couldn’t decipher. Then he’d turned to her and opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. Shaking his head he instead made for the Hall of Warriors.
‘Come,’ he said. ‘We must get you back to Horvald.’
‘Will you being staying here?’
He shook his head. ‘No, my destiny is not here either. Dana will rule. I’ll leave Luc and Alain here for a while to make sure she is protected, but from what I can see Catiscal will welcome her as Queen. No, I’m going back to Horvald with you.’
Cautious joy flowed through her at his words. But joy had long since dissipated after their ride from Catiscal.
After their horses were led away, Lissa was besieged by welcoming townsfolk who wanted to see for themselves their princess was safe. Lissa laughed and hugged Ris and Val.
‘I’m fine. Nothing happened to me. Devadas saved me and saved Catiscal. Antos is no longer a threat to us.’
Val eyed Devadas with interest. ‘It would seem I owe you an apology,’ he said gruffly.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Devadas’s face as he waved away the older man’s words. ‘There is nothing to apologise for. The Warlord Death has a tendency to keep his cards close to his chest.’
Val grunted. ‘I should’ve realised you had a plan. You’re not the kind of man who would let another take what is yours.’
Lissa saw Devadas wince at Val’s words. ‘Princess Lissa is not mine. If she belongs to anyone, it’s to Horvald.’
Lissa moved closer to him and grasped his hand. ‘No. That’s not all the truth,’ she murmured.
He pulled himself from her grasp and turned toward the town gate. ‘I need some rest and some food. It was a long ride.’
Lissa stared after him with dismay. Something had happened. A barrier had appeared between them that even in his rage had not been there before.
She followed him into the town walls then into the Great House surrounded by happy, excited townsfolk. They talked of a feast, a wedding feast now that their princess had returned, saved by the Lord Devadas. He was a hero now, a saviour, not a conqueror.
Dread inched its insidious grip around her heart. He did not behave like a saviour, a new king. He was polite enough, smiling and laughing with the crowd, but his eyes were empty of all feeling. She hurried after him, desperate to get him alone and find out what was wrong.
But that did not happen for some hours. The house was full of people wanting to see her, wanting to make sure she was unhurt. Rumours had flown around the town that Antos had defiled her. She spent some time ensuring people she was unharmed. In the swirl of laughter and celebrations, she lost sight of Devadas.
‘Has Lord Devadas everything he needs, Ris?’ she asked, preparing to extract herself from the loving crowd and find him.
‘Yes,’ Ris replied, a troubled look in her eyes. ‘He’s retired to your father’s old rooms.’
Lissa stilled then squared her shoulders. ‘Has he? Well, I’d best visit him.’
She climbed the stairs to the sleeping quarters and stood outside the door of her father’s rooms. She could hear a rustling noise. Knocking softly she opened the door after the rustling stopped. Devadas was standing by the bed packing his saddle bag. He glanced at her then resumed packing.
‘Are you going somewhere?’
He grunted. ‘Off to Tisvo. The High King is in need of the services of an experienced soldier.’
Lissa’s throat tightened. ‘I thought you wanted to be King of Horvald.’
He glanced at her again. ‘You’ll be glad to know I’ve had second thoughts. I don’t think the settled life of Horvald is for me. I’ll take your pledge of fealty back to the High King.’
Silence. Pain flowed though her body as it had ten years ago. Pain at the hands of this man. That realisation ignited fury. He would not do this to her again. She would not stand by like some helpless maiden while he abandoned her and their life together.
‘What of my chains?’ she asked. ‘Do you
‘Come,’ he said. ‘We must get you back to Horvald.’
‘Will you being staying here?’
He shook his head. ‘No, my destiny is not here either. Dana will rule. I’ll leave Luc and Alain here for a while to make sure she is protected, but from what I can see Catiscal will welcome her as Queen. No, I’m going back to Horvald with you.’
Cautious joy flowed through her at his words. But joy had long since dissipated after their ride from Catiscal.
After their horses were led away, Lissa was besieged by welcoming townsfolk who wanted to see for themselves their princess was safe. Lissa laughed and hugged Ris and Val.
‘I’m fine. Nothing happened to me. Devadas saved me and saved Catiscal. Antos is no longer a threat to us.’
Val eyed Devadas with interest. ‘It would seem I owe you an apology,’ he said gruffly.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Devadas’s face as he waved away the older man’s words. ‘There is nothing to apologise for. The Warlord Death has a tendency to keep his cards close to his chest.’
Val grunted. ‘I should’ve realised you had a plan. You’re not the kind of man who would let another take what is yours.’
Lissa saw Devadas wince at Val’s words. ‘Princess Lissa is not mine. If she belongs to anyone, it’s to Horvald.’
Lissa moved closer to him and grasped his hand. ‘No. That’s not all the truth,’ she murmured.
He pulled himself from her grasp and turned toward the town gate. ‘I need some rest and some food. It was a long ride.’
Lissa stared after him with dismay. Something had happened. A barrier had appeared between them that even in his rage had not been there before.
She followed him into the town walls then into the Great House surrounded by happy, excited townsfolk. They talked of a feast, a wedding feast now that their princess had returned, saved by the Lord Devadas. He was a hero now, a saviour, not a conqueror.
Dread inched its insidious grip around her heart. He did not behave like a saviour, a new king. He was polite enough, smiling and laughing with the crowd, but his eyes were empty of all feeling. She hurried after him, desperate to get him alone and find out what was wrong.
But that did not happen for some hours. The house was full of people wanting to see her, wanting to make sure she was unhurt. Rumours had flown around the town that Antos had defiled her. She spent some time ensuring people she was unharmed. In the swirl of laughter and celebrations, she lost sight of Devadas.
‘Has Lord Devadas everything he needs, Ris?’ she asked, preparing to extract herself from the loving crowd and find him.
‘Yes,’ Ris replied, a troubled look in her eyes. ‘He’s retired to your father’s old rooms.’
Lissa stilled then squared her shoulders. ‘Has he? Well, I’d best visit him.’
She climbed the stairs to the sleeping quarters and stood outside the door of her father’s rooms. She could hear a rustling noise. Knocking softly she opened the door after the rustling stopped. Devadas was standing by the bed packing his saddle bag. He glanced at her then resumed packing.
‘Are you going somewhere?’
He grunted. ‘Off to Tisvo. The High King is in need of the services of an experienced soldier.’
Lissa’s throat tightened. ‘I thought you wanted to be King of Horvald.’
He glanced at her again. ‘You’ll be glad to know I’ve had second thoughts. I don’t think the settled life of Horvald is for me. I’ll take your pledge of fealty back to the High King.’
Silence. Pain flowed though her body as it had ten years ago. Pain at the hands of this man. That realisation ignited fury. He would not do this to her again. She would not stand by like some helpless maiden while he abandoned her and their life together.
‘What of my chains?’ she asked. ‘Do you
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