Page 70 of Veil of Winter

“No, they only brought me here.”

Ysa’s sobs grew louder at this news.

“I am sure they are well.” Dimitry patted his sister’s shoulder.

Elyce did hope Ysa’s brothers were uninjured and would be released soon, but her thoughts were also on Sir Gerard and Sir Oswalt.

They tried to tend to Ysa’s brother’s needs—his captors had not fed him or given him much to drink for an entire day and night. As they watched him eat and listened to him talk about his experience, Elyce’s mind kept going to Sir Gerard and what would happen to him.

If he and Sir Oswalt were taken to Valkenfeld’s dungeon, would they be treated well? Surely Claude wouldn’t have them mistreated, if he was hoping for a ransom. But if they tried to escape and were caught, King Claude’s men would kill them. But she couldn’t let herself think about that.

If and when they were ransomed, would they go back toEngland and try to get help from King Richard? Or would they forget about her and Ysa?

Perhaps Sir Gerard would be relieved to be well rid of her, after he had time to think.

For the first time she could remember, in spite of the heaviness inside her, she could not shed one tear, even after she went to bed and tried to sleep. She was too miserable, the pain too great. Besides, she needed to think and plan and pray. There was no time for tears. Too many lives were at stake.

Twenty

The next morning Elyce opened her door to find the guards Claude had placed there.

“I demand to speak to King Claude.”

A guard with dim, sleepy eyes nodded to her, then walked away. Since she didn’t like the way the other guards were staring at her, she went back into her room.

Dimitry had slept on a blanket on the floor, and Ysa was petting his hair like he was a prized pet goat.

What would it have been like to have a brother or a sister? Would she have played with the younger ones and read them stories? Would she have argued with the older ones and let them defend her from that bully Rodrigo? At least she would not have felt so alone, especially in dealing with her father and her aunt.

She would have liked to have an older brother to teach her to shoot a bow. Or a younger sister she could comfort when she scraped her knee.

But she did not have siblings. And she had created a whole fantasy around Sir Gerard the last few days, imagining that he loved her, that they would marry, and that he would always be near to defend her. But what if he did not love her at all?

What if Claude had lied and his guards had done something terrible to him and he was gone forever?

A weight seemed to crush her chest. She could hardly breathe.God, please... please.

“Princess Elyce? Are you unwell?” Ysa was staring at her, and she realized she was bent over and clutching her chest.

“I am well.” She made the effort to stand up straight.

“You should eat something.”

Elyce felt sick to her stomach just thinking about eating. “I am not hungry.”

King Claude burst into the room. He ignored anyone else besides Elyce and strode toward her. Two guards followed him in.

“You wanted to speak to me?” His beady black eyes bored into hers.

“I want my wedding to be in Montciel.”

“What?”

“If I must marry Count Rodrigo—”

“You must.”

“Then I will marry him in Montciel, in my own church, in front of my own people.”