“Truly?”
She nodded, tightening her fingers within mine, but not before I caught the tremor that told me far more than her words—telling me about her background made her feel vulnerable and frightened.
But why?
I scrambled to remember all I knew about Queen Margery and her children. Though I’d never had the opportunity to meet Warwick’s queen and family, I made a point of keeping abreast of Scania’s relationships with the surrounding nations. And nothing I’d heard about Warwick and Queen Margery had been pleasant.
Early in her reign of Warwick, she’d been obsessed with hunting down her niece, Queen Aurora, who was heir to Mercia’s throne. Because of Margery’s determination to eliminate the young queen, Aurora had been hidden away, and her father was serving as regent until she reached an age when she could reign in her own right.
After years of searching, Margery seemed to have given up her aspirations of taking the throne from her niece. I guessed the time was soon coming when Aurora would come out of hiding and that perhaps Margery would attempt to destroy her niece again.
Several years ago, we’d learned that Margery’s husband had died. And last summer, hadn’t we received news that her oldest daughter had perished? In a hunting accident?
Ethelbard was the name of the queen’s son. That I knew because he would someday be a rival king. But I hadn’t paid attention to the names of Margery’s daughters. Something to do with jewels? Perhaps Pearl had been one of them.
“Margery’s oldest daughter died,” I said. “So you are her youngest child?”
“No, I am her firstborn. Though she tried to kill me during a hunting expedition, one of the huntsmen helped me escape. I ran away and have been living here ever since.”
If an illness or accident had compromised Pearl’s beauty, then she would no longer be a valuable asset to the queen in brokering an advantageous marriage. In fact, maybe Pearl had posed an embarrassment and burden, one the queen wished to eliminate.
“I have heard of Margery’s cruelty. But I didn’t think she was so evil that she would kill her own daughter.”
Pearl started to pull away. “You do not believe me?”
“I do believe you.” I drew her back, not ready for this moment of closeness to come to an end. “I am confused why she would do such a thing, ’tis all.”
“Then we shall be confused together.” The deep echo of hurt in Pearl’s voice told me that she had indeed suffered at the hand of the queen.
I tried to digest everything Pearl had just revealed. She was royalty. Now the conversations we’d had over the past week made more sense. I’d marveled at her enlightenment of matters having to do with ruling a country as well as her insights into other issues that most noblewomen wouldn’t concern themselves with. She was educated beyond what was normal for nobility, and she also carried herself with a proud bearing.
I relaxed against the cold stone wall. “Princess Pearl.”
“Shh,” she whispered. “Please do not speak of my identity to anyone else.”
“If you wish.”
“Vow it.” Her tone took on the commanding quality I’d heard from time to time, and now I understood why. She squeezed my hand. “Please, Mikkel.”
“Very well. I vow it.”
“Irontooth and Felicity are the only ones here in camp who know who I am. And Irontooth will be angry if he learns I have told you.”
“Then he fears I’m here as a spy for the queen?”
“He is a good leader, but he worries about everything.”
“He need not worry. I’m not here to do you any harm. In fact, once upon a time, Queen Margery had sought an alliance and asked my father about the possibility of a marriage between the Princess Pearl and the next Scanian king.” With Warwick’s dwindling resources and growing poverty, the Lagting had decided against forging such a union. “Just think, if things had turned out differently, we may have married each other.”
At Pearl’s stiffening and Gregor’s exasperated sigh, I realized I’d said too much.
“It wouldn’t have happened.” I tried to think of a way to cover my mistake. “The king of Scania is more interested in the princess of the Danes as a future wife for his heir—”
“And you are the next heir?” she asked quietly.
“No, no. The heir is determined by a process of Testing.”
“So you came to the island for your Testing?”
Denial pushed against my tongue. But how could I lie to her when she’d told me the truth about who she was?
“So you are a prince of Scania. And you have two brothers, do you not?”
Again, I held myself back. It was one thing to divulge my identity and put my Testing at risk. But I couldn’t jeopardize the Testing for Vilmar and Kresten.
She pulled away, and this time I let her. She didn’t go far, only pivoted so she was kneeling and facing me.
A cold shiver worked its way up my spine. I hadn’t intended to reveal my true purpose for being on the island. How had this happened? “Please, I beg of you. Do not speak of this to anyone. As you have wanted to keep your identity hidden, I do as well.”
She studied my face as though seeing me for the first time. “Is revealing your identity against the rules of the Testing?”
“Already everyone rejects me for being different than them. If they discover I am a prince, they’ll kill me. And if not, they’ll banish me from the island and never allow me back. If that happens, I shall forfeit any chance at gaining the kingship.”
“Prince Mikkel.” She tested my name. “You are the firstborn son of King Christian of the Holbergs.”
I didn’t deny her, but neither could I openly admit to it.
“I should have guessed as much.” She rose and reached for the empty food basket.
“Vow you will keep my secret the same as I vowed to keep yours.”
She took a step backward toward the ladder. “Which is more important—your life or your Testing?”
“My Testing.” I would rather lose my life than fail at my Testing. At least then I would die with honor.
Once again she examined me, her keen eyes seeming to see deep inside to my soul. Finally, she shook her head and reached for the ladder. “I am sorry, Mikkel. But I cannot stand by and watch you die when it is within my power to save you.”
“I didn’t ask for you to save me.”
“You will thank me later.”
I sat forward, needing to go to her and somehow talk reason into her. “I can fend for myself.”
“And that is what you have done this past week?”
“Yes, I have been biding my time.”
“And now you have run out.”
I glanced toward the opening above and then lowered my voice. “Help me escape.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Next time you come down, bring a pin or knife or something sharp we can use to pick our locks. Then you can distract the guard above while we sneak away.”
“You wish for me to betray my friends?”
“Are we not friends now too?”
She hesitated, her eyes turning a murky green. “This past week you befriended me so you could use me to aid in your escape?”