He meant it. This was his way of offering to help her, if she no longer wished to face her father. Deep inside, her heart softened at his gesture. “I know this…journey of ours never turned out the way it should have,” she said. Sadness clung to her heart as she saw the stoic expression on his face. “I want you to go back to Lohenberg. Create the life you were meant to have. Perhaps youcould be an ambassador.” The role would suit him, for he could be the voice of the king better than anyone.
Karl edged his way closer and reached around her waist for another rope. “That’s not the life I want.” His hazel eyes held a steadiness and a sudden flash of anger. “There’s something else I want now.” Within his expression, she saw a man who wasn’t going to let her go. A man bent upon possessing her.
“What is it?”
His mouth came close, resting above hers. “I want to watch you dancing in the rain until your gown is wet against your skin.” He kissed her throat, his hands sliding over her shoulders. “I want to smash hazelnuts with rocks and hear your laughter.”
When his arms closed around her, Serena released the tears gathering. “We had that, only a few days ago.”
His hand passed over her tears, wiping the dampness away, then kissing her cheeks. “I want it back. And I want you to leave with me now.”
“I wish I could give you my kingdom,” she murmured, resting her head against his chest.
“I don’t need it any more.”
Another gust of wind struck the boat, and Karl adjusted the sails, bringing them closer to the shoreline. Serena realized it was a more isolated part of the island, one she’d never seen before.
The bottom of the boat struck sand, and Karl disembarked, his legs sloshing through the frigid water. He hauled the vessel closer and lowered the sails, anchoring it. Grassy hills stretched from the sand, lined with occasional boulders of limestone. There were no houses or people, as far as she could see. They were alone here, and as he guided her up the hill, she reveled in the freedom.
“Norway lies over there,” he told her, pointing out toward the sea. “Or Sweden, if you’d prefer it.”
Though she understood his offer to take her away was sincere, she couldn’t accept it. “He would only follow me there. I need to face him, Karl.”
“Then I’m not leaving your side.”
She stared at him, understanding that he would be caught up in her father’s fury and suffer for it. Or there would be fighting between the Lohenberg guards and her father’s soldiers. Her rebellion would cause men to be wounded or some might die.
She took a deep breath, knowing that the only way she could protect any of them was to surrender herself and go back to Badenstein. Her father’s greatest weakness was his pride, and she could irrevocably damage it by publicly admitting her desire for freedom, abdicating the throne. The king would have no choice but to let her go, particularly if she threatened to expose his punishments and create a scandal.
She didn’t doubt that he would strike her again. But she could endure the pain if it meant fighting for her freedom. And when she’d cut the ties to her country, she might find a way to be with Karl.
“Why did you bring me here?” she whispered.
“To give you a choice. I didn’t want you to be taken against your will.” He led her to sit down upon the hill, and he joined her, staring out at the dark gray water.
Serena untied her bonnet, setting it aside. Today would be their last afternoon together for a long time. Perhaps forever, if her plan didn’t work. The thought was like a jagged blade slicing her heart open, for Karl would always be the man who had shown her courage, who had taught her how to live without fear. She couldn’t find the words to show him the way she felt. But before she ventured back into the lion’s den, she wanted a precious memory for herself. Something that would let him know what he meant to her.
The sunlight spilled over the hills, warming her skin. One by one, Serena removed the pins in her hair, placing them inside the bonnet for safekeeping. Her hair slid over her shoulders, and Karl was watching her with unguarded need—as if he were savoring the very sight of her.
When she turned to him, she admitted, “I wish I could have married you.”
“Then we’ll do it now. Right here.”
Serena smiled at him, and he took her hands, staring into her eyes. “I, Karl Ludwig Eduard von Lohenberg, take you—”
She saw the hooded desire in his face, and the last barrier in her heart crumbled away. “Serena Louisa Alexandra von Badenstein,” she finished.
“To be my wife.”
Tears filled up her eyes, but she repeated the vow of marriage. It wasn’t legal, and there were no witnesses. In the eyes of the world, they weren’t married.
But she understood the unspoken meaning behind his words. They were a promise, to love and protect her. When Karl bent to kiss her, his mouth was warm, demanding her surrender as he took her lips with his.
She returned the kiss, seeking the forbidden tremors that he evoked within her body. Every part of her opened to him, knowing that his touch would never seek to hurt her. She guided his hands to the back of her gown, placing his fingers against the buttons. “Help me with these, Karl.”
His mouth pressed to hers, his heated breath melting through her. “You don’t know what you’re asking of me.”
“I’m asking you to love me. In the time we have left together.”
