Read Online A Royal Marriage by Rachelle McCalla - Free Book Online Page A

through her fever to deduce that they were in danger from enemy war scouts in the area. Was King John needed outside more urgently than she needed him inside?
    Had she exposed them to danger through her selfish request? And why did she feel so strongly about seeing the king again?
    * * *
    “Your Majesty?”
    John turned at the sound of Hilda’s voice, instantly concerned. The maid should be at Princess Gisela’s bedside, not out here by the river, looking for him. He darted downstream, speaking softly before she called out for him again. “Yes, Hilda?”
    “She’s asking for you again.”
    A wave of relief hit him with force, followed by an almost euphoric joy he attributed to happiness that the princess was well enough to speak. Certainly it had nothing to do with her request to see him. She only needed his medical knowledge—not anything more personal than that.
    Still, he hurried after the maid, fearful that she’d already left the princess unguarded for long minutes while she’d been out searching for him. John had traveled upstream, expanding the search perimeter looking for signs that the Illyrians might have forded the creek.
    The darkness had yielded no sign of them. He passed the other two guards on his way to the inn and was relieved to see them patrolling attentively.
    Hilda panted as she held her oil lamp aloft and led him into the low-beamed private room.
    “Did you find him?” Gisela asked.
    Realizing the princess had heard her maid but was unable to see him, John hastened forward and scooped up her hand. “I’m here.”
    A smile spread across her lips and the anxiety fled from her features.
    John found the expression contagious and couldn’t help grinning back. Certainly his relief stemmed from finding her responsive—from finding her alive at all. He’d not stopped praying for her since he’d left her bedside.
    He pressed his hand to her forehead. To his immense relief, her fever had already begun to abate, even from its reduced state when he’d left her last.
    “Hilda? Where are the herbs I brought in my pack?”
    “I gave them to the innkeeper’s wife, Your Majesty. She was going to put them in a pot.”
    Instantly alarmed, John snapped, “She can’t cook with them! The princess is still in a precarious state. I need those herbs—they must be fresh!”
    “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I didn’t mean a cooking pot. She was going to plant them in soil to keep them alive, sire. That’s all. Shall I fetch some?”
    Mollified by her reassurances, John softened his tone. “Please, if you can find them, bring me the whole pot. I’ll pick what I need.”
    “Yes, sire.” Hilda shuffled past him, taking her oil lamp with her, leaving him only one sputtering flame to see by.
    “I’m sorry if she interrupted your patrol.” The princess looked repentant.
    “It’s fine. You don’t need to apologize. I’ve seen no sign of the Illyrians, and my guards are actively patrolling. In any case, your condition is of paramount importance. I’m glad you asked for me before your maid retired for the night. I was hoping to change your bandages again and refresh the herbs. They seem to be helping.”
    “Yes. I’m feeling more alert and less feverish already.”
    “Good,” John said, though he felt a prickle of distress that she might remember the words he’d spoken earlier when he hadn’t expected her to hear. His mouth dry, he posed a tentative question. “Have you been awake since...” His words dropped off as he tried to think of the best way to pose his question.
    “Since you heaped flattering words upon me?” Princess Gisela’s slight grin told him she was teasing him.
    His heart stuttered at being caught, then an unfamiliar thrill of relief rippled through him. The princess wasn’t upset. In spite of her continued fever, she was playing with him.
    King John wasn’t used to lighthearted repartee. Few were the men in his kingdom who would dare to jibe with him. His brother Luke was