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Authors: The Promise Keeper
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to do? Attack the city with the king’s niece riding to war at his side as one of their company? He could hardly leave her behind in the wilderness to fend for herself and he was loath to assign a guard to remain with her. The majority of the men who rode beneath his banner had waited their entire lives to take back their homeland. He would not deprive them of their moment. No. It would be best for all concerned if he could find a family in Calei willing to take the maid in and keep her safe until the question of the kingship was resolved. Once peace had been restored, he could assume his role of guardian of the girl and let her grow up a little before becoming some other man’s wife.
Satisfied with his reasoning Michel turned his attention in the direction of their uninvited guest and sought to inform her of his decision in regards to her immediate future. He noticed the way Elena was blushing beneath his intent regard and realized without the least bit of enthusiasm on his part that the budding attraction between them was not purely one-sided. Things were getting more complicated by the moment. He silently cursed the dying king even as he responded to the challenge in his niece’s intent gaze. “As you wish,” he replied in a somewhat belated manner to her claim she was not a child, and then indicated with a nod towards the opening in the tent she should leave him and his men alone to continue their important discussion.
Ignoring his silent command, Elena instead peered curiously around the tent and at its occupants. Michel concluded from her surprised gasp that she recognized some of the men gathered there. She turned back to him and demanded imperiously. “Who are you?”
At the directness of her challenge, beneath the heavy weight of masculine outrage filling the tent, Michel was reminded once again of his twin. Smiling at the memory, but unwilling to satisfy her curiosity, Michel replied, “I am not in league with your kidnappers, and that is all that need concern you at the moment.”
“They called you ‘my prince’.”
When her rescuer simply shrugged in response to her pointed reminder, Elena was forced to come to her own conclusions about his identity. Her first impression that he was a stranger simply passing through the mountain trails on his way to another, undisclosed destination was obviously incorrect. One did not travel with an army trailing after him for a simple trespass through the mountains.
She examined the faces of each of the men regarding her silently and with more than a hint of umbrage at her disruption of their important conference. Many of the men she recognized to be members of ancient Caleinian families, some of them nobleman in their own right. Yet none challenged the royal greeting this stranger was given. She also noted that though he was the youngest among them, they appeared to accept without question the stranger’s authority over them. Comprehension was slow to dawn, but when it did, she almost tripped over her own astonishment. She turned accusing eyes in Michel’s direction and exclaimed in an awed voice. “You’re one of them.”
“One of them?” Michel echoed innocently.
“One of the grandsons. My uncle explained that he was not the true king and how he sent emissaries to your family in Europe seeking the return of one of the true heirs to the throne. You’re one of them. You’re one of the grandsons, aren’t you? Why do you not enter the city? My uncle would be overjoyed and so relieved to welcome you.”
“It is not that easy,” Michel replied, evasively, to Elena’s way of thinking.
“Why not?”
“Your uncle is no longer in control of the city.”
Puzzled by his conclusion, Elena contended, “That’s ridiculous. He is the king.”
“Whose niece was kidnapped from her own bed, in his home, and while under his guard,” Michel spelled out for her. While Elena was still puzzling through the
Satisfied with his reasoning Michel turned his attention in the direction of their uninvited guest and sought to inform her of his decision in regards to her immediate future. He noticed the way Elena was blushing beneath his intent regard and realized without the least bit of enthusiasm on his part that the budding attraction between them was not purely one-sided. Things were getting more complicated by the moment. He silently cursed the dying king even as he responded to the challenge in his niece’s intent gaze. “As you wish,” he replied in a somewhat belated manner to her claim she was not a child, and then indicated with a nod towards the opening in the tent she should leave him and his men alone to continue their important discussion.
Ignoring his silent command, Elena instead peered curiously around the tent and at its occupants. Michel concluded from her surprised gasp that she recognized some of the men gathered there. She turned back to him and demanded imperiously. “Who are you?”
At the directness of her challenge, beneath the heavy weight of masculine outrage filling the tent, Michel was reminded once again of his twin. Smiling at the memory, but unwilling to satisfy her curiosity, Michel replied, “I am not in league with your kidnappers, and that is all that need concern you at the moment.”
“They called you ‘my prince’.”
When her rescuer simply shrugged in response to her pointed reminder, Elena was forced to come to her own conclusions about his identity. Her first impression that he was a stranger simply passing through the mountain trails on his way to another, undisclosed destination was obviously incorrect. One did not travel with an army trailing after him for a simple trespass through the mountains.
She examined the faces of each of the men regarding her silently and with more than a hint of umbrage at her disruption of their important conference. Many of the men she recognized to be members of ancient Caleinian families, some of them nobleman in their own right. Yet none challenged the royal greeting this stranger was given. She also noted that though he was the youngest among them, they appeared to accept without question the stranger’s authority over them. Comprehension was slow to dawn, but when it did, she almost tripped over her own astonishment. She turned accusing eyes in Michel’s direction and exclaimed in an awed voice. “You’re one of them.”
“One of them?” Michel echoed innocently.
“One of the grandsons. My uncle explained that he was not the true king and how he sent emissaries to your family in Europe seeking the return of one of the true heirs to the throne. You’re one of them. You’re one of the grandsons, aren’t you? Why do you not enter the city? My uncle would be overjoyed and so relieved to welcome you.”
“It is not that easy,” Michel replied, evasively, to Elena’s way of thinking.
“Why not?”
“Your uncle is no longer in control of the city.”
Puzzled by his conclusion, Elena contended, “That’s ridiculous. He is the king.”
“Whose niece was kidnapped from her own bed, in his home, and while under his guard,” Michel spelled out for her. While Elena was still puzzling through the
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