Chapter 10

It took Anwen a couple of days to recover enough to leave her rooms. By the third day, she was more than ready to see something besides the walls she had been surrounded in. As she exited her room, Maddoc was waiting for her, and she limped over to him.

“Shouldn’t you already be at breakfast?” she asked.

“I can be wherever I want, my princess, or have you forgotten that I am a king?” He held out his arm to her.

“You are a king, and you do have responsibilities,” said Anwen as she took his arm. “How is it going with the Parvillians?”

Maddoc made a non-committal motion with his head. “The king seems to think a marriage still may work out between his daughter and me. I will have to be firmer at some point. Princess Meira tries to corner me every opportunity she gets. I can usually dismiss her. Now, that you are downstairs, it should be easier. I plan to show you more attention than before. I do not like hiding who you are to me, especially with certain young men acting as if they have plans for you.”

Anwen sighed a little. Prince Rillian had come to see her three times the past few days. He had even eaten lunch with her one of the days. He was very charming and friendly, though Anwen still didn’t think he had any serious plans for her even if he was flirtatious. Something was withholding about his manner, that made her think she was safe from touching his heart in any way. She enjoyed his friendship and company, and she believed he did the same with her.

Lachlan was another matter. She wished she did not have to deal with him at all. He checked on her constantly, though usually Mrs. Owens or her mother could send him away.

“I am sure Prince Rillian has no plans for me other than friendship, Maddoc. As far as Lachlan, even though I do not wish it, perhaps I should listen to what he wants to say to me. I could just get it over with.”

Maddoc pulled her closer. “I do not want you alone with that man. If you must hear what he has to say, insist that your mother or even I be in the room.”

“I am not afraid of Lachlan, Maddoc. I have known him my whole life,” said Anwen as she squeezed his arm

Maddoc stopped them before they reached the stairs. He grabbed both her hands so she would face him. “Promise me you will not be alone with him. He is acting like a desperate man, and I know he is impulsive. I still think he fired that arrow the other day. I do not trust he will control himself around you. I know you are fierce, but you are small. He is a large man, and I would hate to think of you being hurt in some way.”

She leaned up and kissed him quickly without even checking if anyone was watching. “I will be careful, but you do not need to worry so much about me. I am very good at taking care of myself.”

He shook his head and gave a small laugh. “You do realize you were just shot with an arrow barely three days ago. I think I’m allowed to worry about you a little.”

“Fine, but let’s not speak of it. I am so ready to be outside. I hear it has gotten a little colder, but I hope to still take a short walk. Brennan said he and Roxanna will go with me after breakfast.”

They walked on, coming to the stairs. Anwen put her hand on the banister and kept a hold of Maddoc’s arm as they slowly made their way down. “I will go with you as well. I am sure Elias will wish to walk with his beloved, and they will both be glad to see you. If we are careful, we could sneak out with alerting Princess Meira or your cousin.”

“Maybe even Lachlan as well. Hopefully, Gwendolyn is keeping a sharp eye on him. I doubt she liked her betrothed carrying me off on his horse.”

“Not as much as I disliked it, Anwen. I know I was being petty at the time. All I should have cared about was you getting help, but I can barely stand the idea of him touching you.” Maddoc pulled her a little as they exited the stairs, causing her to stumble into him.

She steadied herself and looked up at him. “I do not like the thought that I rode in his arms all the way back to the palace. I was mostly out of it, and I am glad for it. If I had woken up with him holding me, I might have fallen off his horse.” She looked around for a second and took his hand. “There is no one I ever want to hold me, but you.”

“If he or any other man puts his hands on you in that way again, I’m not sure how I will react. It is not becoming in a gentleman or king, but I think I’m becoming a little territorial of you.”

“And every time that Parvillian Princess grabs your hand or touches your arm, I wish to push her down. It is not very generous or ladylike of me. I suppose we shall have to be depraved together.” She moved a little closer to him. “My head is feeling much better, and my leg doesn’t ache as much. Maybe tonight, I can show you just how much I think of you as mine, my king.”

He bent down closer to her and said softly, “If you keep talking like that, I will not be able to wait until tonight. I will drag you to my room no matter who is around. You will be left in no doubt that I am truly yours.”

She stared at him for a moment before backing away a little. “We must face the day first, though I think there are a few rooms of the palace I haven’t seen yet. If I can manage it, I might go exploring after lunch. Is there somewhere you would suggest? Preferably, where I could avoid large groups of people.”

Maddoc seemed to study her for a moment before he licked his lips and said, “The throne room. You should see the throne room. It is very grand with some interesting paintings. No one will be in there with nothing going on. I think you would find it interesting.”

“And will someone show me the way, do you think?” asked Anwen.

“I have no plans after lunch. I will find a way to escort you, princess.”

Anwen walked into the banquet hall on the arm of Maddoc. They were met by Elias who took her hand.

“Come sit with me and Lady Alys, your highness. She has been desperate to see you, and I admit to missing your company as well,” said Elias as Anwen let go of Maddoc.

“So, you have forgiven me then? You have decided what I did was not so bad?”

“Of course, I have forgiven you. I doubt I was even really mad at you, though my pride was a little hurt. Besides with that beautiful smile and those eyes flashing, how could I ever stay angry at you? Now, come over here and sit down. You shouldn’t be walking on your leg.”

“I will sit with you for a while, Elias, but there are others I need to speak with.”

“You know how selfish I am, my dear. You will indulge me because I will hear nothing else.” Elias pulled her towards a table, putting her arm on his for support. “You can join us, my king, or perhaps you should socialize with your guests. I believe you have been ignoring them the past few days.”

“Yes, go make the round, your majesty,” said Anwen. “Speak with your court and your guests. I believe there is much work you need to do to prepare for a big event coming up.”

“You are correct, my princess. I shall see to it immediately, though I would like to know when you go for that walk in a bit.”

“I’m not sure you will have time if you plan to keep your appointment after lunch, your majesty.” Anwen looked at him.

“I am sure I could do both,” said Maddoc.

“We will see, I suppose. I will not be angry if you cannot walk with me if it means you can keep your appointment.”

He bowed. “Enjoy your breakfast, princess.”

“You two are about as obvious as anything I have ever seen, princess. Why not go ahead and announce the betrothal now?” Elias slowly walked her to a table.

“I believe we will soon, but I would like things to be more settled in the south of your kingdom, and Maddoc needs to work a bit more on the Parvillian king. I do not want to be the reason he loses that kingdom’s cooperation.”

“Parvillia would hurt itself more than Calumbria if it severed ties with us. Especially for something as silly as their princess not getting her way. If King Brone tries it, he will face the wrath of some of his court and people. His hold over them is already weak with no heir named.”

Anwen smiled as she sat down next to Lady Alys. “Still, I would not like the king’s relationship with any kingdom to suffer because of me.”

“Are you speaking of Parvilia?” asked Lady Alys. “My father says the king will not name an heir because he does not trust his cousins. He wants to marry his daughter to a powerful king and hopes he can stay alive until Princess Meira has children. Then he can pass down the throne to his grandson.”

“If she married Maddoc, she would have to have at least two children, quickly,” said Elias. “The first male would rule Calumbria one day. What if she only had one son or only daughters?”

“I am not sure what King Brone is hoping will happen,” said Lady Alys,

“He would do better to unite his daughter with someone without their own throne. A younger son of a king who could come and help rule in Parvilia. Any sons Princess Meira had with a man like that could be his heir,” said Anwen.

“Perhaps King Brone thinks it would take the son of a powerful king. Maybe he wants the most powerful king in our land.” Lady Alys looked at Anwen. “Which would explain Princess Meira’s fascination with King Maddoc.”

“You know,” said Elias as he poured Anwen and Lady Alys some tea. “King Brone is not an old man. Why doesn’t he just remarry and try for another heir?”

“The late queen was very loved in her kingdom. She was the daughter of a very prominent lord of Parvilia. Her brother is who stayed behind to watch over the kingdom while most of the court is here. I believe the king is afraid that if he had a son with a new wife, it would turn some of his court against him,” explained Lady Alys.

“It is quite a mess for poor King Brone,” said Anwen. “I feel a little sorry for him.”

“But not sorry enough to give his daughter a free shot at our king,” smiled Elias.

“No,” said Anwen with a laugh. “He will have to find a different solution to his problem.”

She finished her breakfast with Lord Elias and Lady Alys before walking out to the largest courtyard with them along with Brennan and Roxanna. She walked a little with Brennan before he left her near a tree to go see some winter flowers with Roxanna. Though she was left without support, she watched with mostly happiness as the two couples in front of her got lost in their own world.

Hobbling over to a bench, she thought over how easy love was for the four people in front of her. They had all made acceptable matches and found someone they could respect and love whom their families would accept with no issues. As she thought about her relationship with Maddoc, her eyes misted over a little. She wanted to be with him so much. She had promised to marry him, but what would their future look like?

His uncle would surely never accept her as Maddoc’s wife. The prince seemed to think she would be acceptable for himself but not the king. Maddoc’s mother was not cruel to her but had made it clear, she would never think of Anwen as an acceptable queen for Maddoc. She knew there were some lords in Calumbria who would not look over their alliance favorably. She couldn’t imagine not marrying her king, but would she just make his life harder?

“Princess, it is good to see you out and about,” said Prince Rillian as he stood over her. Anwen had been so distracted by her thoughts, she had not even heard him walk up.

She quickly wiped her eyes with her fingers and tried to smile at the prince. “It is good to be out of my room.”

He sat down next to her and looked at her with concern. “Princess, what is wrong?” he asked quietly. “I hope no one has been cruel to you, or are you in pain from your injuries?”

She shook her head as a few more tears fell. “No, I feel fine. My leg is a little sore, but it is not unbearable. I have been in the company of people I care about all morning. Perhaps, I am still just tired from my ordeal and the medicine I am taking.”

The prince looked at her for a long, quiet moment. “Princess Anwen, I know we have not known each other long, but I want you to know I am trustworthy. If you were to confide in me in some way, I can guarantee it would go no further. I know I seem silly at times, but I do take many things seriously, and the feelings and thoughts of a worthy woman would be very safe with me.”

As she looked at his steady eyes and solemn expression, she believed he was being sincere. She sighed a little. “I was just thinking of how easy it is for some people in life and how hard it is for others. It sounds a little silly coming from someone like me. I know my life is better than most. I have been born to privilege and some power, but sometimes there are burdens that are hard to bear.”

“We all have burdens, princess. They are very hard to bear alone. That is why we were meant to share them. You do not have to go through life carrying all your worries and fears by yourself. If you find the right person to help you, it can make all the difference.”

“What if I have found the right person, but almost everyone tells me he is not who I should be with?” A steady stream of tears fell from her eyes. She didn’t even bother to wipe them away.

The prince nodded, and he looked down. Anwen saw the pain in his eyes, and she let out a very small gasp. At that moment, she knew that he really did understand her. She understood why he had held back some of himself from her. She hadn’t looked closely at him because her heart was too full of another. If she had been more observant, she would have seen his own heart was fully engaged as well.

“I do not know a good answer to your questions, princess. The only ones I have gotten have not been satisfactory. Moving on has been the only option given to me, but it seems impossible.”

Anwen took his hand. “If it is so hard to move on, perhaps it is because you aren’t supposed to give up.”

He gripped her hand and looked at her. “I wish this land was a kinder place for both of us, princess. There are few I have met who deserve happiness as much as you. I know my wish can’t be granted, but I hope yours is.”

She smiled a little through her tears, “You know Prince Rillian, I believe you when you say you are a trustworthy confidant. Perhaps you will think of me as one as well. I am very willing to listen to you.”

He raised her hand and kissed it. “I am not sure how much it will help to speak of it.”

Anwen scooted a little closer to him. “You just talked of sharing burdens. Let me share in yours, as a friend.”

The prince opened his mouth when another voice cut him off. “Oh, I didn’t mean to disturb anything,” said Princess Meira as she walked up to them with a smug smile. “I was only looking for King Maddoc. You haven’t seen him, have you?”

The prince let go of Anwen’s hand. “I haven’t seen the king since breakfast. What about you, Princess Anwen?”

“No, I left the hall with the others out here in the courtyard, and all you will find is Lord Elias, Lady Alys, Brennan, and Lady Roxanna, I’m afraid.”

“I suppose I shall look elsewhere,” said Princess Meira. She smiled even wider at Anwen. “I wanted to thank you for helping me the other day in the forest, but I hate to interfere with your cozy situation here. I will just say I am appreciative and move on so you can get back to whatever it is you were doing.”

She walked away as Prince Rillian looked at Anwen. “I am sorry if I put you in a position that will harm your reputation, princess.”

“You have done nothing wrong as I have done nothing wrong. You are my friend, Prince Rillian, and I will speak with you whenever and wherever I wish. Besides, we are in a public place with friends around. Whatever the princess may say about me, will not bother me. I know who she especially plans to tell, and I don’t think he will think any less of me.”

The prince laughed a little. “I know who she plans to tell as well, and while he may not think less of you, I don’t think it will help his opinion of me. I hope he shall not kick me out of his palace.” Prince Rillian stood and held out his hand.

Anwen opened her mouth to speak, but Prince Rillian cut her off with a laugh. “It will do no good to deny it, princess. I have seen the way the king watches you, and I notice how you look at him.”

She smiled and took his hand to stand by his side. “Do not worry about the king. I will see that he does not throw you out, and he will listen to me.”

“I have no doubt of that, princess.”

Anwen spent the rest of the morning walking around with Prince Rillian. He did not speak of his problems to her, but there seemed to be a new dynamic to their relationship. Their conversation was deeper and much more to Anwen’s liking. He spoke of his kingdom and his family. Anwen talked about her mother, her aunt, and even Lachlan. When it was time for lunch, the two couples in the courtyard joined them to walk inside for lunch.

She ate lunch with Lord Aidan. He seemed very relieved to see her, and she enjoyed his company. She made a mental note to herself to spend more time with him. If things turned out as she hoped, she wouldn’t have as much time to visit Lord Aidan as she once did. As lunch ended, she said goodbye to Lord Aidan and looked for Maddoc. She did not find him anywhere in the banquet hall. As she walked out towards the entrance hall, she looked for him, but he was not there. Finally, it was not Maddoc but Matthias who found her.

“Your highness, I have been commanded by the king to show you to the throne room. Would you follow me?”

Anwen nodded and took his arm to walk with him. “This seems rather below you, Matthias. I am sure you have better things to do than escort me across a deserted wing of the palace.”

“I serve my king and wish to keep him and all he holds precious safe. He asked me to see you safely to the throne room, and I am glad to do it.”

“What is your king up to at the moment?” asked Anwen as he opened one side of a large set of wooden double doors.

“I usually do not talk about my king’s business,” said Matthias as he held open the door for Anwen.

“I am sorry, Matthias. I did not mean to pry or make you feel uncomfortable.”

The guard gave her a small smile and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. “I do not think the king would mind you knowing what he was doing at any moment, your highness. He is currently in his study working on some correspondence. I believe he has been in there most of the morning and even took lunch there.”

“I hope it is not too dire whatever is happening. It must have been urgent.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” said Matthias. “There is always something that needs to be seen to in Calumbria.” Matthias stopped her in front of another pair of double wooden doors. “I shouldn’t say it, but if you want my opinion, I believe he might be avoiding certain persons who are staying in the palace.”

She laughed a little. “I take it you wouldn’t say that to just anyone.”

“No, as I said I do not usually comment on my king’s business or life, but I have a feeling you will play a large part in both soon.”

“I can only hope so, Matthias.”

“The throne room is through those double doors. There are some very nice pictures towards the back, and the throne and dais date all the way back to our third king. I think you shall enjoy your time in there. I will stand guard here so you are not disturbed, though I would not be able to keep the king out should he visit.”

“I imagine not, and to be honest, I would not mind your king giving me a personal tour of his throne room. I think it would be quite an honor.”

Matthias bowed as he opened one door. “Enjoy your afternoon, your highness.”

Anwen walked slowly into a huge open room. Up ahead she could see a large raised platform with a huge throne towards the front. There were two smaller thrones just behind it. In the middle of each wall was a grand fireplace. Though there was no use for the room any time soon, a fire burned in each one making the room warm and comfortable. There were three tall windows on each side wall, letting in ample light though it was a cloudy day. Before moving forward, she looked over to her right to see a painting that took up a large portion of the first part of the long right wall before it hit the first window.

She looked at the painting and found it to be an intricate map of Calumbria. She studied it, starting to the south where the kingdom touched hers. Looking first at where Deryn was marked. It was the village they had stayed in at an inn after she had lost her horse fighting off men who wished to kill Maddoc. She looked at larger villages in the south and wondered about the unrest there. How many were suffering at that moment? The winter had been kind so far, but if the weather turned and the snows came, how many would perish due to lack of housing and food?

She moved her attention up to Quinlan which was marked with a small painting of the Grand Palace. It would be her home for much of the time if she did marry Maddoc. She knew a little of the large town, and she thought she could be happy there. She believed she could be happy anywhere if she was with Maddoc. She moved up to the north of the kingdom and saw so many towns and villages marked. She wondered what the people were like and if they were prosperous. She tried to tell herself she would be a good queen to them, supporting her king to do right by his people.

She wanted to believe this, and she would do everything to make it so. Still, she had her own kingdom to think of. Much of her heart would always belong to her home. Could she really support Maddoc as his queen should? She had given him her promise, but in moments like this, she almost thought it might have been better to let him go so he could find a worthy queen who would be able to only focus on him.

She heard the door open in the room, and she turned to see Maddoc walking towards her. She turned her attention back on the map of Calumbria as he came to stand beside her.

“It is a handsome painting, isn’t it?” he asked.

She nodded. “Very well done. I have been studying it since I got here. Calumbria is very large, and there are numerous villages. So many people depend on you as their king.”

“It’s true, and for too many years I have ignored them.” He turned and looked at her. “It was you who helped me see who I needed to be, and it is you who will keep me on the right course when you are my queen.”

“I want nothing more to be your queen, but looking at your kingdom like this, I wonder if I am the best choice.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. “You are not only the best choice, but you are also the only choice I can make.”

She turned to look at him. “You know that is not true. There are many you could choose from to be your queen. You could have your pick of any lady in our land.”

“My heart will not allow it. It and my mind tell me it is you who I need.” He touched her cheek and stared at her. “Please, do not think you can take back your promise to me. I will have no other than you, Anwen. You will be my queen and help me rule Calumbria, and I will help you rule Lucidala as much as you want.”

“I do not want to take back my promise, Maddoc. Everything in me, tells me I must be with your forever. I only hope I do not cause you or your kingdom unnecessary pain. I would do anything to see you happy and your reign successful. I would even let you go if that is what it took.”

He leaned down and kissed her. “If you leave me now, I don’t know how I would take it. I can barely stand hearing you speak like this. I would do anything to be with you, even give up my kingdom, but I know it won’t come to it. You and I will see to both of our kingdoms. We will go through the hard times and the good times together.”

She nodded, and he wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I say I would give you up if it was best for you, but I am not sure my words have any real meaning. I am not sure I could ever let you truly go, Maddoc. My heart would demand I come back to you. I will always feel the need to come back to you wherever I am.”

He kissed her again before taking her hand and leading her to another painting. “Come over here, I want you to see this one.”

He took her to the left side of a room where a beautiful painting of a palace hung. The palace was made of white stone. It was four stories and had multiple balconies. All around the palace was water. “Is this a real place?” asked Anwen. “It hardly seems like it could be.”

Maddoc moved behind her and put one hand around her waist. “It is very real. It is Calumbria’s summer palace. It is on a small island just off our northeastern coast. You have to take a boat to get there from the village. It is practically impossible to get to the village from here in winter because the Northern Mountains separate it from the kingdom, but come spring, it is a beautiful week-long journey. When we marry, I will take you there for at least two months.” He pulled her against him and kissed the side of her neck.

“It will be just us and a few staff. We can do whatever we like, whenever we like.”

She turned slightly and looked at him. “I would like that. I want to see your summer palace. I think I might like to put my feet in the sea. I haven’t been to the sea in a very long time.”

“If you like it, we will go every summer. When we have children, we will take them with us so they can play in the water. You can take them to shore and teach them how to hunt and track.”

“I shall teach you first, so you can help. I believe you are already a good hunter. I have never seen anyone pull out a bow as quick as you the other day in the forest.”

He laughed. “I am happy to have finally impressed you. I think it might have been the first time.”

She turned around and stared up at him. “It was definitely not the first time you have impressed me. I have been very impressed by many things you are able to do.” She gave him a half-smirk as he tried to put his arms around her. She avoided him and walked with her slight limp towards the throne. “I wish to see this throne I have heard so much about. I understand it is very old and grand.”

She walked up to stand in front of the dais as Maddoc followed her. The throne was very grand. It was dark stained wood with gilded edges. It was so large, she thought at least three people could manage to sit in it. The arms were curved inward, and it had huge, clawed feet. There was a plush cushion on the seat, and the back was high and finished off in three ovals, the middle the tallest.

“Come have a closer look,” said Maddoc as he took her hand. He helped her up the stairs to stand on the raised platform. They both stood before the throne.

“I think I should like to see you sit on it, your majesty,” said Anwen.

Maddoc moved to the front of the throne and carefully sat down putting his hands on the armrests. “What do you think?”

“I wish you were wearing your crown and robe, but you do look very powerful sitting there.”

“I am lonely in such a large chair,” he said as he reached up and grabbed her hand. He pulled her down into his lap as she made a noise of surprise. He looked at her with concern. “I did not hurt you, did I? I should have thought about your injury on your leg.”

“You did not hurt me, your majesty. I hardly feel my injury at the moment. You only surprised me. I do not think this is proper, me on your lap as you sit on your throne.”

“It is my throne as I am the king,” said Maddoc as he moved her hair and kissed her neck. “It is much nicer sitting here with you, than by myself as people stare at me like I am some sort of curiosity.”

His hands slowly moved up her back until he found the ties to her dress. He started to undo them as he continued to kiss down the side of her neck.

“I think any objections I may have had are quickly fading away, my king,” said Anwen as he used one hand to loosen her dress. The other was working its way down her side.

“I have to admit, my princess, that those few months when we weren’t together, I thought of you often in many interesting ways. There is more than one night I lay in my bed imagining you here with me. I even walked in here late one night and thought of what it would be like to take you on this throne.”

He pulled her dress down so most of her chest was exposed. One of his hands went to her waist where he pulled her against him. She turned her head and he kissed her. His hand moved up to caress her breast. “I wonder if you might be amiable to the idea? I will not continue if you do not wish.”

Anwen wished she could turn so she could touch him and kiss him properly, but he had a firm hold on her. She did not struggle as she was more than enjoying his current attentions. “I find that I am interested to see the full extent of your thoughts, my king.”

He growled her name as one of his hands moved down to pull up her skirt. She turned a little more so she could kiss him better. After that, she lost much of her grip on reality. Her time in the throne room became a blur of desire, need, and pleasure. His hand moved quickly up her leg until he touched her fully making her moan his name. Somehow, he undid his pants, and she quickly found herself completely filled with him.

“Say you want to be my queen, Anwen,” he breathed as he moved within her causing her to arch up.

“You know I do,” she managed to say somehow.

“I want to hear you say it. I need to hear it.”

She wasn’t sure how to get the words out. He was so deep within her, and she was overcome. “I do, Maddoc,” she said in a gasp. “I want to be your queen.”

He moaned as his hands went to her waist where he pulled her down on him completely. She cried out and leaned against him, her hands moving on top of his. She thought she knew the extent of pleasure that was to be had with her king, but that afternoon as he loved her on his throne, she realized how wrong she had been.