Page 43 of The Masked Princess

When Soren stopped by after his morning ablutions and training, the frown that passed over his face was as dark as a thundercloud. “Why are you wearing that mask?”

Annalise sat up straighter and wiped her mouth in case of crumbs. “I thought it was a good idea.”

“Why would you do that?” He looked wildly around the camp, then leaned so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek. “Did someone say something? Did they tell you to put the mask on? Tell me who, and I’ll go talk to them.”

The intensity in his eyes pulled at something in her, stealing her breath away. She leaned back to give herself some distance and clear her head. “No one said anything to me. I just thought that the Muranan guards might be uncomfortable with the idea of my curse, and that maybe this would help them.”

“Why would you think that?”

She folded her hands in front of her and looked down. “They don’t talk to me, Soren. In fact, they avoid me, and I assumed it had something to do with the curse. I don’t want to make them uncomfortable, especially with how long they’ll be on the road with us. I’m grateful for their protection and wish I could show it, but no one lets me do anything to help.”

“Oh, that’s it?” Soren exhaled and sank next to her on the log Annalise was using as a seat. “It’s almost time to go, but I think it’s best we take a few minutes to hash this out first.”

Together, they looked across the camp as Soren spoke. “They aren’t afraid of your curse, and they certainly don’t begrudge you anything, Princess Annalise. The reason they don’t talk to you is because many of them think that it wouldn’t be right. You must remember that you are a princess several times over—you’re the daughter of a king, betrothed to another king, and on top of that, you are the beloved niece of their deeply respected High Lady Telimary, who is essentially a queen in her own right. They don’t think it’s proper to address you directly, so they talk to me and Elsabeth instead. Trust me, all of them hold you in the highest esteem, and if anyone were to threaten us on the road, each of them would lay down their life for you.”

“But why? I don’t know any of them.”

“Because it is their duty to do so… and because I handpicked each of them for exactly that purpose.”

Soren dipped his head and ruffled his fingers through his hair when Annalise turned to stare at him. “You did what? How?”

“I picked them. Well, I helped Linnean pick them. Considering the nature of this journey, he wanted to make sure I was completely comfortable with the men who would help me guard you, and I needed the exercise after the healers forced me into such a long rest period.” He gestured around the clearing, where several of the guards had started loading the pack horses. “Each of the men here sparred with me at least once and is fiercely loyal to your aunt. A few of them are also accomplished trackers and hunters.”

She raised an eyebrow at Soren before remembering that he probably couldn’t see it because of her mask. “Trackers and hunters? Are you expecting our food stores to run out?”

“A little fresh meat never hurt anyone.” His smile dropped, and he turned back to her, his eyes now serious. “I watched bandits steal you away once, and I was worried sick that we’d lose the trail and you would be lost. I won’t let you go through that again. If anyone else tries to abduct you, we’ll be ready, and if they somehow spirit you away from the midst of this seasoned troop, we won’t be far behind. Your safety is my top priority, Princess Annalise, and the top priority of every man here.”

“And woman, don’t forget Captain Kierson. I may not know how to wield as sword as well as you do, but let anyone get close enough and a knitting needle to the eye will take them out just as nicely,” Elsabeth said, brandishing the needles in question like they were the most lofty of swords.

“My apologies, Elsabeth. It was remiss of me to forget our secret weapon,” Soren replied. He was grinning as he turned back to Annalise once more. His grin faltered as he looked at her mask, but strengthened when his eyes flitted to hers. “I’ll let you think about everything I said, and maybe this evening we can take a short walk and speak more of it?”

She nodded. “I would like that, and if you truly don’t think it would hurt, I’d like to go without my mask for at least a little longer.”

The smile Soren graced her with made her feel as though it was the height of summer despite the freezing air and snowy ground. Almost before the words were fully out of her mouth, Elsabeth was jumping forward with an offer to repack the mask, and whisked it away before Annalise had a chance to change her mind.

As they continued with their journey, Annalise spent most of the morning wrestling with her feelings. She knew she was betrothed to another man, a man she’d never met before, but being around Soren made her feel safe. His presence was like a cozy room, and his smile like a lamp that lit the way on the darkest of nights. Every time he looked at her, her heart skipped a beat. She longed to take his hand and feel his skin on hers, but the wish was followed swiftly, as it always was, by the icy knowledge that no matter how she felt about Soren, they were doomed. If she were to give in to her desires, he would die, and she would rather plunge a knife into her own breast than do anything that might cause him harm.

CHAPTER 33

After a long day’s ride, when they reached their next campsite, Soren was at Annalise’s side as she dismounted and offered her his arm. “Our walk, just like I promised you.” He’d been looking forward to their discussion all day with some hope and a large amount of trepidation.

She smiled and lightly placed her hand on his arm. After a few steps into the woods, she let go and bent down to pick up several sticks that had been shielded from the snow by the thick branches of an evergreen tree.

“Princess, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Might as well make ourselves useful gathering firewood. Here, hold this.” She handed the sticks to Soren, who sighed heavily and took them.

They worked in silence for a few minutes before Soren spoke again. “You know, even when we get to Rea you don’t have to continue wearing your mask.”

“The mask protects⁠—”

“It protects you from the scrutiny of others, yes. If your curse made people sick, then surely in the past few weeks the healers would have noticed, but before we left, they told me that they’ve never seen a winter with so few ailments.”

“There was a reason my father ordered me to wear it.”

“You’re right, and I think we both know that it had nothing to do with you making others ill.”

Annalise handed Soren another handful of sticks. He took them, then set his entire bundle on the ground and reached for her hand.