Page 145 of Arrows and Gems
It warmed her heart to remember that Rafe had forgiven her. He hadn’t revoked their betrothal or stormed home. Instead, he was riding to Hartford so he could stand beside her while she did the hardest thing she’d ever done.
She reached a hand across the gap between them. “You don’t have to do that,” she murmured. “That could cause tension between Daraigh and Amitié, and your kingdom is still recovering.”
“Ourkingdom,” he corrected gently. “If King Phillip and Michael cannot accept you, there will be trouble between Amitié and Daraigh anyway. Youwillbe queen once we are married.”
Helena’s jaw dropped. She knew that, but somehow it hadn’t registered yet. Laughing, she said, “I suppose I should return to my studies with Svenja. I’ll need to know something about governing a kingdom after all.”
“You don’t mind?” he asked, scanning her face with serious eyes. “Forfeiting the freedom of your current life to marry a king? It comes with a dreadful amount of responsibility.”
She grinned. “Says the man who was content living in the forest for a year. As long as we sneak away for a bit of archeryevery day, I think I can manage. Do you think that will be an option?”
A smile spread across his face. “Always.”
~
“They haven’t thrown you out yet.”
Twisting to look over her shoulder, Helena saw her friend smiling encouragingly at her.
“I also haven’t seen Michael yet.” Helena tied off her braid. The late lunch they’d eaten at an inn soured in her stomach. She’d hoped for a private audience, but instead, they’d been invited to a soirée. With the royal family and who knew how many nobles.
Apologizing in the middle of a crowd was not an improvement.
Abandoning her own preparations, Liesl bounced over to Helena’s side. “I agree with King Raphael,” she said calmly, undoing Helena’s braid and fixing her hair in a more elegant fashion. “Prince Michael is still friends with Axel; if you don’t give him a reason to think you’re causing trouble, you’ll be fine.”
Fine was debatable. She had half-hoped Michael would deny them entrance.
“You know, he’s not the only friend Axel has in Daraigh right now,” Helena commented casually. She watched her friend in the mirror.
Liesl fixed her eyes determinedly on Helena’s hair. Her mouth tightened at the corners, but she didn’t say anything.
“Did the two of you have a fight?”
After a moment, the former shepherdess flicked her eyes up. “There was nothing to fight over. Tobias was focused on you. End of story.”
Helena’s concerns about meeting Michael shifted to the background. “He only had eyes for you, Liesl.”
“He didn’t.”
The words were short, terse. Quite unlike her cheerful friend.
Instead of pressing, Helena sat quietly while Liesl finished arranging her hair. Without the distraction, her nerves began to build again.
By the time she and Liesl stepped out into the hall, she was ready to grab her bow and flee to the archery field. Rafe could pass along the apology for her. Couldn’t he?
Couldn’t…?
One side of her mouth pulled up as she examined the man pacing outside her door. He was tugging at his cravat, looking incredibly uncomfortable in his formal clothes…but incredibly handsome as well.
“You clean up well for an outlaw,” she commented with a sly grin. Stepping forward, she slipped a hand into Rafe’s elbow. “Dressed like that, youalmostlook like a prince.”
He lifted her other hand and pulled her closer. “The same goes for you.”
“I look like a prince? Why, thank you, Rafe.” She batted her eyes at him. “You certainly know how to make a girl feel appreciated.”
Snorting quietly, he replied, “You know what I meant.”
“I’m not sure I do,” she teased. “Why don’t you explain it to me?”
