Luciana’s heart squeezed in her chest. She loved his compliments, but still, she couldn’t help but worry. “You said no one would believe I’m Tatiana.”
He nodded. “Your kind heart. I don’t want you to lose that, so I’ve come up with a story.”
He held her by the shoulders. “You were dying from the plague, so I took you to the convent for the good sisters to take care of you. While you were near death, you deeply regretted your past sins, so with help from the sisters and many hours of reflection, you were able to reach a higher level of spiritual understanding. And now that the Light has seen fit to restore your good health, you wish to spend the rest of your days spreading kindness and goodwill.”
Luciana bit her lip. “Will people believe it?”
“When they see how nice you’ve become, they’ll fall on their knees and praise the Light for his mercy.”
She supposed it would work. What servant would complain about being treated well? “I guess I’ll have to attend mass for the Light?”
“Yes. And you’ll need to go to confession beforehand. Remember the priests are spies for the king, so never confess anything the king could use against you.”
“Then what should I say?”
He chuckled. “Tatiana’s favorites were I slept past noon or I looked at myself in the mirror for an hour.”
“Those might have been true.”
He snorted. “Probably so.” He kissed her brow. “Thank you for doing this. I know you’ll do well.”
Luciana smiled. She was glad she could help her father. And with his new story to explain her change of heart, she could now feel free to be herself. She might even enjoy some exciting new adventures.
The problem was the Beast. How could she survive him?
* * *
After rejoining the army, Leo had headed south toward the Duchy of Vindalyn. Tonight, they had set up camp by the Ron River. He was in his tent, finishing supper. He preferred to eat with his gloves off, which meant that for everyone’s safety, he had to dine alone.
Alone again. He extended his right hand toward his goblet and willed it to move toward him. As if it were drawn to a magnet, the metal cup slid right into his grasp.
He took a long drink. The wine helped with the headaches. And the nightmares. Like the one that replayed the death of his nanny or the one where he saw his mother murdered by the king’s assassins.
“Permission to enter?” Nevis called from outside.
“Come in.” Leo tugged on his gloves as Nevis pulled aside the flap and entered with the dog shifter. Edmund rushed in and gathered Leo’s empty dishes on a tray.
“Bring another tray for Brody,” Leo said to his squire, and Edmund hurried off.
Nevis shot Brody a wry look. “You wouldn’t be so hungry if you didn’t spend all your time as a dog.”
Brody scoffed. “What’s your excuse for overeating?”
“This is muscle!” Nevis thumped his chest.
“Enough.” Leo passed a goblet to the dog shifter. “What did you learn in Ronsmouth?”
“No plague.” Brody took a sip. “I found the inn where the duke stayed and overheard a meeting in the alley. The innkeeper was complaining to a guy in a hooded cloak that three of his customers had died and it was destroying his business. He was mad about having to poison so much of his food just to target the duke and the daughter.”
Leo sucked in a breath. “So it was attempted murder.”
“Real murder for the three who died,” Brody said wryly. “The innkeeper demanded more money. The cloaked man said he’d take care of it, then he slit the guy’s throat.”
“Whoa,” Nevis breathed.
No honor among criminals, Leo thought. “And then?”
Brody took another drink. “I followed the cloaked guy, and he met another hooded man close to the docks. The second man reported that the duke and his daughter had fled by ship. Both still alive. So the first man told him to send three assassins to Vindemar to kill the duke and daughter before you arrive.”
“Bastards,” Nevis grumbled.
Leo tapped his fingers on the desk as he considered what to do. “The army will reach Vindemar in two days. I want you to go ahead of us. Nevis, I’ll give you a letter to pass on to the duke, warning him of the danger. You will guard the duke. Brody, you will guard the daughter.”
Brody nodded. “Aye, my lord.”
Leo sat back in his chair. “Since the assassins are supposed to finish before I arrive, we’ll keep my presence a secret. General Harden can say I’ve been delayed a few days. That will force the assassins to move quickly.”
“We’ll leave at dawn. I just have one question.” Nevis smirked at Brody. “Did you bring back any fleas?”
“No. I just drooled all over your clothes.”
“Brody,” Leo said quietly.
“What now?”
“Keep her safe.” Leo was beginning to feel protective of a woman he’d never met. Maybe because she was a pawn like him. And the king wanted them both dead. It was a sad thing to have in common.
She is truly beautiful. She’d be lucky to live till the wedding day. And even luckier if she survived as his bride.
Chapter Six
Big, Luciana thought. That one word best described her new life. The first time she’d spotted the fortress of Vindemar from the sea, she’d been amazed by how big it was.
The promontory it sat upon was wide and flat on top. On three sides, it was surrounded by water. Waves crashed against the cliffs, leaving white foam to drizzle down the cracks and crannies. The northern side of the fortress was connected to the mainland, separated by a dry moat. A high curtain wall of gray stone circled the perimeter of the promontory, interspersed with tall, round towers. A flag in the blue and white colors of Vindalyn topped each tower and flapped in the constant breeze from the sea. Inside the walls, there was a big pasture for sheep and goats, in case the fortress was ever besieged.