Her gaze drifted back to the one who was watching her. He was more than beautiful. There was an aura of power about him. He must be the general that Puff had said would come, for he looked capable of controlling an entire army. Even the fiercest of dragons would obey his command.
Goddesses help her, she no longer wanted this to be a dream. For even with all the danger around her, she wanted this man to be real. She wanted him to be the tall and handsome stranger that the Telling Stones foretold.
Three. The numbered stone could refer to the three men. Or Eviana turning three. And the colored stones—with a small shock she realized they were the same as his uniform.
Green and brown.
Chapter Three
As the three men came to a stop, Gwennore noted that the ladies-in-waiting were curtsying, so she did, too.
Karlan bowed. “My lord general.”
“At ease,” the gorgeous man in the middle said.
Freya rushed to his side. “Silas, you arrived just in time. I’ve discovered an assassin.” She pointed at Gwennore. “You should arrest her!”
Gwennore popped up from her curtsy, ready to defend herself. But before she could say anything, the general had enveloped the queen’s hand in his own and turned her away.
“Your Majesty.” He flashed a smile that caused a few of the ladies to stumble as they rose from their curtsies. “I came as quickly as I could after hearing the news. May I congratulate you on the birth of your daughter?”
“Why, yes.” Freya blushed. “Thank you. I was in labor a dreadfully long time, you know.”
“Yes, so I hear.” He patted her hand. “But thank the Light, you and the babe are doing remarkably well.”
What nonsense was this? The gorgeous general was acting like the others—playing along with the queen’s delusion. Gwennore drew in a deep breath to voice her objection, but the general shot her a warning look with his sharp green eyes.
When she lifted her eyebrows as if to question him, he inclined his head ever so slightly. He’s asking me to trust him. It was as clear as if he had spoken. For a moment she wondered if she was experiencing a mental connection with him like she had with Puff.
Don’t jump to conclusions, she chided herself. She was only hoping for a connection because he was the most handsome man she’d ever met.
Something flared in his eyes, a spark of gold in the emerald green, and her knees grew weak. Good goddesses, was she about to swoon like these other silly women? She needed to be stronger than this.
“Thank you, Silas,” Freya said, drawing his attention back to her. “Doesn’t the baby look just like her father?”
“Yes, indeed.” The general glanced at Eviana, who was still clinging to Gwennore’s legs. “And to mark the occasion, I have brought you a gift.” He motioned to Gwennore. “A nanny. As you can see, the princess has already developed a special fondness for her.”
Freya gasped. “You brought the elf here?”
“Of course.” He gave Gwennore a wry look as if he was daring her to contradict him. “She’s a noblewoman I captured some time ago in battle, but since then, she’s learned our language and proven herself quite useful.”
So General Gorgeous had no problem spinning lies or manipulating a madwoman. Gwennore snorted. But since she was in danger of being imprisoned and even executed, she was not in any position to reject his solution.
Even so, she wondered if she could actually trust him. As the general of the Norveshki army, wouldn’t he see her as an enemy?
“We dare not trust an elf,” Freya muttered. “She could be a spy. Or an assassin.”
“We can trust her,” the general insisted. “Lady Gwennore cares deeply for the princess. Enough to risk her life for her.”
Gwennore’s heart lurched into a fast pace. He knew her name? And what she’d done? Puff must have told him everything that had happened. That meant General Gorgeous could hear dragon voices, too. It made sense, she figured, since his job would require him to communicate with dragons. But did that mean he had ordered the first dragon to kidnap Eviana? Or perhaps, he had ordered Puff to try to stop the kidnapping. Which side was he on?
“But elves are such violent creatures,” Freya whined.
“They are fierce warriors, that is true,” the general agreed. “That is why Lady Gwennore will make an excellent nanny. No one will protect your daughter as well as she.”
“Well…” Freya looked confused. Her hands fluttered around her chest, causing the rubies to sparkle in the afternoon sun. “I suppose we can give her a try.”
“Excellent.” He turned toward Karlan. “You and your men may return to your posts.”
Gwennore exhaled with relief. She wasn’t going to the dungeon. And as the official nanny, she could remain close to Eviana.
“And remember.” The general stepped closer to Karlan and added softly, “Lady Gwennore is my guest. She will be treated with respect.”
“Yes, my lord.” Karlan motioned for his men to follow him back to the main gatehouse.
With Gwennore’s superior hearing, she’d heard the general’s whisper. He had to be on her side. For one thing, he kept referring to her as a lady. The status of noblewoman would shield her from any physical abuse during her stay here in Draven Castle.
So, most probably, she had two allies in Norveshka—Puff and General Gorgeous. She could only hope they would both prove to be trustworthy and honorable.
The general turned to the nearest lady-in-waiting. “Your name, please?”
The woman stumbled back a step. “O-Olenka, my lord general.”
“Lady Olenka, would you please escort Lady Gwennore and the princess to the nursery? And make sure they are well taken care of.”
“Yes, yes, of course, my lord general.” Olenka nodded, then curtsied again.
“I’ll drop by to check on you later.” The general shot a pointed look at Gwennore. “Till then.”
Gwennore inclined her head, understanding he intended to have a talk with her. That was fine. She needed to talk to him, too.
“Oh, everything will
