Against his cheek, he felt Serena’s face grow warm with embarrassment. His body was tight with need, but he wasn’t about to let her go to bed without throwing down his own gauntlet.
He brought his mouth to hers, resting just above it in the hint of a kiss. “Tell me to go away, Princess.”
“What have you done to my son?” Gerlach threw open the door to the Freiherr’s study. He didn’t care about proper etiquette or waiting to be announced. The man had taken Wilhelm from his mother’s house, imprisoning him in the dark. “He’s only nine years old! What could he possibly do to you?”
“You’ve been remiss in your search, Captain Feldmann,” the baron responded. With a signal, a servant stepped closer. Although the man was smaller and Gerlach could easily overpower him, he kept his temper under rein. Wilhelm’s well-being depended on him remaining calm.
“The coach stopped near the coast of Lohenberg,” Gerlach answered. “The Fürst paid passage to the island of Vertraumen. They are still there, so the fisherman said.”
“Now that wasn’t so difficult, was it?” The baron’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Go with your men and bring the princessback to the palace.” The thin smile upon the man’s face made Gerlach long to break the man’s jaw. “I’ll notify the king.”
“I want to see my wife and son,” he demanded. The thought of Marta and Wilhelm enduring imprisonment pushed him closer to the edge of murder.
The Freiherr motioned for a servant to escort him. “Take him below,” he ordered. Then he added, “They won’t be released until you bring back the princess. And you’ll face charges for defying the king’s orders.“
Gerlach shielded his fury and fear for his family. Though Marta was young and strong, no woman should have to endure what she had on his behalf. And as for Wilhelm…it infuriated him that the baron held the power to harm a child. He followed the servant down the winding stairs that led to the prison cells, his heart growing colder with every step.
When he arrived below, the air was frigid. The prison guard led him to a wooden door with only a small slot that would fit a plate. After the guard unlocked the door, Gerlach strode inside and saw his wife sitting upon a bench, staring at the wall. Her blonde hair was greasy, her face pale. When she saw him, she started crying.
He gripped her in an embrace, stroking her hair and murmuring words of comfort. Her tears dampened his shirt, and when he asked his wife if she was all right, she shook her head.
“No. They’ve taken Wilhelm into this place, and I’ve heard him crying at night.” She took his hands in hers, and gripped them hard. “Get him out. I don’t care what you have to do. He can’t live like this.”
The cool fury tightened into a shield of ice over his heart. “I swear I will.” Inwardly he wanted to damn Freiherr Albert to hell. The man cared nothing about right and wrong. He could only view the world through the king’s commands.
“I’ll get both of you out,” Gerlach promised. “I swear it.” And as he held her close, he wondered if he’d pay the price of their freedom with his life.
Serena found it impossible to sleep upon the rough pallet. She guessed it was near midnight, but she’d tossed and turned for hours, thinking of Karl. She’d ordered him to leave, and he had. Without a word or an argument.
It hadn’t brought her the relief she’d expected. Instead, she’d felt dissatisfied and troubled. It had been right to send him away, but her stomach twisted with the unsettled feelings. Perhaps food would satisfy her anxiety.
Her gown was still a bit damp, but considerably drier than it had been, so Serena pulled it over her head and buttoned it up the front. She didn’t bother with stockings, but slipped her bare feet into her shoes. Inside the abbey, it was quiet, and she supposed the prince must be asleep in his own room.
She crossed through the hall and toward the spiral stone staircase. Holding on to the wall, she made her way down to the main hall. To her surprise, she found Fürst Karl sitting by the fire, staring into the flames.
“What is it?” he asked, when he saw her coming closer.
“I couldn’t sleep. I was hungry, so I thought I’d see if there was food in the storage cellar.”
“The biscuits were good,” he told her. “I suppose we could cook more, if you’re willing.”
“No.” The idea of preparing another meal didn’t appeal to her at all. “I’ll see what else I can find.”
“What were you hoping for?”
“I won’t know until I see it.”
Karl stood from his chair and brought out a lamp, shadowing her as she moved to the back of the abbey, where another staircase led below ground.
“Will Father Durin mind if we take some of his food?” she asked him.
“No.”
The air grew cooler as she moved down the stairs. The lamp flared in the darkness, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Then she spied different baskets and wooden containers. She opened one, then another, finding frozen slabs of meat, dried fruits and vegetables, and finally, a store of nuts.
“Hazelnuts,” she beamed, holding up the small wooden bowl. With a smile, she told him, “At Christmas, I used to drink cups of chocolate while nibbling on these.”
“Then take them.”
