Read Online Mercy's Prince by Katy Huth Jones - Free Book Online Page A

last year. I’ve been
seeing him once or twice a week ever since.”
    “You have?” Mercy whispered, fearful the wind
would hear this sacrilege and bear witness that she was privy to it.
    “I love him, and he loves me.” She turned back
to Mercy. “How could I spend the rest of my life with Ishmael knowing that I
loved another man? Would that be fair, either to me or to Ishmael?”
    Mercy could not answer, but now she was curious
about every detail of this forbidden relationship.
    “Has he kissed you?”
    “Oh, yes.” She took Mercy’s hand in hers and
led her back toward the village. “It’s so wonderful, Mercy, to love and be
loved, and—to choose.”
    “Is it worth being banned from the village?
Never seeing your family again?” Mercy didn’t add, never seeing me again .
    Serene stopped at the bridge and hugged her.
    “I will miss you terribly, my dearest friend.”
She pulled back, and there were tears in her eyes. “But I choose Jacob over
everything and everyone else.”
    Serene ran across the bridge where a man on
horseback waited. He pulled her up to the saddle, kissed her, and they rode
away without a backward glance.
    Mercy burst into tears. The hole of abandonment
reopened in her heart, the same emptiness she’d carried since her mother died.
    ***
    Valerian entered the infirmary with trepidation
gnawing at his stomach. Would Rudyard hate him? If so, Valerian would find a
way to live with that. More importantly, though, could the knight use his
strong will to go on with his life?
    Few of the cots were occupied. Valerian spotted
his friend by the contrast of his copper-colored hair upon the white linen. No
one else had hair quite that shade of red. When he approached the bed, Ruddy’s
eyes were closed, but his face did not look peaceful. It was impossible not to
notice the missing leg under the thin sheet, and guilt pressed upon Valerian’s
chest.
    He stood at the foot of the bed, wondering
whether to go or stay, when Rudyard’s eyes flew open. His gaze pierced
Valerian.
    “What are ye doing here, Your Highness?” His
voice was strained.
    Valerian’s feet were immobile. He wanted to
come closer but couldn’t make himself.
    “I had to make sure you were going to survive.”
    “Survive?” Rudyard managed to pull himself
upright. The stump moved under the sheet. “Is that what ye call this?” He
savagely pulled off the cover to reveal the bandaged wound.
    “I only thought—”
    Rudyard’s voice dropped to a hoarse whisper.
    “Why, oh why didn’t you let me die? How can I
live as half a man?”
    “All I could think was that life is precious,
and with your wife expecting the babe, they would need you.” Valerian
swallowed.
    “Shannon?” Rudyard frowned. “How did ye know
about the babe? I had not told a soul about that.”
    Before Valerian could blurt out that Ruddy had
told him, he realized he must have Seen it in the older man’s thoughts.
That was not a thing to be admitted with emotions so raw.
    “I’m sorry Ruddy, I did what I believed best at
the time. I pray you’ll find the will to go on.”
    He wanted to say more, but Rudyard pulled the sheet
over his stump and lay back, closing his eyes.
    “Leave me, Your Highness. ’Tis nothing more tae
be said.”
    Valerian turned away and left the infirmary.
For the first time in his life he wanted to break something. At that moment
Kieran ran up to him.
    “Sire, the king requests your presence in the
throne room immediately.”
    He nodded curtly and followed his squire. His
fists clenched and unclenched. How could he calm himself in time? If he tried
to speak, he was sure a scream would burst out. Before they reached the throne
room, Kieran turned into a side room, pulling Valerian with him.
    “My lord,” said Kieran quietly. “Ye have
moments only to calm yourself.”
    Was it so obvious? Valerian couldn’t even
swallow, his throat was so constricted.
    Kieran snatched a pillow from a nearby chair.
He held it between