The River Maid (26 page)

“
As if I would leave without you.” Gaspard emerged from the trees, leading his horse. He was dressed plainly in breeches, a white shirt and a brown jacket. He smiled at Adrianna. “You look lovely, mademoiselle.” Adrianna blushed. He turned to Elise. “Thank you for getting her out of the city.”

Elise smiled. “
We need to get her into the water.”

“
There’s a stream near here.” He frowned as he looked around, noticing for the first time that they were alone. “Where’s Christian?”

“
We were stopped,” Elise said quietly. “He distracted the soldiers to allow us to escape.”

“
I see,” Gaspard said, his smile faltering. “I’m sure he is fine.” But Adrianna could hear the doubt in his voice and see the worry in his eyes.

Gaspard reached into the carriage and lifted her out. She put her arms around his neck. He was much shorter than Christian and her tail was in danger of trailing on the floor. She had to lift it to keep it up.

“I always wanted to be taller,” the Frenchman said with a sigh, doing his best to keep her off the ground. “I’m afraid I do not cut a very dashing figure.”

Elise ordered the coachman to stay with the carriage and followed Gaspard into the forest. Adrianna could hear the trickle of water. Gaspard set her down on the bank of a stream. Elise untied the cloak and took the weight from her shoulders.

Adrianna used her hands to wriggle herself down until her tail was in the water. She scooped handfuls of the clear icy cold water and splashed it over her scales that weren’t covered.

“
Well,” Elise said, “I shall leave you.” Elise leaned down to her hug her. “I wish there was more I could do for you.”

“
You’ve done so much already.” Adrianna’s voice was thick with emotion.

Elise kissed her on the cheek.
“Goodbye, Adrianna. If you ever need anything, you have only to send word and I will do whatever I can to help you. If you do get your legs back, come and visit me in St Petersburg. I would welcome the company.”

Adrianna felt tears prick her eyes as Gaspard offered Elise his arm and escorted her away. Most had drawn back in horror when they saw what she was and wouldn
’t touch her, but there had been some like Elise who had helped her.

“
Will Christian be able to find us here?” Adrianna asked when Gaspard returned. 

“
He knows where we are.” He looped the reins of his horse over a branch and then sat down next to her. “It sounds like you’ve had quite an adventure from what Elise told me. I’ve been waiting here, not knowing what had happened to you. I feared the worse. I was about to go into the city to see if I could find you or what had become of you.” 

They waited for Christian all day. Gaspard paced anxiously, while Adrianna luxuriated at being back in clean running water again.

“What if he doesn’t come back?” Adrianna asked after several hours had passed and there was still no sign of him.

“He will come,” Gaspard said firmly, but he continued to pace anxiously and glance repeatedly at his pocket watch.

She was splashing water over her scales when rustling alerted them. Fearing the soldiers had found them, Adrianna froze. Gaspard pulled out a pistol from inside his jacket and stepped in front of her. Christian appeared through the trees, his horse lathered in sweat and its sides heaving. Gaspard grabbed the bridle as Christian slid off.

“
You had us worried, my friend,” Gaspard said.

Christian was breathing heavily.
Gaspard handed him a water skein. The prince pulled out the stopper and gulped it down. “I led them away,” he said in between breaths. “They will still come looking, but I think we should be safe for tonight.” He took the reins to lead the horse around to cool it down. “Where is Elise?”

“On her way to St Petersburg. She intends to stay there for the winter.”
Gaspard laughed and embraced Christian, almost picking him up off his feet in a bear hug. “This means that we made it. We managed to escape.”

Now that Christian was safe, she could see how worried Gaspard had been. She realised Gaspard was not just the prince
’s tutor; he loved him as a son.

“We still
have to get back to St Goarshausen,” Christian said as Gaspard released him. “And I don’t think the French will give up looking for Adrianna. Once they realise she isn’t in the city, they will start searching further away.”

“
What do we do now?” Adrianna asked.

“
Now, mademoiselle,” Gaspard replied, turning to her. “We go home.”

Chapter Twenty Nine

Adrianna woke to the smell of grass and dirt. Her cheek was pressed against the soft ground of the bank. She could feel water moving over her like a caress. The water barely covered half her tail, but it was clean and clear and it felt wonderful after the stale, stagnant water of the tank. She savoured the feel of it the way a person might feel the wind after being trapped inside with no breeze. She had missed the river and the feel of the water moving around her. 

She sat up and pushed the heavy mass of tangled hair out of her face. Christian slept a short distance away, wrapped in his cloak. He hadn’t cried out in the night, but had slept soundly, exhausted from leading the soldiers away. Gaspard was wrapped up in his blanket like a caterpillar in its cocoon with only his boots visible, sticking out of the end. 

She cupped water in her hand and poured it over the part of her tail not covered by the water, content just to lie in the morning sun and wait for the men to stir. Just the sight of the sky was a wonder to her after being trapped inside for so long. She tilted her head back so she could feel the sun on her face and the breeze teasing her hair. It wasn
’t long before she heard movement. Gaspard woke first. He stretched and groaned and got stiffly to his feet, trying to untangle himself from the blanket.

“
I’m too old for this,” he muttered, kicking the blanket away. He hobbled off into the bushes to attend to his needs.

Christian sat up, his hair mused from sleep and falling into his eyes. He got up and folded his cloak and stowed it away and then
knelt by the stream and splashed water onto his face and behind his neck. She looked away to give him some privacy. She felt suddenly shy around him. They had shared a bedroom at Elise’s, but it felt different now. 

“
Is Monsieur Gaspard all right?” she asked.

“
He’s fine,” Christian replied. “He’s just too used to a soft bed.”

They ate a breakfast of bread and cheese that Gaspard had brought with him. He cut off thick wedges and handed it round. The simple food tasted better than anything she
’d ever had. As they ate, Gaspard pulled out a map from his saddlebag and spread it out across the ground, using stones to weigh the corners down

“Have you decided on the best
route to take?” Christian asked from where he sat with his back against a tree and his legs drawn up.

Gaspard considered the question for a moment while he chewed.
“I think we should follow the river Seine as far as we can through France and then travel over land until we reach the Rhine which will take us back to St Goarshausen.” He traced the route with his finger.

“We’re going back to St Goarshausen?” Adrianna said, interrupting.

“Is there somewhere else you wanted to go, mademoiselle?” Gaspard asked, raising a brow.

“
I can’t go home.” She gestured down at her tail which was currently concealed beneath Monsieur Gaspard’s coat. “Not like this.”

“Where else can you go?” Gaspard asked, sitting back.

Adrianna hesitated while she thought. “Are we close to the sea?”

“
Fairly close,” Gaspard replied. “The Seine leads out to it.”

“
Will you take me there?” There was silence. She could see in their eyes the answer to her question. “Please.”

“
We’re not leaving you,” Christian said. “Let us help you, Adrianna. We will take you back to St Goarshausen and then we will find a way to get your legs back.”

“
There is no way. If there was, I would’ve had them back by now.”

“
Gaspard, say something,” Christian said.

“
It’s not our choice,” Gaspard replied quietly.

“
You cannot mean to leave her.”

“
If we take her back to the Rhine, the French will come looking for her and they will keep looking until they find her. At least in the sea, she would be free.”

“
But she would be alone, forever.” He sat forward. “Listen to me, Adrianna. I have seen the sea. It is huge and vast and so deep you cannot see the bottom. It is endless, but empty. Is that where you want to spent the rest of your life? Let us try to find a way to help you. There must be something we can do. It’s my fault you lost your legs. You won’t ever have to be alone.”

She closed her eyes. She didn
’t want to go to the sea by herself, but she had no choice.

“At least
let us try.” He took her silence as consent. “I’ll get the horses ready.” He got to his feet and stalked off into the forest.

Gaspard folded the map and packed it away.
“Let us take you home, mademoiselle” he said gently. “If we cannot find a way to get your legs back, I will take you to the sea. I will find a boat and come with you.”

She smiled at him. He got up to help Christian with the horses and she let the smile fade. What sort of future would she have, she wondered? She remembered being in the tank and how she had vowed to make a life for herself as a mermaid if she ever got free. But she couldn
’t see that she would ever have any kind of life, not when she was still like this.

Christian came out of the woods, leading the two horses.
“You will have to ride with me until we get to the river,” he said.

She pulled herself with her hands further up onto the bank. Christian wrapped her in his cloak and then swung her up into his arms. He handed her to Gaspard while he mounted, before taking her and setting her in front of him. Gaspard carefully arranged the cloak to cover her tail before he mounted his own horse.

“I won’t let you fall,” Christian said.

He set a gentle trot, but with no legs to grip with, she was bounced awkwardly up and down in the saddle. She clutched handfuls of Christian
’s shirt as she struggled to stay on. Christian rode with one hand on the reins and the other arm wrapped tightly around her, holding her close against him. She could feel the strength in his arms and shoulders. It wasn’t comfortable for either of them riding like this, but he didn’t complain.

They rode in single file, with Gaspard riding ahead of them. Christian
’s arms were an iron band around her. He was the only reason she was still on the horse. Her scales were slippery and he had to keep a tight grip on her. She remembered how the French soldiers had been unwilling to touch her tail, but Christian hadn’t hesitated. Unlike the soldiers, he wasn’t disgusted by her.

“
I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” Christian said. His gaze was fixed on the woods as he spoke, scanning for trouble. “I know I can be stubborn sometimes. If you want to go to the sea, I will take you. But at least let us try to find a way to get your legs back.”

“
I’m not sure there is a way,” she replied.

“Would it be so bad if you stayed as you are, if we could keep you safe and out of reach of the French?”

She looked down at her tail. “Perhaps, if there was no other way.”

He shook his head. “You don’t realise
how extraordinary you are.”

“
You make it sound like it’s something wonderful.”

“
The people who came to see you, Adrianna, didn’t look at you in horror. They looked at you in wonder.”

“
It wasn’t me they saw. It was my tail. No one saw me. Except you and Gaspard,” she added.

They rode in silence until they reached the river. Christian swung down with her in his arms and carried her down the bank. He waded out until the water reached just below the top of his boots and then set her down in the water. She swam out into the river and then dived under, kicking down with her tail. It felt awkward moving her tail, like when she had first become a mermaid. She had been cooped up for too long. She swam around, getting used to moving her tail again and enjoying the feeling of freedom. She came up to the surface and swam over to where Christian and Gaspard waited on the bank.

“We will stay as close as we can to the river,” Gaspard said. “We won’t be far if there’s trouble.” 

“
We’ll race you,” Christian said.

Her hair, that had been so neatly coiled and arranged by Elise, was now wet and tangled. She pulled out the pins and let it fall down her back. The lovely dress was ruined as well, but that couldn
’t be helped. She dove under into the waves. There were boats out on the river, but she ducked down to avoid them. When it was clear, she came up to check that Christian and Gaspard were still there. Sometimes, they disappeared from sight, forced to leave the river due to the overgrowth, but they soon reappeared. She swam along, keeping pace with them. She liked knowing they were there. She was finally free, but she wasn’t alone.

~~~~~

Despite her best efforts, she was soon tired and struggling to keep up with them. She began to fall further and further behind. The next time she came to the surface, the men were waiting for her on the bank.

“We’
ve travelled far enough today,” Christian said. “We’re going to camp here for the night.”

Relieved to rest, Adrianna pulled herself up onto the bank and, seeing her shiver, Christian wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. Gaspard built a fire while Christian saw to the horses. She felt guilty that she couldn
’t help them. Although he was a prince, Christian didn’t expect Gaspard to wait on him. In fact, he did most of the chores. Where had a prince learned to make camp, she wondered? 

Later that night, after another simple meal of hard bread and cheese, Adrianna lay on the bank, Christian
’s cloak around her, staring up at the stars and listening to the men talking softly about the best route to take and where to stop for supplies. Every part of her ached, but she felt oddly content lying there. She had been alone, even before she was a mermaid, with only her mother for company. She liked being with Gaspard and the prince. She fell asleep listening to the soft murmur of their voices.

They rose at first light to continue, Gaspard and Christian riding and Adrianna swimming. At midmorning, she came up to find Christian signalling her. She swam over to the bank.

“Gaspard has gone to find us some food and see if there’s any news from Paris.” Christian sat down on the bank, leaving his horse to graze, and stretched out his legs. “There’s a village nearby. I offered to go, but Gaspard doesn’t think my French is prefect enough and they will know I’m German.”

Adrianna stayed in the river, her arms resting on the bank. They waited in silence, the easiness that had been between them at Elise
’s gone.

Gaspard returned some time later looking cheerful.
“No one I spoke to has seen any soldiers. Hopefully, the French still think you’re trapped in the city.”

They continued on. They fell into a routine of Gaspard leaving to find food and water at midday at one of the nearby villages. On the third day, Adrianna lay with her arms on the bank with her tail in the water. Christian had his back to a tree and his knees drawn up, pulling up handfuls of grass before scatting the blades to the wind. He seemed distracted and far away.

“Are you worried about the French finding us?” Adrianna asked.

Christian looked up.
“I’m worried about my mother. I hope my actions will not affect her.”

“
What happened to your father?” Adrianna knew it wasn’t her place to ask such questions. He was a prince and she was no one. Why would he tell her?

“
He died when I was twelve. He had been ill for some time. He was much older than my mother.”

“
I’m sorry.”

“
My brother died the following year making me the heir. Gaspard came to live with us as my tutor not long after that. At first I was a nightmare. I wouldn’t sit still or listen to him. I hated learning. I wanted to be outside. But he was patient with me. He told me stories about knights and chivalry.”

“
My father died when I was ten,” Adrianna said hesitantly. “It was hard on my mother. She had to provide for us both and she had no husband or sons to go fishing, but she never complained.”

“
I spoke with her after you disappeared. She wouldn’t give up hope that you would be found.”

“
The last time I saw her, I was so distant to her. She must think that I’m dead.”

“No. S
he knew about Lorelei. She was convinced that she was responsible for your disappearance. She tried to tell me, but I didn’t listen. If only I had listened to her.”

“
You couldn’t have known.”

Talking to the prince was easier after that. She began looking forward to when Gaspard would leave them and she would come up to the bank to rest and Christian would sit beside her. She told him things, about Frau Duerr and her pig and Jorg and the time he had taken an entire pie from Frau Brauer
’s kitchen. She told him about Peter. He told her about when he was at court in Vienna. It was never awkward between them. He would listen to her stories of pigs and townspeople as if it was as interesting as his stories of dukes and princesses. Gaspard always came back too soon.