Raleigh stiffened.He stumbled back from Yorik, nearly stepping on me, but suddenly Lukas was between them.I never saw him move.
‘Easy now, Yorik,’ Lukas said.‘We are guests in the prince’s court, and we must respect our host.Even if he so selfishly guards his sweets.’His gaze skimmed over me, then he removed himself, at a human pace this time.Everyone peeled off, returning to their previous seats.The air felt soupy with tension.
Raleigh dragged an extra chair around to the head of the table and positioned it so that we’d have to sit uncomfortably close.There was no place setting for me, not so much as a glass of wine.I felt like a lap dog, only allowed to sit at the table as an amusing ornament.
‘There,’ Raleigh said once we were all seated.Yorik poured himself another glass from Raleigh’s supplies, draining the bottle.‘You’ve met my bride.Now tell me why you’re here.’
‘You really ought to read our letters,’ Lukas said.
‘I never received any letters.’
‘Ah, but we know that’s a lie, don’t we, Yorik?We delivered the last one ourselves.Your lovely maid never noticed the courier was entranced.If she didn’t deliver it to you, then maybe we ought to have a word with her.’
‘Fine,’ Raleigh snapped.‘I burnt them.Is that what you want to hear?’
Yorik put a hand over his heart.‘Is this how you treat family?’
‘My family is here.’Raleigh put his hand over mine, making me jump.
‘So quick to forget.’The expression with which both menregarded me made me shiver.Raleigh’s fingers tightened around mine.‘Our queen is interested in your new bride.She would like very much to meet the woman who has stolen your heart.’
Raleigh folded his arms over his chest and leant back in his chair.‘I’m not due back at court until the new year.’
The new year?I snapped to attention.
‘She said you’d say that.’Lukas leant forward, smiling widely.‘She said to tell you fifteen years ended last month.Said you’d know what that meant.’
Raleigh blanched.‘The year isn’t over yet.’
Lukas hummed to himself, tracing the rim of his glass.‘See here, Raleigh.We were given one other instruction.The two of you are to come with us to attend Her Majesty’s order, or we bring just you, bound in silver, and kill every human left behind.’
Raleigh held his gaze; he didn’t move, didn’t breathe.
‘Now,’ Lukas continued, ‘I know which I’d prefer, but Her Majesty made it clear she’d prefer to meet the bride alive.So which will it be?Bring your bride to meet your queen or leave her to rot?’
‘That isn’t a choice.’
‘What do you have to hide?’Yorik joined in.‘Surely you’ve already won your little deal.’
Deal?I looked to Raleigh for some explanation, but he wouldn’t look back.
‘I have nothing to hide.’
‘Then why the hesitation?’
‘I’ll come,’ I interrupted.They seemed shocked by that, as though they hadn’t expected Raleigh’s ornamental bride to have any sort of autonomy.‘I would be honoured to meet Raleigh’s sire.’
Raleigh stiffened.‘Clara—’
‘I’m not dying for the sake of your stubbornness,’ I hissed under my breath.
Raleigh gritted his teeth.Even backed into a corner he still thought there was a secret passage through the wall.‘We’ll stay one night,’ he conceded.‘No longer.And Clara will not leave my sight.’
‘Then it is arranged.’Lukas raised his glass high.‘She will be so glad to have you home.’
Twenty
WE MADE PLANS TOset out the following afternoon.No one seemed bothered by the prospect of travelling by day.Since we’d have to take the larger carriage, it was safer for the horses to travel then, Raleigh told me, making no mention of how much less safe that would be for him.Yorik and Lukas had come in their own stagecoach, complete with a half-drained and entranced driver, a lad a few years younger than me, who I later learnt had passed out from exhaustion and spent the night unconscious in Enrique’s room.
