The Commander's Desire (22 page)

“
One more truth may capture
your fancy.”

With a sigh, Elwytha said, “I eagerly await
your brilliant words.”

He smiled, just the tiniest bit. “His name
also means a mass of testimony.”

“
A mass of testimony. So
he…the Commander…is a testimony?” This seemed farfetched to
Elwytha. Likely the Prince enjoyed too much leisure. How else could
he cobble together such abstract ideas?

The Prince shrugged. “Perhaps.”

She decided to play along. “A testimony of
what?”

“
Of a past failure making
right the present. A testimony between my father’s land and
yours.”

“
You speak in riddles,” she
told him. But a hidden message lurked there. She sensed it, and she
saw it, lurking in his black eyes. Still another game? Or a veiled
truth? “Does it please you to play games
all
the time?” she wanted to
know.

“
My games are deadly
serious, Princess. Surely you realize that by now.”

“
I realize you are not as
simple as you might appear.” Elwytha hesitated, waiting for the
Prince to grasp the full depths of her scurrilous charge. His eyes
hardened, and his lips thinned. She felt pleased. Her insult had
scratched his black heart of stone. With a smile, she continued,
“Nothing is simple with the Commander, either.”

“
True. The Commander says
what he means. Perhaps to a fault...much like you.”

“
Verily, Prince, I believe
you value plain speaking. It is better than lies, don’t you
think?”

He eyed her, his expression cool and
menacing. “You do not wish to get on my bad side, Elwytha.”

A little fear warned her to watch her words,
but she did not heed. “I didn’t know I had seen your good
side.”

“
You are dismissed,
Princess,” he said, sharp and cold. “Let the Commander enjoy your
barbed tongue. He possesses far more patience than I.” With a curt
motion, he ordered the guard to escort her out.

Elwytha went willingly. She was glad she had
irritated the Prince. It was the least he deserved after all the
games he played. Not to mention his flagpole threat and
presumptuously changing her wedding date.

Her wedding was only five days away. Elwytha
felt a small panic. She would write Richard anon. Her steps slowed
as she passed the kitchen. She should tell Mary the news, as she’d
promised. Reluctantly, she stepped through the doors to do so.

True, the Prince would have his way, but she
would still escape his Commander. What difference did two days
make? None, as long as she got her missive to Richard in time. She
didn’t trust the Prince to tell Richard by Friday evening. No. She
would not leave her fate in the hands of that capricious ruler.

Chapter
Thirteen

Elwytha slipped
parchment
and ink from the Commander’s
drawer and quickly wrote her letter to Richard. Then she carefully
replaced all the items and slipped the missive in her pocket.
Neither the Commander nor the Prince could know of this letter, or
they would destroy it. She’d carry it until such time as she found
a trustworthy messenger to send it. Where she might find one in
this palace, she did not know. However, she would be prepared at
all times.

Hagma appeared soon after, and they finished
altering the last of the dresses. Elwytha asked if the maid would
help decorate the great hall.

“
Of course,” Hagma gasped,
hand to her throat. Clearly, she felt honored. “What will we do,
miss? Have you ideas already?”

“
Mary suggested leaves and
flowers. What do you think?”

“
Lovely,” Hagma agreed. “And
what of bowls of floating candles? We could drop the flowers in, as
well. The roses would look ever so lovely lit like
that.”

Elwytha smiled. “I knew I should ask you.
You’re so creative, like your mother.”

“
Oh, no, miss.” Hagma cast
down her eyes. “It will be fun. I’d like to help make your wedding
beautiful.” She added shyly, “You’ve both been so kind to
me.”

Elwytha could not think of any kindnesses she
had bestowed upon Hagma. “I haven’t…”

“
But you have,” Hagma
interrupted, and then bit her lip. “You treat me as an equal, and
the Commander…I always thought he was fearsome. I was scared to
work here. But he’s ever so nice to me. He looks a bit rough, but
he’s got a heart of pure gold, he does, miss. You are so
lucky.”

Elwytha’s heart twisted at Hagma’s words. She
believed them, too. But what of her brother? How could the
Commander not be guilty of his blood? How could he possibly prove
himself innocent?

Elwytha dropped her head and bit off the last
piece of thread. She lifted her blue dress. “The Commander should
like these alterations, don’t you think?” she asked with a small,
uncertain smile. She had replaced the old, frayed embroidery for
new, and she’d allowed the modest hint of bosom to remain.

Hagma smiled. “Perfect for your wedding,
miss.”

Elwytha nodded and folded it away. Her
wedding. The Prince contended it would heal their lands. Elwytha
felt torn and utterly confused. Should she marry the
Commander?…Only for the sake of peace, of course.

Not that she would marry a murderer. First,
she would see what the witness said. Only afterward could she
choose. More, if she did decide to marry him, she would need to
convince Richard to agree to the peace.

Truly, the whole messy situation seemed
impossible.

Elwytha forced her mind back to planning her
questionable wedding. “Shall we gather the leaves on Thursday?”

“
Nay, miss. I have another
idea. My mother has several warrior friends who will gather them
for us. Perhaps they can gather them Thursday? Then we can decorate
on Friday.”

“
Good idea. We can gather
the flowers on Friday, too,” Elwytha suggested. “Perhaps in the
morning, and we can decorate in the afternoon.”

Hagma nodded. “A fine plan.” With a pleased
smile, she took her leave.

Elwytha viewed her dresses, packed in her
trunk. All altered now. All modest. None would cause a knave’s eye
to wander…or the Commander’s either. Good. Just as she wished.

With a sigh, she pulled out a deep purple
gown and changed for the evening.

* * * * *

Elwytha heard the Commander enter his
chamber. He had left her alone all day. It was the first time ever,
and while this should please her, it troubled her. Perhaps her
words had been too sharp this morning?

But what if they were? Wasn’t he a lying
knave?

Or was he? Elwytha just didn’t know. She felt
so confused. And while she’d prefer not to see him tonight, it was
a fool’s wish, as was her perplexing, illogical desire to trust
him. Neither would be granted her.

After allowing him time to change, she exited
her room. Already her stomach rumbled in anticipation of the
evening meal.

Confoundingly, her heart leaped when she saw
him. The Commander stood with his broad back to her, facing his
highly polished metal mirror. On the table was a basin, and he held
a shaving blade in his hand.

He lifted the blade to his wet black
hair.

“
Leave it,” she blurted,
horrified at the thought of him shaving himself bald
again.

The Commander turned, brow raised in
surprise. He ran a palm over his prickly looking dark hair. “It
pleases you?”

“
Why do you shave it?” Why
was she interfering, would be a better question.

“
I’ve done it since I was a
boy. My mother said it was easier to wash. The lads thought it made
me look fearsome.”

“
And you wish to look
fearsome.”

“
It’s an advantage on the
battlefield.” He gestured to his mutilated face. “It’s not hard to
convince others.” After a hesitation, the Commander lowered the
blade to the wash stand and wiped his fingers on the
towel.

“
You won’t cut it?” Elwytha
felt amazed, and also uneasy. “Don’t change your habits on my
account.”

“
I will leave it, if it
pleases you.”

She blinked at him, wondering yet again why
she had spoken. Why should she care one way or another? Wasn’t he
her enemy?

He pressed deeper. “Does it please you?”

Elwytha took an uncertain breath, unwilling
to surrender an inch of ground to her foe. “It makes you look more
human,” she said flippantly. “A man like any other.” In truth, that
was a lie. The Commander was like no man she had ever met, hair or
no hair.

He regarded her with patience in his eyes.
“Then I will leave it.”

She turned away. “Please yourself. I wish to
sup now. Are you coming?”

Though he did not answer, she felt his
presence close behind as she headed for the door.

* * * * *

At the evening meal, she allowed the
Commander the courtesy of filling her trencher. Silently, she ate
beside him. A glance took in the Prince, eating quietly, which was
unusual. She wondered what plots roiled in his troublesome head
now. Perhaps in her secret missive to Richard she should warn of
possible trickery on the Prince’s part.

Elwytha ate little, although she’d felt
hungry earlier. Her troubled, conflicted thoughts and feelings made
her feel vaguely sick. She longed to know the truth about the
Commander once and for all. Was he a fearsome, murdering monster,
or the gentler man she had come to know? Gentle on occasion, but
not soft. There was nothing soft about the man at her side.

He regarded her now with concern in his eyes.
“Have you a pain? Why don’t you eat?”

“
I’m fine.” Elwytha forced
herself to take another bite of bread. The sound of running
footsteps caught her attention. An armored man, parchment in hand,
dashed across the hall and stopped behind the Commander, breathing
hard.

“
The return message you
required, sir,” he said, handing it over.

“
Good work,” the Commander
said. “Go fill a trencher. You must be hungry.”

“
Yes, sir!” The lad rushed
off with a glad smile for the praise.

Elwytha saw her brother’s seal on the rolled
parchment. It was the return reply to her letter. “That was fast,”
she said, amazed. They’d sent it this morning, and here was the
reply this even. She had expected it sometime tomorrow at the
earliest.

The Commander’s gaze held her own. He pushed
the parchment into her hand. “Open it.”

“
You would allow me to read
it first?” Elwytha felt further amazement. Of course, she knew he
would read it next. Quickly, she broke the seal and unrolled the
parchment. Her brother had penned few words.

Why do you wish to know, sister? But since
you ask so prettily, I will tell you it is the hermit Daniel, who
lives in the far mountains. I would have your allegiance, Elwytha.
Believe no lies of the enemy. Richard

The hermit! Unthinkingly, Elwytha passed the
missive to the Commander. She had thought Thor had been murdered
closer to the Prince’s land, to the south. Perhaps the hermit had
been wandering at the time?

After reading it, the Commander passed the
scroll to the Prince. He turned to her, elbows on the table,
massive shoulders leaning forward. “You know of this hermit?”

“
Yes,” she admitted.
“Sometimes in the summers we would vacation up there, near the
loch. My family has a small house there.” Small, in that it was a
two story thatched hut with ten rooms. “I’ve spoken to him several
times.”

The Commander’s gaze held hers. “Is he a man
of character?” he rumbled quietly.

Elwytha thought back. “I don’t know. He was
nice, but easily spooked. He’s old,” she explained. “I’m surprised
he’s still alive.”

“
We will visit him on the
morrow.”

“
It will be a hard ride,”
she warned. “At least six hours from here.”

“
Then we will stay the
night,” the Commander said. “Will your house be open?”

“
Yes,” she faltered. “But no
one will be there. We close it for the winter.”

“
All the better,” he said
grimly. “Pack a warm cloak. I’ll see to provisions.”

Elwytha felt uneasy on a number of levels.
Going on a journey with the Commander and staying overnight in an
abandoned cottage alone with him was not the least of it. But
something else about the whole situation disturbed her.

“
You look uneasy, Princess,”
the Prince said. “Pray, share with us your misgivings.” The black
eyes looked sharp.

She glanced at the Commander. She had no wish
to walk into a trap…and no desire to deliver him into one, either.
She licked her lips. “The loch is in a valley. There are only two
ways in—over the mountains, or through the pass. It’s shorter
through the pass.”

“
You suspect a trap,” the
Commander said at once.

“
No.” Elwytha shook her
head. “I don’t suspect anything. I just feel…uneasy. And my brother
was killed far south from there. At least, I thought he was.”
Troubled, she fell silent.

“
A trap, Commander?” the
Prince said. “Would you secure your honor at such a high
cost?”

The Commander glanced back at Elwytha. “I
would.”

Misgivings roiled inside Elwytha. “We will go
over the mountains,” she decided. “I know the way well. Often I
rode alone on horseback during the summers. I believe I know a safe
route.”