We rode all morning to reach Freedom, most of that time spent in silence. Ivetta tried to start the conversation back up a few times, but Gilbert and I were already fed up with each other, and she finally gave up. I felt a twinge of guilt, watching her gazing out at the countryside, her green eyes closed off to me. This was supposed to be enjoyable for her. I shouldn’t have allowed my emotions to override my logic. Allies or not, Gilbert and I just couldn’t get along when she was around. He still loved her, and I still hated that. It didn’t matter that she didn’t return his feelings. I shouldn’t have brought her along for this trip.
Newly plowed fields came into view, filled with draft horses and men hard at work. Most of them stopped to wave at Leon when they saw him. Ivetta straightened in her saddle, her eyes lighting up with interest. It wouldn’t be long until we reached Freedom. Hopefully that would give her reason to smile again, since I was clearly failing in that department.
The dirt road under our horses’ hooves transitioned to cobblestone as bright new buildings came into view. Each was built of freshly cut planks of wood and clean, unweathered stonework. Interspersed between and beyond the completed buildings was newly erected framework and plots of dirt staked out for more construction. More draft horses pulled wagons loaded down with materials, more men were hard at work. Women wearing scarves over their hair carried buckets of water and baskets of food to the workers, followed by children who were alternately trying to help and making trouble. Everybody waved at Leon. Everybody was smiling.
Including Ivetta.
“This pleases you,” I commented, feeling a hint of a smile on my own lips as I watched her wide green eyes taking everything in.
She nodded. “Yes, it does. Everybody looks so happy.”
“King Chevalier! Prince Leon! What brings you here?” called the jeweler, Matt, waving to us from his open shop door on main street. His youth had been the first thing I noticed when Leon introduced us, and it still struck me. He wasn’t much older than Ivetta, but he was a master jeweler and an accomplished metallurgist.
“Hey, Matt,” Leon called. He hopped down from his stallion and tied him to a post, walking up to Matt and shaking his hand. Matt was small next to Leon, but the shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows revealed hard, stringy muscles. I dismounted and took the reins from Ivetta, tying our horses side-by-side before reaching up to catch her about the waist as she dismounted. Gilbert followed in sullen silence.
“Why, don’t tell me this is Queen Ivetta?” Matt asked, beaming. His hazel eyes sparkled as he bowed with a flourish, his long brown ponytail falling over his head to nearly touch the ground before he straightened up.
“Pleased to meet you,” she said genuinely. “I understand that I have you to thank for my beautiful jewelry.”
He took her hand and kissed it, holding it for a moment after to study her rings. “Well, King Chevalier had already sketched out what he was looking for. I just made a few suggestions here or there.” He released her hand and glanced at her necklace. “Though you could make anything look gorgeous, your highness.”
“Indeed,” I said, sliding my arm around her waist. “Although your contributions toward the designs were noteworthy, and it takes a skilled craftsman to produce such pieces as these.”
“Are we just gonna stand out here, or are you gonna invite us inside?” Leon asked, grinning broadly.
“Oh, where are my manners?” Matt asked, rubbing the back of his head. “C’mon in. I’ve made some improvements since the last time you were here, Prince Leon. Apparently, once word gets out that you’re the king’s jeweler, business goes through the roof.”
Ivetta had clearly never been in a jeweler’s store before. Her green eyes were wide as she took it all in, the many glass display cases filled with assorted jewelry bedded on velvety cushions. There had only been one display case the last time I visited, and it was evident at that time that Matt’s work as a metallurgist was his primary source of income. He seemed to have reached a point now where he could focus on his primary vocation as a jeweler.
Also new was the young woman sitting at a desk in a corner, bent over paperwork. She looked up when we entered and gave us a bright smile.
“This is my biggest improvement,” Matt said proudly as she rose from her seat and came to his side. Her curly blonde hair was tied back into a messy bun, and her green eyes sparkled as she took Matt’s hand.
“Well, this is a surprise,” Leon said, his smile widening. “Ivetta, you’ve never met this little lady, but she’s heard about you. I’d like you to meet Amber.”
“You’re Queen Ivetta?” Amber gasped, blushing in embarrassment. She released Matt’s hand and reached up to pat her hair nervously. “Matt, why didn’t you tell me she was coming?”
Matt laughed. “I didn’t know myself. You look great, honey.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Amber,” Ivetta said.
“Oh, I-” Amber blushed deeper, dropping her hands in front of her to wring them nervously. “I just can’t thank you enough for everything you did, Queen Ivetta.”
“You’re welcome, I think, but what did I do?” Ivetta asked, glancing back at me in confusion. All I could do was shrug. I didn’t know who this woman was.
“I-I was one of Jack’s girls,” Amber said shyly.
That would explain it.
Ivetta’s gaze snapped to Leon. “What?”
“I told you to let me worry about them, Ivetta. Amber here was the oldest, and she kind of became the mother figure for the rest of them. I moved them to a safe house in another town so they could start over, made sure they were taken care of, got different tradeswomen to come in and teach them their crafts, that sort of thing,” he explained. “When did you meet Matt?” he asked, redirecting his attention to Amber. “Are you two married?”
“Not yet, but in less than a month,” Matt said, gazing at her fondly.
“I got a job at a jewelry store, and Matt came by one day to get ideas and advice for his shop. He needed an assistant with all the extra work he’s been getting, so I came back here with him,” Amber explained.
“What about the others? They must be doing okay if you felt like you could leave them,” Leon continued.
Amber nodded. “I still visit them as often as I can. Cindy is in charge now, and the new girls are settling in well. I just - there’s no way to thank you enough for everything. All of you,” she said, encompassing Leon, Gilbert, and Ivetta in her blanket statement of gratitude.
Ivetta pulled free from me and gave Amber a hug, surprising everybody but me. “Just keep smiling. That’s thanks enough.”
“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Leon said. “How about us guys leave the ladies to get acquainted while we check out the town?”
Ivetta released Amber and turned to give Leon a big hug.
“Whoa, Ivetta-” he protested, startled, throwing his hands up in the air and looking at me nervously.
If he were Gilbert, I would have been bothered. But I wasn’t about to yank Ivetta off of him and tell her she wasn’t allowed to hug anybody. The negative repercussions for me were too severe.
“Thank you for all of this, Leon,” Ivetta said. “You have no idea how happy this makes me.”
He tousled her hair awkwardly. “I think I get the gist of it.”
She stepped back from him and took Amber’s hand. “Have you had lunch yet?” she asked.
“Um, n-no,” Amber stammered, still unsure what to do with Ivetta’s familiarity.
“Would you mind if I helped you make something? And we can talk a bit?” Ivetta prompted.
Amber shook her head, a slow smile coming to her face. “That would be nice, your highness.”
“Just Ivetta, please,” she said. “You don’t mind, do you, Chevalier?” she asked, looking back at me.
I’d rather she be with me, but for a woman with Amber’s background to feel safe with Matt spoke volumes about his character. There was also Blade to consider, tied loosely to the hitching post out front. He had no qualms about injuring people he didn’t like. It would take nothing for him to yank himself free and trample anybody who went after Ivetta.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “We’ll be back in an hour.”
Gilbert waited to speak until the shop door swung closed behind us. “Are you sure about leaving her alone?” he asked quietly.
“She’ll be fine,” Leon said, grinning broadly. “Matt’s got a heart of gold, and he’s strong as an ox. Besides that, the whole town’s been waiting for a chance to meet the queen. Rags to riches stories are pretty popular around here, and like you saw at the party last night, everybody loves her.”
“Even so, I’d rather resolve our business as quickly as possible,” I stated firmly.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, you’d rather have her with you,” Leon said, laughing. “C’mon, then, let’s get moving.”
The town was making good progress. A school was being built, and the residents were actively searching for a qualified teacher. That was interesting to me. Most of the population was uneducated and illiterate, but they clearly recognized the value of an education for their children. And the sheer amount of children underfoot was astonishing. Word was spreading among the pockets of ex-slaves still hiding in Obsidian’s wilderness, and Freedom’s population was swelling with new arrivals. In light of that, I recommended tightening the security that Leon had relaxed after his last visit, and he agreed out of an abundance of caution.
I had no expectations from Gilbert, so his stony silence came as no surprise to me.
Ivetta and Amber had lunch ready and waiting for us when we returned to the jeweler. Amber’s nervousness was gone, and she was chatting and laughing with Ivetta like they were old friends. I paid less attention to the food than to Ivetta. Her natural ability to change how she presented herself to charm and befriend anybody was on full display, but what was especially enjoyable about this scenario was how normal she was behaving. Everyday life at the palace required her to play a more formal, dignified role. It was rare for her to get to relax and be herself like this in public.
Now, if only I could believe the ride home would be as pleasant as this short time in Freedom had been.
I needn’t have worried.
Ivetta was reinvigorated from meeting Amber, and it was once again her starting the conversation when we were back on the road. She wanted to know everything about Freedom, and she was also excited to tell us what Amber had told her about Leon’s continuing work rooting out illegal brothels and rehabilitating the girls he rescued. Leon was happy to answer her questions and carry on the discussion. Surprisingly, Gilbert joined in with his own questions. His sudden interest probably had less to do with a change of heart and more to do with engaging Ivetta’s attention, but he made an occasional comment that showed evidence of thoughtful consideration.
I remained silent for the most part. Gilbert wasn’t testing my limits, and I had a greater concern. Leon had earned the trust of the ex-slaves by disclosing his secret background as a slave to them. That was going to become public knowledge sooner or later, especially with Freedom’s continued development garnering interest from the rest of Rhodolite. It wouldn’t surprise me if Gilbert only agreed to this trip because he’d already heard rumors. I needed to talk to Leon about it and call a round table. Our brothers should hear it directly from him, and Sariel would have to formulate a plan to handle the problems this news would create.
But that was for tomorrow. After a ride of a few hours, we arrived at the palace stables, and I was looking forward to getting some time alone with Ivetta.
“Gilbert, thank you for coming along,” she said as we dismounted and handed our horses off to the stable boys. “I know you were invited before I was, but it really means a lot to me that you came.”
“What, no thank you hug for me?” he asked teasingly.
I cleared my throat meaningfully. He met my gaze evenly, his smile unchanging.
“Chevalier,” Ivetta said sternly, shooting me a teasing glare. “He’s right, you know. This trip was planned purely for his benefit, wasn’t it?”
Leon chuckled. “There’s no hiding anything from you, is there?”
“So, he deserves to be thanked, too. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have gotten to see Freedom today. So, thank you, Gilbert,” she said, standing up on tiptoe to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Will you be staying another day, or will you be leaving tomorrow?”
Gilbert’s blood red eye widened in surprise, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as he glanced over her shoulder at me. Leon wisely moved several paces away as I took a menacing step closer to Ivetta.
“It may be best for my health if I leave tomorrow,” Gilbert replied to her.
“Don’t worry about Chevalier. If you need another day to rest before you get back on the road, that’s no problem.” She turned to face me, unsurprised to find me right behind me. The sparkle in her green eyes as she took my arm let me know that her smile was far from innocent. “Shall we go?”
The little tease knew exactly what she was doing.
We were silent on our walk back to our room. For once, I didn’t know what she was thinking, and I was trying to decide how to handle her. She made up my mind for me as soon as the door closed behind us. Her arms were around my neck and her lips on mine before I knew what had happened. This was no peck, either. She went straight to a heavy, open-mouthed kiss, pushing on the back of my head to bring me in closer. I was caught off guard, and it took me a moment to wrap my arms around her waist and lean in for more. She didn’t stop until she had to take a breath.
“I’ve never been more proud of you, Chevalier,” she finally gasped, pulling back only as much as my arms would allow.
I took a deep, shaky breath. “You have mastered the thank you kiss quite nicely.”
“Oh, there’s more where that came from. Just you wait. You’ve made me the happiest woman in the world, and I love you so much I can barely stand it,” she said, beaming up at me.
“Really?” I asked, smirking. “I suppose I can forgive you for kissing Gilbert, then.”
“That kiss showed my appreciation while simultaneously allowing me to express myself physically and minimize points of contact with him,” she said matter-of-factly. “And it improved the likelihood that he will take what he learned back to Obsidian to hopefully make a difference.”
She had been playing with him - and me - the whole time. Her very specific wording had been calculated to appeal to my logic, and her surprise kiss virtually ensured I couldn’t be angry with her. There was only one thing I could do with her, and it was exactly what she wanted. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the bed.
“I hope you don’t mind if we skip dinner tonight.”
“If we get hungry, I can always make us a late snack,” she said, pulling me down for another kiss before she’d barely touched the blanket. “There aren’t enough words to express how I feel right now, so I hope you don’t mind if I show you instead.”
“Not at all,” I murmured, returning her kiss eagerly. “I’ll have to take you to the safe house sometime, won’t I?”
“Stop talking,” she breathed. “Okay?”
I knew what that meant, and it set my heart racing. She was taking control, and I was in for a wild night. Leon, Gilbert, Freedom, all were banished from my mind at the prospect of what was coming. There was no late-night snack, just her heated green eyes, her passionate kisses, her skin bathed in a silver glow from the moon and stars shining through the open window on us. She didn’t care about the drapes or locking the door. I quickly forgot about them, consumed by her veritable assault of emotion and desire. It was well past midnight when we finally succumbed to exhaustion, lying intertwined under the sheets, her head pillowed on my chest.
“I’m sorry about stirring things up between you and Gilbert,” she mumbled sleepily.
“I’m sorry I let him get to me,” I replied, finger-combing through her tangled hair.
She sighed contentedly. “Goodnight, Chevalier. I love you.”
“Goodnight, Ivetta. I love you, too."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pRz2vdEYn
