Perhaps it was better this way.
“I want you to listen to me very carefully,” he murmured into her hair. “Can you do that?”
She nodded. “I can do anything so long as you hold me.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Good girl,” he said. “I have missed you, too. Do not think for one moment that this has not been torture for me, as well.”
“It has been hellish.”
“Indeed.”
“Is that what you wanted to tell me?”
“Not all of it,” he said. He paused before continuing. “Cadie, do you remember what you told me about your mother?”
“That she is dead?”
“That youassumedshe was dead, but that you did not know.”
Cadelyn didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, she pulled her head away from his chest, gazing up at him. “From the way you say that, I will guess that you have news on my mother.”
He nodded. “She is not dead,” he said. “Nesta ferch Madog is down in the common room. She came with the de Shera party and she is asking to see you.”
Surprisingly, Cadelyn didn’t seem all that shocked by it. Surprised, indeed, but not shocked. She looked at Kress, her mouth open slightly in astonishment, but there was no stronger reaction other than that.
“Sheis?” she said. “But… but how do you know that it is truly her?”
His lips twitched, a wry gesture. “Because she looks just like you,” he said. “She says that her husband took you away asan infant because they feared for your safety. An English king would have considered you a prime commodity because of your royal blood, so your father sought to hide you. Still…”
“Stillwhat?”
He looked at her a moment, chewing his lip thoughtfully. “I am not certain,” he said. “Something seems odd. Your betrothed did not come; he awaits you at The Paladin, yet his two brothers have come with a heavily-armed escort and your mother. And what your mother said about how she knew of your betrothal with Ellesmere… it does not make any sense to me.”
Cadelyn was greatly distracted by the idea of her mother down in the common room, having trouble following what he was saying. “Why not?” she said. “Surely she heard of my betrothal and wanted to meet me.”
“But The Marshal said that Ellesmere came to him with the offer of a betrothal with you,” he said. “Your mother told me that Ellesmere told her about your location and existence. My question ishowdid Ellesmere know about you, specifically, in the first place?”
Cadelyn wasn’t quite seeing the same oddity that he was. “Clearly, someone who knew of me must have told him.”
“But you are known as Cadelyn d’Aubigney. Who would have known that you were Cadelyn of Vendotia?”
She didn’t seem to think it was too serious. “Mayhap you should simply ask,” she said. “I would like to meet my mother, Kress. I have a few questions for her myself.”
He studied her for a moment. “You do not seem distressed by her appearance.”
Cadelyn lifted her shoulders. “I was never told what happened to her,” she said. “You were correct when I assumed that she was dead, but I did not truly know. Knowing what I do about my heritage, I do not blame my parents for doing what they did to keep me safe, but I suppose I am simply curious morethan anything. Curious to know what she has been doing all of these years when I was at Castle Rising and why she never tried to communicate with me.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Probably to keep you safe, as you have said. If she sent a missive to you and it was intercepted, then your identity might be revealed.”
That made sense. In fact, the situation was starting to make more sense and Kress was coming to think that perhaps he was overreacting to everything. Perhaps, he was imagining trouble where there wasn’t any because of the looming separation.
Perhaps, he was looking for some reason to prevent it.
“I will take you to her,” he finally said. “But before I do, you must realize that these may be the last moments we have together, alone. I… I thought when we parted the other day that I had said everything to you that I wanted to, but now I find that is not the case.”
She smiled at him, pulling him close and laying her head against his chest. She closed her eyes tightly. “I can hear your heart beating,” she murmured. “It mingles with mine. They are beating together, Kress. As one. They shall always beat as one. When you feel your heart beating, you will feel mine as well.”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. “I shall never overcome this,” he muttered into the top of her head. “This is my last moment of joy and the beginning of a lifetime of sorrow.”
