I wished I could tell her yes, but the truth was I had no idea what guards did during their time off.
“Brant and I aren’t always the most social of men,” I hedged.
Allete gave me a look that said she was not convinced that my words were entirely true. She was too perceptive for her own good.
“We can teach you a new game, but I’m afraid there might be some wagering involved,” Dayna said as she shuffled the cards. “I’d hate for you to lose anything too valuable.”
“A little betting never hurt anyone,” Brant smiled.
Allete chuckled and shook her head. “If you believe that, then you are more na?ve than I would have guessed.”
He pressed a palm to his heart and scrunched up his face. “You wound me, Your Highness. I have the weakest of constitutions.”
The sisters snorted together.
“I will believe that when I see Cook relinquish her carving knives,” Dayna said.
“Deal the cards, Dayna, and explain the game,” Allete ordered. It was obvious that she was trying to keep her sister on task. Dayna seemed to be distracted by Brant, and the young girl couldn’t quite keep her eyes on what she was doing. Brant was simply grinning at her, knowing full well the effect he was having on her. He would be insufferable to be around for at least a week.
I was surprised that the day continued without any disturbances. In between games and talking, Brant and I would step out into the hall and walk up and down the corridors to make sure no one was hiding, and to talk about the girls, of course. Then we’d returned to Allete’s chamber for more cards and pleasant conversation.
Everything felt natural and relaxed. At one point, I felt less like a guard and more like a companion, an equal to the two women. I wondered if Allete felt it. By the time the moon had replaced the sun in the sky, and the darkness at last lay like a blanket over the kingdom, I knew we needed to call it a night.
“While I have had had a wonderful time,” I began as I stood from the small table. “I think it is time we returned to our posts. You both need rest.”
“You need rest as well, Torben,” she said gently. “You’ve been up all night and all day.”
“I need to guard you,” I said, knowing that it would be very difficult to entrust her safety to someone else.
“Please choose two men you trust and have them take your place at least for a few hours so that you may sleep,” she said, the tone of command in her voice.
I nodded. “As you wish.”
I glanced at Brant who was busy whispering to Dayna and grabbed his tunic. “Let’s go, lover boy. We must not overstay our welcome.”
Before we could close the door behind us I heard Allete’s quiet voice and turned to look at her.
“Thank you, Torben, for being here.”
I bowed my head and made sure my eyes held hers. “There is no other place I would rather be than by your side.”
“No matter how long you’ve known someone—even if you’ve grown up with them, known them their whole life—they can still surprise you. Somewhere along the way, they grew and changed and you missed it.”
* * *
~Diary of Allete Auvray
It was late when a knock on my chamber door woke me from a light slumber which I had not fallen into easily. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and sat up, attempting to tame the hair that had escaped my braid.
“Come in,” I called, not wanting to climb out of bed. I suspected the identity of my visitor, and I knew Torben’s man would not allow entrance to anyone who would do me harm.
The door made a creaking noise as Lizzy pushed it open. It was a small thing, something that went unnoticed during daylight hours, but now seemed to echo throughout the castle, causing me to irrationally wonder if it would wake the entire house.
My sister stuck her head in. Her face was lit by the glow of a lantern as she held it out so she could see into the dark room. “I’m sorry to wake you, but I need to speak with you.”
I motioned her to come in and grabbed the dressing robe that Lidia had laid on the end of my bed. Once I’d slipped it on, I pointed at the chair. “Have a seat, Lizzy, you look dead on your feet. What have you been doing? We haven’t seen hide nor hair of you in a couple of days.”
“I am sorry that I had to leave after what happened to you,” she said. “Dayna stopped me on my way in and gave me a good scolding for not being around.”
I smiled. “She is overly protective.”
“And rightly so. I should have been here for you. I just don’t understand how that man could do such awful things to his future wife? He has no shame. No sense of honor.”
“No, he does not. He is a vile man ruled by his wants and desires and the pursuit of power. Father was not aware of his true nature when he promised me to the monster.”
Lizzy’s eyes widened. “Is he aware now?”
I nodded and explained that Dayna had told our mother and father. When I was finished, relief flooded my sister’s face.
“What is he going to do?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. Dayna and Thomas want to assassinate him,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Good,” my sister spat. “It’s what he deserves.”
This took me aback. It would be something I would expect from Dayna, but not Lizzy.
“Father has not spoken of violence. Since when were you so comfortable with the taking of a man’s life, sister?” I asked as I watched her face carefully.
She shrugged. “Any assault on a royal family member, especially the eldest princess, would be grounds for a hanging. Why should it be any different with Cathal?”
“Because he is a king. His death would bring terrible consequences.” I knew she had not come only to speak about Cathal. I could tell that something else was agitating her, but she was stalling. For some reason, she was avoiding the topic.
“Where have you been, Lizzy?” I asked again. “Have you been tending the sick?”
After several minutes, she shook her head. “No,” she said softly.
“Are you going to voluntarily tell me where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?”
She took a deep breath and then looked up from where she’d been staring at her fidgeting hands. “I’ve met someone.”
This was a declaration I had not expected. I kept my face relaxed as I spoke. “And I assume this is someone that we do not know, otherwise you wouldn’t need to sneak around.”
She nodded.
“Where did you meet him?”
“While walking out around the castle grounds.”
Okay, so Lizzy was going to make getting this information as difficult as getting Thomas to behave like a grown man.
“Who is he?” I asked.
“He is from Cathal’s court,” Lizzy admitted
I wasn’t sure what I should say to that. I had imagined Cathal’s men as nameless, faceless monsters, following the example of their vile leader. But it wasn’t fair to judge an entire kingdom because of its king’s actions. Still, the news was unsettling.