Besotted (The Fairest Maidens #3) - Jody Hedlund Page 0,27
towel and was wiping more blood from her hands.
Aunt Elspeth had long since finished cleaning up our meal and returned to her loom. Now the soft clicking of the pedals ceased, and her hands grew idle. “How is the young man?” she whispered loudly—so loudly she may as well have used a normal tone. “Will he live?”
“Yes, thank our Father in heaven.”
“And his leg?” Aunt Elspeth continued in her overly loud whisper. “Will he be able to keep it?”
“I believe so. But only time will tell.”
At the good news, the tension in my body eased. Hot tears pricked the backs of my eyes, and I lowered my head so no one would see my display of emotion.
“Jorg will stay with him,” Aunt Idony said, as if answering an unasked question she’d sensed from Chester.
Chester heaved a sigh, likely one he’d been holding since the first knock on the door.
Aunt Idony finished wiping her hands. “They mean us no harm, Chester.”
I was relieved by her declaration, but before I could say so, Chester shook his head. “You cannot know that entirely.”
“Jorg is a kind young man who cares very much for his friend.”
Jorg? Kresten hadn’t talked about any companions. But it should come as no surprise that he had friends, since he was so likeable.
“We cannot trust them,” Chester insisted. “We can trust no one. That’s what my father always taught me.”
“We must be cautious, but not at the expense of basic kindness and decency to someone in need.”
I sat up again. “Yes, you have spoken my sentiments exactly. I shall never overlook the needs of others in order to save myself. I would be true and noble no matter the cost.”
Chester sheathed his knife and pushed away from the door frame, his expression stormy. As he stalked toward the table, I braced myself for the argument that had been brewing since the moment our visitors knocked upon the door.
He stopped and towered over me. “Those are not my sentiments, and they never will be. My only sentiment is that of keeping you alive and secure no matter the cost.”
I understood what he wasn’t saying—that as queen of Mercia, my safety was paramount. I respected his position, but I also disagreed. What kind of leader would I be if I put my well-being above my people’s and was never willing to sacrifice for them?
Chester lowered himself to the bench beside me. “The real question is, how did you meet these two?” With a glance to the half-open door of the bedchamber, he lowered his voice. “And the next is—why didn’t you tell me?”
Aunt Idony crossed over and stood near us, clearly wanting to know the answer to his questions as well.
“I think you know why I refrained from telling you,” I whispered.
“No, I don’t.”
“To avoid a confrontation like this.”
“If you’re so concerned about being true and noble, then you would refrain from deceit.”
He was right. I hadn’t been true or noble. While I hadn’t exactly lied, I also hadn’t been forthright. Deceit was deceit no matter how one portrayed it.
“I met Kresten at the clearing closest to the ravine. The first day was an accident, but the times after that we planned to meet.” Embarrassment rushed in. “I did not speak of the matter because I did not want anyone to stop me from seeing him.”
Chester’s brow furrowed. “You know you can’t harbor fondness for him, do you not?”
“We already had this conversation while you were gone.” Aunt Idony gave me a pointed look. Now she knew why I’d asked her about men. “And Rory is well aware of her obligations.”
The obligation to wed an important man, form an advantageous alliance, and become a worthy queen like my mother. Though Queen Leandra hadn’t ruled Mercia for many years, her marriage to my father, Prince Stephan from Norland, had secured Mercia’s northern border and solidified trade agreements. Within just a few years of her reign, she’d turned Mercia into a strong and independent nation, and she’d proven herself a capable and focused leader.
As a young and inexperienced ruler, I’d have much to prove too. I needed to follow in my mother’s footsteps. At least, I prayed I would be able to live up to her reputation and be just as strong and purposeful. I couldn’t jeopardize being like her, especially not before I’d even had the chance to begin.
“Yes, I am aware of my duty. That is precisely why I told Kresten we could not see each other ever again.”