Chapter 14
A s they climbed the stairs, it truly sunk in they were headed to his chamber . She should have said no. She should have resisted. But the thought of someplace warm with warm food was much too appealing to turn down. And the way he held her hand and led her up the stairs with such care and concern gave her the heart squeeze.
At the top of the stairs, he turned left and headed down a long corridor with a soaring arched ceiling. There were guards stationed every few feet standing at rigid attention with their swords at their sides and their heads held high. As they passed, she tried to get a glimpse of them to see if they noticed them walking by, but none of them seemed to pay them any mind.
Along the walls, were more oil paintings. Some were likely family portraits of kings and queens of the past. Others were of lush green landscapes that seemed out of place with a winter wonderland outside.
They halted at a door on the left, which he pushed open and then stepped aside to allow her to enter.
This was more than a bed chamber. This was a suite. He had a sitting area with an oversized fireplace, the flickering flames jumping high into the chimney. Two sofas faced each other in front of the fireplace with a table in between. A plush garnet rug covered the stone floor. Candelabras were placed in every corner with every candle lit to illuminate the room in a bright, happy glow.
Bookshelves lined one wall. They were crammed full of books from top to bottom. Off the small living area was a round table with four chairs. A silver tea service sat in the middle and she fervently hoped there was hot tea inside. A closed door led to what she assumed was his bed chamber.
Nicholas stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He glanced around the large room. “I see they’ve already made some preparations.”
He glanced around from the roaring fire to the lit candelabras. Even his private chamber was decked out in holiday decorations. A small tree perched in a corner adorned with twinkling lights flashing in a cheerful pattern. The mantle hosted greenery like the one in the great hall. A beautiful centerpiece with a hurricane glass hosted a flickering candle surrounded by green garland and sprigs of holly.
“You live here?” she asked, her voice more timid than she would have liked.
“I do. Can I take your cloak?” he asked.
She shrugged it off and handed it to him. He hung it on a peg near the door. She slid the sack off her shoulder, glad to be free of the weight of it. It had bounced against her hip the entire way, leaving it sore and achy.
He headed over to the table and poured two steaming mugs of tea. “How do you take it?”
“Cream and sugar,” she said.
He added a dollop of cream and a bit of sugar and then brought her the porcelain cup. She smiled as she took it, grateful for the hot beverage.
“Let’s sit by the fire while we wait for dinner.” He motioned to the sofas near the fire.
She followed his lead and took the seat across from him, placing the sack with the slippers on the table and then perching on the edge of the cushion. Her nerves jangled as she took a sip of the tea.
“In the morning, I’ll gather supplies and then we will ride for the mountains,” he said. “The mountain pass up to her stronghold is rather difficult this time of year, so I hope you’re prepared for that.”
“I’ll be ready,” she said, taking another sip. The drink warmed her through, thawing her hands as she held the cup. She tipped her head to one side. “What do you mean by difficult?”
“I mean Malvina’s keep is well guarded. She doesn’t take kindly to visitors.” He took a sip of tea and then placed the cup on the table, eyeing the bag with the shoes. “Are you still determined to go through with this rescue mission?”
She nodded without hesitation. “Yes, I am. We have to get Ingrid away from her. How are we going to get to her?”
“That’s the big question, isn’t it?” He sat back in the cushions and stared into the fire, a thoughtful expression on his face. “There will be no way to get through undetected. She’ll know the moment we enter the pass. Likely, she’ll capture us before we make it to the foot of the mountains.”
Worry gnawed at her. “Then what?”
“Then we hope we can free ourselves long enough to find Ingrid and get out.”
It sounded impossible. Ella dragged her lower lip through her teeth in contemplation as she held the cup in her hands. There had to be another way, but she wasn’t versed in the geography of this world and so she didn’t know if there was another way into the mountains.
A knock sounded on the door, interrupting her thoughts. Nicholas rose and opened the door to the servants who bustled in with a cart full of food. They went to work setting the table and moments later were gone.
He grinned at her from across the room. “Shall we dine?”
She placed her cup on the table next to his and headed for the table, taking a seat opposite him. There was roasted meat and vegetables in a brown gravy, cheese, bread, fruits, and more tea. She took small portions as she filled her plate while Nicholas heaped his.
“For a prince you have a hearty appetite,” she said.
He laughed as he stuck a piece of meat with his fork. “It’s been a while since the beef stew at the tavern.”
She couldn’t agree more as she took a bite of roasted meat. It was savory and practically melted in her mouth. They lapsed into silence as they both enjoyed the meal, but Ella could tell his mind was working to come up with a better plan.
He wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin. “Perhaps I’m thinking about this all wrong.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
He shoved back from the table and went to one of the bookshelves, his finger trailing down the spines until he found the one he wanted. It was a hefty tome as he pulled it off the shelf and carried it over to the table, dropping it with a thud. The dishes rattled. He flipped open the book and shuffled a few pages to the one he wanted and paused. It was two-page spread of a map of Rovenheim. She leaned in to get a better look as her heart picked up speed. It was almost as though he heard her thoughts about looking at a map.
He pointed to the mountain range northeast of the castle labeled Grimbrande near the coastline. “The pass through the mountains is here.” He dragged his finger along what appeared to be a pathway through the middle of the mountains. “Her fortress is at the top of one of these mountains.”
“But you said the mountain pass was guarded,” she said.
He nodded. “And it will be difficult to get past the guards. But…” His voice trailed off as he swiped is hand over his smooth chin. “What if we took another road further north and approached the fortress from the south here?”
Ella rose from the chair and leaned over the map. “Is there a road there?”
“There used to be.”
From what she could tell on the map, the fortress looked as though it backed against the coast. There was a tiny port town west of the fortress labeled Echo Harbor.
“This harbor here,” she pointed to it. “Does it have ships?”
“Yes.”
“That we can charter?”
Something twinkled deep in his eyes as he gave her a half smile. “Yes.”
“Then why can’t we charter a ship to take us near the coast where her fortress is. We can row a dingy to the coastline and then approach from the south like you mentioned. She would never know we were coming,” Ella said.
“Why, Ella, that sounds positively brilliant.” He beamed at her.
“Thank you.”
She flushed hot at the compliment. It wasn’t often she was complimented for her smarts. But then, she never had the opportunity to converse with someone like Nicholas.
“We will still need supplies and provisions. I’ll gather them. We’ll ride out tomorrow morning to Echo Harbor, though there may not be many ships there this time of year,” he said.
“Why is that?”
“They tend to sail to warmer climates until winter passes. But there should still be a few in port.”
Ella stifled a yawn as she placed her napkin by the side of her plate. Finally warm and with a full stomach, she was starting to feel drowsy.
“Oh, you must be exhausted. Let’s get you to your chamber.”
She had to admit that sounded lovely. She returned to the small seating area and picked up the bag with the slippers as he took her cloak from the peg by the door.
He extended an elbow to her, a warm smile lighting up his face as he offered to escort her. His eyes sparkled with affection and happiness, filling her heart with warmth and joy. She took his arm.
He pulled open the door and led her out into the hallway. The guards were still stationed every few feet and still did not give her a second glance. They walked down the length of the hallway to the last door where he paused.
“Here we are.”
“This is the west wing,” she said, recalling the earlier conversation with Magnus.
“It is.”
“And my room in next to yours?” Her voice quivered a little at the thought of being so close to him.
“I hope that’s all right with you,” he said. “It seemed the best choice. The guest chambers are in the east wing. But I know you’re in a strange place and I didn’t want you to feel as though I abandoned you.”
Her throat tightened as warmth expanded through her chest. It had been so long since anyone had thought of her needs, she wasn’t quite sure how to react.
“That was so thoughtful of you.” Her voice only trembled a little when she spoke.
He handed her the cloak, then pushed open the door, remaining in the hallway as she moved to step inside. He placed a hand on her arm and she paused, turning to him.
“Pleasant dreams, Ella.” He kissed her on the cheek.
And then he was gone. Heading back down the hallway to his own room.
Ella stood rooted in place as she watched him go, lifting her hand to her cheek where he kissed her. It was merely a peck. Certainly nothing to feel gushy about, but he had kissed her nonetheless. Her heart thudded hard in her chest as she stepped inside the room and pushed the door closed.
Her chamber was as big as his and almost identical in layout. She, too, had a small seating area by an enormous fireplace that hosted a lovely warming blaze. She, too, had a table and chairs in an adjacent dining area. She didn’t have the bookshelves he had, though. It was also decorated as his was with the small tree in the corner, the greenery on the mantle, and the centerpiece on the dining table.
She wandered into the sitting area, dropping her cloak on one of the chairs as she stood before the fire, letting the warmth of it cascade through her. What a wonderous and beautiful place the castle was and how lucky Nicholas was to live here. To never have to worry about his next meal or if he were going to be ordered around by a hateful shrew and her two spoiled daughters. She was rather envious of that life, but then, he was a prince, after all. He was used to this kind of life, just as she was used to the one she had.
One she would, eventually, have to return to. Her gut twisted into a knot at the thought of returning to her stepmother and stepsisters.
A swift knock on her door startled her. “Yes?”
The door pushed open and an older woman popped her head in. “Ah, here you are, my lady. We’ve brought up a copper tub for your bath.”
“Oh!” she said on a breath.
Before she could wave them off, the woman pushed the door open to allow the men inside carrying the tub. They passed through the living area and through a door that she assumed was her private bed chamber. Several maids followed with steaming kettles. None of them gave her so much as a glance as they headed into the room. Moments later, the men exited and the maids came out with empty kettles.
The woman waved her toward the room. “Come and I’ll help you.”
“Oh, I appreciate that but I think I can manage on my own.”
She tipped her head to one side but didn’t argue. “As you wish, my lady.”
They all filed out, closing the door behind them.
Ella took a tentative step toward the bedroom and halted in the doorway. There were several candelabras lit and blazing, a fireplace across from the giant four-poster bed. In front of the fireplace, the copper tub they delivered full of steaming water.
Grinning broadly, Ella placed the bag with the slippers on the bed. She noticed, then, there was a stack of plush towels and next to it a thick nightgown. She stripped and stepped into the warm water, allowing it to seep into her tired muscles.
After she bathed, toweled off and dressed, she climbed into the bed with the thick quilts, soft sheets, and plush pillows. She had never experienced such luxury.
The sack with the slippers were still on the bed. She pulled it over to her and took out the shoes one at a time. Then she placed them on the night table next to the bed, watching as the firelight flickered and danced over the facets of glass, giving them a rainbow iridescence. They were so beautiful, so delicate, so perfect.
She dropped the sack on the floor next to the bed and burrowed down under the covers, pulling them up to her chin. Her eyes were heavy as she watched the fire flickering orange, red, and yellow flames upward.
As she drifted off, she thought she saw a flash of light from the slippers, as though they twinkled with joy at finally be released from the captivity of the sack. But then she decided it was nothing more than her tired mind and her imagination playing tricks on her. Moments later, she was fast asleep.