“We’ll leave you now, Your Highness,” Caleb says.
“Yes, thank you for your service today.”
“It’s our pleasure. If you need anything, Darren and I will be right next door.”
Both knights back out of the room, and Caleb pulls the door closed.
“Dinner is over there.” I wave towards the table. “It doesn’t look like much, but you best serve it up.”
Joceline nods, rushes to set two places with cutlery and a napkin from the tray, then stands back as I sit at the table and inspect the food. Thin vegetable soup and bread. Again, it’s not what I’m accustomed to back home. I eat a little, then ask Joceline to join me.
“This soup is not very good,” I say.
Joceline has another spoonful. “But we’ll have food in our bellies before we turn in.”
I put my spoon down and nibble on the bread. It tastes different to the bread from the bakehouse in Auradale. I manage half of it before setting it back on my plate.
“It’s been a long journey so far.” I stand from the table. “I’d like to go to bed.”
Joceline gets up and clears the food. She sets my travel case on the table, lays out my toiletries, then helps me undress and prepare for bed.
“You’ll get to meet the Prince soon,” she says, as she runs a comb through my curly hair.
“Yes.” I have nothing else to say on the matter. Joceline knows how I feel about the situation, and no amount of talking about it will change it.
“I’m sure we’ll find a way to make everything work.”
Joceline helps me into bed and covers me with both blankets. Then she blows the candle out, plunging us into darkness. I close my eyes and drift, but sleep comes in fits and starts, and I toss and turn all night. The straw mattress beneath me is hard and lumpy. A chill slides over my skin, and I curl into a ball. My mind races with thoughts of what is to come, and I can’t settle. I pull the blankets tight around me and wait for dawn.
When there is enough light to see, I get out of bed and shake Joceline awake. “We should dress and get ready to leave.”
She lifts her head and yawns. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Joceline helps me out of my nightclothes and back into my dress and corset. We emerge from the room onto the landing above the quiet inn. Darren stands at the wall between our two rooms.
“Good morning, Your Highness. Joceline.” He smiles. “Caleb is tending the horses. Breakfast is ready for you downstairs.”
“That sounds marvellous.” My stomach rumbles as I descend the steps to the common area of the inn. I hope breakfast is better than dinner was last night.
Joceline and I have a meal of fruit and porridge before going outside with Darren to the carriage. The innkeeper wishes us safe travels, and we set out into the chilly morning. I’ve been looking forward to spring, but it seems Rivergate is much colder than Auradale, and spring is now a far-off dream. I mount Falada and pull my cloak around me, a shiver running across my shoulders.
My fairy horse has so far stayed out of trouble, and he rocks gently with his steps as we continue along on Rivergate land. The road winds through some open countryside, then hugs the edge of the forest.
“It will get colder from here as we move closer to Rivergate Castle,” Caleb says from his horse beside me.
“It seems winter is stretching on,” I reply. “How do you know this area?”
“I’ve been to Rivergate a few times. When I served your father.”
I open my mouth to reply, but Joceline calls my name. “Princess Aria?” She hangs out the window of the carriage. “Can we stop?”
“Whatever is the matter?” I mumble, glancing at Caleb.
“Halt,” he calls.
Darren brings the carriage to a standstill. “Is there a problem?” He peers around the side from his place in the driver’s seat.
“It appears Joceline has something to say.” I laugh at her still hanging half out the window, her hair awry.
Joceline opens the door and climbs down. “I’m rather bored. I’ve spent so much time cooped up inside. Can I ride your horse please, Sir Caleb?” She stands in her usual pose with her hands clasped in front of her and stares up at him sweetly. “I would like to ride alongside Princess Aria. I miss chatting with her.”
Caleb dismounts. “I’ll walk and keep an eye out for any trouble.”
Joceline grins and takes the reins from Caleb. She mounts his horse and settles into the saddle, adjusting her skirt around her to make sure she’s modest.
“Onward, please,” I call.
Darren gets the carriage moving again, and we continue on our journey. Joceline fidgets beside me, and I know her well enough to sense there’s something on her mind.
“Come on, out with it,” I say. “What’s troubling you?”
“Oh, nothing really.” She pauses. “All right, maybe something.” She turns to me. “I’m worried about you. I know you don’t want to do this, and well ... I want to make sure you’re okay.”
I sigh. “I love that you’re concerned, but I’m sure I’ll be perfectly fine. And I’m sure Prince Bryson will be the utmost gentleman.”
Joceline nods and stares ahead at the carriage again. “But if you had the choice, you wouldn’t do this, would you?”
She doesn’t look at me when I turn to her. I frown and try to read her expression from her profile, but she sits tall in the saddle and stares at the back of the carriage jolting along in front of us.
“You know I don’t want to do this. I’ve told you ... Marrying someone I don’t even know is the last thing I want to do.”
She finally turns to me and smiles. “I have an idea.”
Chapter Three
I PULL FALADA TO A stop, and Joceline does the same with Caleb’s steed.
“Is there a problem, Your Highness?” Caleb asks, coming to stand at Falada’s head. He steps back when the fairy horse tries to nip him.
“Can I have a moment with Joceline?” I ask. “I need to speak to her about something.”
Caleb scans the surrounding woodland. “I’ll get Darren to stop ahead, and we’ll wait for your signal. We’ll keep an eye out, but please stay where we can see you.”
I nod, and he jogs towards the still moving carriage. When they’ve stopped and I’m sure both men are out of earshot, I turn back to Joceline.
“Am I going to regret listening to you?”
I’ve known Joceline all my life. We grew up together, and her mother is my mother’s lady-in-waiting. Joceline became my maidservant at fifteen, when I was not much older, and she has become my closest friend. She’s like the sister I never had, but I’ve learnt to grow wary of her sometimes outlandish ideas.
Joceline smiles. “What if we go to Rivergate, and you don’t have to marry Prince Bryson?”
I worry at my bottom lip. “But I have no choice. My parents betrothed me to him at birth.”
Joceline dismounts and motions for me to do the same. She takes my hand and tugs me away from the horses to a fallen log on the side of the road. We sit, and I search her face for any indication of what she might say next.