Princess Avenger - Brightcastle Saga Book 1 (4 page)

Footsteps
echoed from the hall followed by the squeak of a hinge. He ghosted
to the bedroom window, opened it and slid through. Fingers gripping
the windowsill, he scrambled for toe holds on the slippery quartz
walls of the palace. Finally, his feet found two precarious cracks.
He gripped the amber talisman with his right hand and began to form
the image of the hawk in his mind.

Alecia pulled her head
back into her bedroom from the hall. “Sweet dreams!” She kicked her
skirts as she stalked to the fireplace. “As if anyone can sleep
with him downstairs.”

Millie,
her chambermaid had been bubbling with excitement at the news that
the enigmatic Captain Vard Anton had moved into one of the
servant’s rooms on the ground floor of the east wing. Alecia shook
her head.
Why does he have to be here in the castle? Aren’t the royal
guard barracks close enough?
Obviously not in the mind of her father. She gazed into the
fire, her thoughts troubled and hands pressed to her stomach to
quiet the fluttering. What was this reaction every time she thought
of him? Fear? Unbidden, his face danced in her mind, uncompromising
and confident. He had saved her life and hidden the true facts
about the attack. Why had he not revealed that it had been the
mercenary who had been the victim, not the lad? It did not make
sense.

She poured
herself a goblet of deep red burgundy and took a gulp. The heavy
wine burned all the way to her stomach. Raw her nerves might be
after the surprises at dinner but at least her part in the
mercenary death remained hidden. Had she concealed her shock from
the captain? Would he wonder at her behaviour? She needed to keep
her distance and that would hardly be possible now that she was
under his nose night and day. How could she prevent him discovering
her other life, let alone her plan to avenge Jorge?

The
thought of Jorge made her heart ache. Why hadn’t she been able to
save him like she had Hetty?
Why hadn’t she told Jorge how much he meant to her? She
placed the wine back beside the decanter and turned to the fire,
staring into the flames. It was too late. Jorge was gone and there
was nothing she could do to bring him back.

The remaining
four murderers must not escape justice but who would deliver it to
them? Her encounter with the mercenary this morning had shown how
unprepared she was for a confrontation with seasoned fighters.
Perhaps she would never be ready. If not for Captain Anton…

There was a
knock at her door. Alecia’s heart sped as the sharp sound intruded.
Until today, she hadn’t been afraid of anything. She crossed her
small sitting room and opened the door. Squire Ramón Zorba stood on
the threshold. He had replaced Jorge as squire after Jorge’s murder
and it was Ramón’s heartfelt desire to replace Jorge in her
affections as well.

“Where were
you at dinner?” she asked, noticing how the midnight-blue velvet of
his tunic and breeches set off his eyes and contrasted with the
golden waves of his hair.

Ramón
glowered. “Your father told me not to attend dinner. Was that on
your request?”

“Of course
not.” She paused, chewing her lip. “Captain Anton was there. Do you
know anything of him?”

Ramón frowned.
“He rescued a citizen in the square this morning.”

“Yes.” She
shivered. “Have you met him?”

“No, but he
has made an impression in his short time at Brightcastle. Only a
week and it seems he is already a legend.”

Alecia had
never before heard the bitter note in his voice. “Why do you
dislike him?”

“There is
something about the man that makes my skin crawl.” Ramón’s voice
hadn’t lost its harsh edge.

Alecia
recalled her feelings at her first encounter with the captain and
her discomforting memories since. “Father has made him my
protector.”

Ramón’s eyes
bulged and he tugged on the long hair at his forehead. “Then you
must beware.”

“Thank you for
setting my mind at rest,” she said, her voice thick with
sarcasm.

“Just take
care,” Ramón said. “I will try to keep watch on him… and you.” He
stepped back into the shadows of the hall. “I will check in on you
tomorrow,” he said. “Perhaps we can practise the sword.”

She flinched
at the thought of sharp steel slicing through flesh. “I think I
would prefer the archery range.”

“I will have
the horses saddled and waiting at the usual time.” Ramón bowed and
headed for the staircase and his room in the east tower.

“A curious
pastime for a princess,” a deep voice said from the shadows at the
other end of the hallway.

Alecia’s hand
flew to her throat and she spun to face the voice, knowing whom she
would see. Captain Anton pushed himself away from the wall and
walked towards her, his eyes reflecting the light that spilled from
her rooms. The grace of his movement mesmerized her. It seemed he
slid from shadow to shadow, as one with the dark. She swallowed the
lump in her throat. “You startled me.”

The captain
advanced to within a pace and swept a bow. The faint smell of musk
and cloves wafted to her. She breathed deeply.

“Is it
customary for you to meet young squires in darkened hallways,
Princess?”

Alecia met his
gaze squarely, glad that the light behind cloaked her face in
darkness. Her unusual eye color would be impossible to read and
that was the feature most likely to give her secret away. “Squire
Ramón and I are friends,” she said. “Nothing more.”

“What is this
I hear about archery practice tomorrow?”

“Merely an
exercise to keep me from boredom.”

“And your
father knows of this?”

Alecia cleared
her throat. “I do not know.”

“
There
should be no need to trouble him as long as
I
accompany you.” His eyes glowed, the gold flecks
prominent.

Alecia’s chin
rose and she stared at him, desperate to find some way she could
refuse. There was none. “As you wish, Captain.”

He reached for
her right hand and raised it to his lips. The kiss was light but he
held her hand for a few moments longer than necessary while he
stared into her eyes. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she held
her breath, waiting for him to release her hand and break the
spell.

“Until
tomorrow, Princess.” He returned to the shadows.

Alecia stepped
back into her room. The door closed with a sharp click. Heart
pounding, she forced herself to take deep breaths but they did
little to restore her composure. The feel of his lips lingered on
her skin. What was wrong with her? She stalked over to the pitcher,
poured cold water and scrubbed her hand until the skin was red.

Instinct told
her the truth of Ramón’s words. Captain Anton was dangerous, and in
ways that the squire did not yet suspect. She could not avoid him
altogether. Her father had seen to that. All she could do to
protect her identity was to spend as little time in his company as
possible.

Alecia awoke to the
soft squeak of a door hinge. Heart pounding, she sat up, the
bedclothes clutched to her chest. The vestiges of a nightmare
fogged her thoughts and a twinge behind her eyes warned of an
impending headache.

“Who is
there?” she asked.

Millie, her
chambermaid, came into view, a lantern held before her. Alecia’s
stomach growled as the smell of hot, sweet rolls wafted to her from
the tray the maid carried.

“It’s only me,
Your Highness,” Millie said. “Who else would dare enter your
chambers uninvited?”

Alecia
frowned. She had to be more careful of her words or she would have
the servants gossiping. “Sorry, Millie,” she said. “I had a
horrible dream and have awoken badly.” The nightmare felt like one
of her true dreams
--
surely the enormous brown bear belonged only in her imagination.
She shuddered at the thought of facing that nightmare one
day.

“Let me get
the candles lit, Highness.” Millie continued across the room and
laid the tray on the small breakfast table by the window then
bustled about lighting candles from a taper.

Alecia
massaged her temples as she watched the flames flicker in the light
breeze caused by Millie’s movements. The maid pulled the heavy
drapes aside to reveal the soft glimmer of dawn. A rooster crowed
and a faint answer echoed from the town.

“I think a
fine day is ahead,” said Millie, turning as Alecia climbed out of
bed. “You do look awful, Princess, if you don’t mind my
saying.”

Alecia did
mind. She retrieved a hot roll from the tray and bit into it.
Surely food in her stomach would banish the ache in her head? “That
will be all, Millie. I’ll dress myself this morning.” She handed
the maid a sheet of parchment folded and closed with her personal
seal. “Please give this to Squire Ramón as soon as you leave
me.”

Millie tucked
the paper in her apron. “Captain Anton is already up and about.
Have you seen him, Highness? There’s something about him that makes
it hard to breathe.”

“Yes, Millie,”
Alecia said. “I suggest you be about your chores.”

Millie
blushed. “Yes, Princess.” The maid scurried towards the door and
stepped into the hall, the lantern held before her. Alecia
followed, wondering if the captain still patrolled the hall as he
had last night. A shadow moved near the end of the passageway. The
shiver up her spine told her it was her dark protector who prowled
the hall.

She slipped
back into her room, closed the door and crossed to the huge carved
wardrobe. The soft gray breeches and matching shirt should do for
an early ride to the archery range. Her father disapproved of
breeches but Alecia revelled in the freedom of movement they
allowed.

Once dressed,
she checked her appearance in the large mirror on the front of the
wardrobe. The snug fit of the breeches showed off her long legs and
tiny waist. She smiled, wondering what Captain Anton would make of
the outfit, and then shook her head; Jorge was not dead two months
and here she was wondering about another man. It was wrong, wrong,
wrong! Taking her wayward thoughts in hand, she pulled a deep gray
wool-lined cape from a hook on the side of the wardrobe and slung
it about her shoulders. It would be chilly on the ride and the dark
cloak would make the lilac of her eyes look closer to blue. Her
long blonde hair she left to cascade around her face.

Alecia slung
the shortened longbow across her body and the quiver over her
shoulder. The tapestry that covered the door to the hidden passage
caught her attention. It featured a young woman, sword in hand, her
flaxen locks restrained by a golden crown. Her mother had told her
the queen was a Zialni monarch, called Izebel, from a time long ago
when women ruled the land. It had been Izebel’s daughter Daphini
who had brought the kingdom to its knees, precipitating an uprising
that had seen Daphini’s brother take the throne. Kings had ruled
the Kingdom of Thorius ever since. Alecia dreamed of becoming a
warrior queen who led her soldiers into battle and wiped evil from
the face of the kingdom. She had vowed that one day, queens would
again rule.

A knock at the
door jerked Alecia out of her reverie. Fearing it was Vard Anton
come to fetch her, she flicked the tapestry aside and triggered the
hidden catch. She entered the passageway and flattened herself
against the inside wall, praying to the Mother that the panel would
close in time. Seconds seemed like minutes as the low grinding of
stone on stone filled her ears. Finally, the wall settled back into
place. The captain would not dare enter her chambers. Would he? If
any sound penetrated to the passage, her rasping breath and
pounding heart drowned it out. After a tense moment, she allowed
her body to relax.

“That was
close.” She pushed off the panel and headed along the narrow
corridor that would take her to the trapdoor hidden outside the
castle walls. Ramón would be waiting in the park nearby as per her
note. She made the trip in darkness, feeling her way as she had
done many times in the past, barely noticing the creatures that
scuttled out of her way.

Alecia shoved
against the trapdoor and climbed into the faint light of dawn, half
expecting Captain Anton to be waiting for her. The secluded area
was blessedly deserted as she lowered the stone panel into place
and sprinkled sand to mask the door. She found Ramón in the park,
twirling the reins of his black gelding and her gray mare in his
hands. A relieved smile lit his face when he saw her.

“Another
moment and I would have come to fetch you.” Ramón pulled a strand
of cobweb from her hair and examined her face. “What is amiss?”

Alecia
frowned. “Nothing.”

“You have the
look of trouble on your face, Your Highness. If you do not wish to
practise, we could go for a ride. The high meadow is nice in the
early morning.”

Alecia studied
the squire’s earnest expression; his deep blue eyes could never
conceal anything from her. Clad in a violet shirt under a dark gray
tunic with matching gray breeches and an ermine-trimmed black
woollen cape, Ramón would turn heads in any of the kingdom’s royal
courts. Perhaps he should return to the King’s court at Wildecoast,
where he could make a suitable marriage. At least then he would not
trouble her with his puppy love. But she would be lonely without
him, and with whom would she practise archery and the sword? The
crusty old weapons master was not half so much fun to tease as
Ramón.

She hooked her
bow and quiver over the saddle and pulled her reins from the
squire’s hand. “I have told you to call me Alecia when we are
alone.” She vaulted onto her horse’s back. “Let us go.”

Ramón climbed
onto his gelding. “I will remember…Alecia.” He heeled his horse
forward, grinning.