Page 78 of Slippers and Thorns
Charlie stepped forward. “If I can be of any assistance, Prince Axel, I would be glad to provide it.”
Giving him a slight smile, Axel shook his head. “Thank you for the offer, but if Helena has enough things to warrant help, I’m sure one of the manservants will carry things for us. Should I find myself in need of the services of a guard,” he continued, fixing hard eyes on his sister, “one of my own is outside, and more will be arriving with the carriage.”
The subtle threat was not lost on Helena. She scowled at her brother, but she excused herself to collect her things without further fuss.
While Ella was relieved that Axel would be carting Helena away despite the princess’s protests, she had to admit to being surprised by his manner. She had always known him as an easy-going, friendly young man. The amount of steel in his voice was unexpected.
Within the hour, Axel, Helena, and their entourage were on the forest road. Axel had allowed a brief goodbye, sparing only the quickest handshake himself for his friends, as he was anxious to make it home before the short amount of daylight ended. His hurry didn’t stop him from serenading them with a farewell song, but they missed the end since he did it from the back of his horse as he rode.
“Now what?” Ella asked as she retreated up the castle steps with Michael. “I suppose there is no longer a reason to believe Reineggburg is unsafe. Do we stay the last few days after all?”
Michael stared straight ahead. His eyes seemed far away. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “Everything is…”
She waited, but he didn’t finish the sentence. They walked through the front door, Ella thanking the servant holding it with a nod.
“Personally, I vote for going home. Surely with the startling news, we could be forgiven for arriving early,” Ella told him. When he didn’t respond, she added, “If you need me, I’ll be in the library.”
She directed her steps that way and increased her pace, pulling away from Michael. She didn’t turn to see where he decided to go; she only knew he didn’t follow her.
CHAPTER 34
Ella
M
ichael didn’t follow her, but Charlie did. As in the dining room, he took up a post by the window. Unlike in the dining room, though, he didn’t appear to be guarding. It was more like he was simply there so that she wasn’t alone.
After moping around the castle all afternoon, Michael announced that they would be returning to Hartford the next morning to bring the news of Princess Helena’s return. Since they weren’t trying to delay their arrival, and since they would be expected to arrive in state, he opted to travel in normal fashion instead of attempting the same method they used in the opposite direction. Or such were the reasons he gave Ella, at least.
Ella thought she would welcome having separate rooms again. Especially after the tension of Helena’s reappearance, removing the awareness of unmet expectations seemed highly desirable.
Instead, she found herself missing the extra warmth on the other side of the bed and the strong arms that would often wrap around her. She longed for the sound of another person moving through the room preparing for the day. And it wasn’t nearly the same to be efficiently buttoned up by Jackie as it was to let Michael hover too close while he inexpertly fumbled with the small buttons, even after a month of practice. Although perhaps he only pretended to struggle to give his fingers an excuse.
They rode next to each other when she was allowed to be on Shadow instead of sitting in the carriage. She couldn’t see much of Michael but his eyes; he had a muffler wrapped around his throat and nose because of his cold, although he complained he couldn’t breathe with it on. Aside from that, he was distant, lost in thought most of the time. Ella didn’t try very hard to draw him out; she doubted she wanted to know what was on his mind.
She was disheartened enough that she even crawled into the carriage for the final few miles home instead of riding sidesaddle.
The carriage had barely rolled to a stop in the courtyard of Hartford Castle, and Ella had only just poked her head out into the twilight, when Justin came bounding through the crowd to greet them. “Michael! Arabella!” he exclaimed. “You’re back early.”
Michael paused in reaching for Ella’s hand and wrapped an arm around his brother instead. “You’re just excited that I’ll be able to take my workload back,” he accused lightheartedly.
“Of course,” Justin joked, grinning. “They say you never appreciate what you have until it’s gone, and you would not believe how much I appreciate you now, brother.”
Laughing, Michael extended his hand to Ella again. She took it carefully, trying not to linger as if she wanted the contact. “Careful, I might let you keep some of it so you keep appreciating me for what you don’t have to deal with.”
“It would be my pleasure to keep some of it,” Justin replied, clapping his brother on the back. “Maybe then, Father wouldn’t have to send you off on month-long vacations to prevent you working yourself to death.”
The brothers’ banter made Ella smile. It had been a long time since Michael had been relaxed enough to act like this at home. They may not have come back with the great improvements to their marriage for which King Phillip had hoped, but surely the lightening of Michael’s spirits made it worth it. She could always hope that he would extend a little bit of it to her, as well.
Assuming he could banish Helena from his thoughts.
Her smile fell away. That would never happen.
Her trunks would make it to her quarters without her participation, but memories of Helena stole her appetite for hanging around the princes, even though she always enjoyed Justin’s upbeat personality. So instead of waiting for Michael to escort her, she began picking her way through the crowd on her own.
“Princess Arabella!”
Ella turned in the direction of the young voice that had hailed her. On the edge of the bustle stood a short young woman with black hair who was waving energetically to her.
