Page 20 of The Princess and The Warrior

I wanted to be the one to bring her more hot water for her tea, bring her an extra blanket when she was cold, and insist she eat the last piece of cheese when she seemed to get hungrier for salty things once a month.

The thought of another man caring for her was repellent. I wasn’t an expert in making women happy, but I hoped that I was becoming good at making Althea comfortable.

She was always so bright and cheerful. No matter what happened, I was sure that she would be all right.

The King’s ensign fluttering from the tallest turret of the castle came into view, and I stroked Althea’s hair. “We’re almost here, my beautiful lady.”

She sat up, blinking, instantly smiling as she turned to me. “Whatever it is that has upset you, I’ll help you any way I can,” she said softly.”

Kissing her gently, I wished that we could run back to our lovely house and avoid the royal court forever.

“We’ll see what happens,” I said.

Leaning out the window slightly, we saw that the road was lined with cheering faces. Waving and smiling, Althea clasped my hand on the seat between us.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Just the usual nerves,” she said while smiling brightly. “Being scrutinized makes me feel nauseated. Especially by strangers.”

“But these are your loyal subjects,” I said, forcing myself to smile widely as well.

“I’m sure they’re all lovely people. But when they’re all observing me at once, it sends prickles down my spine,” she said.

“Yet you’re doing this anyway,” I said, stroking her hand with my thumb as my other palm waved out the window in the direction of the cheering townsfolk. “You’re a courageous girl.”

“As with many things, it’s my responsibility as a member of the royal family,” she said. “But it’s fine. We’re almost there.”

It really didn’t require seven armed guards to escort us from the castle gates to the throne room, but I kept that to myself this time.

No matter what happened, I would force myself to stay calm, stay agreeable, and always follow Althea’s lead. She seemed to have excellent instincts and knew precisely what the court wanted to hear.

I prayed that this was a simple meeting to check on the state of our marriage and nothing more. If I were allowed a second prayer, it was that if we were in trouble, any blame would rest on me alone, never her.

15

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Althea

After being permitted to simply stroll into the throne room whenever I liked, waiting in the hallway to be announced felt like an awkward formality. But now I was a married woman, and I no longer lived in the castle. It was strange, but being independent felt deeply satisfying.

Reaching out to take my husband’s hand, I looked up to see his strangely haunted expression. Although his face was deeply tanned, there was something slightly off about the golden tone. His broad shoulders were still too high, and tense.

“Trax, are you nervous?”

He turned to me stiffly, leaning in to whisper so the guards ten feet away could not hear. “You must understand, Althea, the wrath of the King is the only thing that has ever made me nervous in my life.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why?”

“I can fight any man, and be certain to win. But no single man could take on an army with endless weapons and armor. The King’s word is absolute. He is the only man in the kingdom who makes me feel weak and powerless.”

I’d never seen this side of him, and it was strangely endearing, if a little bewildering.

“Trax, this is my family. They’re happy for us. My father gave me to you as a prize, for goodness’ sake. He can’t be displeased with us in any way.”

His eyes locked on mine as he shook his head. “I wanted to keep this from you, Althea, for I would never want you to worry. But according to the note I received this morning, there have been rumors.”

I rolled my eyes. “This entire castle is made of limestone and rumors.”

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