Page 88 of Slippers and Thorns
Charlie dropped his eyes. “Then it would not be appropriate for me to give an answer to that question to a married woman.”
“I see,” she said softly. And even though she was sometimes a little slow with social cues, she thought she did.
Charlie was a good man. A good, honorable man.
“May I ask what brought this on?” he ventured after a while. “You’ve been awfully committed to repairing your relationship with the prince to suddenly flee the castle and…” He cleared his throat. “And…you know,” he finished lamely.
Ella gave him a grin so weak that it was practically a grimace. It couldn’t be that much worse to admit to what she had seen than to have asked him what she had. She opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again when her throat started to close off. Blinking back the tears, she forced the words out. “Michael’s in love with Princess Helena.”
“He may be spending a lot of time with her, but,” he paused and grimaced, “it’s not the first time.”
“This time it’s different,” she almost whispered through her tight throat.
“Why?”
Ella clenched the reins tighter and kept her eyes focused on Shadow’s ears. She couldn’t face the compassionate expression she knew he had in his eyes. Couldn’t dwell on the gentleness of his voice, or she would lose it. “I’m certain he only escorted the others around. But he—he—”
She couldn’t say it. Saying it would make it undeniably real. As long as she didn’t say it, it could stay in her mind. A nightmare generated by her subconscious in her sleep, perhaps, not one she witnessed while awake.
Like the good friend he was – or perhaps just the good guard who didn’t want to pry – Charlie said nothing, waiting for her to find her words. The quiet clip-clop of their horses’ hooves and the occasional chirping of a winter bird fluttering through the branches overhead soothed her.
She took a deep breath, held it, then let it out in a heavy exhale. “He kissed her.” It was a quiet whisper, barely audible above the slight creaks of leather and the jingling of the tack, but she knew by the way he closed his eyes and slowly shook his head that Charlie had heard.
“So, you see,” she continued, a little stronger, even if it was still forced, “he’s going to send me away any day now.”
“You don’t know that,” Charlie said quickly.
Ella shrugged. “If he hasn’t decided to do as she’s asked, why did he…do what he did?”
Charlie didn’t reply, but his eyes burned.
“I tell myself I love him,” Ella said sadly. She watched the barren branches passing overhead. “But if I love him, shouldn’t I want him to be happy? If I’m no longer around, it will make the decision easy for him. He can let me go and be with her.” Turning to Charlie, she pled, “Don’t you see? That’s why I have to go. I know you care about me, Charlie; won’t you come with me?”
Shaking his head, he met her eyes with a sorrowful smile. “No matter how much I might think I cared for her, it would not be an act of love to run away with another man’s wife.”
A good, honorable man.
“But neither is making it easy for him to make a bad decision,” he continued. “You can’t leave, Princess. Even if you go alone, it wouldn’t be right.”
“And you’re the head of my guard, so you won’t let me anyway,” she sighed. They were almost to the fields on the other side of King’s Forest. The thin winter light was a little brighter ahead.
He acknowledged her observation with a nod.
They reached the edge of the trees. Ella took advantage of the increased space to let Shadow stretch her legs in a canter. Charlie nudged his horse to follow her, just like he always did.
Across fields, through a section of Hanson Forest, and past more fields, they rode. If Ella were Charlie, she might have started questioning whether or not she was trying to make a subtle break for it, after all. They had already been out much longer than they normally would for a ride, and they still had to turn around and go back.
But perhaps he understood her need for space as her emotions still raged beneath her skin and was trying to allow her as much freedom as he could.
When the sun was too near the horizon, Charlie finally broke the silence. “We’d better start back, Your Highness. We’re going to run out of light.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she admitted. With a wistful glance in the direction of the sinking sun, she turned Shadow’s head in the direction of Hartford.
After a gallop to reduce the amount of time needed, Ella noticed a horse and rider trotting through the trees they were entering. It looked like…
“Jacob!” Charlie called. The rider’s head whipped around, and he immediately steered his horse towards them.
“Jake? What are you doing out here?” Ella asked, confused.
