Page 3 of Veil of Winter

His words made her face burn. Powerless, indeed.

“I do not have to give an answer now. I am a princess, and princesses are never rushed. We take our time to make decisions.” These were the exact words she’d heard her aunt say, more than once, after declaring Elyce the most impulsive person she had ever known. Andstubbornwas another accusation she’d heard before. But if ever there was a reason to use her position as a princess, now was the time, for she could not face life as Rodrigo’s wife, nor could she allow her people to be sent to Valkenfeld’s mines. Her people needed her.

She hurried from the room before Rodrigo could say anything else.

On her way to her chamber, she saw Father walking alone in the corridor near his bedchamber. Elyce followed from a distance. Then, when he was almost to his door, she hurried and caught up with him.

“Father, may I speak to you?”

He turned and eyed her. “I thought Rodrigo... Did he speak with you?”

“Yes, Father.” She went with him into his room and closed the door.

Her father crossed his arms, reminding her of Rodrigo’s stance a few moments earlier. But he was much shorter and stouter than Rodrigo. His expression—his eyes squinting and his jaw clenched—sent her stomach into a knot.

“You will marry Rodrigo.”

Her heart beat hard. She would gain nothing by arguing, she knew from experience, and Rodrigo’s words, “You don’t have any power,” echoed through her head.

“You wish me to marry him so that I will not be able to stop you from sending our people to become slaves in King Claude’s mines.”

Her father glared at her. “That should please you. We will be rich when mines are dug on this side of Montciel’s borders, and wealth is power.”

“You will be rich. I will just be King Claude’s nephew’s wife.”

“You listen to me.” Her father unfolded his arms and shook his finger at her. “You shall do as you are told. Ever since you stopped that guard from beating that man in the town square, you have thought you were the townspeople’s darling. But they don’t care about you. They will use you to get what they want and then cast you aside. What can you gain from helping the poor?”

Three years ago she had seen one of her father’s guards beating a man in the marketplace. Horrified and outraged, she ordered her guards to stop the man from being beaten. She demanded to know what the man’s crime was and discovered he’d stolen a loaf of bread.

It was obvious the man was poor and hungry. She had a few coins in her pocket, so she paid for several loaves of bread andsome cheese and sent the bleeding man on his way with a sack of food.

The people cheered, shouting her name over and over. She’d not intended to create such a reaction. She found out some months later that someone had written a song about it, and her name was sung and lauded in the streets. The entire incident angered her father and Aunt Winifred.

Now, as she faced her father, she spoke slowly and without emotion, as her aunt had taught her. “I am the Princess of Montciel. Who should look out for the best interests of the people of Montciel if not their princess?”

Her father stared at her. Finally, he said, “You will marry Rodrigo, and you will do as you are told.”

“Our people have been shepherds and cheesemakers for generations,” Elyce said. “To force them to work in mines for your and King Claude’s profit is wrong.”

“I thought your aunt taught you better than to fight against your duty.” He took a few steps toward her, his expression and voice softening. “Do not make yourself unhappy. Accept your duty, and there will be many consolations for you. Rodrigo is wealthy, and you will be compensated, I have no doubt. You’ll never want for anything.”

Her father smiled as if he thought he had comforted her. “You may go.” He turned away and waved his hand to dismiss her.

“Father? Do you love me?” She cringed inwardly, wishing she didn’t care, steeling herself against the answer that could break her heart.

“Will you marry Rodrigo?”

“No.”

“How can I love anyone who is as difficult as you?”

In that moment, she hated her father, hated that he didn’t care about her, and hated herself for not being able to inspire love in her own parent.

Elyce flew to the door, yanked it open, and ran all the way to her bedroom.

If her father thought she was resigned, that she would not fight him for her people’s right to be free, then he did not know her very well.

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