Beguiled (The Fairest Maidens #2) - Jody Hedlund Page 0,67
myself to seek him out.
He was the handsomest man there. He’d taken care with his appearance, leaving his fair hair long and loose with a narrow plait that gave him a slightly rugged look. Although he’d shaven, he couldn’t dispense altogether with his scruffiness.
In conversation with a nobleman seated next to him, he hadn’t noticed me yet. When the nobleman glanced at me and ceased speaking midsentence, Mikkel gave me a cursory look, then reached for his goblet. He froze midway there, and his attention returned to me.
His eyes rounded, revealing beautiful silvery-blue mingled with awe. He jumped to his feet so quickly his chair toppled backward.
“Lords and ladies,” Lord Anise spoke from beside me. “I present to you Her Royal Highness, Princess Pearl.”
Across the room, benches scraped as people rose. They bowed and curtsied, but none of their expressions welcomed me. No one dared to show even the slightest happiness at seeing me, not when I was so despised by the queen.
I caught Mikkel’s gaze again, hoping for at least one friendly face amongst the crowd. But his brow had furrowed. The awe was gone, and instead his eyes sparked with anger.
Of course he wasn’t glad to see the real me after all this time. Not after I’d lied to him about what was beneath my veil.
As I reached the top step, he seemed to force himself into action, stalking toward me. I halted and waited for him to finish approaching, his footsteps echoing an ominous rhythm.
“Your Highness.” He bowed and then held out his arm.
“Your Highness.” I took his proffer, tucking my fingers into the crook of his elbow, trying not to let them shake.
He led me behind the table. “I trust you are well.”
“Yes, as well as can be.”
“I’m glad you are able to join the feast.”
Was he? He was looking straight ahead, his jaw flexing, his expression still unyielding.
I wished for a private moment to speak with him, but the queen must have orchestrated our first meeting in this public place so we would have no opportunity to confer with one another. What should I say? Should I apologize?
“I am heartily sorry,” I whispered.
He didn’t reply and instead pulled out my chair, standing aloof, waiting for me to sit before he pushed me in and took his place beside me.
As conversation began to resume around the great hall, I reached for my goblet and leaned closer to him. “Forgive me, Mikkel. Please.”
He stabbed his knife into a wedge of mutton and dropped the meat onto his trencher. “You deceived me.”
“I had to in the camp for the same reason you had to hide your identity. Everyone would have shunned me and sent me away.”
“You could have told me,” he hissed. “I would have kept your secret.”
I nodded and fiddled with the spoon next to my trencher, aware that almost everyone was still staring at me. I’d been accustomed to such attention growing up, but after the past year of living behind my veil and in seclusion on the island, the stares felt invasive.
“I understand that you may not have trusted me initially.” He stabbed another piece of mutton. “But in recent days, I thought I’d proven my loyalty to you.”
All my excuses for not telling him the truth now seemed flimsy and irrelevant, for he had proven himself many times over.
He lifted the mutton, sank his teeth into it, and ripped off a juicy bite. With his broad shoulders hunched, he stared straight ahead while he chewed.
“It does not matter anymore,” I whispered. “She will kill me for my heart, and you can do naught to stop her.”
He paused in taking another bite to glare at me.
“Please, I beg you to take Ruby and go while you still can.”
“Princess Pearl.” The queen’s voice sliced through our whispered conversation.
I sat up straighter and peered at the queen several places away. She was attired in one of her loveliest gowns—a dark green that brought out the green in her eyes. Like most of her garments, this one contained intricate jewels throughout, making her glitter.
“Enlighten me.” She toyed with her goblet, running her finger around the rim. “Prince Mikkel has declared his love for you. Do you feel the same about him?”
I probably loved him more. But I couldn’t say so. If I did, she’d use Mikkel to make me submit to her every whim. He would be safer if I severed my connection to him now while I still could.