The Fairest Beauty

When Gabe woke again, the sun was high. Bartel had closed the shutters, but Gabe could still see the bright rays of light through the cracks. What has Bartel been giving me to drink? Every time he drank Bartel’s herbed wine, he lost hours to sleep. Gabe threw back the covers and got fully dressed, noting his fever was gone. From now on, he wasn’t drinking anything Bartel gave him. From now on he would spend his days downstairs … with Sophie. After all, he had less than two weeks to find out just how she truly felt about him.

 

And what to do about it.

 

Gabe slipped on his boots, reveling in feeling strong again. His shoulder was still extremely sore, but that wasn’t enough reason for Bartel to give him something to make him sleep, just to keep him cloistered upstairs.

 

As he descended the stairs, the wonderful smell of fresh bread and warm spices filled him with anticipation.

 

Sophie was setting the dishes on the table. She saw him and her face lit up. “You look … good.” She smiled.

 

“You look better than good.”

 

She blushed. “I meant that you look rested and strong. You have your color back. Are you feeling better?”

 

He moved close to her. “Do you think I still have a fever?” He hoped she would press her soft hand to his forehead.

 

“I’m sure your fever must be gone” — she gave him a saucy smirk, seeing right through him — “or Bartel never would have let you come downstairs.”

 

“Bartel doesn’t know.” He smirked right back, leaning dangerously close.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 19

 

 

She stared into his eyes like a deer in that instant it sees the arrow coming straight for its heart. Her deep-blue eyes were wide, her pink lips slightly parted. His heart pounded against his chest. He bent his head closer.

 

“Sophie, Sophie, Sophie.”

 

Sophie stepped away from him with a startled jerk of her head, and Gabe’s soaring heart dropped like a rock.

 

Siggy stood in the door, his ears red, the bright color spreading up his neck and into his cheeks. Heinric was just behind him, grinning ecstatically, drool at the corners of his mouth, as he repeated Sophie’s name.

 

Siggy couldn’t meet their eyes. “W-w-we rang the bell. The others sh-should be c-c-coming.”

 

“Thank you, Siggy.” Sophie glanced at Gabe and then turned back toward the counter.

 

Gabe followed her and helped take the food out to the table. Every shy peek from under her eyelashes was worth gold.

 

As they waited for the rest of the men, Gabe asked Siggy, “Where are they?”

 

“Dominyk and Dolf are w-w-working the mines. Vincz-z-z-z and Gotfrid are w-w-working in the forest, cutting trees. We are miners and w-w-woodsmen. Bartel p-p-prays in the chapel out back.”

 

“Heinric help too.”

 

“Heinric, you are a g-g-good helper.” Siggy patted Heinric on the shoulder. “Heinric and I are s-s-staying near to make sure S-s-s-sophie is safe.”

 

“Heinric good helper,” Heinric said. “I protect Sophie.”

 

“Thank you,” Gabe said. “I am glad you are here to take care of Sophie, Heinric.” Heinric was almost as large as Walther. Anyone who threatened Sophie, with Heinric nearby, would likely regret it.

 

Soon the rest of the men trooped in and sat down on the benches at the trestle table. Gabe managed to get a spot next to Sophie. She seemed at ease with the Seven. They looked at her with respect and kindness in their eyes, and she in turn looked at them with an almost familial air. She cared about them. But the look she gave Gabe was unmistakably different.

 

Valten was going to kill him. He shouldn’t be encouraging Sophie’s attention. If he wasn’t mistaken, she would have let him kiss her a few moments ago. I’m sorry, God, but she never promised to marry Valten, and for that matter, Valten never promised to marry her. The agreement was made by their parents, not them. But he and Brittola had agreed to marry. Perhaps there was a way to break the betrothals, a way that wouldn’t anger their families or the king, bringing down his wrath on them. The king had approved the original betrothal, but he could change his mind, couldn’t he? He’d done it before.

 

If Sophie loved Gabe, he would make a way.

 

Sophie noticed that Gabe wasn’t using his left hand. She wanted to ask him if his shoulder still hurt, but she was afraid to even speak to him in front of the men, especially after Siggy and Heinric had come into the room just when it looked as if Gabe was about to kiss her. She didn’t know if he would have, but it must have looked that way to Siggy. What would the men think of her? Especially if they knew she was betrothed to Gabe’s brother?

 

Earlier, while Sophie had been preparing the meal, Dominyk told her that Vincz and Dolf had gone to look for the man she’d seen, but they had only found a few tracks before quickly losing his trail. They believed it was the same man they had seen before.

 

“He could be the duchess’s henchman, so stay inside at all times. We will watch out for him.”

 

“Thank you.” The thought of another one of Duchess Ermengard’s men spying on her made a chill snake down Sophie’s back, but she pushed the thought from her mind. Besides, neither the Seven nor Gabe would let anything harm her.

 

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