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Chapter 28
My room was medieval in style: fine wooden furniture, a large stone fireplace, a few oil paintings, and red satin carpets and curtains. I had bathed in a metal bathtub and had asked to eat dinner in my room. My cousin was a very understanding man, but then again, I was the daughter of the man who’d provided him with money throughout the war and was the only reason he was able to stay out of the conflict altogether.
“Princess, you must rest,” Frida urged me. It was late at night; I was staring out the window next to my bed and into a courtyard lit with torches. My father’s soldiers came and went on horses. New hope flared in my chest every time a larger group arrived, followed by a heavy, cold disappointment when Alrick, Henrike, and my father weren’t among them.
I walked over to Frida, who was sitting in a chair close to the fire and took a seat in the chair next to hers.
“I could say the same of you, Frida. Please rest. I’m fine.”
“How could I? What if Her Princess gets hungry again? You need to eat more to gain back your strength.”
It was the strangest thing, but although I was starving, I had barely touched my food besides some porridge and a little chicken.
“If I get hungry, I will use my own two legs to walk down to the kitchen. You should rest. I’m sure the journey north was not easy for you.”
Frida smiled at me. “You have changed, Your Highness.”
I almost laughed. Frida had no idea how much I had changed, about all the things that had happened to me. But why upset her old heart?
“I have. And I have news to share with you. I want you to know before it’s announced.”
Frida looked at me in a mixture of excitement and worry.
“I’ve decided to marry.”
Frida rose to her feet. “You did?”
I nodded and rose with her. “It’s the most logical course at this point. After all that has happened.”
Frida walked up to me and grabbed my hand. “Your Highness, I commend your sudden sense of duty, but...” She looked at me, saddened. “What about your happiness? You have been through so much in the past few weeks. I’m certain your father would understand.”
I squeezed her hand. “The man I chose is Alrick, Lord of Kulgrat.”
Her wrinkled eyes widened. “Lord Kulgrat?”
I blushed a little. “I care for him quite a lot, Frida. In fact, I love him.”
Frida pulled me into her arms, squeezing. Her petite body felt bony and fragile. “I’m so happy for you, child,” she said.
The sound of clattering hooves and shouts of soldiers came from the courtyard. We both hurried over to the window.
The first thing I saw was Fiona’s shiny white coat.
“Alrick! Father!” I blurted in excitement, my hand shooting to my lips. Both were surrounded by a large group of my father’s soldiers.
“They have returned,” I said, twirling around and running out the door.
“Princess, wait!” Frida yelled after me, but nothing in the world could stop me. I thundered down the hallway and the tower stairs leading to the great entry hall and courtyard. The castle was much smaller than ours, so it was easy to navigate.
I had just made it to the hallway, its dark atmosphere just as gloomy as the rest of this medieval castle at night, when an army of servants pushed the large wooden doors open, and Alrick and my father walked in, followed by a retinue of soldiers. My gaze instantly fell onto Henrike, whose motionless body was being carried by Alrick.
“A warm bath and fire, quickly,” Alrick shouted. I rushed over to him and grabbed Henrike’s hand, which was dangling lifelessly over his arms.
“Is she—?” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. Alrick shook his head.
“No, she was awake up until an hour ago. The hounds found her in the woods. Conrad, that coward, left her there to die. She is exhausted and starving but unharmed.”
Anger mixed with incredible relief replaced my fears. Looking at Henrike, her lips slightly parted, her face covered in mud, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that this woman would still be around to mock and annoy me. Despite our many differences and fights, she had risked her life for me.
