

He tried to draw her into a conversation, but she answered his questions with brief answers and eventually, he gave up and they rode in silence.
She was relieved when they finally reached the Rhine. It felt familiar, although she had never been this far down. She heard fishermen calling out to one another in German. It was busy with traffic and she had to be more careful, staying underwater to avoid the boats and barges.

She had to stay with Gaspard and Christian until they reached St Goarshausen; they had risked so much to help her. But once they reached the town she would go back to her cave and far away from Christian. No one could reach her there. She would not become like Lorelei.

Chapter Thirty Two

Christian rode silently next to Gaspard, his attention fixed on the river as he waited for Adrianna to come up. He saw her head break the surface and then immediately duck back down. He had seen what is was like swimming with her. He wanted to do it again. He had kissed her; if it counted as a kiss. She had been uncomfortable with him since that day, avoiding him and staying underwater. He was trying everything to be near her and all she wanted was to get away from him.

It was so easy to talk to Adrianna. He felt like he had known her for years. But s
he had been so distant to him after what had happened in the river. He liked being near her and when he wasn’t near her, he thought about her constantly. There was an easiness between them that he’d never had before with anyone besides Gaspard. He didn’t have to think about what he said or censor his words before he spoke. He missed those morning spent lying on the bank together when Gaspard had left them while he went to find food or change the horses.

“We should reach St Goarshausen in a few days,” Gaspard said, breaking Christian out of his thoughts. “Have you thought about what we’re going to do when we reach the town?”

“If it’s not safe in St Goarshausen, we will take her away,” Christian replied.

“Perhaps we should take her to the sea and let her go. It would be better than spending the rest of her life in a tank.”

“I won’t leave her on her own. We will find a way to help her.”

“I know that you feel responsible for what happened to her. You think it’s your fault that Lorelei stole her legs.”

“It’s not like that between us. At first, perhaps, but now…” He hesitated, trying to decide how much to tell Gaspard. “I care for her, Gaspard. I want to be with her. Not out of duty or honour, but because I want to be with her.”

“
You have no future together. Even if she wasn’t a mermaid, you would still be a prince.” Gaspard’s words were harsh, but his tone was gentle.

“
When Napoleon finds out I helped Adrianna escape, he will confiscate my lands and take away my titles.”

“The rest of Europe will still recognise you as a prince, even if you have no lands. You must face the truth, Christian. You and Adrianna
can never be.”

“
You once told me that nothing is ever hopeless.”

“
I lied.”

“
You and my mother can never be, yet you stay.” He regretted his words as soon as he had spoken them. He had seen the way Gaspard looked at his mother, but he had never spoken of it, respecting him too much to broach the subject with him.

Gaspard was silent for several minutes before he responded. “
I decided long ago that if I couldn’t be with her, then it would be enough to be near her.”

“I
s it enough?”

Gaspard shook his head slowly.
“Sometimes, but I’m not as young as you are, Christian.”

“I want to be with her, Gaspard. I’
ve never felt this way before with anyone else. But if I can’t be with her, I can still be her friend.”

Gaspard sighed and nodded.
“She needs a friend. Most of the world sees her as a mermaid, but she needs one person to see her as Adrianna.”

~~~~~

Adrianna glided through the water, scattering a shoal of fish in her wake, her tail propelling her forward with only the barest movement. In a few days they would be back at the castle, but she didn’t want the journey to end. She wanted to keep travelling like this forever, the three of them together. She couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing Christian again. She would have to be careful to stay hidden as the French would be looking for her; they would never stop looking for her. There was no way that she could see Christian or Gaspard once they reached the town. It would be too dangerous.

She put her head above the water to check on Christian and Gaspard before ducking down again. The wreckage of a ship lay littered over the riverbed, its prow jutting out of the silt. She swam through the wreckage, exploring its bowels. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a brief flash of silver. She turned around, but there was no one there. Goosebumps ran down her arms. Something told her to get out of there now.

She pulled herself through a hole in the hull of the ship, wriggling to get her hips through. She turned in the water and came face to face with Lorelei.

Lorelei was a mermaid again. The shredded and torn remains of the green dress she had been wearing when she had jumped, floated around her in the water, like strands of seaweed. Beneath it, a silver tail moved back and forth. Adrianna froze in shock. Lorelei had changed. No longer smiling with eyes wide with innocence, her hair was tangled and lank, the colour brassy like tarnished gold instead of sun bright yellow. Her inhuman violet eyes were wild with fury and rage. The irises swirled, as if they contained a tempest.

Lorelei raised her hand and slashed her nails across Adrianna’s throat. Adrianna threw her arm up to shield herself. Lorelei’s nails sliced through her skin as easily as if she had used a knife. Adrianna swam to the surface as fast as she could, but Lorelei was just as fast. She grabbed Adrianna’s hair just as her head broke the surface and pulled her back.

“
He was mine. You stole him from me. All along you wanted him for yourself. You tricked me.” Lorelei’s voice had changed as well; it was deeper and older, like something from ages past. She wasn’t a mermaid anymore, but something more terrible.

“
That’s not true,” Adrianna said. She cried out as Lorelei raised her hand to strike again.

Lorelei suddenly released her and dived into the river with a splash. Adrianna turned to see Christian and Gaspard heading down the bank. Adrianna twisted around in the water, but Lorelei was gone.

Christian jumped down from his horse and waded into the river. She swam over to him as best as she could while clutching her wounded arm to her chest.

“
What happened?” he asked.

“
I - I saw Lorelei. She’s alive.”

Christian scooped her up and carried her to the bank while Gaspard hastily tied the horses to a tree.
“How is that possible?” Christian asked.  

Adrianna shook her head against his chest. “
I don’t know.”

Christian set her down on the bank and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. She was trembling violently. He gently took her arm and examined the wound.
“Lorelei did this to you?”

She nodded numbly.
“She was aiming for my throat.”

Christian pulled out one of his shirts from his saddle bags and tore it into strips. He poured water from the skein and then set about gently cleaning the wound.

“I can’t believe she’s still alive,” Christian said as he tended to her arm.

Adrianna tried not to cry out.
“She has her tail back. She’s a mermaid again.”

“
Then why don’t you have your legs back?” Christian asked.

“
I don’t know. I don’t know how her magic works.”

“
I don’t think Lorelei is about to tell us either,” Gaspard said.

“
Perhaps if I spoke to her,” Christian suggested.

Gaspard snorted. “She
tried to drown you the last time she saw you. I don’t think she’s going to help you now.”

“
You will have to ride with me again.” Christian ripped off another strip to bind the wound. “It’s not safe for you in the river now.”

She was beginning to think that nowhere was safe for her.

She rode with Christian, cradled against his chest. The pain in her arm had dulled to a throb. She scanned the river, looking for any sign of Lorelei. She knew the maid was out there, watching them. Seeing Adrianna riding with Christian would only enrage her further.

“Do you think she’s following us?” Christian asked. His mouth was close to her ear and she could feel the tickle of his breath against her skin.

“I know she is.”

“I could go
to her and agree to be with her on the condition that she gives you back your legs.”

“
You would spend the rest of your life with her?” She pushed away from his chest so that she could see his face.

“
You’ve lost your future. It was taken away because of me. I can’t live knowing that it’s my fault you lost your legs.”

“But
I can live like this. I still have my life, unlike Jutta and those other girls, and I will make the best of it. I’ve lost my legs, Christian; that’s all. I haven’t lost my life or my future.”

“You will never be alone
.”

“
I don’t want you to stay with me out of guilt.”

“
It wouldn’t be out of guilt.”

“
Please don’t.” She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to talk about this now. It would hurt too much when they had to part.

Christian sighed.
“We must speak before we get to St Goarshausen. There are things I need to say to you. But not now, not when you’re in pain.”

He kissed the top of her head and said nothing more. She knew Lorelei was watching, but she didn
’t care. Christian’s arms were wrapped around her and she relaxed against him, fitting herself to his chest. Every mile they travelled was another mile she got to spend in his arms, but it was another mile closer to home and closer to being parted. What would she do if she couldn’t go back to the river? Where was safe for her now?

~~~~~

Christian tossed more wood onto the fire. Adrianna lay sleeping, half on the bank and half in the river. They’d had no choice but to let her go back into the water; she couldn’t stay out of it for long and there was no other way to keep her tail wet. He watched her as she slept, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the fire. She slept on her left side as she always did with one hand curled under her chin. The river was no longer safe for her now, but she couldn’t stay on land. She had nowhere to go.

He had tried to speak with her and tell her how he felt, but she had asked him not to. But he couldn
’t keep silent any longer. He wanted to be with her. He knew it had only been three weeks since they had left Paris, and he wanted time to court her, to see how they both felt, but once they reached the town it would be impossible.

Gaspard returned from seeing to the horses for the night. He walked stiffly, his shoulders hunched. Christian knew their journey was beginning to take its toll on him.

“You should get some sleep,” Christian said. He threw another branch onto the fire. “I’ll keep watch in case Lorelei comes back.”

“I don’t feel like sleeping just yet.” Gaspard stretched out on the other side of the fire, his back against a tree.

“
You should try. We have an early start tomorrow.” Christian tried to hide his frustration. Usually the Frenchman was asleep within minutes.

Gaspard folded his arms on top of his stomach and smiled.
“I know what you’re planning, my friend.”

“
I don’t know what you mean.”

“As soon as I’m asleep
you intend to go and find Lorelei and offer to be with her in exchange for giving Adrianna back her legs.”

Trust Gaspard to guess what he had planned. “
What if I am?”

“
I won’t let you do it.”

“
It’s not up to you.”

“
We will find another way. Your mother will never forgive me if you give yourself to Lorelei. And what if she kills you? You won’t be much help to Adrianna if you’re dead.”

“
At least let me try and speak to her.”

“
No, my friend. It’s too dangerous. I don’t think she will come to you anyway. She doesn’t want you to see her as a mermaid.”

“
But why? I know what she is.”

“She
cannot bear for you to look at her and see her as a creature.” Gaspard wrapped himself in his cloak. “We should reach St Goarshausen tomorrow if we ride hard.”

“
Adrianna is injured. She can’t be out of the water for long.”

“
You sound as if you don’t want to get back.”

He didn
’t. Here, he could imagine a future with Adrianna. But once they reached the town, he would be a prince again and back to the responsibilities and duties that went with his title.

“
We cannot evade the French forever,” he said. “At some point they will catch up with us. And Adrianna cannot stay in the river now. Where will she go?”

“
We will worry about that tomorrow,” Gaspard said. “For now, go to sleep.”