He chuckled. “I like it out here. Besides, the stable’s cottage is as comfortable as any cottage in the village” He met my eyes.
“Seriously, take a bedroom. Take a whole fucking suite of them. You deserve it.” I clapped him on the shoulder.
“I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve all you’ve done for me let alone a suite of bedrooms in a manor such as this.”
I grunted. “What have you not done?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. Just, want to say thank you, I guess. I spent years stealing food from pig troughs before you. Why you took to me that first time we met…” He swallowed and I started to interrupt him but sometimes a man needs to say what he needs to say. “And, whatever you did to save me from the magistrate. Everything. Just thank you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You done?” I half mocked. “We done braiding each other’s hair and working on our needlepoint?”
His half smile told me he understood. “Done.”
“Good.” I looked back toward the front of the manor. “I have a task for you.”
“Anything to do with the young lady?”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be out of line. When you brought Vela back last night, I watched you run back toward the house. Wondered why, then I saw her standing there...” He shrugged. “Being in such a rush, I wondered if something was amiss, my Lord—” He tried to clip the last word but old habits and all.
“Fucking spies among my friends,” I said with a laugh, shaking my head. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, as that was why I hired you in the first place. And if you don’t stop calling me Lord, we’re going to have problems. And, yes, as a matter of fact it does have something to do with the young lady. She’s very important and it’s no exaggeration to say that she may well currently be in mortal danger. I have to leave, and I have to leave her here. But I want you to take care of her. Once she wakes, anything she wants—anything at all—you get for her. But Daniel, you must not reveal that she’s here to anyone else. I mean it. Anybody at all comes here, the top priority is to keep her presence a secret. You have my permission to use deadly force if you have to, and we’ll deal with the consequences when I get back.”
He nodded. “You know I have your back. Today and always.”
“Good man. Now I’m going to saddle up, I have a long ride ahead of me.”
“Very well.” Daniel nodded, his hand pinching the brim of his cap. The sight of his fingers reminding me…
“One more thing.” I said reaching into the front pocket of my trousers. “Won this in a game. Have no use for it.”
I placed the ring I won from Petre into Daniel’s open palm.
“I can’t accept this.” His eyes wide.
“Of course you can. And you will. You’re doing me a favor. The sight of it makes me sick.”
He gave me a puzzled stare then tipped his hat at me again.
“Ride safe Vasile.” He finished, using my name for the first time.
Chapter 13 Vasile
Vela and I made kick-ass time through the forests; it was no small distance from Bellemore Manor to my father’s estate, but the night’s snowfall left only a light dusting on the higher paths and Vela was as sure footed as any mount I’d had in my life.
I considered going straight to the old man himself, but there were two things I knew I had to do first. Inhaling hard, I found I could still smell Valeria’s juices on my skin.
It also gave me some satisfaction that Petre would never, ever know that sweet scent, but in order to keep her safe, I needed time.
The wedding was scheduled for tomorrow, so I’d need every second of today to get my shit together and plan for what was to come. Most of all, I needed to know my enemy’s situation: if Petre suspected anything amiss with Valeria, I’d see it on his face instantly. Which meant, un-fucking-fortunately, I needed to stop by to see him in his private chambers first.
Jabbing my heels into Vela’s belly, we thundered down the valley. Even as I approached the estate, I saw things were already underway for the wedding tomorrow. There was an artist on a ladder out in the freezing cold, painting the new crest on the stone shield above the main entrance. Our family insignia, a sickle with three stars, sat now on a purple background, rather than red; purple for the royal blood that Valeria carried in her veins, and that Petre would use to his advantage as her husband.
I always thought that the family crest looked like the night sky, the sickle like the moon, and now its purple background only seemed to make that connection stronger.
Presumptuous little fucker.. You’re not married to her yet. And you never will be.
I thought as I slung my leg off of my mare and hopped off before she even came to a full stop. One of the staff I didn’t recognize hurried to take her reins from me and I gave him instructions to take her to the stables and make sure she was cared for until I returned to retrieve her shortly.
The young man nodded and mumbled an affirmative as I turned to march toward the front entry.
As I entered the house, I saw that the new crest was just the start. The place was decked out for the wedding reception, and servants bustled around, hanging purple bunting edged in gold from the balconies around the main atrium.
The old butler, an ancient guy named Ivan, greeted me at the door.
“Sir,” he said, with an exhausted blink. He took my coat from me and
