Page 54 of Lost with a Scot
“I assume you know who her dance partner is?” Ashton asked.
Aiden nodded.
“He is a good man,” Ashton said. “He would love her and treat her well. Should you dare to let her go. He would give her the life a princess would need.”
Tears welled up in Aiden’s eyes, and he blinked in surprise. He had not cried since he was a mere lad, and he dared not cry now.
“Are ye telling me to let her go?” Aiden asked.
Ashton frowned as Anna twirled by in a blur of red and cream silk. The candlelight glinted off the jewels on her diadem, and the pearls gleamed like frozen dewdrops.
“I am merely reminding you that love often means a sacrifice of something. When you love someone with every part of your body and soul, that means they come first,always. If you love her as I suspect you do, then be prepared to do what is best for her. That might mean letting her marry the man who will be able to play the part of a prince at her side. Remember, she is royalty, and she must put her country and people first, even if that means making the right political alliances through marriage. Prussia is a strong ally and can protect Ruritania once Yuri has been removed from power. You are but one man, with no army at your back.”
Ashton’s words were kindly spoken, but the brutal truth of them was a knife to Aiden’s heart. He was but one man... a Scot with no army at his back. He would never be a prince, would never do well at the balls, parades or royal events that would be expected of him as the husband of a princess. Aiden was a man who took solace in the solitude of the rocks and trees, with the cries of birds and the wind in his ears. A life away from Castle Kinkade would feel like a cage to him. He could sacrifice that part of himself, but what if it wasn’t enough? What if she needed things he did not have the power to give?
“When the time comes, you will know what to do. For now, be true to your heart and stay at her side. I fear there are still dangers yet unseen.” Ashton gave him a nod, and the great room fell into a hush as the king of England made his entrance.
“She will ask for an audience, and we must go with her as escorts,” Ashton murmured so only Aiden could hear. The two of them collected Godric, who was a favorite of the king’s and would be an additional influence, as they made their way through the crowd just as Anna requested an audience and the king granted it.
They followed Anna, and he noticed her relieved expression when she finally saw him. Once they were all gathered in a private room, Anna and the king sat in two chairs facing each other across a reading table.
“Ah, Essex, Lennox, good of you both to come. And who is this?” King George inquired as he swept a critical eye over Aiden.
“He is a bodyguard I gained while I spent time in the Highlands after my ship was wrecked off the coast. His name is Aiden Kincade.
“Ah, a Scot. Excellent choice, Princess Anna. They may be a bit wild, but Scots are fiercely loyal. Now, I assume you wish to speak to me about the unfortunate situation Ruritania is facing.”
Anna settled her skirts around her, sitting prim and proper as only a princess could. “Your Majesty, I am here to ask for your military support. My uncle—”
“Yes, your uncle sent me a private envoy, who arrived almost a month ago,” the king interrupted. “I heard about your parents’ tragic death at the hands of the rebels. It sounds as if your uncle will take charge, and I have promised to provide support to him in crushing any future rebellions.”
Anna’s face drained of color. No one had known her uncle’s messengers would have gotten here so quickly. It meant that he’d sent word of her parents’ murder almost the day they’d been brutally slain... Yuri had clearly planned his coup down to every last detail, including informing trade partners like England what he wanted them to believe had happened.
Have courage and keep calm,lass,Aiden thought.
Anna lifted her gaze. “Your Majesty, it pains me to tell you that you have been deceived. I was there when the castle burned. My uncle is the one who attacked the palace. He is the one responsible for killing my parents. My brother, Alexei, still lives, fighting my uncle in secret. You must help us.”
The king sat back, eyes wide with shock. He clearly hadn’t expected her to say that.
“Even if his story were true, Yuri has no rightful claim to the throne, Your Majesty,” Anna continued. “He is half brother to my father. His father was a Russian nobleman my grandmother married after my grandfather died when they were quite young. The throne in my country must pass to a male heir descended from the male line. By our laws, Alexei is next in line, and any male child he bears will have the next rightful claim to the throne. If he has no heirs, it falls to any sons that I might bear. Yuri is a traitor and a murderer. He has no right to rule.”
For a second, Aiden realized something that hadn’t occurred to him. He and Anna had made love several times—she could be with child in that moment, a child who had the potential to rule Ruritania should Alexei perish. Aiden’s heart stopped beating for a painful moment. Their child... The thought filled him with a rush of joy, but he had to push it away and focus on the matter before them.
King George was quiet a long moment. “You are absolutely certain this is the truth of what took place? Your uncle’s envoy said your brother was among the rebels responsible, that Alexei had a falling out with your father and it led to him siding with the rebels when they attacked.”
Anna held the king’s gaze without fear. “Alexei is my twin, Your Majesty. Our bond is unbreakable. I know him as well as I know myself. He would never have hurt our parents or made a claim to the throne until after our father died. I was there when the palace burned. I saw the tears in my brother’s eyes as he told me of our slain parents and who was responsible. I saw the bodies of innocent citizens slaughtered in the corridors of my home.
“You said you knew my mother. I am her child, and the child of King Alfred and Queen Isadora. I would not lie to you, nor am I fool enough to believe the lies of others and speak them to you as truths.” She drew in a breath and stood. “Will you let a peaceful nation dissolve into the darkness of an unjust war? Or will you aid Ruritania in our hour of need? I must warn you that nations who do not fight the spread of tyranny often fall prey to them. Stand with us now, and we may yet save the Continent from my uncle’s greed.”
The room was silent for a painfully long beat, and Aiden held his breath, afraid of what the king might do. King George slowly rose from his chair, and without looking away from Anna, he spoke.
“When I received the initial reports of the deaths of your parents, I gave my support to Yuri, obviously unaware of the truth. If I go against that decision now, it would wreck all future trade ties.”
Anna’s heart plummeted to her feet.
“But,” King George said to her earnestly, “I do not believe in letting a king-killer steal a throne. There are ways in which I can render aid without seeming to have interfered and committing troops to a war.” George turned to Ashton and Godric now, a cunning gleam in his eyes. “Lord Essex and Lord Lennox, I believe you are capable of handling this matter quietly on behalf of the Crown?”
Ashton stepped forward and bowed to the king. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
