She almost cringed at the thought of being the king's lover but fought to control her face. "Repentance," she answered calmly.
He grimaced. "Ah. How could I have forgotten? Let's hope I don't end up repenting this foolishness of mine."
"Surely your highness has never been foolish."
"Saving you from my nephew was foolish."
"You took me in order to save me?"
"You think I need a child to care for at my old age? Maybe being king doesn't keep me busy enough? Of course I was saving you. What do you think I was doing? "
"I thought you ... I thought you took me …."
"For a concubine? Good. Let the world think as much. Why should they think I am too old and infirmed to enjoy the pleasures of a concubine?" He coughed into his hand and sucked in a wheezing breath.
Repentance took a moment to catch her own breath. He was saying that he wouldn't ... he couldn't use her as a concubine? "I don't understand. Why would you care to save me from the prince?"
"You are so young. And you ... " He drifted off, staring at her for a moment—giving her a kindly look. "You remind me of someone I once knew."
Did his eyes mist up? Or were they merely old and rheumy? Repentance couldn't be sure.
He sighed. "The prince has a reputation for being very cruel."
Heat rushed into her cheeks. "I've heard rumors of the same."
"Good. Then you will pay attention when I say this: As long as my nephew thinks you are my concubine, he will leave you alone. If he suspects you have not been in my bed, he will take you to his." He gave her a hard look. "To all of Harthill, we will be lovers. And you will not disabuse anyone of that notion. If you do, I'll give you to the prince. And you will not find the change in circumstances to be to your advantage."
"I understand." She didn't understand much, but she understood enough. For the moment, by some unexpected good will from Providence, she was safe.
They stayed for three more days at the healing house and the king never laid a hand on her. Repentance took three meals a day with him, but the other girls didn't often dine with the royals. They were present for dinner, but not invited to breakfast and lunch. Repentance also noticed that the men traded companions back and forth. She and Tawnic were the only girls who were never traded. She, because the king had purchased her outright from Jadin, and Tawnic, because the prince apparently didn't like to share.
At the table, the king treated Repentance as if she were his guest and not his slave. Well, maybe not a guest, exactly. He treated her like a possession, expecting her to obey him. But he asked her do things instead of ordering her about. And after Madam Cawrocc, and Jadin, with their constant threats to abuse poor Comfort if Repentance stuck one elbow too far out, the king seemed like an angel of Providence Himself.
He'd saved her from the prince, and he didn't even require her presence in his bed. Short of freedom, she couldn't have landed in a better place.
Still, she was surprised by the warmth she felt toward the king when he took her hand and helped her into the carriage after lunch on the fourth day. It made her feel a little sick to her stomach. He showed her the merest trickle of kindness, and she was almost ready to forgive him for the evil way he'd treated her people. She thought of her little brothers, howling as they were being carted off by the slavers. She thought about the slaves at the healing house, scrubbing the pools, cooking the food, sleeping, after long days of labor, in cramped, hot, smelly rooms. She remembered Sober, beaten and tied to a post on the slave dock, and the dead boys swinging in the courtyard, and she pulled her hand away from the king and wiped it on her gown.
The prince, standing beside the carriage, saw. He looked into her eyes and smiled before he climbed into the carriage behind his uncle.
"Lord Malficc," the king said. "Why do you not ride with your friends?"
"We have business, your highness. Nothing you need to worry about. Just papers for you to sign."
A frown flicked across the king's face, but he said nothing.
The prince settled into the seat facing the king and Repentance, and one of his friends, Lord Garresh, took the spot next to him.
Repentance gave a last look the healing house, wondering if she'd ever see the swamp again or if this time she was leaving it for good. The other girls stood on the porch, laughing and waving and telling the noblemen to hurry back. Tawnic was with them. She wore a forced smile.
Turning away, Repentance thanked Providence for her reversal of fortune. She couldn't feel sorry for Tawnic. The girl had shown no pity, and her curse had fallen on her own head, while Repentance had reaped a blessing. That was fair. Amazingly, Providence had sided with her for once, but she was surprised that her victory over the snotty overlord girl didn't bring her any satisfaction. Instead of wanting to gloat, she felt empty and old and tired.
Escorted by at least thirty troopers on horseback, which hemmed them in before and behind, the carriages rolled away.
The king looked at the prince. "What do you need?"
The prince held out his hand and Lord Garresh pulled a thick pad of parchment from a leather pouch and passed it over.
"We've gotten the census from the breeder
