The Fairest Beauty

Sophie stared at Gabe, wondering if he would tell the truth.

 

After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “I am.”

 

“Good.” Walther nodded. “Sophie is a duke’s daughter. You can marry her when this is all over.” He turned and stalked toward his horse, as if he’d just settled an argument.

 

Gabe stared after Walther’s retreating back, and Sophie gazed at Gabe with her mouth open and her eyes wide.

 

Seconds passed and she didn’t say a word. Neither did he.

 

Gabe should probably tell Walther that Sophie couldn’t marry him, but Sophie was in no danger from him tonight. He couldn’t even move without the excruciating pain in his shoulder intensifying like a red-hot knife stabbing him. And to be honest, he was cold and wanted Sophie near.

 

Sophie lay down next to him, the crossbow beside her.

 

“Planning to use that?”

 

“Only if we’re threatened.” She had a plucky, defiant look on her face that made respect well up inside him.

 

“Do you know how?” he goaded her.

 

“Yes, I do.” She pulled the weapon around to show him. “I have to press this metal thing here to shoot the arrow. And I have more arrows right here. If I need to reload, I step on this to put in the arrow.” She showed him that she had retrieved his leather quiver.

 

“I have no doubt that you can defend us all.”

 

“I can.” She seemed to think he was teasing her.

 

“I believe you.”

 

She looked satisfied and placed the crossbow and quiver of bolts back on the ground on her other side.

 

They lay on their sides, facing each other in silence. Gabe wasn’t sure of Walther’s exact whereabouts, but he was probably close enough he could hear their every word. See, God? We have our own personal guard. There’s no impropriety.

 

She broke the silence by whispering, “Are you in very much pain?”

 

“I would like to lie and say no, not very much.”

 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s all because of me. I’m so sorry.”

 

“Don’t say that, Sophie.” He could barely see her face, but he had too many sisters not to know that she was crying. There was the telltale hitching breaths and slight sniffling. A bit of starlight reflected off the wetness on her cheeks.

 

“You never should have taken that arrow for me,” she said fiercely. “You should have let it strike me instead.”

 

He snorted. “Don’t be silly. I would never have done that.”

 

She sniffed.

 

“Sophie, please don’t cry.” He wanted so badly to comfort her, to comfort her as he would his sisters. What could be wrong with that? He reached out with his left hand — which hurt less than he thought it would — and wiped the tears from under her eyes with his thumb. “I’d do it over again. I’d take a hundred arrows for you.” His chest expanded at the truth in his words.

 

“But why? I’m just a servant girl.”

 

“You’re not just a servant girl. It would have hurt me far more if the arrow had struck you.”

 

“Because of your manly pride.”

 

“Because you’re worth protecting, Sophie. So worth it.” God help me.

 

She made a small sound, like her breath catching in her throat, and closed her eyes.

 

He should shut up before he said something irresponsible. Pain was clouding his judgment. He’d think more clearly in the morning. Besides, her betrothal to Valten was legally binding, and he couldn’t betray his own brother.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 14

 

 

You’re worth protecting. Gabe’s words sank into Sophie’s heart. That he would take an arrow for her and then say that he would do it again, that she was worth it … Then he had wiped the tears from her eyes.

 

She tried to stop crying and calm herself, to think of how she should behave. What would Petra say?

 

Petra was always telling Sophie how a lady should conduct herself. Apparently Petra had lived in the homes of wealthy nobility — although she never spoke of her life before she came to Hohendorf. Petra would probably tell Sophie to pretend she wasn’t crying, pretend she didn’t want to put her arms around him. Pretend she felt what she was supposed to feel, and then the proper feeling would follow.

 

Petra would certainly tell her that she should pretend her heart didn’t feel as if it were breaking. How could she possibly pretend she only felt what a sister would feel for her wounded brother? “I’m sorry,” she said yet again.

 

“Please stop saying that. You didn’t do anything to apologize for.”

 

She mustn’t have feelings for Gabe. He cared about her as a brother would a sister, and she would think of him as a brother and no more.

 

“I shall tell your family of your bravery. They will be so proud of you.” There. Her voice sounded perfectly calm.

 

“And they will love you, Sophie. You’ll never feel unloved again.”

 

Did he know that to have a real family that loved her was her greatest longing? His words made the tears come back, but she didn’t want to cry again. So she closed her eyes and said, “Good night, Gabe.”

 

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