Clash of Wills (3 page)

“
No
, Your Highness.” The maid shook her head so vehemently her sausage curls danced. “You promised you’d never ask me to do that again.”

“Come now, Nan. A little playacting will be droll, and you’re so good at it.”

“Absolutely
not
. Nothing and nobody can induce me to play such a nasty trick on Prince Wills, and that’s my final word.”

Chapter Two

Guise and Guile

N
AN
A
ND
S
AMANTHA
W
AITED
in her sitting room, making last minute preparations to receive the unwelcome visitor. The seams of Nan’s elaborate, borrowed gown fought to contain her ample flesh. A flush crept up her neck as she attempted to cool herself with a lace fan. “I can’t breathe, Your Highness!”

“Take shallow breaths.” Samantha tied the sash of a pinafore apron around the waist of a plain muslin uniform and pulled a maid’s cap down over her hair. “Now remember, when I drop my handkerchief, you’re to send me out of the room straightaway to fetch tea. After that, you’re on your own. Be polite to the prince, but not overly friendly. We don’t want him falling in love with you by accident.”

A disdainful snort. “Fat chance o’ that. If anyone ever discovers what we’ve done, I’ll be dismissed for certain.”

“Don’t worry, they’d blame me as usual. Everyone knows I’m a terrible influence on you.”

The porter opened the double doors to Samantha’s sitting room and stepped forward. “His Highness, Prince Wills of Insolitia.”

The porter’s sepulchral manner usually drew Samantha’s secret mirth, but not today. Visits from prospective suitors always made her irritable. “Thank you, Mr. Wickham.”

She shooed Nan into place. The maid scrambled into an intricately carved, upholstered chair and braced herself for the charade about to unfold. Prince Wills swept into the room, followed by a darkly handsome but somewhat scruffy manservant. Although the prince was well-dressed, he was on the short side and portly. Despite his relative youth, his hairline had already receded several inches. In his favor, the man’s eyes danced with merriment and good humor. As he sketched a grand, courtly bow, Samantha noticed a flicker of interest cross Nan’s face.
She likes him!

“I’m very pleased to make your inestimable acquaintance, Princess.”

Nan’s smile revealed her distinctly double chin and the conspicuous lack of a molar. “Prince Wills. How kind of you to call.” Giggle.

Samantha removed the handkerchief tucked into her sleeve and let it waft to the floor. Unfortunately, Nan failed to notice because at that precise moment the manservant sneezed in a repeated and loud fashion. Prince Wills frowned and flicked his fingers toward the door. “Good heavens, Joe, wait outside.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Forgive me.”

Before he left, Joe retrieved Samantha’s handkerchief from the floor and offered it to her with a slow smile and an impudent wink.

“Keep it.” Her stare was as cool as she could muster. “You need it more than I.”

The young manservant pressed the fine linen to his nostrils as if to relish its intoxicating fragrance and sauntered from the room.
What an arrogant upstart!
Samantha focused her attention on Nan and Prince Wills. To her surprise, they were already deep in conversation.

She cleared her throat. “Excuse me,
Your Highness
. Shall I fetch the tea?”

Nan blanched. “Oh, yes, Your High…la. Please do so.”

As Samantha left, she heard the prince remark, “Your servant is called Urhyla? How unusual.”

“Er…yes. It’s an old family name.”

In the kitchen, Samantha flagged down a servant. “Bring a well-laden tea cart into my sitting room right away. Oh, and be sure to address Nan as ‘Your Highness’ until Prince Wills departs.”

Bewildered, the girl nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Thrilled to have her afternoon free, Samantha practically skipped down the hallway. The glorious spring sunshine beckoned to her through the leaded glass windows.
If I’m quick, I can run to the creek and be back before dusk
. She dashed to her room and shimmied out of the ugly apron, muslin dress, and cap. After she’d pulled on a white silk shirt, Samantha retrieved her trousers from in between the folded towels in the linen closet.
Poor Nan simply must find more challenging hiding places.

Once outside, Samantha sped through the garden and into the field beyond, sailing over patches of wildflowers like a desperate fox fleeing the hounds. Her hair came undone from its hairpins and tumbled down her back, a flag of warm chestnut unfurled against a sea of brilliant yellow goldenrod. She reached the creek in her fastest time yet, kicked off her boots, and rolled up her trouser legs. As she wriggled her toes in the clean gurgling water, Samantha congratulated herself on a successful escape. Prince Wills seemed like a very affable fellow, but there was no possible romantic future for the two of them. Any twinge of conscience was pushed aside.
The prince will undoubtedly be eager to depart, having escaped an awkward marital alliance with the amiable but somewhat plain Princess Samantha of Paloran
.

A mud demon skated toward her through the bulrushes.
Not again! They seem to be drawn to me.
Although she enjoyed magical animals as a rule, natural demons were an entirely different matter. According to Julian’s textbook, one tiny scratch from a mud demon would ruin her day, and a bite would send her into a bout of depression for weeks.

As the small brown creature drew near, Samantha reached for the sling stashed in her back pocket, and loaded a handy acorn into the cradle. With an expert flick of her wrist, she struck the detested mud demon with the impromptu missile.

“Bite
that
, loathsome creature!”

The demon went flying to the center of the creek, where the fast current carried it off.
Ha!
Triumphant, Samantha coiled the sling and returned it to her pocket. The sling had been a gift from Julian, a long time ago. After he taught her how to use it, she’d proven to possess an uncanny aim.
I wish I knew whether or not the sling is magical.
Whenever she’d pressed her brother for an answer, he’d only shrugged and given her a mischievous wink. A pang of loneliness made her frown.
I miss Julian so desperately, and I’m no closer to joining him than I was when Nicholas first gave me that compass.

The warmth of the afternoon made Samantha sleepy. She lay back in the thick grass and watched the clouds roll by until her eyelids grew heavy. A pleasant few minutes passed…until the crack of a twig nearby brought her wide awake. When she sat up, she was horrified to realize several mud demons had crawled from the creek and were surrounding her. Although she’d never examined the creatures carefully before, closer inspection did not improve their appearance one bit. Resembling stocky, furless squirrels, the slimy demons possessed beady red eyes, horns, and inch-long, curved claws.

Her heart in her throat, Samantha grabbed her socks and boots, and slowly stood. The demons peered at her while she calculated whether or not she could physically jump over their heads without being attacked. Her muscles coiled…and then the mud demons bowed.

Although she was stunned and confused, Samantha didn’t wait to ask questions. She hurtled over the smallest demon and sprinted fifty yards across the field without stopping. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed the creatures had disappeared…probably having returned to the creek. Relieved, she spared a few moments to don her footwear before resuming her trek back toward the castle.
What a horribly close call!
The incident bothered her greatly. Demons had no affection for humans and didn’t recognize royalty, so why would they bow to her?

As her fear ebbed, her stomach contracted with hunger and she began to regret skipping tea. Furthermore, she doubted Prince Wills and Nan had left anything at all on the tea cart. On her way back to the castle, she detoured through the apple orchard and picked the fattest, juiciest apple within reach.
I’m so fortunate to live in a kingdom where plants and trees thrive all year around.
When she sped from the orchard and into the manicured garden, she was dismayed to discover her father up ahead on the chessboard lawn. Desperate to escape his notice, she thought briefly about diving into the nearest hedge—but it was too late.

“There you are, Samantha!”

As she drew nearer, she realized her father was conversing with Prince Wills’ conceited manservant, Joe.
Oh, no!
Her ruse had been discovered, and she would have to bear the consequences. As she approached, Joe’s blue eyes widened with recognition.
I hope his discomfiture doesn’t trigger another sneezing attack; I didn’t think to bring another handkerchief.

Although King Tomas couldn’t have missed the fact his daughter was clad inappropriately, he still beamed with genuine pleasure. Samantha was slightly bewildered.
I’ve not seen him this relaxed since I was a little girl. What could have effected this transformation?

“Look whom I found near the stables,” he exclaimed. “It’s Prince Wills from Insolitia, just now arrived. He’s so much like his father, I knew him instantly!”

Taken aback, Samantha nevertheless assumed an unstudied air. “Prince Wills. What an honor to meet you…at long last.”

“The pleasure is truly mine, Princess.” The young man gave her a respectful bow. As he straightened, however, his audacious smirk indicated he was enjoying himself tremendously at her expense.

A ripple of annoyance ran down her spine, but she kept her composure. “Father, I did not expect you until tomorrow.”

“I concluded my business early and hastened my return, hoping to catch Prince Wills this afternoon. His father and I were great friends once upon a time. I trust we still are.”

“Indeed, it was my father who insisted I come,” Wills said. “He extends his most felicitous greetings, Your Majesty, as does my mother.”

“Alas, sir, you’ve arrived too late for tea.” Samantha gave Wills a pretty pout. “What a shame we will have no opportunity to visit.”

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “My arrival was delayed by the inopportune appearance of a sly fox. Otherwise I would have been here sooner.”

“I understand your meaning completely. I cannot abide unwelcome creatures myself,” Samantha said. “For example, I do my best to avoid snakes.”

The pointed repartee seemed to escape the king’s awareness. “It
is
past tea time, but I have convinced Wills to stay at the castle overnight. He’ll be dining with us this evening.”

“How absolutely…delightful.” Samantha’s enthusiasm was muted.

“My father has often described you as hospitable, Your Majesty. An admirable trait which is in short supply these days.” Wills shot Samantha a level glance behind the king’s back.

In response, Samantha took a noisy bite of her apple, turned on her heel, and strode off.
Who is he to lecture me about hospitality?
As she approached her sitting room inside the castle, music reached her ears. She paused in the doorway, momentarily speechless. Wills’ manservant had produced a wooden flute and was playing a lively jig. Nan had hitched up her skirts and was dancing about the empty tea cart, as if possessed by a jinni. Her ankles were clearly visible, to the manservant’s obvious delight.

“Nan!” Samantha exclaimed.

The music stopped. Startled, the maid dropped her skirts. “Yes, er, Urhyla?”

“Come along.” Samantha suppressed a smile. “I need you to draw my bath.”

A myriad of emotions flitted across Nan’s face. The maid was clearly torn between continuing her charade and performing her duties to her mistress. “But I can’t leave Prince Wills unattended. I—”

“
That
man is not the prince,” Samantha stated. “We’ve been misled.”