The Harvest King - Paula Quinn Page 0,39

into a velvet chair and shifted uncomfortably. “You know,” he tossed her a sour look. “It’s at least a hundred degrees every day. What possessed you to purchase velvet furniture?”

Standing over him, Shauna positively glowered, and for a moment Caleb thought his sister might attack him. “Our father was murdered,” she seethed. “He was usurped from his throne and you bring the murderer’s daughter to this house and expect me to be pleasant to her?”

“Yes, I do. She didn’t kill Father.” Caleb sighed, readying himself for another battle with her. “She doesn’t even know how Baltrasard acquired Silvergard.”

“You mean Silvergarden, don’t you, Brother?” Shauna fired at him. “That castle is ours. She is no princess. When are you going to tell her that?”

Caleb stood up from his chair. His calm expression dissolved into a storm of emotion. But he was silent as he turned away from her questioning stare and looked out the window.

“Caleb,” she said more softly, stunned by what she had just seen in his eyes. “You can’t care for this girl. She’s Baltrasard’s daughter. Oh, you couldn’t. It would be tragic. But I saw the way you looked at her—a look I have never seen you offer anyone else before.”

Sighing so deeply his shoulders seemed to drop to his chest, Caleb closed his eyes and took a breath before he spoke. “I fear it’s too late, Shauna.”

His sister tugged his elbow to make him look at her. “Caleb,” she almost pleaded, “you are the kin—” She stopped when he held up his hand.

“She doesn’t know. I haven’t told her.”

His sister pressed her palm to her forehead. “What will happen when you tell her who you are? You’re the King of Predaria, heir to the throne! Why have you kept this from her?”

When Caleb didn’t answer her, she gave his shoulders a shake. “You’ve made quite a mistake, big brother, if you think that girl will ever forgive you when you strip her of her title. And when you kill her father, what then, Caleb?”

Finally he turned to look into his sister’s eyes. Her words had forced him to think, to plan. Caleb was a meticulous planner, a Warrior had to be strategic. But since he had met Willow it was as if time had ceased to matter and only the moment existed. It was a relief and a freedom that felt quite wonderful. But he knew it couldn’t last. He had to think about what would happen to Willow when she found out the truth, what it would mean for them, if there was to ever be ‘a them’? “I can’t tell her, Shauna,” he told his sister more quietly, almost sadly. “Not yet anyway. But when the time comes, I won’t strip her of her title.”

“Caleb—”

“I’ll marry her.”

That stopped whatever Shauna was going to say so fast Caleb almost laughed. The matter was a serious one indeed, but it was such a rare occurrence that he ever quieted the true princess of Predaria, he decided to enjoy it for a moment.

“You hardly know her, Caleb,” Shauna breathed when she finally found her voice. She saw no humor in what he had just announced. “She’ll never have you,” she told him, trying her best to soothe her voice to a more tender tone. “She thinks you’re a commoner, and when she finds out you’re not…” She took a long breath seeing the flash of pain already in his eyes. “I’m surprised at you, Caleb. Usually you’re the one who thinks everything through before you make a move. That’s why Baltrasard is still alive in the first place. You wanted to strike fear in his heart by killing his nobles before taking him.” She narrowed her green eyes on her brother. “By the way, where is Baltrasard?”

Caleb scowled at her, hating to tell her. “He escaped.”

As he expected, Shauna’s eyes opened wide in disbelief. “You let him get away?”

Caleb brushed past her and fell into the chair again. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. It was true, he had been careless, and he cursed himself for it every day since they left Silvergard. “I’m not as skilled as Jonas.”

At the mention of his name, Shauna’s body stiffened, but she recovered quickly. “You’re an extremely skilled Warrior, Caleb,” she said, coming to sit on the edge of a table in front of him. “The problem is this godforsaken land. It’s made you weak and soft inside, and now you have another crutch. You’re falling in love

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