The stairwell funneled the commoners towards the unnumbered seats below and the lords and ladies to the ticketed seats above. The stone of the stairwell was cool against the warm morning and Alex ran her hand along the walls, anchoring herself, as other spectators jostled her along. She remembered the last time she had entered this arena. Then, she had climbed down, below the penny seats, into the bowels of the arena that boiled with the fever of those who came for glory. She’d been filled with a hatred then that, to this day, left her scarred. But now, she climbed and climbed until she reached the grand entrance, the one reserved for dignitaries, royals, and special guests of the Duke and Duchess.
She greeted the guards and was allowed through the final archway that led to the private seats. The Duke and the Duchess were seated along with other town officials. Philippe was there too, at the far end, but she didn’t look at him. The Duke and Duchess rose, and Philippe stepped up behind them to welcome her.
“Did you enjoy the fairgrounds,mademoiselle,” said the Duke, greeting her with a kiss on the hand.
“Yes, of course,” said Alex with a small smile. Such formal greetings always made her feel silly. She took her seat next to the Duchess, purposelysitting far from Philippe “But, I believe the excitement has gotten the best of some of your citizens.”
“Ah, let them enjoy,” the Duke said. “It is these freedoms I must protect.” He turned to Alex. “I hate to bring up the mission while we are here for the enjoyment of the games, but you must understand my race with time. If the attacks from the North reach here, the cogs of this city will halt. We connect the East and the West. Look at these people.” He cast his hand out towards the arena. “The diversity. I dare say all of France could fall if this city is compromised.” He nodded his head in encouragement. “You must guide this journey well, young lady.”
“I will do my very best, My Lord,” Alex replied. While she dreaded the very idea of this journey, now that she knew Philippe was leading it, she pasted a confident smile on her face. She did not want to let the Duke down, as he had always been so good to her.
She trusted the Duke and his instincts. She knew that he had been very careful and deliberate in his selection of men to go north. Ten soldiers had been hired, and they had met together as a group over the last few days. Many of the men had fought beside Philippe in skirmishes with the barbarians throughout the mountain ranges. They were a mix of pikemen and musketeers from both the King’s and the Duke’s army, all battle-scarred and looking for action. There was nineteen-year-old Claude who she remembered from her swordsmanship classes; he could barely lift his sword as a child. He didn’t look much stronger now but was said to be quite accurate with a bow and arrow. The oldest of the group was Henri the mapmaker, in his forties, who was known to have a nasty dependence on whores and gambling but was otherwise reliable and always in need of work. Philippe’s cousin Laurent would be his second in command, a man Alex had met several times growing up. Two brothers, Bernard and Luc, had a set of matching lazy eyes and were known in Chevalerie to take to the bottle. Young Sébastien looked up hard to Philippe, and Maurice seemed sneaky but otherwise jovial and entertaining. Alex was the sole mercenary.
Then there was Philippe, their leader, she thought with a sickening twirl to her stomach. She had wondered how well Philippe could manage the group of men, him being younger than many of them, and far more privileged. Part of her hoped he would prove ineffective and get overrun by his recruits, but after mere minutes of meeting as a group, she could feel thestrength of his leadership and the respect he garnered. He had undeniable authority and spoke with knowledge and confidence. The guide in her was relieved. The woman in her was pissed.
After that kiss they had shared in the training room, she had decided to erase him from her consciousness. It was a shame because their brief contact had caused a waterfall of emotions inside of her. But, once again, he managed to make her feel stupid and weak like no one else ever had. The worst thing was, it was all her fault. She had invited the attention the moment she’d entered town, when she had winked at him… and then straddled and licked him in the stables. She wanted to beat her own ass over her shameful behavior.
Horns blew from the arena floor and a shock of excitement rattled the stands. Alex bit her lip in enthusiasm as she watched the line of guards parade onto the stadium floor. From the side, she could feel Philippe staring at her, or at least she thought she could. But she kept her eyes trained ahead. Down below, the guards positioned themselves into tight military lines. On command, they raised their pikes and dropped to one knee. Cheers from the stands exploded to the heavens. ThenMonsieurPerrault walked to the center of the ring and stood before the soldiers. He raised his hand to hush the crowd. A young boy knelt and presented him with a great scroll and a velvet bag which held the names of the contenders. Excitement smoldered in the air.
“A little different than last time you were here?” The Duchess whispered to Alex with a smile.
“Very much,” Alex nodded with a laugh.
The Duchess squeezed Alex’s knee, and Alex watched as the games commenced.
“On this day, thirty-three years ago...” beganMonsieurPerrault.
Chapter Six
That evening, the ballroom was gloriously decorated for the champions’ ball. Everything glittered with polish and sheen. Golden pillars lined the room, and deep blue satin drapes outlined the latticed windows. Chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling glowed with hundreds of twinkling candles and illuminated the family crest at the head of the hall. The palace staff circulated among the twirling guests with glasses of fine liqueurs. The Duchess had spared no expense in celebrating the honorable swordsmen that had made Chevalerie proud.
The Duke and Duchess sat towards the head of the room, presiding over the illustrious event. Everyone was in a jolly mood after the competition. A new champion had been crowned and no great upsets had happened like many years ago. Though they had each fared well, none of the men traveling with Philippe had won the title. The title was taken by a brick wall of a man from the East, who looked as though he had descended from Mount Olympus. Feeling especially frustrated, Philippe decided that he would participate and take the title himself the next year. Too long had it gone to someone outside of the region.
He sat near his parents, his thumb rubbing the scar on his lip. In line with his sour mood, he had no interest in the party that night. He was toopreoccupied with the journey tomorrow and the one thing he had to do that night before they could proceed.
The people danced before Philippe and his parents as a popular waltz began.
“Come, my boy,” he exclaimed, slapping Philippe on his back. “‘Tis your last night in town. There are many beautiful women. Enjoy yourself.”
Philippe grumbled and waved him off. “I have not the right mind for women tonight, father.”
“You need to relax,” said his father. “You need your wits tomorrow, but tonight you should get any restless energy out.”
That’s whensheentered the room. Philippe saw her instantly, entering far towards the back. She wore a simple cream-colored gown that had a deep ruby brooch at her breast. Her hair was pinned back from her face, but still tumbled down her back. Her dress was far simpler than the other women in the room, but instead of making her get lost in the crowd, she stood out as being all the more elegant. Philippe watched, mesmerized, as she moved towards the front of the room, where she bowed before his parents, and continued to ignore him. She had ignored him completely since the night he’d kissed her. He made a point of watching her whenever he could, but she never turned to his eyes. Not even once. It was driving him insane. During preparation meetings when he would speak to his troops she would look down, or away, or at a map, anywhere in the room but at him. What could he do? He couldn’t get her to evenlookat him. She didn’t disobey him in any regard, she just wouldn’t give him her eyes. And oh, how he felt it. It was the one type of contact that had always connected them beyond words and social protocol, whether fighting, teasing, or in the moments when there was more. The funny thing was, he’d never even thought it significant, until it was gone.
Tonight, he would address it. Before they left on this journey, he had to address it, if for nothing more than the success of the mission. He couldn’t have her avoiding him in any way, and it had nothing to do with his own guilt or his attraction. They had to be comfortable working together, for the mission. That was it and nothing more, he told himself again and again.
He continued to watch her. She dipped through the crowd as several men turned and took her in. He saw her decline a dance with a heartbreaking smile, and he felt his blood pulse in his veins as each new setof eyes landed on her. Finally, she worked her way to a small corner near the balcony doors, where she sat down, placing her hands in her lap.
When she stopped, he stood.
“Where are you going?” asked his mother.
“I shall return,” he said over his shoulder as he made his way across the same path she had taken. Philippe made less of a stir than Alex had on the dance floor, but it still took him a moment to get through the crowd. When he approached her, she kept her eyes averted.
“I need to talk with you,” he said.
“The trip is all set. There is no pressing need,” she said.
