Chapter 15
Keelin could not believe how very intimate her relationship with the prince was becoming. The signs of the vast chasm between them were unmistakable, yet their developing relationship was in defiance of all that was logical. In fact, it seemed that the more adversity their relationship faced, the more determined was its will to survive, its will to grow and thrive in the face of that adversity.
When the hare had bounded away from her and she had looked up to see the prince standing a short distance from her, Keelin had felt the same mixture of nervousness, awe, and anticipation that she felt each and every time she saw him. She had also become, as always, painfully aware of the differences in their circumstances. Her clothes were not rags by any means but they were the unmistakable garb of a woman of the servant class. The colors were vibrant but the fabrics were simple and of little cost. It was the same type of clothing that all of the other sewing women wore.
The prince, on the other hand, could not have been much more expensively dressed, covered head to toe in velvets as he was. The ermine trim of his cape and tunic alone bespoke of his great wealth and stature. Only the richest in the land could afford such expensive and luxurious fur and it was not often worn by any other than royalty and the highest members of the peerage. Even Keelin's former masters and mistress had never owned any garments edged in ermine. Most impressive of all, however, was the heavy gold chain and medallion that the prince wore. The chain itself was made of sectional sheets of gold that were as wide as three of her fingers put together. The gold was elaborately wrought and the medallion was the royal seal and coat of arms.
Keelin had felt horribly nervous and awkward at first, with the same disconcerting urge to flee the prince's presence. The sight of him was almost holy to her, almost as if she had accidentally laid eyes on an otherworldly being that she was not meant to see, that she was most certainly not worthy of seeing. Still, as they began to speak with one another and when he announced his intentions to make positive changes in the kingdom, she felt herself almost as at ease with him as she was with Alinda. That ease was more alarming than the discomfort.
Her admiration for the prince was growing exponentially by the moment, but it was not merely the admiration that was inspired by a person of great rank, but the kind of admiration that was inspired by a friend. Along with that admiration came an extreme fondness for the company of the prince and a fascination with his conversation. To pass time with him was the sweetest pleasure she knew. And so her love for him grew and grew, its boundlessness shocking and alarming to her, making her feel as if she would burst if it continued to grow.
After he announced his intentions to implement change and she had expressed her approval of this announcement, he began to confide in her about his ordeals with the Italian princess and his problems with his father.
"I have already told you that I have struggled to be kind to her because my father desires a treaty with Italy, but I do not believe I told you before today that he wishes me to marry her. That he could even think that I could entertain the notion of marrying that woman is a source of pain to me."
By this time, they were strolling companionably through the forest in the gathering dusk. As the sun's rays grew more and more tenuous, Keelin felt an increasing sense that precious time was slipping through her fingers. She fervently wished that she had the power to reach out and fix the sun in place so that she might walk and talk with the prince forever.
"I think that, perhaps, His Majesty does not understand Your Highness," she said.
"Your thoughts are correct. He does not understand me at all. If he did, he would send that horrible woman away and we would laugh about her together."
"Can Her Highness be so completely without merit?"
"I am certain that you are far too kind-hearted to think evil of anyone but I am certain that if you knew her as I do you would think the same of her as I do. She is shameless. She does not know the meaning of chastity or virtue. Her conversation is insipid and completely without thought or interest. Her speech is designed only for flattery and shallow conversation. She compliments me excessively in the hopes of flattering my vanity so that I might concede to a marriage with her and make her rich. Her own vanity exceeds every other thing. If you could have seen how she behaved tonight when the minstrel sang his ballad to her! I am certain that you must think it impossible for any woman to behave as she did!"
"There is very little in this world that I think impossible," Keelin said, with a smile. "However, as Your Highness describes Her Highness, it does seem as though she is a most extraordinary person."
"I dare say that you mean that she is an infamous person, but you are, as always, far too respectful and conscious of your position to say any such thing," Rhain replied, smiling back at her.
Keelin merely inclined her head in response, trying to suppress her mirth. The prince caught her look and burst out laughing, causing her to do the same. They paused for a moment, turning to face one another.
"How I wish I had you always with me," the prince said, his laughter ceasing and his smile cooling somewhat, but still remaining on the corners of his lips. "Then you could help me laugh at the princess as you did just now. I believe I should handle her so much better were I to have you by my side to help me see the humor of my situation."
"I would do no such thing," Keelin replied, her smile remaining intact. "I would not ever help Your Highness to make a joke of Her Highness while in her presence."
"Ah, but you would do so in the forest," Rhain replied, his smile growing a little broader.
"I have done no such thing," Keelin protested. "I merely said that Her Highness must be extraordinary. Your Highness inferred what you wished from that statement."
"You know very well what you have done," Rhain replied, smiling warmly at her. His smile faded after a moment. "I believe I have a very difficult life," he said, his face growing somewhat stormy.
Keelin made no reply and the prince looked in her direction, his face changing quickly to something of a stricken expression.
"I do not mean to say that my life is more difficult than yours. On the contrary, I believe your life has been much more difficult and you have been through an unimaginable ordeal…"
His voice trailed off as she shook her head at him. "I know Your Highness did not mean to imply that my life is easy. We all of us have our difficulties in life."
The prince dropped himself down upon a tree stump, resting his arm on a knee in a posture of dejection. "'Tis tragic that you lost your parents when you were so young, but you were fortunate to have been so well loved. My mother loves me and I suppose my father might, in his own way, but he has always used me as a pawn." The prince stopped for a moment and glanced at her with an embarrassed and pained expression. "I suppose that is why I used you as a pawn. I learned it from my father, who has perfected the art. I have no doubt that you have heard terrible things about our relationship. My father and I often come to blows and it never fails to escape the notice of anyone in the kingdom. Still, in all my life he has never tried to use me in such a manner, to make me a pawn to his ambitions of controlling more of the world. I cannot describe the pain it causes me to think that he is willing to marry me to any random woman merely to obtain a treaty that he desires."
The pain on the prince's face was unmistakable and it greatly touched Keelin. This was the most moving moment she had ever shared with the prince. She could not believe that he trusted her enough to bare his soul to her as he just had. She knelt before him and looked up into his eyes.
"I am certain that His Majesty does not know of the pain Your Highness feels. His Majesty is merely doing what so many have done before, what his own father may very well have done. Still, Your Highness's pain is most acute and I would not ever wish to try to make it seem to be less than it is. You may be the prince of England, but that does not make your pain any less than mine. I am heartily sorry for it. I say to Your Highness with the utmost honesty that I wish I could do something to lessen your pain. All I can offer is my friendship and the promise that I shall always be available to listen to and comfort Your Highness as best I may."
The prince's eyes met hers and she was stunned by the emotion in them. He reached a hand out and briefly caressed her cheek, causing all of the breath in her body to rush out of her in an instant. Her body felt like it was on fire. She froze in her spot, afraid he might touch her again and yet afraid that he might never touch her again. A part of her wanted to flee and another part wanted to throw herself in his arms.
"Fair Keelin, what blessing has brought you into my life? What a comfort you are to me. What an angel," he breathed.
Keelin was suddenly terrified that the prince would kiss her, propelling her into action. She hastily stood and put as much distance between them as she could without seeming to recoil from his presence. Her face burned and her heart beat so rapidly that it made her dizzy. For a terrifying moment she thought she would faint.
"It-it grows late, Your Highness," she said. "I fear His Majesty will think some misfortune has befallen you. I do not wish to detain Your Highness any longer."
Out of all the expressions that could have been on the prince's face, Keelin would never have guessed that it would bear the one it did. His sorrow was almost palpable to her and she found herself more confused and frightened than ever.
"Aye, I must return before my father seeks me," the prince said. He attempted to put a smile on his face, but it did not reach his eyes.
Keelin also attempted a smile, but she felt her lips tremble and knew that the smile wavered. "I thank Your Highness," she said, her voice low. "I cannot express to you how much I have enjoyed this night. It has been my pleasure and my honor to speak with Your Highness as I have tonight."
"Nay, I thank you," he replied. "I fear that you cannot understand the meaning of this night," he said, enigmatically.
She wanted to ask him what he meant by his last statement, but he had turned and was gone almost as soon as he had spoken it. Keelin stood alone in the forest for a long while, more perplexed than she had ever been before.
*****
Rhain's face burned as he rushed through the forest back to the castle. He could not believe what had happened between him and Keelin. Still, as small of a gesture as it was, he knew that much more would have happened had she not moved away from him. In fact, he was almost certain that she had been able to sense this as well and that she had moved to safety.
Still, what could he think about what had happened? They had been enjoying such an intimate conversation and she had clearly wanted to comfort and support him. He knew he had not mistaken that. She had made her concern for him very clear. She had spoken to him so sweetly and had looked into his eyes with such an angelic expression that his love for her had grown immensely in just that one small moment in time. He had never loved her more than he did at that moment. He had always managed to keep his tender feelings for her under control, but he had simply not been able to control them at that moment. His heart had been so full that he had reacted almost involuntarily by reaching out and caressing her cheek. At first she had not moved, had not even breathed, but it only took a moment for the spell to break and then she had moved away. Had she moved away because she was afraid that he might touch her again and she did not wish to be touched by him or had she moved away because she wished to be touched by him and was frightened by that wish? Rhain knew enough of her personality to know that if she did love him as he loved her, her sense of propriety would lead her to do all that she could to conquer her feelings. He did not know enough of her heart to know if it was a sense of propriety or merely a disinterest in him that had caused her to move away.
Rhain thought back on the sweet agony of the time he had passed with Keelin in the forest. He had never felt closer to her than he had on this night. It had seemed that their minds were in perfect harmony. Once they had moved past the awkwardness of their meeting, everything had been easy and beautiful, so beautiful that it almost felt as if it had all been a dream. They had conversed easily and freely, holding nothing back. At least Rhain knew he had held nothing back from her. He had shared feelings with her that he had never shared with any other person, not even Edwyn. He trusted her so implicitly that he had allowed her a glimpse into his soul, something he had never dreamed he would do with anyone. He had never been so vulnerable in all his life, not even when he had been lying horribly wounded on the battlefield. One word from her could have utterly destroyed him, yet she had treated his confidence in her with exquisite respect and understanding. She was his soul mate. Of that, he was certain.
The prince's mind kept returning to that short, far too short, moment of time in which he had finally touched his beloved's cheek. He knew that it was a feeling that he could never forget, even if he spent the rest of his life trying. He had often dreamed of caressing her cheek as he had this night, but his fantasies had been nothing when compared to the reality of touching that cheek. It was silken beneath his fingertips, like the blushing petals of a rose in full bloom. At the very instant of contact, Rhain had felt a shock run through him that was indescribable. It felt almost as if he had been struck by lightning. The jolt had run from his fingertips up his hand and throughout his entire body. He could never have dreamed that the mere brushing of his fingertips upon her cheek could have provoked such intense emotions. He honestly believed that time had frozen for that one instant when neither he nor Keelin had drawn a breath. The light touch of his fingertips on her cheek had been so wonderful that he was certain he would have taken her into his arms and kissed her had she not moved away from him.
Such thoughts had barely finished running through his mind when the castle was upon him. As he hurried up to it, the shadow of an immense figure caused him to freeze in his tracks. The figure emerged slowly from the shadows, coming forward to meet the prince.
"Where have you been?" Edwyn asked. There was a strange tone to his voice that made the prince feel apprehensive.
"I have been walking in the forest. You know I always go there when I need to escape for a few hours."
"His Majesty is furious. He has been searching for you ever since you left the table."
"You did not tell him that I was in the forest, did you?" Rhain asked frantically. He felt a sudden surge of panic at the thought. What if one of his father's men had happened upon the scene between the prince and the servant and was reporting it to the king at this moment?
"Of course I did not," Edwyn said, his voice sounding hurt. "I would never betray your confidence in such a manner."
"Of course you would not," Rhain answered, relief evident in his voice. "Forgive me, Edwyn. I did not mean to accuse you of any wrong-doing."
"You were not alone in the forest then," Edwyn stated flatly, not even bothering to try to question his friend.
Rhain was unsure how to respond. As he looked into the face of his oldest friend, he could see a trace of hurt in his friend's eyes and could sense the feeling of betrayal that lay under Edwyn's calm demeanor. The prince knew at that moment that he could no longer lie to his friend. He could only tell the truth and hope that his friend would understand, hope that his friend would support him. Still, as much as he would hate to lose his friendship with Edwyn and as painful as the loss would be to him, Rhain knew that it was nothing compared to how he would feel if he were to lose Keelin. He would sacrifice his friendship with Edwyn, his throne, and even his life for Keelin if it were necessary. He would do whatever was in his power to see her safe and happy and to try to win her love, no matter what the expense to him.
"Nay, I was not alone," Rhain answered.
Edwyn studied him silently for a moment, seemingly weighing his words before he spoke. "You were with the servant."
"I was with Keelin," Rhain replied, placing deliberate emphasis on her name.
Edwyn shook his head as if he did not believe the answer, although he must have known it to be true, even before he asked the question. His eyes were wide with alarm. "Rhain, I thought you and I talked about her. I thought we agreed that it was best for you to never see her again."
"I love her," Rhain said, his voice strangled with agony.
Edwyn gasped in shock and visibly recoiled. "Nay, it cannot be. 'Tis merely that you enjoy her company. She is a beautiful woman and it would be easy to believe…"
"Nay, 'tis more than that and you know it. You have known it for some time now. You know that I was with her the night of the ball. You saw her fleeing. I bore Concetta for as long as I could and then I sought the woman to whom I truly wished to offer my attentions and my love. I asked her then to meet me in the forest tonight. This was not the only time I saw her alone. I saw her many times before. I went out onto the battlements one night and saw her by chance. I found her in the chapel another night and brought her to my chamber to tell her that I could no longer see her, but once I was with her I could not bear to part from her. I talked with her late into the night about her childhood. Every moment I have spent with her has left me longing for the next. I cannot conquer these feelings. They are stronger than I am. What is more, I would not attempt to conquer them, even if I were able to do so."
"How could this have happened?" Edwyn asked, running his hand through his hair roughly. Suddenly, understanding dawned in his eyes. "She has thrown herself at you," he said, excitedly. "She has thrown herself at you and made you believe yourself to be in love with her. She aspires to be queen and wants nothing more than to have you marry her so that she may live a life of leisure and luxury. It does not matter to her if it destroys you. She seeks only to fulfill her own ambitions."
Suddenly, Rhain's face was only inches from his friend's. His face was contorted with rage, rage directed against his friend, the man for whom he had always felt nothing less than gratitude, respect, and friendship. "I defy you to speak of her in that manner again. You shall taste the cold steel of my sword if you ever dare do so again. I shall seek vengeance against any man who questions her honor. Any man!" Rhain shouted the last two words.
The startled knight pulled away from the prince, holding his hands with the palms facing out in supplication. Rhain had never seen such astonishment and hurt on his friend's face before, but it did not matter. The prince stood tensed for combat.
"Rhain." It was all Edwyn could manage to say.
"You do not know her as I do. She has done nothing to promote my affections, nothing. She does not even know of them. I have spent a great deal of my time with her trying to keep her from fleeing from me. She is every moment conscious of her position, every moment conscious of the danger of our meeting with one another. She has done nothing! My love for her exists because of who she is, not what she has done. I have not even dared speak of my love to her because I fear that she will run away and that I will never find her again. Make no mistake, she has no ambitions of becoming queen and she has no thought of my money. She would sooner think herself suited to count herself among the stars in the heavens than she would to count herself among the royal family."
The gentle giant's face crumpled and it looked as if he might cry. "I meant no disrespect," he said, his voice pleading. "I did not realize that you loved her so deeply. I pray you Rhain, believe me when I say that I would never question the honor of the woman you love. I am your friend and, as such, I simply do not want to see any misfortune befall you. I love you as I would a brother and I only wish to see you happy. I do not know what your intentions are with regard to Keelin but I do know that I do not wish to see you disowned by your father and banished from the kingdom that is rightfully yours. Can you not see that my only concern is for your well-being?"
The tension in Rhain's body relaxed, inch by inch. The rage on his face slowly melted away, replaced by a look of anguish.
"Can you not understand, Edwyn, if you love me as you say you do? Can you not understand that I have found happiness at last with this woman? Can you not understand that I would willingly leave my kingdom and reject my throne if it meant that I could find some joy in my life? You know what my relationship with my father has always been. Can you wonder that I would gladly choose the love of this woman over the love of my father, this woman who asks nothing of me and offers me her friendship freely rather than my father, who always takes from me without offering anything in return? If you wish to find the one who uses me, who seeks nothing more than to take everything from me that can possibly be gained, look no further than His Majesty the king."
A look of matching anguish came over Edwyn's face. "'Tis true," he said. "What you say, 'tis true. The king has used you from the moment you were born and has only offered you his love when you have done exactly what 'tis he wishes you to do. If this woman truly does offer you friendship without asking anything in return, then I shall revere her as an angel. I can understand your feelings. Many would think you a fool if you chose to walk away from the throne, but not I. I know that wealth and power mean nothing to you and I admire your courage and your sense of honor."
Rhain was more touched by this gesture of friendship on Edwyn's part than any other the knight had ever offered. He moved forward and embraced his friend, the two of them slapping each other heartily on the back.
"You will stand by me then?" Rhain asked.
"In the midst of the fires of hell, if that is where I must follow you," Edwyn said, sincerely.
"That means more to me than I could ever tell you. I am so indebted to you that nothing I could ever do would repay that debt. I owe you not only my life, but my gratitude."
"Then understand that not every being in the world is like your father. Like Keelin, I offer my friendship and ask for nothing in return."
"You and she are the truest friends I have ever known. You are both worth all the wealth in the world."
"I hope that I may one day call Keelin a friend. If you love her, she must be an extraordinary woman indeed."
Rhain smiled and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Do not start me on the subject or I shall talk for hours. Come, we shall talk more later. I must now face my father."
Edwyn and Rhain turned and walked into the castle, moving toward the great hall. They did not get more than a few steps when they ran into the king; the king's close friend, the Duke of Canterbury; and the king's foreign advisor. Rhain could immediately see that his father was livid.
"I will speak to you now," the king said to his son, his voice deadly calm.
"Alone, father?" Rhain asked.
"Nay, we must meet with my advisors. King Giovanni is much insulted by your conduct and is preparing to leave immediately. We must see what we can do to repair the damage that your foolish conduct has caused." The king's voice was tight with barely controlled rage.
Rhain felt a flash of anger, but refused to confront his father in front of so many people. "Very well then, Father."
The king turned away from his son without another word and began walking through a corridor toward the chamber where he met with all of his advisors. The Duke of Canterbury; Cairon, the foreign advisor; the prince; and the knight all followed. They had not progressed far when they heard strange noises coming from one of the rarely used chambers.
"What is that?" the duke asked.
"Stand back, Your Majesty," Edwyn said. "I shall discover the cause of this disturbance."
The king and his men fell back as Edwyn approached the door, followed closely by Rhain. Edwyn drew his sword and then pushed the door open slowly. The strange sounds magnified and it was not long before the men discovered their source. The animal grunts and moans were being issued from Princess Concetta, who was in the midst of a very intimate—and very nude—embrace with the minstrel who had sung her praises at dinner earlier.
"What is the meaning of this?" the king bellowed.
It was all that Rhain and Edwyn could do to keep from bursting into laughter. The prince felt an exquisite sense of relief, knowing that there was now no way his father could force him into marriage with a woman of such infamous conduct. It fairly made his heart sing. He could hear the Duke of Canterbury's snort of laughter and the foreign advisor's gasp of horror.
The princess and the minstrel jumped away from one another, each attempting to cover themselves as best they could. The minstrel turned a deathly shade of pale, probably envisioning himself hanging from the gallows, a fate he might very likely suffer once the king was through with him. As for the princess, she burst into tears and began to sob about how the minstrel had taken advantage of her, causing the man to turn even paler.
The temptation to burst into laughter died when Rhain and Edwyn heard the fury in the king's voice. "Woman, get yourself to your father immediately! I shall tell him of your conduct and he shall decide your punishment. Guards!" the king shouted, two men appearing mere seconds after his summons. "Throw that man in the dungeon. He shall be hanged in the morning."
The pronouncement made Rhain feel queasy and, glancing at Edwyn, he could tell that his friend felt the same way. The poor minstrel threw himself in front of the king and began to sob, pleading for mercy. The king simply turned away in disgust, the other four men following reluctantly behind. Rhain walked as slowly as he could and Edwyn, catching his friend's unspoken hint, also lagged behind.
"We must set that man free," Rhain hissed out of the side of his mouth. "He should be punished for making the beast with two backs with a princess, but he does not deserve to die because of that Italian whore."
"Aye," Edwyn agreed, nodding. "I shall see that 'tis done. You must not be involved lest your father discover that you helped set the minstrel free."
Rhain was not entirely happy with the situation, but he saw the sense in his friend's statement. He gave his friend a stiff, quick nod and then the two men hurried to catch up with the king.
"Well, my son," the king said, his tone deceptively conversational. "It would seem that you are saved and it would seem that the only thing that saves you from your own imprudence is the even greater imprudence of the Italian princess. I should think you might want to thank your lucky stars that 'tis now apparent that she is a loose, foolish woman. You may go, but I shall wish to speak with you on the morrow." There was something ominous about the last sentence and Rhain knew that he was not out of danger yet with regard to his father's anger.
"Aye, Father," Rhain replied. He nodded at the Duke and the advisor and then turned away from them, Edwyn following once he had bowed to the other three men.
"Such luck, 'tis almost unnatural," Edwyn said quietly, not wanting the king to overhear him. He shook his head in disbelief.
Rhain's grin spread across his entire face. "I must confess that, since the first time I met her, I have never liked Princess Concetta nearly as well as I do now."
Edwyn could not help but laugh at his friend's statement, but he quickly sobered. "Are you going to tell your father about Keelin?"
"I shall, but not for some time yet. I shall need to think of a strategy. I hope that I might prevail upon you to be of some aide to me," Rhain said, turning a gaze of appeal on his friend.
The knight sighed but smiled as he did so. "You shall be the death of me, Rhain," he said wearily, "but I am willing to be of aide."
"And so my debt continues to grow. Come, we have much work to do," Rhain said, hurrying toward his chamber, Edwyn in tow.
