Chapter One
Freddy
Being left at the altar was a very uncomfortable situation to be in.
Unfortunately for Freddy, it was also a familiar one.
He rocked backwards on his heels as he waited beside the priest, doing his best to keep a smile on his face.
After all, this is finally your wedding day.
King Alfred of Nedra paced back and forth across the chancel, his polished boots echoing off the tiled floor with each step. His dark, severe brows were pulled together in a scowl, and his angry eyes glittered almost as much as his ruby-studded crown.
"Where is that girl?" King Alfred growled the words at no one in particular.
"Perhaps she is experiencing some difficulty with her wardrobe?" the priest offered helpfully as he ran his long fingers over the gilded edges of his book. His simple robes were a direct contrast to the king's fashionable, expensive jacket and bejeweled fingers, and his face was just as kind and patient as Alfred's was tense and brooding.
"I'm sure she'll be along any second." Prince Shea of Cabriole, the only other occupant of the room, clasped his hands behind his back and spoke in a soothing tone. He had matched his eyepatch to his dark red uniform jacket for the occasion, and he stood with a military bearing that spoke to his recent service. His dark hair was smoothed back until not a single strand was out of place, and his face was smooth and clean shaven.
Under any other circumstance, Freddy would have laughed at the stark contrast in their appearance. His own hair, dyed several shades darker than its normal sun-bleached blonde, had grown out until it hung low over his brows in front and almost reached his shoulders in the back. His beard was bushy and unkempt, a fact that made him want to scratch his chin whenever he thought of it.
Shea looked like the respectable and noble prince that he was.
Freddy, with his worn, shabby clothing and a lute slung over his shoulder, looked like a wandering, starving artist.
He tugged at the collar of his shirt. He much preferred the soft linens of his home country over the scratchy wool, but it had been necessary for the disguise.
"She better be, if she knows what's good for her." Alfred's voice darkened with the implied threat, and it was all Freddy could do to keep his smile on his face and his protective instincts tamped down.
Come on, Lizzie. Don't do this again.
Shea caught his eye and raised a questioning brow. He was the only one aware of both Freddy's real identity and his subsequent investment in the situation.
Freddy answered his look with a small, helpless shrug.
There's nothing to do but wait. If Lizzie is coming, drawing further attention to her tardiness will only serve to make Alfred angrier, and who knows what other impulsive decision he's likely to make? And if she's not, well...
He let out a silent sigh.
I suppose I'll just have to go after her again.
The doors to the chapel burst open with a bang, and a breathless woman stumbled through. Freddy recognized her mousy brown curls and round face. It was Audrey, the princess's lady-in-waiting. A sinking feeling slowly spread over him as he took in her dramatic entrance and frazzled expression.
"She's not here, Your Majesty. Princess Eliza is gone."
The tense silence that immediately filled the room after Audrey's announcement was thick and heavy. Audrey, likely seeking to escape the wrath of her monarch, slowly backed out of the chapel. Freddy watched King Alfred's face alternate between shades of red and purple, and he prepared himself for the storm of rage that was sure to come. Instead, when the king spoke, his voice was razor sharp and deadly calm.
"You." He spun on his heel, piercing Freddy with his intense dark eyes. "Whatever your name is—do you still wish to marry a princess?"
Freddy swallowed his protests at Alfred's callous treatment of his daughter. He allowed an eager smile to spread over his face. "Yes, Your Majesty."
After all, agreeing to this will get Lizzie out from under his thumb. If he's mad enough to go through with his threat and marry her off to the first man who shows up at his door, there's no telling what else he might do if I say no. I’m beginningto realize that Alfred of Nedra is much more volatile and dangerous than we thought him to be.
A troubled line appeared between the priest's brows. "But Her Highness—"
"Has made the unfortunate mistake of believing herself to have any power in this situation." Alfred turned his steely glare on the robed man. "She forgets that I am the king, and if I marry her to this pathetic minstrel, then she's married to him."
Shea caught Freddy's eye, his expression once again wordlessly asking if he should intervene.
