The Lady's Choice (12 page)

Benae approached him accompanied by the steward and he stood. She was exquisite in her borrowed dress and tiara. No one would ever guess that it was not her gown. Benae smiled at him but it didn't reach her eyes. She had a haunted look about her as though she had been crying.

He bowed and reached for her hand before placing it upon his arm. Her fingers tightened and then quickly released and she sighed.

‘What is wrong?' he asked.

She shook her head as if not trusting her voice but he had seen the sheen of tears in her eyes.

‘I have seen that Flaire is taken care of by the head groom,' he said. ‘He looks content.'

Benae smiled and Ramón was gladdened to have provided a distraction.

‘Thank you, Ramón,' she said. ‘I am not myself this evening.'

‘Small wonder after what you have been through.'

Sadness cloaked her gaze once again.

‘Let us greet His Majesty,' Ramón said, stepping forward.

The steward threw open the doors to the hall and announced them. Fires burned at either end of the large hall and several lords and ladies stood along the walls, chatting. They all turned to stare when Ramón and Benae were announced. He escorted Benae right to the foot of the dais where King Beniel and Queen Adriana sat.

Ramón bowed low while Benae curtseyed.

‘Welcome back to our court, Squire Ramón. I well remember your courtesy when we visited our brother at Brightcastle.' King Beniel turned to Benae. ‘Lady Branasar, soon to be Princess Benae, welcome to the family. My brother sent pigeons to inform me of your advent but his missives did not do you justice. He has indeed found a beauty to share his life with.'

Benae bowed her head while Ramón suddenly found he did not want to think of Benae's life with the prince.

‘I am delighted to meet my future brother-in-law, King Beniel,' Benae said, ‘and his queen.' She dropped a deep curtsey for Adriana.

Ramón thought the queen had never looked lovelier, her dark hair swept up in an intricate knot and restrained by a silver circlet. Adriana wore an emerald gown that exactly matched her eyes. She could have been Benae's older sister, so much did she resemble the lady, except that Benae was even more beautiful.

‘Lady Benae, welcome,' said Adriana. ‘I hope that we shall be friends as well as sisters.' The queen stood and came down the stairs to embrace her sister-in-law. A buzz swept through the assembled audience. Ramón supposed it was a ringing endorsement for Benae. Adriana turned to Ramón.

‘Squire, welcome. You have our thanks for bringing our sister-in-law to us in safety.'

Ramón bowed over her gloved hand and kissed her fingers. ‘I have merely done my duty, Your Majesty.'

Adriana's eyes speared Ramón where he stood. ‘It could never be said that life was dull in Brightcastle and now it seems you bring trouble with you. I am disturbed that dark elves should range so close to Wildecoast. I had believed that blight confined to the north.'

Ramón thought back through the events of the past months. First, unrest in the principality of Brightcastle as Jiseve Zialni made his rule felt, then the murder of the previous squire, Jorge. Then the assassin in the garden at the ball where Vard Anton was wounded. Ramón shied away from examining that event too closely, especially regarding how the assassin had come to be in the garden. Alecia's vendetta to kill the mercenaries responsible for the death of Squire Jorge had resulted in her near-death at the hands of one of the mercenaries. When the prince had found out about Alecia's involvement he had her imprisoned to await the day of her betrothal rather than reveal to the populace his daughter's outrageous activities. And all through these dramas, Vard Anton had been Alecia's protector.
Huh! Some protector he proved to be!
Just being around the man had given Ramón an itch he could not scratch. If only that assassin's aim had been true, the blight of Vard Anton would be just a memory. Instead, he had brought the kingdom to its knees.

Ramón came out of his reverie to find the king and queen staring at him, frowns on their faces. ‘I confess I thought the elves were a northern phenomenon as well, Your Majesties. Prince Zialni is at this moment travelling north and west to assess the seriousness of the incursions. It seems, from our experience, that they have penetrated further than first thought.'

‘That is an understatement!' King Beniel said. ‘We cannot have the cursed elves on our lands less than two days ride from our home. We must send soldiers to sweep the vermin from our kingdom.'

‘Some mobilisation of forces seems appropriate, Your Majesty.' Ramón hoped the audience would come to an end soon,
before
it turned to the topic of Benae's unescorted journey.

‘Perhaps you can be of some assistance when it comes to deploying our forces, squire,' King Beniel said, ‘but for now there is another matter I must address.' He leaned towards Ramón and Benae. ‘The lady here has been unescorted in the presence of a man not her betrothed for more than a day. There will be gossip that my brother will not appreciate. How do you propose to stop the wagging tongues?'

Ramón frowned at him. ‘I do not see how we can stop that, Your Majesty, but I wish to assure you that our conduct was of the highest standard at all times.' He felt the heat rise up his neck until he could swear a light blush covered his face. Dead giveaway, even if the monarchs assumed it meant that Ramón had thoughts that he shouldn't. Oh, he had been tempted all right, but now he and Benae could move on, as friends.

‘You are sure there is naught I should report to the prince?' Beniel said, his sharp gaze spearing them both.

‘We were fighting for survival at first, Your Majesty,' Benae said, ‘and then running for our lives, not ever sure we would reach Wildecoast. Those are not ideal circumstances to conduct a romance, even should I have wished. I find Jiseve is enough for me to contemplate.'

Oh bravo, Benae, Ramón thought. She was indeed good and would make a fine wife for the prince. She would hold her own at court, and with ambassadors and their wives, no matter how sharp their intelligence. And she had not lied.

‘Indeed, Lady Benae,' the queen said. ‘We must discuss the matter at length when we have more privacy.'

The king cleared his throat. ‘I will leave such matters to you, my dear. In the meantime, let us adjourn to the dining hall for our repast.'

The dinner went long into the night, with fifteen courses served, including Benae's favourite, pheasant. But despite the fine food, she cursed the need for the display of welcome. All she wished was to curl up on her ridiculously thick mattress and go to sleep.
For a lifetime. Long enough to awake and find that this life was all an absurd dream.

The woman to her left was talking. She had a face longer than Flaire's and unfortunate piggy eyes that no amount of paint could improve. Benae supposed her golden hair was pretty enough.
Oh, Goddess, that wasn't very charitable.
It had been a long few days. She returned her attention to the blonde woman. Her name was Lady Feolinde or some such. Benae was not in the mood for remembering names; besides, she had always found it easier to recall men's names than women's.

‘Do you not worry about the court gossip, Lady Benae?' Feolinde said. ‘The squire is a handsome man and to be alone in his company for more than a day . . .' She fanned herself with her napkin and nudged Benae's elbow. ‘I would not let such an opportunity pass.'

‘Perhaps you forget I am betrothed, Feolinde?'

‘Ah, yes, and that is another interesting topic. The court here was all abuzz when it heard of the contest. How many of you were there competing for his hand?'

Benae suppressed an angry retort. ‘That does not matter.
I
was successful and now I cannot wait to become his wife. He is a most loving and considerate man, the prince.'

‘Not what I heard, Lady Benae,' Feolinde said, bumping her elbow again.

Really!
That woman had better stop her elbowing or she would soon find a fork through her hand. Benae smiled sweetly. ‘Oh, I cannot fault his manners. He has been the perfect fiancé since our betrothal.'

The man on Benae's other side, Lord Korert, snorted. She turned to him, thankful for the interruption.

‘He has not bedded you yet, then?'

Benae nearly choked on the wine she had just taken a gulp of. In fact, she was feeling just a tad tipsy. If she did not escape soon, she would either say something she regretted or fall asleep in her goblet. ‘That would not be appropriate, Lord Korert.' She smiled into his whiskery face.

His paunch jiggled with his laughter. ‘Propriety didn't stop you travelling alone with the squire, did it?'

Suddenly Benae could not bear it any more. She stood abruptly, causing her chair to fall over backwards. Lord Korert leapt to his feet and righted her chair, looking startled.

‘I am afraid I shall have to take my leave,' Benae said. She nodded to Lady Feolinde and Lord Korert, then stopped by the king and queen, who were seated at the head of her table, gave her thanks for their hospitality and swept from the hall.

Back in her chambers, Benae endured Joletta's ministrations but dismissed her as soon as she was dressed for sleep. A gust of wind shook the casement windows and she shivered. She adored cold weather but could not abide wind that sliced through clothes and left a person shivering. She had never seen the coast before but the brief glimpse of sand and waves she'd had from the cliffs as she arrived in Wildecoast had been enough to tell her that she could not have lived here. Benae preferred the quiet forests and rugged mountains of her northern home. Her people eked out their existence by reclaiming forest land for small farms, by woodcutting and by hunting the forest creatures. It was not an easy life for them and the past two seasons had seen harsh winters that made life on the smallholdings even more difficult. The dark elves were the last blight her estates needed and might easily amount to the end of her rule. Of course now it would be Jiseve's problem, but she could not help worrying about her people.

She sighed. If only she could talk to Ramón, but they could not risk being seen together, especially not now. Anyway, he planned to visit his family and she would be busy with fittings for her dress. Benae paced the sitting room of her chamber, the floaty hem of her nightgown swirling about her ankles. There was a ball planned for tomorrow, which would be more of an endurance test than tonight's dinner. She felt like a caged beast, pacing up and down.
Ramón, where are you? Do you wish you could speak to me right now?

Ramón paced the stones of his small sitting room, occasionally pausing to stare south, through the gentle light of dawn, towards where his parents' estate lay. He longed to visit them, knowing they would provide the foundation he needed. They would be the balm his restless spirit required after the turmoil of the past months. First Alecia then Benae consuming his thoughts, then the ambush on his party that had left him floundering. What he needed was a long talk with his father and mother. They would each know just the right advice to give him. And he wished to see his sisters.

Nyon, older by a year, was wed to a senior apprentice of the city's shipbuilder and already had three children. Alique was three years younger than he and one of Queen Adriana's ladies-in-waiting. He would see her tonight at the ball. Then there had been Elinor, his twin, who had left such a gaping hole in his life and with whom he still felt a connection, even though she had been dead four years.

From his window, Ramón could just see the whitecaps as they rolled in towards the rocky shore. How he had adored skimming over them in his sailing boat up until his recent posting to Brightcastle. The weather was too rough today for sailing but he hoped the seas would calm before his departure and he could feel the wind and spray in his face once again.

Yes, he was just as restless as those waves this morning, trapped within the palace for another day to attend the ball. He knew he would most likely dance with Benae that evening and he was scared to do so.
Friends!
He was fearful that she would read the lie in his face, in his very body. His determination to keep their relationship platonic had lasted less than twenty-four hours. After spending days in her company, cursing the way she made him feel, now he missed her smile and wondered how she was faring. He suspected he could never be satisfied with friendship. Benae had seized a piece of his heart and made it her own.

But Benae was not the only source of his unease. His whole purpose until recently had been focussed on finding Alecia and destroying Vard Anton. Now that goal was out of reach and even if he was able to resume his quest on his return to Brightcastle, Benae had made him see that Alecia might not hold his future. He no longer believed that Alecia was the only woman for him, so even when she returned – and he had to believe she would – the picture of himself and Alecia together was no longer clear. The foundations of his life had crumbled and he was uncertain where his future might lie. Ramón grabbed a linen towel from the washstand and headed for the bathing chamber. It would be quiet at this time of morning and would have been freshly prepared for the day's royal bathers. The buzz of activity as he stepped into the hall surprised him. Maids scurried to and fro with trays and piles of linen and doors opened and closed on all levels. Perhaps the baths would not be as deserted as he thought.

The baths were something of a novelty in the kingdom. They lay deep beneath the castle in the rock and were fed by hot springs that bubbled up from below. There was a legend that told of a dragon living within the springs but only children believed the tale. As Ramón walked down the corridor hacked through the mountain itself, past the flickering torches, he found himself remembering the fairy stories of his childhood. These dark passages were just the place a dragon might call home. He stepped into the bathing cavern and was immediately greeted by warmth and steam. The rock walls glistened in the torchlight and he inhaled deeply of the humid air. The huge pool was indeed freshly filled so he shed his clothing and stepped straight in. A bath maid stepped up and soaped his hair and shoulders. He dismissed the girl and sat for long moments submerged, revelling in the absence of sound and allowing the water to support him.

But he could not lie beneath the water forever and reluctantly he pushed himself out of the pool and turned to collect his bath sheet and clothes.

A small crowd of ladies stood in the shadows near the entrance to the baths and among them were Queen Adriana, Benae and – 
had the Goddess no pity? – 
his sister Alique. Ramón nearly choked on his gasp of shock and the ladies seemed frozen where they stood. His skin tingled as ten sets of feminine eyes slid over his skin from hair to toenails. Not even the dim light could hide him from them. He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist.

‘I am sorry, Your Majesty, Lady Benae. I did not expect anyone here this early.'

The queen's eyes gleamed appreciatively. ‘Do not be sorry, squire. Stay and join us.' Her gaze lingered on the part of his anatomy now concealed by the sheet.

He looked at Benae, but not for long. Her mouth was still open, her eyes wide, as if she had never seen a naked man before. As he watched, her mouth snapped shut and she bit her lower lip. She stalked past him to deposit her towel on a bench set aside for the purpose.

‘Good morning, squire,' she said, her voice cool.

‘Good morning, Lady Benae.' Ramón swept his clothes up, bowed to the queen and her ladies and hurried from the cavern.

He got more than a few stares as he returned to his chamber. One did not see a man clad only in a towel in the castle hallways every day. Once in his rooms, he dressed before the fire, slowly warming after the chill trip from the bathing room.

Far from dousing the rumours flying about regarding himself and Benae, Ramón was certain that this morning's debacle, where he had flashed his crown jewels for all to ogle, would bring fresh speculation about what might have occurred between squire and lady before they reached Wildecoast.

Benae gritted her teeth and slid into the deliciously warm water. Of all the places to catch her first tempting glimpse of Ramón's fully naked form, this was the last she would have anticipated, and certainly not in front of the stares of the queen and her ladies-in-waiting, one of whom was Ramón's own sister.

If the sight of Ramón naked before her had not pushed all coherent thought from her mind, if his muscled form and glorious manhood had not set her heart thumping, she would have been mortified by the experience. As it was, mortification would have to take a back seat to . . . rampant desire. Even now, her nipples were tight with longing and the heat in her core . . . It seemed that just when she had mastered her wayward feelings, something always happened to force Ramón into her thoughts. She did not think she would ever forget the vision of his golden body burnished by the flames of the torches, glistening with hot water as it sluiced over his . . .

She had to stop these thoughts. Benae closed her eyes and concentrated on steadying her breathing.

The queen had other ideas. ‘Over a day alone with a man who has the physical attributes of a god and you say you were not moved, Benae?' Adriana fixed her gaze on Benae and suddenly Benae felt like a mouse stalked by a cat. ‘
I
would not have been able to restrain myself, no matter how I love my Beniel.'

Benae decided that did not warrant an answer.

‘What say you on the matter, Lady Alique? You are the squire's sister, after all.'

Benae swallowed and her eyes found the beautiful young girl the queen addressed. Yes, she had Ramón's blond hair and sensuous mouth. She possessed his startling blue eyes as well, if Benae was seeing correctly.

‘I'm sure I do not know what to think, Your Majesty. My brother was not so well-endowed last time I saw him, but it is a number of years since I saw
that
part of his anatomy.'

The other ladies-in-waiting tittered along with the queen and Alique.

Adriana drew Benae away to a quiet corner of the bath, leaving the other ladies to a game of splash.

‘You are very quiet on the matter,' Adriana said, her green gaze boring into Benae. ‘I am led to think you are not so unmoved by the squire as you would have us believe.'

‘I have told you, Your Majesty, nothing occurred between us. We were fighting for our lives. Ramón is a dear friend, no more.'

‘I do not think my brother-in-law would be pleased for you to have a
dear friend
who looked thus.' She slid closer. ‘Listen, Benae, I do not judge you. I would not say no to the squire should he darken my chamber door, but you must be discreet. Jiseve is not the man to tolerate rumours about his wife.'

The queen left her and glided back through the water to the other ladies. ‘Well, what a stimulating start to the morning, my dears. Let us hope this evening holds us in its thrall as well as the squire's assets did just now. It will be an evening to remember.'

Benae groaned inwardly. She agreed that the ball would be one to remember; it just remained to be seen in what way.

Ramón was satisfied. The ball was now in full swing and he had managed to avoid Benae so far. The closest he had come was when one dance had finished and she had been two men away from dancing with him. He had promptly spun and taken the hand of the lady with him, leading her to the opposite side of the room. Ramón had no shortage of lovely young women ready to dance with him. Even the queen had claimed him for three dances, one of which was a waltz. He remembered her reaction to Vard Anton when she and King Beniel had visited Brightcastle. It seemed Queen Adriana had a wandering eye. At the time he had thought it was just Anton's ability to have every female under his thrall, but it seemed that mere mortals like Ramón attracted her as well.

He would not be honest if he said he was unflattered by her attention, but a ripple of unease set his teeth on edge. He did not want trouble.

His sister Alique appeared before him. ‘Will you not dance with me, brother?' she said, her gorgeous eyes dancing with mischief. She had always been the troublemaker of the family. ‘I think we have much to discuss.'