Read Online The Commander's Desire by Jennette Green - Free Book Online Page A

arrived, and she ladled a generous
portion into her trencher.
    “ The Commander chooses his
battles.” The Prince sipped his ale. “I merely watch his
back.”
    Elwytha’s lips curled. “Truly, a practice you
must be well accustomed to in this palace.”
    The Commander arrived and settled his large
form beside her. Not so discretely, she sidled away. Luckily, the
lout from last night hadn’t arrived yet.
    “ Such venom, Princess,” the
Prince said. “You are not happy here?”
    “ Except for peace, I would
sooner die than live within your walls, attached so closely to your
brood of vipers.”
    The Commander regarded her with a frown, no
doubt surprised to be skewered by battle words when sitting down to
supper. “Elwytha…”
    “ Let her speak her heart,”
the Prince interposed. “Tell us, Princess, why you loathe the
Commander so. Do you still see him as a monster?” With narrowed
eyes, he baited her.
    Elwytha would not foolishly unveil her hand.
If they suspected the depth of her hatred, they would know the
peace was a sham, and that she plotted something far more deadly
against the Prince’s first-in-command.
    She spooned up a bite of carrot and chewed
while plotting her next, subtle attack. Elwytha glanced at her huge
betrothed.
    “ The Commander has led many
successful offensives against my land. Am I to harbor warm feelings
toward him?” Delicately, she sipped stew juice. “Nay,” she
continued, “I would pretend no love for a bloodthirsty knave such
as he.”
    The Prince opened his mouth, but the
Commander shot him a glance. The Prince tipped his head, allowing
the Commander to respond to Elwytha’s deliberately inflammatory
remark.
    In a low rumble, he said, “Speak to me with
respect, Elwytha.”
    “ I would pretend no
lies.”
    “ You wish to break the peace
agreement, then.”
    Of course, she would love nothing better. But
she frowned. “I break no agreements when I speak the truth.”
    The Commander regarded her. “You speak the
war in your heart. You wish no peace.”
    Elwytha frowned harder. How could he twist
her words thusly? Bending them to his meanings, to accomplish his
desires. She retorted, “I don’t have to like you to love
peace.”
    Steely eyes bored into hers. “Speak the
reason for your hatred of me,” he commanded. “I would end this
enmity between us now.”
    Elwytha gasped. Did he jest? Could he truly
be so ignorant of the reason for her hatred? How many had he thusly
stabbed in the back, then? It must be a common occurrence, if he
could dismiss it so utterly from his mind. The heathen. The
unscrupulous, low-bellied snake!
    She spat, “I will not comfort your ears with
pleasant words, Commander. If you wish an obedient wife, perhaps a
maid would serve you far better. Mayhap you, after all, are the one
who wishes to end the peace agreement.”
    The Prince drank from his cup. “I would not
hold you to it, Commander.”
    Elwytha clenched her fists, enraged by the
sly, interfering monarch’s comments. She endeavored to ignore him,
and stared at her betrothed. “Do you, then?” she demanded. If only
he would end their betrothal! Perhaps she could battle him early
and be done with this entire unsavory, boiling stew she found
herself in.
    “ No,” he told her. “I do not
wish it. You will be mine, as agreed.”
    Elwytha gritted her teeth and wished for
nothing more than to leap up and fly on Sir Duke’s back for home.
But it was not to be. “As you wish. But demand no false courtesies
from me, for you will not receive them.” Hands regrettably
trembling with emotion, she stood. “I can stomach no more of your
delicacies, Prince. They poison my very marrow.”
    With slow, deliberate steps, even though
inside she wanted to flee their very presence, she exited the
dining hall. Tonight she would go hungry. Better that than enduring
another moment of excruciating word battles with the Commander and
Prince.
    A thought entered her head. Mayhap Mary had a
crust of