Chapter 29
Carissian popped into Aleron’s anteroom unexpectedly early that evening, then frowned as Aleron and Tashama napped together on the pillows as she snuggled against Aleron’s chest while his arm was wrapped around her in a warm embrace.
“Sire,” Carissian whispered.
Aleron opened his eyes as Carissian frowned at him. The golden-haired lady of his dreams still nestled against his chest, and he shrugged at his advisor. “Have our dinner served in here within the hour. If she eats with me, her food should be safe.”
“If you wish, Your Highness.” Carissian studied Tashama.
Aleron, fearing either might give their plans away to Carissian, said, “Make it lobster, her favorite dish, and quite frankly mine too.”
“Certes, Your Highness.” He vanished.
Aleron rubbed Tashama’s arm lightly to wake her and leaned down to kiss her lips. She kissed him back, and he smiled, then kissed her further.
Carissian reappeared in the room. “Ahem.”
Aleron raised his brows as Carissian wrinkled his forehead. Aleron sat up. “She’s awake.” Tashama stretched her whole body, then yawned.
“Almost.” She curled back up on the pillows.
“Time to eat.” Aleron stood, then stretched. “I’ve got to take care of business. Keep the lady company, will you, Carissian?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Aleron headed into his chambers while Carissian turned to Tashama. “Did you have pleasant dreams, my lady?”
Tashama smiled. “I will never know how it will feel to have him show me how much he loves me, but I can dream about it, cannot I? Besides, it serves you right to infiltrate my dreams while I’m sleeping.”
“You knew then that I was there?”
“Of course, but you don’t know how difficult it is to enjoy such a delightful fantasy and then a sightseer watches every move you make.”
Carissian smiled. “I must admit, I hadn’t expected to see such a thing, and it took quite a bit of strength for me to leave.”
Laughing, Tashama shook her head. “Men are all alike.”
“I’m a sorcerer.” Carissian leaned against the desk.
“Yes, but you still have the desires of a man.”
“And what makes you think thus?”
“We have one in the family tree. He became entangled with one of the royal family members. Family scandal and all that sort of thing.”
“A sorcerer in the mix.” Carissian’s toothy grin indicated his amusement. “So that’s how come you have so many sorcery skills.”
“And my daughter, when she is born, will have them too.”
“Not a son?”
“I suppose if it’s to be a son, I would be just as content.”
As the food was brought into the room, Tashama sat up. Carissian rubbed his brow. “About tonight…”
“King Aleron insists on my teaching him another lesson.”
Carissian nodded. “Sometime after that then.”
“Midnight?”
“It’s up to Oshon.” Carissian grew quiet as Aleron walked toward the anteroom.
“Well, while you’re eating, Your Highness, I’ll see to some other business.” Carissian disappeared.
“Do.” Aleron took his seat beside Tashama. “Lobster?”
“Yes.” Tashama dug the meat out of the shell with relish.
Aleron laughed. “I do believe if you were a mermaid and I a merman, you would choose the lobster over me.”
“Only if I were hungry for this kind of food, Your Highness.” Tashama bit a piece of the succulent meat off with her teeth.
“I heard you speaking to Carissian about having a daughter.” Aleron scooped up a spoonful of blueberry-covered rice. “We do have one prophecy here. My firstborn will be a son.”
Tashama nodded.
“And you?”
“A daughter.”
Aleron twisted his mouth. “I suppose your prophecy could be wrong.”
Tashama smiled as she wiped her cheek. “Or yours.”
“I heard Carissian mention Oshon’s name.”
“Ah, he is grateful I cleared his good name.”
“Oh.” Aleron finished his lobster and waved to the servant to bring another for the two of them. “It may be a while before we can have such a feast again.”
After finishing the rest of their meal, Aleron nudged Tashama. “Let’s take a walk in the gardens, then go for our swim.”
“All right.” Tashama stood and then straightened her skirts.
As the servants hurried to clean up the room, Aleron took Tashama’s arm and walked her onto the garden path. “I fear we will have rain tonight as there are no stars in the night sky.”
Tashama glanced up at the dark sky and nodded. “Is everything ready?” she whispered to Aleron.
“Yes, everything is prearranged. I worried Carissian was studying your dreams and would discover our plans. I’ve been careful not to think of them while he was about.”
“I was sharing an intimate moment with my king.” Tashama squeezed his hand.
“Oh? Do tell?”
“Someday, perhaps.” She leaned her head against his shoulder.
“But Carissian was able to see them?”
“See us, you mean.”
Aleron rubbed his chin. “He can be quite annoying at times.”
“Well, it was good that this is all he saw.”
After walking, then sitting in the gazebo for another half hour, Tashama reached for his hand. “Shouldn’t we swim?”
“Of course.” He helped her from the bench.
They arrived at the pool that meandered through the plants, and Tashama caught sight of the blue sleeve of the thief and another as they hurried into her chambers. She slipped into the water. Aleron soon followed.
She took his arms and had him hold his breath, then slip beneath the surface of the water. As he swam beside her, she smiled at him underwater. They came up for air, and she smiled at him. “You can do it!”
He kissed her deeply, then hugged her soundly, but as footsteps headed toward her room from the garden, they grew quiet.
Daveal and two men hurried into Tashama’s chambers.
She waited for Daveal and her henchmen to discover the thieves, but no sound was heard.
Then a cavalry officer rushed along the path and entered her room.
Aleron pulled Tashama from the water. “Come, we will have to get gowns for you, and you can change in my quarters. We leave now.”
The two hurried to Aleron’s apartments, and he gave her a towel.
She wrapped the towel around her wet clothes, then used a fan to dry her hair as Aleron hurried into his bedchambers and changed into his dry clothes.
As soon as he was finished, he returned to Tashama and dried her hair as she slipped out of her outer gown.
Then he helped to pull off the gown under this.
“I’ll find some dry clothes for you and be right back. ”
He hurried out of his chambers while Tashama slipped out of her wet shift, then wrapped herself in the towel again. Then she shoved her wet gowns under his bed and returned to the bath to wait for his return.
Footsteps approached, and she stood next to the bath wall as she feared it would be someone other than Aleron. Listra hurried into the room, and Tashama cried, “Oh, Listra, whatever are you doing here?”
“Aleron had no one to ask but me for gowns. Hurry, put these on.” She helped Tashama to apply a dry shift, then the outer gown with long sleeves, and last, the overdress with cuts down the side. “We must also apply veils. These are dark and should hide your blond hair.”
After Tashama was well-disguised, Listra grabbed her hand and led her out through the window. “But Aleron?”
“He will join us, but he wishes for me to get you to the carriage. There are three. One for Fatima and her entourage, one for me and mine, and one for an anonymous well-paying noble couple…I believe this to be you and Aleron.” Tashama smiled.
“He loves you, you do realize?” Listra said.
“For him to give up all for a woman…” She shook her head.
“I only wish I could find a man to love me in that way. I’ll sit with you and Aleron until you go your own way. ”
“His people will not abandon him.”
After they loaded into the wagon, they began to head toward the gate. “I hope for his sake and all of our royal family connections that this will be the case.”
“But Aleron has not joined us.” She peered out through the leather flaps on the carriage.
“He said he’ll come. But you know how he is. He insisted we get on our way at the top of the hour, and you were to go with us. He said there were several who were involved in some scheme concerning you, and he feared even further for your safety.”
Tashama leaned against the leather seat back.
She didn’t want anyone to get into trouble for having offered to free her from her incarceration.
On the other hand, the thieves were getting well paid, Carissian just wanted to be rid of her, and Daveal, who knew what she truly had in mind? Tashama took a deep breath.
Ten miles along their journey, the horse’s hooves pounded behind them, and Tashama peeked out of the window. Aleron smiled at her as he rode his familiar stallion. She shook her head. “Not in the least bit obvious.”
The entourage stopped. One of the servants tied the horse to the back of the carriage, then opened the door for Aleron. He bowed his head to Listra as she bowed hers in greeting. He took his seat next to Tashama, and she squeezed his hand. “I worried about you.”
“I had to investigate what was going on in your quarters. As I peeked into the place, I saw one of Oshon’s cavalry officers storm back out into the gardens, and when he departed, Daveal and two of her servants scrambled out from under the bed and hurried the same way.
I was about to leave when I saw two bedraggled men, soaked to the skin, leaving your bath, then head out through the gardens too. ”
Tashama stifled the urge to laugh. “I guess they didn’t find what they were looking for.”
“Had I not been attempting to keep this rendezvous with you, I would have had them all arrested for questioning. But if I had any doubts about stealing you away from Banff, I know now it was the right thing to do.”
Tashama nodded.
As they rode, two of the servants hurried back to the rear carriage, as the cavalcade was paused.
“Sire,” the one said as he opened the door.
Aleron left the carriage so as not to alarm the women. “Yes, what’s the difficulty?”