She felt as if she couldn’t breathe. All the air had been sucked from the room. Otto’s stance was casual and relaxed. He couldn’t know of her involvement with Ysmay.Could he?
She forced out the question. “What prisoner?”
He waved his hand, still gazing outside. “No one important. A woman. Honestly, her escape was a blessing in many ways. It saved me making an impossible decision.” He broke off, seemingly lost in thought, but when he looked back at her, his dark eyes were impenetrably sharp. “My knights suspect spies from your father’s lands have broken through our outer defenses.”
His words brought a chill to the shadowed chamber, and she clasped her arms further about her. “Spies?” she repeated, frowning as her mind raced with confusion. “To what end?”
He shrugged expansively. “You are from Kenmar…” He left the sentence unfinished.
She shook her head, bewildered by this revelation. “Otto, honestly, I have no idea…”
He interrupted her stuttering protests with a chuckle. “Have no fear, Ariana. I do not suspect you of killing one of my guards.”
All the strength in her legs deserted her and she sat down heavily upon the desk chair. “Which guard?” she asked, her voice no more than a whisper. She ran the tip of her tongue over lips that had suddenly become dry.
His eyes flickered over her. “I’m afraid to say I did not know him personally, though he died in the service of Darkmoor.” He picked up his discarded tunic from a heap on the floor and shook it out. “He was killed at Traitor’s Gate, most probably when our prisoner escaped.”
“But I didn’t kill the guard,” she said unthinkingly. Her limbs growing cold in horror at the thought of the smiling young man she had dared to flirt with, now cold and lifeless.
“Of course you didn’t.” He pulled the tunic over his head, frowning in her direction. “That was never my inference.”
Ariana put her head in her hands, all thoughts of deception far from her mind.How had this happened?She had never meant for anyone to get hurt. And now Otto suspected her father of sending spies into Darkmoor. But surely Sir Leon would never seek to stand against the might of Otto’s army. Especially not so soon after the battle of Branfeld when his men were so vastly depleted.
This must be somehow her fault.
“What is it, Ariana?” Otto crossed the room to stand by her side, concern giving a new edge to his voice. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
His hand grasped her shoulder and she put her palm over his, taking no comfort from his height and strength. All she could think of was the sequence of events she had so unwittingly set into motion.
Had the sleeping draught been stronger than she realized?
“It is nothing,” she murmured, trying her best to recover her composure. “Only that I am sorry to hear of your troubles.”
She spoke reflexively, giving little thought to her words, but Otto grimaced in agreement.
“I should be spending the early days of my marriage in bed with my wife,” he declared with feeling. “Not preparing for some needless squabble. But have no fear, Ariana, whoever did this will soon be caught. And I promise, they will feel the full wrath of Darkmoor.” He smiled down at her. “I am not known as theFeared Onefor nothing.”
He turned away, rummaging amongst their hastily discarded clothing for his sword belt and cloak, blissfully unaware of the turmoil his bold statement had caused his young bride.
Ariana was numb with shock.How had she thought she could double cross the Earl of Darkmoor without facing consequences?
“I bid you a good morning,” he quipped, dropping a chaste kiss onto her forehead. “Will I see you at dinner tonight?”
It was a question for which there was only one answer. Ariana nodded, desperately trying to find her voice. But Otto’s mind was already on other things. With a faint wave of his hand, he strode from her bedchamber, the door swinging noisily shut behind him.
Ariana took a deep, heaving breath and crossed her hands over her heart.
What had she done?
She glanced down at her drawing. Already it seemed to be from another time. Would she ever spend another night wrapped in Otto’s arms, ever wake again to the sight of him sleeping peacefully in her bed? It would only be a matter of time before he discovered her treachery and perhaps consigned her to her own imprisonment at Traitor’s Gate.
Ariana felt a wave of nausea. She had come so close to happiness. Happiness which she’d dared to think she deserved. And now it would come to naught. All because of her father. What business did he have sending spies into Darkmoor? She had believed he wanted peace with his powerful neighbor. Her marriage to Otto had been conceived to deliver that peace.
She shook her head, knowing that Allys could return at any moment. She must dress and go about her day as if nothing was wrong.
A knock at her chamber door proved her correct.
“Come in,” she called, not worrying about covering herself with a robe, for it would only be Allys. But it was not her maid who entered the room, eyes cast bashfully down, but a young errand boy.
