Page 28 of Of Blood & Bone: The Young Queen

“My Queen,” I feel Kes’ hand on my shoulder, “I know we have only spent time in his company for a short while, but I feel these reports of the prince’s mental state could be greatly exaggerated.”

“Truly?” I ask her, a feeling of hope blooming in my chest, as Kes is one of the finest judges of character I know.

“Yes. It's true, some of his behaviour can be a little strange, but it's more that of a man who seems broken rather than deranged. At times he appears incredibly sad and I feel he carries a great sorrow within him. I think you have observed this too?”

I nod in agreement. “Yes, there are times when I have been struck by how deeply saddened he seems to be.”

“I’d wager there is something in his past that has caused him great pain, Your Majesty. People call others crazy when they have no explanation for their behaviour. If they have never experienced such pain for themselves, they don't know the effects of trauma and loss upon the mind. It can become a dark place, but that is not to say that we need to remain trapped there. I believe the prince has some dark places in his mind, but from what I've seen of his overall behaviour, he's a good man and an infinitely better man than his brother or Lord Greythorne.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief. Kes is right. Greythorne is no more than a vicious thug and Prince Mikil is capable of a level of cruelty that can only be considered depraved.

“Thank you, Kes,” I say, “I appreciate your counsel. I shall spend as much time as I can with the prince in the coming daysand attempt to get to know him better. Also, perhaps when his men return to consciousness they may be able to shed some light on the prince’s story.”

“I believe the prince is due shortly to dine with you, my Queen?”

“Yes, he is. I need to go now and freshen up, it's been a long day.”

“I shall take my leave, but I will post a Khaleeni guard on the other side of the secret entrance, just in case, until we get to know this prince a little better.”

“Thank you, Kes. I don’t think there is any need, as I have never felt any sense of threat from the prince, apart from when he mistakenly thought I was responsible for the injuries to his men but if it makes you feel better then please appoint a guard.”

“Consider it done. I shall see you on the morrow, my Queen.”

She leaves and I pull on the yellow cord to summon the mistresses of the bedchamber to assist me in my preparations to dine with the prince.

Chapter Twelve

I have chosen my own private dining chamber for my dinner with the prince as I wish to achieve some measure of privacy. To this end, I have instructed the servers to only remain in the room when they are serving. I don't wish for any part of our conversation to reach the ears of others, particularly the likes of the Grand Master.

“The most esteemed Emissary of Ellerban,” the Master Of The Table announces as the prince arrives, and a host of butterflies take flight in my stomach as I rise to greet him.

“Emissary, welcome,” I say as I offer him my hand.

He smiles, takes my hand and places a lingering kiss on the back of it. “Thank you, it is a pleasure to be here. Please forgive my lack of gifts, but I'm afraid my visit was most hastily arranged, plus what precious items I had were taken by the bandits.” His eyes twinkle with repressed mirth and I wonder what other veiled references to his abduction he is going to make throughout the night. Still, it is better to see his eyes twinkling with mirth, even if it is at my expense, than pained with sorrow.

He is dressed in an outfit of dark forest green which serves to enrich the colour of his eyes, and I feel like I'm looking into two pools of the deepest jade. “I see the master couturier was able to find you suitable attire.”

“Yes, it took a few tweaks here and there, but I believe I will be suitably outfitted for the duration of my stay,” he says, smiling broadly, “however long that will be.”

I'm quickly coming to realise he intends to make any number of veiled references as to how he has come to be atthe castle throughout the night, and I give him a small smile in return. One that says,I’m onto your little game.

His smile widens even more and he treats me to a slight raising of his eyebrows as if to say,what are you going to do about it?

“Please be seated,” I say as I indicate the seat to my right.

He sits and I notice how the flames from the fire are reflected in the rich ebony of his hair.

The Master Of The Table serves the aperitifs and then leaves the room.

“I trust your chamber is to your liking?” I ask, referring to the bed chamber I’ve had appointed to him.

“Yes, it’s most comfortable, thank you. The castle of Valensia most certainly lives up to its reputation as being one of the most beautiful castles in all of the realms.”

I smile at his compliment. “Thank you. Tell me, how are your men doing today? Kes tells me they have made significant improvement.”

“Yes, they are looking much better, even though they remain for the most part unconscious. I thank you again for the services of your healer. I am most impressed with her abilities.”

“I’m glad they’re getting better. Even if nothing comes of our arrangement, at least something positive will have come from my travelling to Ellerban.”

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