Once Upon a Romance 03 - With True Love's Kiss (21 page)

Connelly sat
in the tavern and watched Baines work. He’d lost track of which town they were
in. They were all relatively small, just large enough to have an inn or a
tavern where Baines could buy a few drinks for a few men, and then ease into
his topic.

“…left to
work the farm alone, I was, my last lad gone off to join the army.”

“That’s a
powerful shame, being abandoned by your sons.” One of the local men, Grady, was
particularly grateful for the ale, and eager to chime in with appropriate
responses. Baines truly had a gift for singling men like that out of the crowd.

“Wasn’t
their fault.” Baines shook his head, and took a long pull from his mug. “They
could see the farm was failing. No way to buy seed, or feed for the livestock,
when the taxes stripped us clean.”

This was
always the tricky part of the night. It went best if someone else brought up
the crucial point. This particular, evening, however, Baines had picked a gem
of an audience.

“Blast that
fool, Brannon, anway!” Grady let out a raucous belch, to emphasize his point,
before launching into a diatribe against the king. There was a chorus of
murmurs around the room—less emphatic, from men who’d had fewer mugs of ale,
but there all the same. From this point on, the evening was a forgone
conclusion.

All across
the southern half of Toldas, the rest of the band was doing the same thing.
Going in twos and threes into small villages and bringing the talk around to
Brannon. Occasionally they found a township that was content, or too afraid to
speak up, but mostly…

“And who can
be surprised!” Grady had the bit between his teeth now, and wasn’t letting go. “Look
what he did to his own flesh and blood! That poor sweet daughter of his had a
right rough time of it. If he could do that to her, what’s he care about us? He
durn’t even know us!”

“I heard the
little princess escaped across the border into Albion.” That was Baines,
chiming in again. Connelly got ready. His part would be coming up next.

“Bless the
little lass.” Grady raised his mug emphatically, sloshing the amber ale about
the room. “I hope she’s happier there than we are here.”

The rest of
the men raised their glasses along with him, and took a drink. An unhappy
silence fell on the room, broken only by Grady’s drunken hiccups. Times were
hard, and everyone there knew it. The years under Brannon had left Toldas a
barren place.

Connelly
enjoyed planting a little hope for them.

“The lass is
comin’ back, dinna ye ken?” Connelly’s words fell into the silence, and the men
snapped their eyes to him.

“What do you
mean, coming back?” That was the barkeep.

“The wee
princess is ridin’ back across yon mountains, ta take the throne away from her
rascal da.”

“You mean,
she’s bringing an army?” Again the men were still and quiet. Brannon was bad,
but an invading army… They didn’t know which would be worse.

“Nay,
laddie, jest the other refugees that’ve fled ta Albion. The princess comes ta
offer a choice. Follow her, or stick with Brannon.”

The men
looked at each other. Confusion warred with hope on their faces, and Connelly
judged it a good moment to leave them with their thoughts. He drained his mug
and wound his way to the front door.

“‘Tis said
she’ll ride inta Laberdeen a few weeks hence. I aim ta be there, ta hear what
she has ta say.”

“And then?”
Baines made sure to put a little challenge in his voice. Connelly turned back
to stare at him, and aimed his parting shot across the entire room.

“Then I aim
ta bend my knee ta the new queen, and go throw that lying bastard off the
throne.”

***

It had taken
some careful planning for Bianca to slip away from the palace, but she managed
it. Robin, of course, rode atop the carriage, with a wary eye for danger, but
besides him and her driver she was blessedly alone. It took a quarter of an
hour, no more, to drive from the palace to the Wellesley’s city home, but it
was precious to her to have even that much privacy. She had thought carefully
about what she intended to do, and she was firm in her resolve.

She still
needed to work up her courage, though.

From the
carriage to the door, and from the door to the parlor where the stiffly proper
butler left her to wait, Bianca took deep, calming breaths. Once she was alone
in the parlor, however, she gave it up as a lost cause and just allowed herself
to pace.

“Bianca!”
Ella came into the room with a smile on her face. “I was just working on your
wardrobe. What brings you here?”

Ella had
gone into a flurry of production on Bianca’s behalf, once the plan to ride into
Toldas had been set. She wanted Bianca to look like a queen, but also like one
of the people. She wanted the clothes to be elegant, to befit the situation,
but also rugged, to befit the rigors of travel. She wanted them to perfectly
reflect Bianca’s symbolic position to the people she was meeting, without
placing her so far on a pedestal that she could never achieve her goals. In
short, she wanted the impossible.

Bianca had
just wanted them all to have high collars.

“I know that
this is a terrible thing to ask…” Bianca trailed off. She was nervous about
demanding so much in such a short time.

“All you can
do is ask, and let me answer.” Ella smiled warmly. “But I know you. I doubt you’re
capable of asking something terrible.”

Bianca took
a deep breath, and blurted it out. Then she winced and looked at Ella, waiting
for her reaction.

Her friend
had tears in her eyes.

“Oh no, is
it too much?!” Bianca was stricken.

“No, dear.”
Ella wiped her eyes, and embraced her friend. “It’s perfect.”

***

“Ready, your
highness?” Fain asked. He beamed up at her proudly from where he stood, holding
her horse’s lead.

“I’m ready.
Give the order to ride out.”

It was a
motley collection of characters, setting forth to liberate a nation. The
villagers were traveling like tinkers, each family with their own wagon, and
though they would try to stay with the main host, it was expected that they
would move at their own pace. By contrast, the former army men marched in
ranks, wearing their somewhat bedraggled uniforms with Bianca’s newly designed
insignia over their breast. Finally, there were those few who were not from
Toldas. Robin was riding with her, of course. Fain and Vivienne were also
coming, officially as representatives from Albion, but Bianca suspected it was
more out of friendship. Last, but not least, were her suitors.

In the end,
only two had chosen to come. It had not surprised her when Scemo declared that
he would return home, nor when Cansado’s nurse had packed him up and left. She’d
expected Cymedrol to leave, as well, and had gone personally to bid him
farewell and repeat her offer of a temporary shelter should he and his wife
need one. Grantig had actually wanted to ride with them, but a letter had come
from his father expressly forbidding it. Apparently he thought such a “foolhardy
idea” would never succeed, and he wanted his son to have no part of it.

Edicus had
surprised her, though. She had thought, surely, if any were to ride with her it
would be him. He’d come and taken tea with her to explain himself.

“You know I’m
not a young man, your highness.”

She’d been
surprised. “Do not claim infirmity, Edicus, for I know you to be perfectly
sound.”

He smiled. “I
am, Bianca, I am. For now, at least.” He sighed. “I cannot deny that I would
enjoy being king. And, as a wife, I am sure you would make any man happy.” He
smiled at her again, and Bianca felt the warm glow rise to her cheeks. “But I
cannot continue to pursue it, not when it would be so selfish.”

“Why would
it be selfish?”

“This is not
a minor task you have set yourself, your highness. Even if you take the country
quickly, you will be years rebuilding it: restoring the people to their homes,
making restitutions in honor of the crown—setting things right. I am in good
health now. But a decade from now? Two? You will still be hard at work, and you
will need a king at your side who can do his part. Not one who needs rest and
relaxation.”

She gazed at
him thoughtfully. “Why decide to withdraw now? Surely this was always an issue;
what is different?”

He’d looked
out through the parlor door. Robin stood outside, on his everlasting duty
watch. The lord turned his eyes back to Bianca. “I see what you are giving up
for this, my dear. And I find, in the face of your spirit, I cannot be so selfish.
You must have the best chance possible. Sadly, that chance does not lie with
me.”

Bianca was
touched by his honesty, and reached out to take his hand in her own. “I had
hoped to have your council.”

“And so you
shall.” He gave her a final kiss on the hand, while Bianca clung to him. “Never
think that we are not friends, your highness. Should you have need of my
advice, I am always willing to give it.”

So it was
that Anders and Felix were the only two who chose to ride alongside her.
Leander was not joining them. Bianca had gone personally to invite him along,
hoping to forge a bond between them, but instead she had found Felix alone in
his apartments, looking forlorn. Apparently Leander had decided he did not want
to live his life as a secret consort, and had packed up and left.

Bianca
couldn’t blame him, but she felt bad for Felix. It seemed a hard choice he was
making, between the love he wanted and the life he desired.

As she
watched the first group of wagons roll down the long road to the mountains, she
turned to Felix.

“Why did you
choose to come?”

“Well,
obviously, I still hope to be a king.” He grinned at her saucily. “But it was
more than that, Bianca. I think I just have to see how the story ends. It beats
going home, and being useless again.”

She laughed,
and looked at Anders. “And you, your highness?”

He gazed at
her a long moment. “I will not be parted from you, your highness. Not while you
give me leave to stay.” She saw some hidden emotion deep in his eyes, but he
pulled his gaze away, as though embarrassed by his answer, and heeled his horse
forward.

Felix stared
after him with an expression of mock thoughtfulness. “I think he likes you,
your highness.” His normal grin broke through. “But, then again, who doesn’t?”
He, too, put his horse in motion, and trotted off down the road, leaving Bianca
giggling behind him.

It was a
motley crew, but Bianca felt hope. It seeped through her, like the warmth from
the bright sun.

Isabelle
stood by her stirrup. The queen had come to see them off, and her face was
drawn in anxious lines.

“Maybe I
should come with you, dear.”

“No.” Bianca
leaned down and hugged her friend. “Stay here with the king. Thirteen years of
absence can’t be washed away in a few weeks. You need to be together. Besides,
Vivienne and Fain will take care of me.”

“Those two.”
Isabelle rolled her eyes, although her love for her daughter and her affection
for Fain were apparent in her voice. “My daugher is bright and witty, but she
tends to set her eyes on the goal and ignore everything else. I’ve no doubt
they’ll keep you companioned, but who will care for your heart?”

Isabelle’s
eyes moved to where Robin sat his horse, a few paces off. When she looked back
to Bianca there were tears in her eyes.

“Truly,
darling. I can come along.”

“No,
Isabelle.” Bianca was firm, but smiling. She knew the queen was only concerned
about her, and she cherished the love it showed. “I will care for my heart. You
have spent enough time denying your own.”

Isabelle
wordlessly pressed her hand one last time, then backed off from the column of
riders.

Bianca felt
all eyes on her, and knew the moment had come. So she sat straight in her
saddle and pulled free the silk scarf that had been wrapped around her
shoulders. She let the sun’s rays fall full on her bare back, highlighting the
scars that were her father’s only gift to her. She heard the murmur of voices
behind her, but she ignored them. She had no cause for shame. She would show
her scars as she rode among the people. Show them as evidence of their kinship.
Show them as proof of her commitment to ending Brannon’s brutality.

Robin reined
his horse in next to hers. “Is this why you went to visit Ella?”

She nodded.

He looked at
her back, and she could see the pride shining on his face.

“I approve.”
When she gave him a tiny smile, he returned it. “Are you ready?”

“I’m
nervous.” At least, she thought she was nervous. She might have just been sick.
“What if they don’t like me?”

“You have
nothing to fear from the people, Bianca.” His eyes took her in, and for a
moment she felt laid bare, down to her soul. “They will love you, for all that
you are.”