Good sir?Was that how one greeted leering drunks who propositioned strangers in the street? She was beginning to think her tutors had no actual experience traveling abroad.
And how should they? Neighboring France had been at war since before Kuni was born. Fifteen years ago when Napoleon had begun to seize power throughout the continent, Balcovia’s military had joined a European coalition to fight back. All pleasure travel had stopped. It was too dangerous. Whatever information her tutors knew about England or France was many years old.
The intoxicated man leaned closer. “Give us your name, girl.”
Kuni bristled. The thought of being spoken to in such an insolent, familiar manner! By a person such as this!
But she was trying to remain unnoticed. Causing a scene of any sort would be the fastest way to catch the eye of the Royal Guardsmen hunting for her.
She clutched her thick journal to her chest as though it were a Bible.
“I am Sister Mary Smith,” she replied in her best, most repressed English accent. “Please carry on with your day elsewhere.”
The whiskered man looked confused, but he tottered away.
Kuni sagged farther into the shadows in relief.
Even if the strange man hadn’t unsettled her, she would have been tempted to give a false name. The English didn’t even try to pronounceCoo-nee-goon-dehbefore laughing and asking what peoplereallycalled her instead of Kunigunde.
To which she always replied with her full name and honorific, “Juffrouw Kunigunde de Heusch.”
After all, none ofthemever shortened their interminable, tongue-twisty “Right Honorable Miriam Darlinda MacMontague-Hargreaves, Dowager Marchioness of Brambleborough-on-Featherfettle” names to something like “Bambi” forher.
For the most part, Londoners looked right through her, especially dressed as she was now. It was not a phenomenon she was accustomed to as a member of the royal retinue—and she could not help but harbor mixed feelings about it, even if the anonymity was useful.
Still, she had work to do. If that meant wearing the oldest, plainest castoffs from her lady’s maid, Kuni was more than willing to do it.
She was on a mission to outperform Balcovia’s own Royal Guard.
In anticipation of an upcoming royal visit, her king had sent two of his Royal Guardsmen on a forty-day scouting expedition to identify strengths and weaknesses of English traditions and architecture, and ascertain which security measures should be put in place.
Unfortunately, the king’s two best Royal Guards were also Kuni’s brothers.
Floris and Reinald laughed at her for daring to dream herself capable of becoming a Royal Guard. This was her sole chance to prove herself as capable as any man. No—better than an ordinary man. By providing the most useful intelligence herself, she would illustrate her true worth and at last be granted the title and uniform she longed for in the most elite infantry regiment in all of Balcovia.
Her brothers were Royal Guardsmen. Their father had been a Royal Guardsman. Their grandfather. Their great-grandfather. All the de Heusch men for generations had been chosen and honored by their king.
Kuni had trained with her brothers since she could toddle. Spent every spare second copying the royal soldiers’ movements with military precision. Threw a knife before she could write her name. Stealth and skill gave her the edge in one-on-one combat. With throwing knives, the enemy needn’t even sense her presence before Kuni’s blade struck true.
The power royal companions wielded was invisible. Secrets, access to protected areas, influence over the princess.
Kuni wanted to bevisible. To fight on the front lines, not hidden behind doors. Toguardthe princess, not embroider handkerchiefs beside her. To train with the soldiers,asa soldier. She would not rest until she wore the Royal Guard uniform with pride.
She intended to compete for a place in their ranks this summer along with the other aspiring soldiers. But the king would never allow a woman to join the competition unless she gave them a reason…such as being the hero of this mission. She had already penned her observations on two dozen residences. Shoddy security at each—honestly, theEnglishwould do well to hire her—and Kuni was well on her way to finishing on schedule.
Perhaps there would even be a spare day or two to take in the sights, such as…Who wasthat?
Kuni’s exhaustive knowledge of her London guidebook vanished from her head. Although she was generally unimpressed with the men she’d met thus far, she had just caught sight of a man who had passed by her the day before. An absolutely exquisite gentleman with tawny golden skin, a stunningly handsome face, a well-tailored English coat, buttery buckskins that showed his muscled form to perfection, and anexceedinglyarrogant stride.
Good God, for a man like this, a woman would happily learn all twenty unpronounceable words in his title.
She dipped her head lower before he could catch her staring. Her bonnet’s brim cut off her view at his wide shoulders, which allowed her to drink the rest of him in without the risk of meeting his eyes. His easy pace exuded confidence and a lethal grace, as though his prey would not sense his approach until it was too late. But…shehad noticed.
The attractive man was not walking in her general direction. He was striding straight towardher.
3
Kuni stepped back toward the shadows. Her heel scraped the brick wall behind her. There was nowhere farther to duck, no place to hide.
