“Yes.”
“Then I’m not sure I’ll want to hear it at all, especially if you’re trying to ruin his good and decent character. He is a true prince, and I won’t allow gossip to be spread about him.”
Did she really see Ryder roll his eyes? She sucked in a quick breath. It was hard to see in the shadows, but she’d bet money he had made that irritating gesture.
“Clarissa, the flowers he sends you are cursed—”
“Oh, now I know what’s wrong,” she interrupted. “You are jealous that he sends me flowers.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry that you don’t do things like that for women you like, but you shouldn’t take it out on him. He’s a sweet man, and he’s showing me how much he cares.”
“No, my sweet Clarissa, you don’t understand what I’m trying to say. If you’d cease from cutting me off—”
“Will you stop telling me that I don’t know my own mind? I certainly know my mind. You, however, I have reservations about.” Huffing, she turned toward the stairs. When she grasped the handrail, she looked at him over her shoulder. “I’ll return in the morning with food and drink for you. I’ll also bring some books for you to read.”
Sadness encased his expression, which tugged on her heart slightly.I am doing the right thing,she reminded herself. “Is there anything else you need me to bring you?”
He arched an eyebrow. “How about a hammer and chisel?”
She opened her mouth to ask him why he requested those particular tools, before realizing he wanted them to try and break the chains. “Absolutely not. Is there anything elsereasonablethat you’d like?”
He glanced at the cot, and then back to her. “Is it too much to ask for a pillow and blanket?”
She bent and picked up the lantern. “Not at all. I shall bring those as well.”
“And will you leave some light for me?”
She glanced down at the lantern in her hand. “I don’t know. I’ll need the light to find my way home.” She moved her attention back to him. “Besides, in a few hours the sun will be up, and I’ll bring your breakfast.”
He continued to look at her with a frown. It wasn’t only his frown that bothered her, but the lack of luster lighting his once-dreamy eyes. She wasn’t sure she enjoyed seeing him in such a forlorn state.
“Thank you, Princess. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
Heading back down the stairs, she grumbled under her breath. She knew Ryder well enough to know when he was being spiteful, and by his tone of voice, he certainly wasnotappreciating her thoughtfulness.
###
EVERY MUSCLE IN RYDER’Sbody ached. Of course, he’d been sitting on a cot in a cold room, leaning up against an even colder wall. His wrists were bound together with steel, and he couldn’t walk very far before reaching the end of the chain.
He stretched the best he could and climbed off the cot. The sun peered through the only window in the room and slowly warmed the air. The window didn’t have anything to block Mother Nature’s elements from blowing inside, but as he stared at the hole in the wall that served as a window, he tried to think positive. Perhaps if he yelled, someone would eventually hear him since there was no glass to block the sound.
Then again, he was too far into the forest. During their journey, he recalled not seeing a soul, or even a hint of any kind of human existence out here. So who would hear him if he screamed? It’s not like the birds could go for help.
Ryder didn’t want to ponder too much about the future for fear he’d go stark-raving mad. It hurt to think Clarissa would chain him to the wall in this tower, and as much as he tried to convince himself she did it because she was under a spell, it didn’t stop his heart from breaking. It also didn’t stop his pride from being sorely injured.
Now he was just exhausted. He’d never been betrayed by a friend, and he couldn’t stand the pain tearing through his heart. Somehow, some way, he needed to put his emotions aside and make his mind work properly so he could figure out how to get out of here.
After Clarissa had left last night, he’d tried for hours to free himself from the chains around his wrists, but to no avail. All it did was rub his skin raw. Now not only did his chest ache, but so did his arms and wrists. He was locked in here for good, and the key to unlock his bindings was the only thing that would free him.
There was no way he could sweet-talk Clarissa into letting him go, since she was under the spell. Yet, he couldn’t give up hope. There must be some other way to talk her into freeing him.
Deep down in her heart, she must know how wrong this was. He truly hoped that something inside of her would wake her out of this spell soon. But until that happened, it was up to him to find how to touch her conscience and make her feel guilty for what she’d done. If he couldn’t...he’d be in here forever.
Yawning, he stretched away the kinks as he became fully awake. Last night the room was too dark to see much, but in the light, he realized not much had changed from his first impressions. Only one chair, one table, and one cot were going to be his companions. Against the far wall, something gleamed from where the sun’s brightness hit it.
My sword!How could she have forgotten to take his sword? Perhaps if he could get it, he’d be able to break free from these chains, or at least cut them off the wall.
He tried again to see how far the chain’s length would take him. He moved toward his sword, but the chain yanked him into submission about two feet from the weapon.
Cursing under his breath, he walked toward the window, seeing how close the chain would allow him to get. But once again, the chain stopped him just short of his target.
