Terrible.It sounded terrible.No part of me wanted to marry this … could I call him a man?Still, I held a trembling hand out to him, as Father would at the end of a negotiation.For that’s all this was, really.A transaction.A business arrangement.‘Tomorrow at sundown, then.’
The prince’s handshake was firm, his palm cold.‘I’ll be counting down the seconds, my sweet bride.’
Three
THE PRINCE DIDN’T LINGER.I watched from the window as he saw himself out, stopping only to give me a playful wave when he caught me looking.Then he strode towards the bridge on foot and vanished into the dark.
‘You sold me to him,’ I said, still staring into the darkness.
‘I didn’t sell you, Clara.You’ve jumped to conclusions again.’
I turned to glare at him.‘You just agreed to our marriage so the prince would keep your secret.I’d call that a sale, wouldn’t you?’
‘If you knew—’
‘Tell me, then,’ I said, although I already knew he never would.If he could have been convinced to reveal the truth, he never would have agreed to trade his only daughter to her mother’s killer just to hide his secret.Nothing could justify this.I fought to catch my breath.My blood was running too hot to think straight, betrayal curling like ribbons around my limbs and tightening with every word.
Blood must be paid with blood.
Father never struck me as someone capable of murder, but the only other conclusion I could draw was that he’d finally tried to overthrow the prince.If that were the case, though, he would have shown up dead under mysterious circumstances, as Yann’s father had.So what had Father done that was so terrible?
One final answer swam in my mind, too terrible to contemplate.
What if there wasn’t anything?What if this was all one final pretence to put my dowry to good use?Father always had his way in the end, and who could be a better match for a humble mayor’s daughter than the reigning prince himself?
There had to be a more noble explanation.This was my father, after all.
‘Tell me this much.’I took a breath.‘Did you plan this?’
‘Of course I didn’t,’ Father said.
I chose to believe him.
I stormed across the room, throwing the door open to reveal Johanna listening on the other side.She went white, but I’d expected to find her there.‘Could you please saddle the horses?’I asked.
She darted off without question.
‘Where are you going?’Father asked.
‘The bakery first,’ I said, ‘To get Yann.Then … I don’t know.Anywhere.Anywhere on the other side of a river to here.’
‘Clara, please calm down.’
‘I’m not marrying the prince!’I yelled.My whole body began to shake, terror clawing at my heart with a frenzy I didn’t know how to calm.‘I’m not your property, and I won’t obey you in this.I have one day to put as much distance between me and him as possible, and I am not waiting a second longer than I have to.You’re welcome to come too, but do not try to stop me.’
‘Please think this through.’
‘He will kill me,’ I said.‘One way or another.You know that.’
He didn’t argue.Couldn’t argue.It was what he’d agreed to, after all.‘Just wait here,’ he said instead.‘One moment.’He left.
I stared at the clock, blood curdling in my veins, counting every second he wasted of my borrowed time.He returned promptly with a letter of introduction for Yann to a baker he knew in Salzburg, and a bag with enough money hidden in the lining to last us until he found a way to send us more funds.
‘After all’—he braced himself—‘there’s quite a sum that belongs to you both.’
I knew then we may never see each other again.I threw my arms around him, my anger momentarily quelled.‘Come with us.’I couldn’t leave him.Not when the prince would return the following night to find me missing.
‘We only have two horses,’ Father said.He stroked my hair as he had when I was a child.‘It’s time for Yann to take the reins.’
