Reluctant Hearts (accepting different titles)

Chapter 2 - Revelations

Oriana stood in the middle of the castle court yard, hands on her hips, staring at the gates of the castle. To the casual observer it looked as though she was simply waiting for someone to arrive. In reality she was seething, trying very hard not to scream at the poor stable boy who had just delivered some rather unfortunate news. “What do you mean he already left? The sun isn’t even up yet.”

The boy was only about fifteen and cringed a little under the fierce glare that was directed strait into his eyes. “Last night…His Majesty had the stable staff woken up and we were told to prepare the horses early. The kitchen staff was up too, Your Highness. His Majesty said he decided to get an early start.”

“Damn it old man,” she muttered furiously, dismissing the boy with a wave. Oriana spun and paced up to her sleepy little maids, who were huddled together with Isaac. Oriana had roused them all to meet with her father this morning. She’d intended to go with him but he’d conveniently slipped away early. “Isaac, have the horses readied immediately then help Indra and Aria load our belongings on the mules. We’re following within the hour.” Isaac nodded, wide eyed, not daring to say anything to the overwrought princess.

Oriana stomped up the stairs to the main entrance then made an equally graceful trip up the stairs to the private wing of the castle. When she flung the door of her mother’s room open a moment later, she wasn’t exactly surprised to see her mother already up and drinking her morning chocolate.

“Ah Oriana, I thought I might see you soon. He left, but I’m sure you know that from the look on your face,” Lilia said softly.

“Mother, how could he do something so sneaky? Was the possibility of me joining him so horrible that he had to act like a thief and sneak out of here in the middle of the night? I mean, really, is that the way for a King to act,” Oriana asked pacing back and forth. “I know that he is thinking of marrying me off to that prince,” she said throwing her mother an accusing glare.

Lilia smiled slightly and nodded, “Of course he is. Prince Damon is only 30, he’s reputedly very handsome and fit, and he can handle a sword better then most. What isn’t to like about such a man?”

“It’s not the man that I object to exactly,” Oriana said stopping and staring at the carpeted floor. “It’s the loss of freedom.”

“I don’t understand Oriana,” Lilia said setting her chocolate down and rising. “Why does marriage mean you’ll lose your freedom? You won’t become a slave you know.”

“Yes I will!” Oriana cried, feeling tears of frustration well up in her eyes. “I will be a slave in his household, in his nursery and worse in his bed! I am trained to rule the entire kingdom, not to hand it over to a man who will have the right to impose himself on me any time he wishes.”

Lilia straitened up and gave her a cold, hard stare, “Oriana! I cannot believe you just said that! Am I a slave to your father, bending to his every whim, lying beneath him at any moment of the day?” She approached her daughter stiffly, “I cannot believe I raised such an ignorant child.”

Oriana flinched and flushed, “I didn’t mean it like that Mother. I know you and father care deeply about each other and consult each other on everything…but what if Damon isn’t like that? What if he does treat me like his broodmare?”

Lilia relaxed a bit and sighed, “Then you inform him in no uncertain terms that he is mistaken, return to this castle and rule it alone.”

Oriana smiled a little at that, realizing that such a thing would never be so easy. “We’ll see I suppose,” she sighed, feeling her anger slowly fading for the moment. No doubt it would resurface once she’d had time to reflect later. “So I assume that this is all being done in an effort to unite the kingdoms?”

Lilia nodded and glided to the large window of her room, “Yes, both countries are large, but together they could be something quite amazing. The commoners have already started to mingle and marry anyway, so the transition should go along somewhat smoothly, at least that’s the hope. The success will depend very much on you and on Prince Damon. I suggest you both work VERY hard to make sure this works or both countries will suffer horribly.”

Oriana sighed, “I’ll speak to this Prince Damon in a few days and then we shall see if this marriage is wise.”

Lilia raised an eyebrow, “You’re following them?”

Oriana grinned and strode forward to kiss her mother on the cheek, “Of course I am. The future queen of Alberia shouldn’t miss such an important occasion. I’ll return with Father in a few weeks I think. Goodbye Mother.” She left the room and hurried back out into the courtyard.

She smiled, seeing all of the horses and their belongings secured in the middle of the yard. Normally they would have armed guards with a group full of women, but Oriana decided that speed was a necessity. Besides, the four of them should be able to handle any bandits that they happened upon along the way. Grinning she nodded to the poor stable boy and mounted her horse. “Let’s get moving, we have a sneaky old man to catch,” she said kicking her horse forward.

***

King Henry slid down from his saddle in the Treston Castle courtyard, and stretched to get some of the kinks out. They had ridden out of his castle nearly a week ago and had ridden hard to get here. He hadn’t been concerned about bandits or getting here at any particular time. He had mainly wanted to outride his daughter if possible. He imagined that she knew more or less what he had planned for her future.

He surveyed the wide courtyard with his sharp green eyes and smiled when he spotted King Edward approaching. He still looked youthful and fit, though his hair had long been charcoal gray.

The two men embraced and greeted each other warmly. “Welcome to my home Henry. We’re delighted that you have accepted our invitation to visit,” Edward said with a smile.

“Yes, well you’re letter intrigued me and my wife. I had entertained such ideas as well, but we were unsure how they might be received, especially by those involved. Such a plan could have very disastrous results if it failed,” King Henry said quietly. “This is a very risky game that we’re playing here old friend.

“I agree,” King Edward said with a nod, “But let us have some refreshments first and get to know one another again before we hammer out the details.” He led King Henry towards the living quarters. “You haven’t ever met my son, Damon, have you?”

“No, I’m afraid the last time you and I met here was the day you were crowned. Both of us were really quite young still,” Henry said with a small smile. He glanced around himself as they strolled through the castle courtyard and gates. “You have done quite well from the looks of it. Your castle shows visible improvements from your father’s reign.”

Edward nodded and clasped his hands behind his back as they walked, “Yes, my father nearly ran the kingdom into the ground. It has taken me nearly thirty-five years to repair the damages, but we are a strong kingdom again and profitable, I might add. I think our alliance will be quite formidable, making both kingdoms very rich and powerful.” They entered a small library that Henry assumed was Edward’s private office. Edward pulled a silken rope, near his chair, three times and indicated that Henry should sit with him near the fireplace. They chatted about mundane things for a while, renewing old ties and swapping stories.

Henry was about to ask where Edward’s son, Prince Damon, was, when the younger man in question strolled in. “A servant said you rang for me Your Majesty.” Henry was impressed by the man before him. Damon was about a head taller then Henry himself and a good deal more muscular. His sharp green eyes were framed by short black hair and a strong, handsome face. He also noted the large sword at the younger man’s hip; it looked well used. He smiled a little to himself; the young man was perfect for her, at least physically. The boy would have to prove his ability to keep his wits around the infuriating young woman Henry called Daughter.

“Come in Damon,” Edward said rising and patting his son’s shoulder. “This is King Henry of Alberia. He wanted to meet you.”

Henry rose and inclined his head a bit, “Greetings Your Highness. It is a pleasure to finally meet you young man. I have heard a great deal about you, and while I thought they were mainly tales to entertain, it seems that they may very well have had some truth to them.”

Damon smiled and bowed, “Perhaps. I suppose most men do a little research on their future son-in-laws, Your Majesty. After all you want to make sure that your precious daughter will not be misused. I hope I don’t disappoint.”

Henry looked a bit startled then chuckled, “Edward, you have quit the boy here. What gave us away so easily my boy?” Henry sat down in his cushioned chair again and studied the young man carefully.

Damon took a chair and leaned back into it comfortably, smiling. “Well, Your Majesty, I heard you were coming to discuss our growing alliance, and knew you had an unmarried daughter. I put the two together, mixed with my father’s tendency to pull stunts like these and figured it out. Besides they’ve been hounding me since I was 20 to find a suitable bride and produce an heir or two.”

Edward coughed and smiled, “He is really quite a good judge of character. I can’t get anything past him…it’s very frustrating. He gets it from his mother of course.” He turned and smiled warmly at his oldest son, “Well now that you know our plan, how does it sit with you? We won’t necessarily force it upon you or Princess Oriana, but it is strongly recommended that you accept,” Edward said pointedly.

Damon smiled and nodded a bit, “I understand of course. You know in the end I will always do what is best for our kingdom. I can’t say that aligning with Alberia is a bad idea, so I’m willing to go along with the plan for the moment. That is subject to meeting the princess of course. I don’t know that I’d enjoy being married to a woman that I couldn’t bear or want to inflict myself on her if she didn’t care for me. If we get along, I don’t see a problem with the situation.” He sighed and looked over at Henry, his face serious, “Tell me first is the princess still untouched? She is twenty five or so now. That is a long time for a young woman to wait.”

The prince’s question startled Henry a bit, “Yes of course she is. A guard has been at her door since she left girlhood and a young man, Isaac, guards her most of the day. Not that she really needs protection from a man. She’s quite adept with a variety of weapons. Only a fool would try and touch her. I can assure you, she is pure. Now, I could ask the same of you,” Henry said sitting back with a slightly forced smile.

The prince laughed a bit and shook his head, “I have to admit, no. As you may have noticed, we have some very lovely servants flitting about. They are terribly hard to resist some nights. However, none has ever bared a child of mine, so Oriana’s child will be the unchallenged heir,” Damon said seriously.

“Fair enough,” Henry murmured softly, then frowning he looked up again. “May I also ask it you will be faithful and not dally with any of your lovely servants after the marriage?” Henry asked seriously folding his hands on his rounding belly.

“I will be faithful, especially if she is willing to…satisfy me when I wish it,” Damon said with a shrug. “I will never force myself on her of course, but I expect her to fulfill her wifely duties and bear my child.”

“Yes, well, that will be a discussion to have with her. If being married to her is anything like being married to her mother, you may have an occasional problem there, but nothing unbearable.” Henry leaned forward and clapped Damon on the shoulder, “You may, of course, return with me in a few days and meet her yourself if you wish. She is vaguely aware of the arrangement and will do as we ask her. I think if the two of you were to discuss it, you might grow to like the idea of marriage to each other.”

While the two had been talking Edward had pulled the cord again to call for some refreshments, which arrived promptly afterward. Edward grinned at the two men and waved his hand towards a small table where the food had been laid out for them, “Now gentlemen, how about some lunch, and then a stroll through the grounds? We all have a lot to discuss.”

They were about the sit at the table and eat when a young servant rapped softly on the door and peeked in. “Pardon Your Majesty, I think you may want to come and see…” he was cut off sharply and pulled backward. They heard him squeak and then hit the floor with a thud. He cried out in a panicked voice, “You can’t go in there! Wait!”

Henry sighed and glanced at a mildly alarmed Edward, “That should be her now.”

Damon had already jumped up and pulled out his sword, ready to do battle with whoever was trying to get past the yelling servant. However, when the door flew open only a young beautiful woman with disheveled flaming locks, stood there panting as though from a long hard journey. Damon took a moment to appreciate the form-fitting leather riding vest and simple breeches she wore, or perhaps just the form in them.

She was glorious, even for his rather refined tastes. Everything curved and dipped in all of the right places. Her hair was a bit wild and wind whipped but he could imagine that with a little brushing it would look magnificent against his pillows or anything for that matter. From the proud set of her shoulders and her unwavering determination in front of the three most powerful men in this part of the world, she had to be from royal stock. He grinned suddenly, knowing without a doubt she had to be his likely bride-to-be. Could he be any luckier? Aside from a clearly difficult temperament, she didn’t seem to have a single flaw.

Henry stood, “Ah Oriana, I thought this might happen. I tried to outrun you of course, but I should have known you’d get here eventually. She has always been a better horseman,” he said matter-of-factly to Damon and Edward. He approached his daughter cautiously, knowing her temper well. Lilia could display very similar moods on the drop of a coin. He knew better then to provoke her much further or his ears would be ringing for hours.

“Father!” she raged, her fist clenched. “How could you? I asked you why you were coming here and next thing I knew you had disappeared from the castle, in the middle of the night! Are you some kind of thief, sneaking out like that? You deliberately avoided me so you could come alone and plan my future out for me. You have no right!” She was flushed and her green eyes flashed furiously.

Henry grunted and frowned at her childish behavior, “Of course I have the right. I’m your father and your king. You will do as I command and you know it. I came here to inspect the possible groom before approaching you on the matter. If I had found him unsatisfactory, we wouldn’t have had a marriage. As it is I’m finding that I rather like him and your likelihood of marriage increases by the hour.” Oriana huffed and crossed her arms, knowing she couldn’t refuse a command from her king. It irked her none-the-less.

Damon watched the exchange for a moment, smiling. She looked like an avenging angel standing before her father. He smiled and sheathed his sword. Taking a step forward into her flashing line of vision he said, “You must be Princess Oriana.”

The young woman focused on him, suddenly realizing that there were others in the room. She hesitated then gathered herself quite visibly. Suddenly she looked quite regal. “I apologize, I don’t believe we’ve met.” She looked the young man over and found his appearance to be rather appealing, and the sword sheathed at his side was a welcome sight. He didn’t appear to be a soft young man at least. From what she had heard, this man had to be Prince Damon. “Of course, you must be Damon.” She held out her hand in greeting.

He took it and kissed it tenderly before relinquishing it to its owner. “Indeed I am.” He paced slowly around her, watching her shoulders stiffen as she felt his eyes roam over her. “Why the blatant refusal to marry me Princess? I really am a very nice person and perhaps even an ideal husband.” He stopped in front of her and smiled slightly, “Perhaps we should talk elsewhere instead of you continuing the attack on your father, who led me to believe that you were rather agreeable about the wedding.” Damon smiled at Henry who coughed and flushed uncomfortably under his daughter’s glare.

“Yes, well, she was never against marriage in general, but I was less then honest about her present willingness,” he admitted. “I do apologize, sweetie, but you have to admit, he is a rather pleasing specimen. Go with him and talk awhile. You might like him. After you get to know each other a bit come back here and we’ll all discuss it like adults.”

She seemed to calm a bit at that and then nodded, “Alright, we will go for a walk, and then come back here. That is a fair arrangement.” She turned to her father, “Isaac is with me of course and so are my maids. Perhaps you can arrange for rooms for them to rest in while I am with Damon?” At her father’s smile and nod, she looped her hand in the crook of Damon’s arm and smiled lightly, “Come,” she said to Damon, “Take me to a place where we might talk privately about our future.”

Damon grinned down at her and placed his large warm, palm over the hand she’d placed on his arm, “Of course Your Highness. I know just the place.” Oriana wasn’t sure why, but his grin and soft words made her blush lightly.

“Damon,” his father said, clearing his throat, “Not to your room.” Damon laughed and led a bewildered, blushing princess from the room.