Page 74 of Slippers and Thorns
Ignoring her miserable thoughts, she wearily pushed herself to a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was rather chilly in the room; she should have sent for a fresh load of wood for her fire last night.
Wincing as her feet touched the cold floor, she hopped as quickly as she could across the freezing stones to her dressing table, where she quickly sat down and shoved her feet into her slippers. They should have been next to her bed, just as her dressing gown should have been in the bedroom. However, she had been so distraught the night before, she had barely slipped into a nightgown before dropping into her bed and crying herself into a restless sleep.
Part of her wanted to slip straight out the door to see if Michael was in the sitting room, nightgown or not, guard on duty or not.
The other part of her didn’t want to know.
Although she considered taking extra time on her appearance, she decided that Michael was unlikely to be swayed by whether she or Helena was prettier. Since it wasn’t worth the effort, she instead pulled on a simple dress, fixed her hair in a quick braid, and worked up the nerve to enter the sitting room.
“Good morning, Oliver,” she said with a nod to the middle-aged guard who still stood at attention outside the door. He must be exhausted. “How are you doing this morning?”
He gave her a business-like nod in return. “Very well, thank you, Princess.”
“I believe you may return if you wish, Oliver,” she said softly. “I do not see a need to continue keeping you from your rest.”
“Thank you, Princess, but I will be fine for a little while longer,” Oliver replied.
“Did he ever come back?” Ella asked in a small voice.
Instead of replying, Oliver simply inclined his head towards one of the sofas at the side of the room. She saw his boots first, laying in a heap. Then she noticed the stockinged foot hanging over the armrest.
So, he had come back. That was good, wasn’t it?
Except Oliver hadn’t let him into the bedroom.
“When did he get in?” she asked.
“About midnight,” Oliver huffed.
“Midnight?” Ella repeated, irritated. What on earth had he been doing with Helena that late?
“If it helps any, Your Highness,” Oliver said, softening his tone, “I do not believe he was out with his guest the entire time. Young Jacob reported seeing him pacing alone through the halls for a long while before he returned.”
Ella nodded, but didn’t trust herself to say anything. She was glad that he hadn’t spent the whole time with Helena. But why did he need to pace so long and think so hard?
She had hoped, considering the last month as evidence, that he held enough affection for her to make it a straightforward decision. Even if he didn’t, no matter how much he had once been, or believed himself now to be, in love with the other princess, didn’t the fact that he had promised to love Ella mean anything?
Even if the other princess was his true love, did that really matter more than his word?
“Do you suppose we should wake him?” she asked Oliver quietly.
Oliver scowled in the prince’s direction. “I don’t think he slept well,” he said. “But that boy doesn’t deserve your consideration right now.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t be right to allow him to miss breakfast,” Ella said doubtfully.
Oliver’s response was to curl his lip slightly. “Until he gets his head on straight, I’d lock him away in the dungeon, if it were up to me,” he growled.
Ella hid a small smile. She was certain the tough older man cared far too much about Michael to do any such thing.
Fairly certain. Maybe.
Actually, she revised, as she watched the glare on his face, Oliver might be a believer in tough love. She wouldn’t put it past him to do it.
“Do you happen to know if we’ve been able to notify her family yet?” Ella asked casually.
Oliver gave her a slight smile. “In addition to a report from young Jacob, I also had a visit from Henry about the third hour past midnight. He thought you would want to know that the storm had ceased and a messenger had been dispatched to Himmelsburg. I imagine the royal family is receiving the joyful news over an early breakfast.”
“Thank you, Oliver.” She pondered the information. “He expressed a wish for sleep last night. I believe I will allow him to rest longer.” She crossed to the windows and tugged the heavy drapes securely closed.
