Page 60 of Heart of Snow
“Waldeck? That is in the German lands, yes? I had the chance to visit Augsburg when my father defeated the German rebellion. It is beautiful country. The hunting there is excellent.”
He captured my rook with his bishop.
“I wouldn’t know. I have no interest in hunting.” I took a defenseless pawn.
“Really? Yet my aunt tells me you are quite a horsewoman. Seems a waste of skill to not apply it to the hunt.”
I held my tongue, conveying my disinterest through silence while we exchanged a volley of predictable moves.
“Perhaps you will let me be your teacher,” he said, breaking the quiet. “I am no novice in the art of the chase.” His black knight slid across the board toward my key players, and I felt his eyes rest on my face. He was baiting me.
“Yes, I’m certain you’ve made many conquests of both beast and man,” I answered, cutting straight through his allusions as I put my bishop in play.
“And a woman or two.” He winked at me before capturing my other rook.
“It’s the men I’m more particularly interested in,” I persisted. “Most especially those you took in Mühlberg. As they are fellow Germans, I’m concerned for their wellbeing.”
He didn’t respond, and we moved through another series of plays as his pieces took gradual control of the board.
“You may discover the welfare of your friends next week.” He moved his king close to my queen. Far too close. I studied the board, trying to understand the advantage of such a move. “I believe they’ll be included in the parade of the Ommegang.”
“They’ll be in the procession?” The same nervousness from this morning sped through my blood. I wasn’t certain why the city would allow the inclusion of known rebels of the kaiser but was glad for it. For the chance to see Samuel.
“Your move,” the prince prompted. My thoughts were too muddled for the game now. I pulled the queen back out of instinct.
The prince smiled. “Since you are so interested in seeing the German nobles, I will ensure you a seat beside me on the platform. You’ll have a better view of them there.”
I didn’t know what to say. My gratitude weighed heavy against a sense of foreboding, but I nodded my appreciation.
“Checkmate.” The prince stood, his attendant rising in tandem. “Until next week,mea columba.” He walked away as I studied the board, searching for an exit from the square prison in which he’d bound my king.
Chapter 28
Margaretha
The Grand Place was awashin color. Jagged buildings with posts and knobs spiraling to heaven were striped with scarlet banners and studded with guild flags wafting in the June breeze. Row upon row of formerly blank and black windows were now filled with vibrant plumed hats and peeking, eager faces.
Our procession took a path around the square, the royals and their retinues leading the way with all the pomp and flair of their station. Sitting taller and nobler than when he’d arrived in Brussels, the kaiser rode atop his steed, accompanied not only by the members of his court, but also by his hounds, his bulldog, and his falcons—the latter poised on the arms of elegant ladies wearing matching livery.
Reaching theMaison du Roi, our three sovereigns dismounted amidst the fanfare of trumpets and the cheers of subjects packed around the square. They climbed a short set of steps onto a canopied platform draped entirely in red velvet, taking the few seats appointed for the higher nobility. A flurry of servants approached their retinues, helping the ladies dismount and ushering us up the steps in a dizzying but efficient manner. I stood on my tiptoes to catch the prince’s notice, hoping he really intended to provide me with a seat, but a smartly dressed page was already cramming us into the tight spaces on the floor surrounding Queen Mary’s chair.
“Mistress Schirstet, you sit here,s’il vous plaît. Mistress de Waldeck, over here,” he directed.
I started lowering myself to the cushion when the smooth voice of Prince Felipe arrested my movement.
“Thecomitissawill be sitting beside me.” He extended a hand down to me, and I took it gratefully, allowing him to pull me up off the cushion.
As we picked our way with careful footing through the crush of bodies surrounding the royal chairs, several of my sisters-of-honor gave me glares capable of freezing the Senne. Some whispered to each other behind their hands, but I forced myself to ignore their prattle and focus on the prince. He did not immediately release me, keeping hold of my hand as he helped me into my seat. Using the excuse of straightening my skirts, I pulled it away. One corner of his mouth quirked upward, but he took his seat beside me, saying nothing.
Despite not forgiving him for driving Egmont away the other night, I did need to acknowledge my gratitude for the softer seat and better view he’d provided. “Gratias tibi ago. I did not think you’d remember to save me a place.”
“How could I forget a promise to such a beautiful woman?”
I ducked my head and smiled as I knew I ought.
Cheers from the multitude sounded as men wielding massive flags marched into the square, their footsteps pounding in time to the beat of the drummers behind them. They zigzagged between one another, stepping out to form a wide circle, then tapping their flagpoles twice against the ground before spinning them in their hands and tossing them in a flowing arc to the men at their right. The drumbeats came faster, and the twists and soars and pounding of the flagpoles only fueled the nervous turmoil inside me at the prospect of soon seeing Samuel.
Of a sudden, the drumming stopped, and the men and flags became statue-still, save their chests, which heaved from their vigorous efforts. The return of the crowd’s applause freed the men to move, and they left the square as the next entertainment took place.
