Lorne restedin a comfortable chair in the sitting room of the suite connected to Adeline’s.
At least he was up for the first time since he’d collapsed. With the help from a footman whom Jelsa had recommended as trustworthy, he’d tottered from Adeline’s room to this suite. Despite the way the soap stung in his wounds, he’d enjoyed his first bath since he’d been taken from the dungeon. The physician had come again to rebandage him, then the footman had helped him dress in clean clothes that didn’t reek of his own sweat.
After taking a short nap since just that muchactivity had worn him out, he’d rallied his strength to sit here, waiting just out of sight of the door.
There came a knock on his door before it opened without waiting for him to call out. One of the guards stood to the side while the others motioned for the group of men they escorted to enter the room.
Their stances stiff, their bodies poised for action, five men strode into the room, glancing around warily.
As the first man’s gaze landed on Lorne, he halted so abruptly that the others piled into him. He staggered but kept his feet, even as he gaped.
“What—” One of the others began to speak before he, too, spotted Lorne. He rushed over, dropping to his knees before Lorne. “Your—”
Lorne shook his head, holding out a hand to halt Orvyn before he said anything out loud.
As if remembering himself, Orvyn clamped his mouth shut, even as he remained kneeling before Lorne.
Once the guards closed the door, leaving them alone, the others hurried closer, even as their eyes remained wide.
Godwin, a gray-haired man with dark brown eyes set in a weathered face, knelt next to Orvyn and bowed his head. “Sir. It is good to see you alive. We thought…we were told…”
“When they didn’t bring you back, we feared the worst.” Burchard, his brown hair also peppered with gray, spoke in a choked tone as he knelt beside Godwin. “Then the guards told us you were dead. They taunted us with it. They knew how we would despair.”
Lorne squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He should have asked Adeline to send word that he was alive. But he’d been out of his mind with fever, and she’d been busy with becoming queen. He was honored that she’d even remembered her promise to release his men as soon as she could.
But he should have remembered them. He should have guessed that the guards wouldn’t tell them the truth.
“I’m sorry I didn’t send word. And that I wasn’t able to get you out of the dungeon sooner.” Lorne opened his eyes, taking in the men before him. Godwin and Burchard, the oldest among the royal guards assigned to him. Arne and Emil, the two strongest among his guards. And Orvyn, a young man around his age. When he had been assigned to Lorne’s guards, he had become a good friend. “I’m thankful you are all right. I was worried.”
While they bore the bruises and bandages of their time in the dungeon, they were moving far easier than he was.
“What happened, sir?” Godwin remained kneeling before him, as if he couldn’t bring himself to move.
“Please, sit. It will take some explanation.” Lorne gestured to the other couches and chairs in the room.
His men slowly took seats, their eyes still fixed on him as if they didn’t dare look away.
“That day, I was brought to the torture room. But instead of torture, Princess Adeline of Kelverny waited there.” Lorne picked his words carefully, his stomach clenching. The Kelvernese guards were likely listeningat the door, and he couldn’t guarantee all of them were loyal to Adeline. But he was also strangely nervous about telling his men what he’d done. “She had a proposal for me. She wanted to marry me.”
“What?” Both Arne and Emil surged to their feet, their mouths hanging open.
Burchard grimaced, and Godwin eyed Lorne rather grimly. Only Orvyn grinned as he met Lorne’s gaze. “I’m guessing you said yes?”
“Of course I said yes.” Lorne waved toward the connecting door. “She wished to marry me in order to help bring about peace between our kingdoms. As I’m also committed to peace, it seemed a good way to achieve our mutual goal.”
“But does she…” Returning to his seat, Arne eyed first the connecting door, then the outer door, before he leaned closer, his voice going so low it barely carried even to Lorne. “Does she know who you are?”
“No. No one does.” Lorne met Arne’s gaze. “And they must not find out. Not until peace has been achieved.”
“Yes, of course. But, sir, are you sure this was a good idea?” Godwin leaned his elbows on his knees as he searched Lorne’s face. “The political ramifications…”
“I know. It’s going to be complicated.” Lorne waved his hand again. “But it might be the only way to gain peace.”
“Is it, though?” Emil glanced around at each of them, lowering his voice. “I hate to suggest it, but he’snow rather uniquely positioned to, uh, end the Kelvernese royal line.”
Just hearing those words was a punch to Lorne’s chest. He was shaking his head vigorously before he’d even put much thought behind the gesture. “No.”
“You have to admit, it would be one quick way to solve our problems.” Emil shrugged.
