A Thousand Heartbeats

I was tugging the final stitch on my project tight when Escalus’s special knock sounded on the door. Noemi lit up, rushing over to answer him.

He strode in, head high, a bunch of wildflowers in his hand.

“That’s very thoughtful,” I said, gesturing to the bouquets around my room that still continued to pour in. “But as you can see, I’ve nowhere to put them.”

“I figured as much, which is why these are for your maid,” he said, handing them over to Noemi. “She deserves something nice of her own. People forget she has the unfortunate task of tending to you.”

“I beg your pardon!” I called in mock outrage, while Noemi laughed.

“Her Royal Highness is very good to me, sir. If anyone should ever ask, you can tell them I said so myself.” She buried her face in the flowers, and I felt a little guilty.

“I try, but Escalus has a point. When was the last time I thought to bring you something, just because? And when you do so much for me . . .”

“Told you,” Escalus said, sitting down.

“I have no complaints, my lady. I’ll just set these in my chamber.” She trotted off, new life in her steps.

“You’re so thoughtful, Escalus. To me, to Noemi . . . I can’t think of a person who has wanted your attention and not received it.”

“I do my best,” he replied with a smile. “And so do you.”

“Sometimes I wish there was more I could do. The kingdom is bigger than the castle, you know.” I scowled at my stitches. “After what happened, I don’t see Father letting me go anywhere for a while. If ever.” Lennox would love to know that he’d ruined my life in more ways than one.

“Don’t fall into a pit of despair just yet,” he teased. “The people have been clamoring to see you. Maybe reminding Father of that could convince him to change his mind.”

Noemi was walking back in, peeking over my shoulder. “That trim came out very nicely, my lady. That might be your best work yet.”

A small but happy thought came to me. “Should we put these in your room, Noemi? Brighten the space?”

She beamed. “Truly?”

“And what about a terribly finished pillow?” Escalus asked, still working on his final seam. “I’m sure this would really tie it all together.”

She laughed. “The both of you need to stop. I will take anything Your Highnesses see fit to give me, but I don’t need to be showered with gifts.”

Her hand was just by my shoulder, so I moved over and kissed it. “You’re too good, Noemi.”

“Probably one of the most trustworthy people I’ve ever met,” Escalus added, growing serious. “Which is why you can stay while I say what I must to my sister.”

“Do you know about these soldiers, then?” I asked.

Escalus sighed. “Annika, he might not admit it in front of you, but the way Father acted when you were taken . . . he felt like it was entirely his fault. He kept berating himself for letting you out of his sight. He was angry at Nickolas, too, but he had to save face—now that the engagement is public, he can’t let people think he chose wrong. So, all of us are under watch, and the borders are under constant patrol. I . . .”

Escalus trailed off, thinking twice over his words. “The way he’s acting, though . . . I feel like there’s something bigger beyond this all, but I don’t know for certain.”

“What else could there be?” I asked, thinking through everything aloud. “If he attacks, he’ll be the king who broke more than a hundred and fifty years of peace; he’d never do that. We have nowhere to run, and they have no real claim to the kingdom. Protecting us is all he has left.”

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Noemi scurried over, greeting the guard, who said His Majesty wanted to see us urgently. Maybe it was because of Escalus’s words, or perhaps because Father rarely asked to see us, but I felt a pit settle in my stomach as we stood and made our way to his rooms.

We knocked on Father’s door, and Escalus and I exchanged a glance as the seconds ticked by. The wait only added to my anxiety. Finally, a butler came to welcome us, and, as we walked in, a flood of people filed out, advisers and high-ranking soldiers.

Father was at the large desk, stacking papers and shoving them away. He looked up at us, all business.

“Ah. Just who I needed to see.” He waved us over to the desk. Atop it, in the center, was a large map of Kadier. “Both of you, clear your plans for Thursday. I will need you present for a matter of state.”

I squinted. “Both of us, Your Majesty?”

He nodded, pointing at a section of the map. I tilted my head to see that he was pointing to the Island. “Annika, what did you say they called themselves? Dahrainians? Whatever it was, we are meeting on the Island for a peace summit. And you will both be there.”

My blood went cold. “Sir . . . how . . . why would you do that? Why would you invite them to be so close? I told you, they have an army. They have been training for years to invade. I beg you to reconsider.”

“I’ve already sent an envoy. If they agree, they will arrive Thursday morning. So be ready to proceed to the docks.”

I looked at Escalus, pleading. He cleared his throat. “Father, are you sure? These are the people who sent a man to assassinate you. They are the ones who successfully killed our mother and nearly did the same to Annika. How will we ever rest if they are within eyesight?”

I could see it, like the second a plate fell to the ground and shattered into a dozen pieces, the way his eyes shifted to that dark anger that took hold of him so fiercely. I sucked in a breath, waiting for the storm.

“Must you two contradict me at every turn?” he demanded. His tone turned mocking, “‘I won’t marry him!’ ‘I won’t marry her!’ ‘I want this!’ . . . It’s enough! I am not your father right now; I am your sovereign. I am meeting the head of this so-called army on Thursday. I want my heir apparent on one side and the princess who escaped their clutches on the other. We will present a united front, and you will be silent about it!”

In my mind, I saw myself looking out my window, finding Lennox below me. His piercing blue eyes staring up at me, his cape whipped up by the wind. No wall would stop him, no sword.

An angry silence fell between us. His Majesty gestured to the door, and I obediently curtsied as my brother bowed, and we walked quickly from the room. I followed Escalus down the hallway, feeling the tension roll off him in waves.

We rounded a corner, and he threw his back against the wall, bringing his hand to his forehead.

“What do we do?” I asked. “Escalus. We can’t go along with this.”

He stared at the opposite wall, considering. “I think we have to.”

“What? No! Escalus, this is clearly madness. What if you spoke to the ministers and had him declared unfit? You’re of age; you can be regent now.”

He shook his head. “If I declare him mad, it mars my reputation, and my children’s as well. You know that. The first time I make a mistake, they will say I’m going the way of my father, and I will lose the throne. Besides,” he added, taking a long, heavy breath, “if he’s already sent an envoy, this plan is in motion. If they go to the Island, and we aren’t there to greet them, it’s an insult and practically an invitation for war. We’d endanger everyone.”

I felt light-headed.

“What we need to do now is make a plan for you,” he said.

“What? Why for me?”

“If this summit goes poorly, we need to arrange a place for you to hide until you can garner support and reclaim the land.”

That was when I lost hope. Escalus, for all his composure, for all his thoughtfulness, had given himself away. If he wanted to make a plan for me to reclaim Kadier, he must have thought we were truly going to lose it.