Page 55 of May Queen: May Day

“You?” he asked, in confusion. “You’re my wife, Flora. I don’t need to win you over.”

“We’re not fully married until we’ve consummated the marriage,” she told him. “And for that, my lord, I suggest you try a little harder to win me over. Because if not, I don’t see it happening any time soon.” She turned and rode for the castle, hearing the guffaws of Ricard’s brothers from behind her.

* * *

Flora rushed straightto her chamber as soon as they’d returned to the castle, not wanting anything to do with planning a wedding feast. She didn’t feel like celebrating at all. She needed someone to talk to and had no one. Never had she felt so alone than she did at this moment.

She worried about Albreda in the dungeon and she also worried about her father in the woods. But most of all, she worried what would happen when her uncle found out that she and Ricard were already married. She only planned on pretending to be betrothed to Ricard until she could find her father. Then, she was supposed to send a missive back to her uncle and he would come up with some excuse to have Gretta marry Ricard instead of her. Or at least, this was what they’d planned from the beginning. Of course, that might have been difficult since her uncle told Ricard that Gretta was marrying someone else and she had made up the part about her cousin being pregnant. She wouldn’t doubt that her uncle purposely told her they had to be married in a sennight because he was angry with her. Plans had gone askew and things were a mess now.

Nothing in her life was going the way she wanted it to. She had considered changing her mind and possibly staying with her father after all, but now that she was married to Ricard, that would never happen. She’d had her chance but had hesitated. She didn’t like having to choose between her father and Ricard. But none of that mattered anymore since Ricard made the choice for her. If only she could tell Ricard what she was going through, this would be so much easier. But she could never tell him about the Druids, because he wanted to kill them and anyone who was associated with them.

“Flora, where are you going?” she heard Ricard call out from behind her, but she ignored him and walked faster. She wanted to lock herself in her chamber and try to think of how to get out of this mess.

She opened the door to her room, and gasped. There was Mug digging through a trunk of her things. He looked up in surprise and jumped to his feet.

“What are you doing?” she snapped.

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m looking for the sacred Druid necklace. I know you must have it.”

Her hand immediately went to her pocket but, to her horror, she realized she didn’t have the necklace with her. She must have left it in the pocket of her other gown when she changed. She stepped into the room, scanning the area, trying to remember where she left the gown that she’d worn yesterday. “Get out of here before I call the guards!”

“You won’t do that,” snarled Mug. “After all, you wouldn’t want me to tell Ricard your little secret, would you?”

“Ricard is my husband now,” she told him. “He won’t believe your lies.”

“The way I see it, you’re the only one lying to him.” He started across the room, and Flora realized he was heading right toward her gown from yesterday that was still lying across the back of a chair. She didn’t want him to find the necklace. If so, that would mean her father and the Druids were leaving. Mayhap it was selfish of her, but she wanted to see her father one more time, and talk to him before he disappeared from her life forever.

“Mayhap that necklace is over here,” said Mug, reaching for her gown.

“Nay!” she cried, rushing across the room and grabbing the gown before he could get it.

“You’re keeping something from me.” He tugged at the gown and when he did, the necklace fell from the pocket at their feet.

“What’s going on here?” came Ricard’s bellow from the open door. “And what’s that?” he asked, seeing the necklace.

Mug’s good hand shot out and he snatched up the necklace and ran for the door. Ricard drew his sword and Mug swerved, making it out the door but dropping the necklace in the process.

“Guards,” Ricard shouted, starting after him.

“Nay, let him go,” cried Flora. “He meant no harm.”

Ricard turnedto see his wife walking over to him.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she answered.

“What was that thief after?” Ricard sheathed his sword. Noticing something shiny on the floor, he bent over to pick up the item that Mug had dropped. It was a necklace with a gold flat piece hanging from it that had a sickle and some kind of vines etched into the metal. “What is this?” he asked, flipping it over in his hand to inspect it. Could this be the necklace that Nash overheard them talking about?

“It’s a sacred emblem of the Druids,” she told him, surprising him since he didn’t expect her to say that.

“Flora?” he asked, dangling the necklace from his fingers. “Is this yours?”

“It is,” she admitted. “My mother gave it to me.”

“Your mother?” he asked. “What was she doing with it? Did she buy this from a peddler, too, like she bought the Druid ring?”

“Nay,” said Flora softly, tears forming in her eyes. “Ricard, there is something I have to tell you, but I don’t think you’re going to want to hear it.”