The Warlord's Concubine by J.E. Keep, M. Keep Page B

her former servant’s dark hair away from her
olive toned face, looking at her with sympathy. “I know this
must have been so very hard on you,” she said soothingly.
    “I was just so worried. I had no way of knowing if you were
safe. I’d heard such horrid rumours that you’ve stepped
away from leading, that you have no interest in it but worse still
was that I’d heard you’d been injured, ill. I almost died
myself the day I heard you were pregnant. I was cast into such
torture when I rebelled to try to see for myself,” Mirella lied
to the much younger woman with such ease.
    The young, blue-eyed noble somehow managed to go even whiter with
shock at the woman’s words. “Pregnant?” she said
with such scorn. She rose up and looked around with displeasure,
“He’s done everything to buy me off but resurrect the
dead!” She said with exasperation then scoffed again, muttering
distastefully, “Pregnant.”
    She spun back on Mirella and her eyes were alight. Somehow she’d
kept her spirits up all this time here alone. “I’m saving
myself for the prince, my betrothed,” she said dreamily,
looking as if she had something she wanted to say.
    Slipping into the seat beside her, the princess lowered her voice,
“I know you’ve been through awful misery, but you were
the only one I could trust. And I needed someone in the city when the
time came.”
    Mirella’s head tilted to the side, her brows furrowing,
“What is it you need, my Princess? I am forever at your
service,” she bowed her head in reverence to the other woman
even as her stomach churned.
    The princess took a deep breath and looked troubled. Speaking in
such a careful whisper she seemed to fear someone overhearing them
even then. “I had to stage our little... fuss to get you out
there, Mirella. I knew I could trust you, only you, to be faithful
without needing to be in on the plan. They... they have strange
powers and insight I think, and would too likely see through our
charade.”
    The dainty princess gave a hopeful smile, reaching out and taking
her servants hand, “You can forgive me... right?”
    “My Princess, I’m honoured you trust me so,” she
said as her eyes watered, returning the princess’ smile. “I
am utterly devoted to you.”
    Relief seemed to wash over the noble lady then and her eyes
watered too, “Oh Mirella, thank you.” She flung her thin
arms around her older maid, hugging her in such an unprecedented
display of affection. “There’s so much I need to tell you
now.”
    “I’m all yours, Princess. Just tell me how I can help
you! What of your Prince?” Mirella prodded, seeming so sincere
as she moved towards the other woman, her voice so low.
    With a sweetly devious smile the fair princess welcomed the close,
conspiratorial turn. “I’ve been in touch with him all
along,” she whispered. “And now the time has come where
we can do more than just wait, Mirella.” Her eyes dipped to her
servant’s pregnant stomach, and darted away immediately. She
obviously didn’t care to linger on that thought or more
precisely the guilt from it.
    “How?” Mirella gasped, honestly taken away that the
girl had any bit of cleverness to her at all. She had not been
expecting the woman to have a plan, let alone having found a means to
contact him.
    Looking so smugly confident she pursed her lips and looked for a
while as if she’d not say a word. “Remember the locket
the prince gave me at our betrothal ceremony?” she asked,
fishing into her lacy, frilled dress and pulling out the exquisitely
crafted silver filigree locket. “I can speak to him at night
with this,” she whispered. Her blue eyes were so wide with
excitement, “But what’s most important is that...”
she took a moment to calm herself. “He’s told me he’s
marching here right now. And will arrive within a week to free us
all.”
    “That’s fantastic news,” she gasped, Mirella’s
exotically shaped eyes widening. “Princess, you are too