“Good morning, Chevalier!” Ivetta called the next morning, back in the normal routine of her waking before me. As much as I loved hearing her voice, I wasn’t looking forward to getting up this particular day. Leon had suggested taking Gilbert on a day trip to see Freedom, hoping to influence his opinion on slavery. Surprisingly, Gilbert agreed to go. I wasn’t holding my breath that this would change anything. The only humanity he ever displayed was in situations involving Ivetta, and I wasn’t about to bring her along as leverage.
“Is it morning already?” I grumbled.
“It’s not just any morning, Chevalier. Today is the one-year anniversary of our meeting,” she said happily.
And that little revelation added another layer of complexity to my plans. I hadn’t known that until she told me yesterday. Spending the day without her was less than ideal. I sighed, pushing back the blankets and stretching.
“I should have taken the day off.”
“We just celebrated our wedding, our honeymoon, and my birthday. There’s no need for another big celebration today. But I made us pancakes.”
The groan of my bureau drawers told me what she was doing before I sat up in bed. She was getting my clothes. The drapes were tied back; our new little table in the corner was set with breakfast. This was our morning routine, although the breakfast was usually made by the palace cooks and delivered by Theresa. It put me in mind of all the mornings when Ivetta was my maid, all the times I lay in bed listening to her and watching her. I restrained myself back then from climbing out of bed and wrapping her up in a passionate embrace. There was no reason for me to restrain myself now. I got out of bed and came up behind her, spinning her to face me and pushing her back into the bureau for a deep kiss before she could speak. Her soft, sweet lips, her slender waist curving into her hips under my hands - I hated Gilbert so much right now. If he hadn’t agreed to this trip, I would have had no problem pushing everything off to tomorrow and staying here with her. As it was, I had to cut the kiss far shorter than I preferred.
“While I appreciate you making my favorite breakfast, that alone is not sufficient to commemorate this day," I said, gazing down at her beautiful green eyes sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the window. Her eyes slid down to my bare chest and back up to my face, a mixture of adoration and longing in their depths. That look was dangerous. The feel of her through my favorite dress, without the added barriers intrinsic to her royal attire, was dangerous.
I hated Leon, too, for suggesting this trip.
“You’re wrinkling your clothes, Chevalier,” she chided, as if either of us cared about them, crushed and forgotten between our bodies. “Maybe I can be your maid for today.”
“No,” I said firmly, kissing her again, much softer this time. “I will not have you dirtying your hands with such menial labor.”
She sighed in mock exasperation. “You don’t let me have any fun.”
“Oh?” I asked teasingly.
“Hold that thought. The pancakes are getting cold,” she reminded me.
And I had to leave in less than an hour. I sighed and released her. “We will discuss this over breakfast.”
She handed my clothes to me and seated herself at the breakfast table while I dressed. The new table with its two matching chairs was a recent addition to our room courtesy of her. My writing desk was hardly suitable for both of us. The new furniture took up very little space, keeping our room from feeling too crowded in between our cozy shared meals. Not that we shared all our meals. Breakfast was a given, dinner an occasional occurrence, lunch an extreme rarity, dependent on our schedules. My schedule today dictated starting immediately on the stack of warm, fluffy pancakes she had slathered with butter and maple syrup for me. She didn’t bother making me anything else when pancakes were on the menu, knowing I’d rather fill up on my favorite food than settle for one or two pancakes with varied side dishes as accompaniment.
“You know, I used to think you only liked my pancakes so much because they brought back memories of our honeymoon,” she commented, smiling as she cut hers into dainty pieces. She took great pleasure out of watching me enjoy her cooking. Fortunately for my waistline, it wasn’t a common occurrence. She was the queen, after all, and that’s what servants were for.
I had to finish swallowing my first bite before I could reply. “If that were the case, they would be cold every time we got to them.”
“They still are sometimes,” she teased. “I’m guessing the foreign princes will be staying for a day or two?”
I nodded, chewing another bite of pancakes.
“We don’t have to do anything big today. A picnic lunch in the gardens would be nice,” she continued.
Agreed, but impossible. I wouldn’t be back until evening. A whole day without her on a trip she really would enjoy, and I had to spend it with Leon and Gilbert. Although Gilbert and I did have an agreement concerning her. If I did bring her along, he would be an annoyance at best, not a true threat. Leon’s presence would help to maintain the peace between us.
She really would enjoy visiting Freedom.
“I’m going out today,” I said when my mouth was clear. “You will come with me.”
“Really?” she asked excitedly.
“It won’t be just us,” I warned her. “Leon and Gilbert will be coming, too.”
“I don’t mind,” she said happily. Her eyes wandered to the window behind me, and it wasn’t hard to guess what she was thinking.
“You’ll see. We were going on horseback, but we can take a carriage, if you prefer.”
She shook her head. “I haven’t been able to take Rose out recently. A horseback ride would be nice.”
“We won’t be back until evening.”
“So, I’ll be a little sore at the end of the day. It’s not like I haven’t felt worse. What time are we leaving?”
“Ten o’clock.”
She stood up and headed for the door. “Don’t mind me, just keep eating. I may as well dismiss my guards for the day.”
We finished breakfast and headed to the stables. Three horses were saddled and ready in the stable yard, held by Leon, Gilbert, and a stableboy. Leon and Gilbert were engrossed in conversation and didn’t notice us until Blade announced our arrival with an excited whinny.
“Yes, hello to you, too,” Ivetta giggled, rubbing his muzzle. “Good morning, everybody!”
“Good morning,” Leon replied, his amber eyes watching her curiously. “Here to see Chevalier off?”
“No, I’m coming with you,” she said to Leon. Then, to my war horse-turned-puppy, “Sorry, Blade, but I’ll be riding my own horse.” She patted him on the neck and went into the stables for Rose. He watched her go, his ears pricked forward for her voice.
“I didn’t know you were bringing Ivetta along for this,” Leon commented.
“I hadn’t intended to do so on this particular day, but today is the anniversary of the day she first came to work at the palace,” I explained, taking Blade from the stable boy.
“The day after her birthday? And you didn’t realize?” Gilbert asked sardonically.
“An unfortunate mistake that will not happen again,” I responded coolly.
“I offered to be his maid for the day, but he didn’t like that idea,” Ivetta interjected, leading Rose out to meet us.
Leon laughed as he mounted his black stallion. “Of course, he didn’t. But he has mentioned wanting to show you Freedom. I hope you’re ready for a long ride.”
I dropped Blade’s reins to give Ivetta the boost she needed. Blade wasn’t going anywhere, not with her around.
“You won’t have to worry about Rose keeping up with your horses,” Ivetta said, patting her mare’s neck fondly. “She may be small, but she’s feisty.”
“Sounds like somebody else I know,” Gilbert mused as he mounted his bay.
“Keith made an excellent choice when he selected Rose for Ivetta,” I agreed, settling into the saddle atop Blade.
We set out at a canter, heading north. Leon and I exchanged a brief glance, and I led Blade around to Ivetta’s right side while Leon inserted himself between Ivetta and Gilbert. Ivetta didn’t seem to notice our very specific formation, focusing instead on the rolling green countryside passing us by.
“Has Chevalier told you anything about Freedom?” Leon asked her.
“I’m assuming you’re not talking about the general noun,” she replied, tearing her gaze from the scenery to look at him.
He laughed. “Nope, not at all. Freedom is a community of ex-slaves in the foothills. We were having some problems with raids last year, and Chevalier gave me the go-ahead to invite them to have a place of their own.”
She looked at me with a wide smile. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
I shrugged, but I couldn’t help returning that smile. “There was significant risk involved. I wanted to be sure the project would be a success.”
“I’m surprised you even entertained the idea,” Gilbert commented.
“Let’s just say I caught him at a good time,” Leon said, giving Ivetta a knowing grin.
“Why are you looking at me?” she asked, blushing. “I didn’t know anything about this.”
“He interrupted us in the library to discuss the matter,” I said, knowing she would catch the reference. “Before we were officially engaged.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, I guess I can forgive you for that, Leon,” she said casually, though the flush in her cheeks deepened.
If Gilbert hadn’t caught the subtle inference about what Leon was interrupting, that blush would drive it home. And the venomous glare he shot at me confirmed that it had. I chuckled, pleased to have gotten under his skin again, but my amusement was cut short when Ivetta turned away from me to address Gilbert.
“I don’t really know much about ex-slaves other than rumors,” she said innocently. “Could you tell me a bit about them?”
Making an effort to include him in conversation, or getting back at me for making her blush? Either was possible.
“They’re typically escaped slaves from Obsidian,” Gilbert explained. “You are aware that Obsidian has a large slave population, I presume?”
She nodded. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“They generally hide in desert wastelands which are otherwise uninhabitable and make a living out of raiding settlements or hiring themselves out as mercenaries,” he continued matter-of-factly. “The raids had decreased recently when Obsidian hired them as we prepared to invade Rhodolite, but with the loss of that source of income brought on by the treaty, the number of raids increased significantly. I understand they hit one village in Rhodolite particularly hard.”
“And I figured they were just people trying to make a living,” Leon said, a hard edge to his voice. “The foothills up north are largely uninhabited because of how rocky the soil is, but that soil is very fertile. Chevalier gave me a chance, and the ex-slaves jumped at the opportunity to make a place for themselves. They aren’t afraid of hard work if it means they can make an honest living and provide for their families.”
“I was skeptical, but the results speak for themselves,” I added, drawing Ivetta’s attention back to me. “And you have directly benefited from Freedom. Our wedding rings and your necklace were made by a jeweler there.”
“Really?” she gasped, dropping Rose’s reins to pick up the necklace from its place above her heart and compare it to her wedding ring.
“Matt’s a genius,” Leon said proudly. “And he’s been getting a lot of business lately, thanks to you, Chevalier.”
Ivetta dropped the necklace to reclaim the reins and beamed at me, unaware of Gilbert’s eye following the necklace as it fell back against her chest. “So, when were you going to tell me about all of this?”
“When the new inn is complete,” I replied, careful to keep my ire out of my voice. “My intention was to spend a few days there with you.”
If Gilbert didn’t take his eye off of her chest in the next five seconds, I was going to blind it permanently.
“Is it safe?” he asked disapprovingly, wrenching his gaze away from her to look at me.
“I wouldn’t take her there if it wasn’t,” I said coolly, narrowing my eyes in warning.
“I’ve been keeping tight security,” Leon interrupted quickly. “And I’m not ashamed to say that even I’ve been surprised by how well this has all turned out. Freedom is probably the most patriotic and peaceful town in Rhodolite.”
“And you’re hoping that showing it to me will change Obsidian’s practices regarding slavery,” Gilbert said flatly. His blood red eye was cold and hard, his smile absent from his face.
“Something like that,” Leon confessed. “Just give it a chance.”
“Even if it is all as perfect as you say, I don’t wield absolute power in Obsidian.”
“Are your court ministers a pain, too?” Ivetta asked.
“I think he’s talking about the emperor,” Leon interjected.
“You haven’t told Leon?” she asked quizzically. “Why are you keeping this a secret?”
Leon shot a questioning glance at me. I shook my head slightly.
“There have been complications,” Gilbert said slowly, “but I will announce my ascendance to the throne upon my return.”
“Emperor Gilbert, huh?” Leon asked.
“King Gilbert,” Gilbert corrected him. “The emperor left a big enough mess to make any plans of expansion out of the question for the time being.”
Internal upheaval, then. Had he been spouting the same story of his father’s unfortunate illness all these months? Maybe it was time for Yves to make a return visit to Obsidian. Gilbert was playing this very close to the chest, keeping it away from even Jin’s and Clavis’ network of spies. Sariel was pushing for me to schedule several international trips this year, including one to Obsidian, but I wasn’t taking Ivetta anywhere near Obsidian until I was certain it was safe. I already hated Ivetta being near Gilbert within Rhodolite’s borders. The mere thought of taking her out of my jurisdiction and into his was nauseating.
Maybe this was a mistake.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQmGe92LGf
