vital to his recovery. She accepted this readily. Whatever he needed, he must have. Whatever it took to restore him to her, she would do. It was, she told him, her way of showing her deep contrition for the anguish she had inflicted upon him at his sham of a trial, and she would demonstrate her sincerity and commitment to him in whatever way she could.
The very next day, stonemasons and other craftsmen were summoned to the palace. With no thought for the wishes of her father, Sofira ordered all the windows on the ground floor walled up immediately and heavy drapes fitted over all the doors, so not even the glimmer of lamplight should creep beneath them. She had the layout of the rooms altered to allow her beloved the sole use of a full suite, and had a new doorway to the courtyard made so he could walk the moonless nights in private if he so chose. Her father was banished to the upper two floors of his own palace, and Lerric made no complaint.
The palace was largely deserted. Bordenn’s harsh winters routinely kept Lerric’s nobles away. It might make the process of government trickier, but at least it avoided the problem of awkward questions. The province, which produced mainly foodstuffs such as grain, cereals, vegetables, and meat, needed little in the way of attention through the unproductive winter months. Had it been otherwise, Reen’s rescue and concealment would not have been so manageable. As it was, Sofira completed her changes unhindered, and now the palace’s ground floor was a dark and gloomy place, inhabited only by Sofira, her scarecrow suitor, and his minions. And these arrangements suited Reen very well.
Lerric showed little interest in his daughter’s coming marriage. He had stated that his people, loyal though they were to Sofira and convinced of her innocence, would object to their Princess wedding a convicted traitor. Reen could not care less what the people of Bordenn thought, but Sofira herself came up with a solution to any possible objections.
“I told Father I intend to issue a proclamation, my love,” she said, stroking Reen’s brow. “I intend to show that Elias was manipulated by false witnesses, and that the conviction for treason should never have been passed. My father will append his seal to the decree, stating that he exonerates you of all taint of treason, and that he supports your inclusion into our family. Enough of our people were angry when Elias cast me off; the decree will come as no surprise.”
Maybe not, thought Reen, but his plans for the province might. Bordenn might have been willing to support their king when Lerric joined the rebellion against Elias’s father, King Kandaran, but they hadn’t been alone then. Three other provinces, all larger with mighty armed forces and strong leaders, acted as buffers between Bordenn and Elias’s wrath once Mathias Blaine defeated the rebel forces. It was only Lerric’s abjectly sworn statement pleading coercion by the other rebel leaders that saved his neck once the war was over. And now Lerric was under pain of death should he rebel again. Appending his name to a declaration such as Sofira planned was tantamount to signing his own death warrant. Yet Sofira was adamant Lerric would accede to her wishes, and Reen believed her. Her relationship with her father was one of the reasons Reen was here.
Tiring of her ministrations, Reen feigned weariness and bade her leave him to sleep. It was coming on to midnight and the men he had summoned earlier ought to return soon.
A shiver of evil pleasure shuddered through Reen’s flesh. He had been able to refresh himself from the same source once more without arousing suspicion, but he could not keep on that way. He needed servants who were whole, not half-devoured, and it was unsatisfying to restrain himself before he was fully sated.
He had sent his minions out with very specific instructions and told them not to return until they succeeded. He knew it would take them some while, but
The very next day, stonemasons and other craftsmen were summoned to the palace. With no thought for the wishes of her father, Sofira ordered all the windows on the ground floor walled up immediately and heavy drapes fitted over all the doors, so not even the glimmer of lamplight should creep beneath them. She had the layout of the rooms altered to allow her beloved the sole use of a full suite, and had a new doorway to the courtyard made so he could walk the moonless nights in private if he so chose. Her father was banished to the upper two floors of his own palace, and Lerric made no complaint.
The palace was largely deserted. Bordenn’s harsh winters routinely kept Lerric’s nobles away. It might make the process of government trickier, but at least it avoided the problem of awkward questions. The province, which produced mainly foodstuffs such as grain, cereals, vegetables, and meat, needed little in the way of attention through the unproductive winter months. Had it been otherwise, Reen’s rescue and concealment would not have been so manageable. As it was, Sofira completed her changes unhindered, and now the palace’s ground floor was a dark and gloomy place, inhabited only by Sofira, her scarecrow suitor, and his minions. And these arrangements suited Reen very well.
Lerric showed little interest in his daughter’s coming marriage. He had stated that his people, loyal though they were to Sofira and convinced of her innocence, would object to their Princess wedding a convicted traitor. Reen could not care less what the people of Bordenn thought, but Sofira herself came up with a solution to any possible objections.
“I told Father I intend to issue a proclamation, my love,” she said, stroking Reen’s brow. “I intend to show that Elias was manipulated by false witnesses, and that the conviction for treason should never have been passed. My father will append his seal to the decree, stating that he exonerates you of all taint of treason, and that he supports your inclusion into our family. Enough of our people were angry when Elias cast me off; the decree will come as no surprise.”
Maybe not, thought Reen, but his plans for the province might. Bordenn might have been willing to support their king when Lerric joined the rebellion against Elias’s father, King Kandaran, but they hadn’t been alone then. Three other provinces, all larger with mighty armed forces and strong leaders, acted as buffers between Bordenn and Elias’s wrath once Mathias Blaine defeated the rebel forces. It was only Lerric’s abjectly sworn statement pleading coercion by the other rebel leaders that saved his neck once the war was over. And now Lerric was under pain of death should he rebel again. Appending his name to a declaration such as Sofira planned was tantamount to signing his own death warrant. Yet Sofira was adamant Lerric would accede to her wishes, and Reen believed her. Her relationship with her father was one of the reasons Reen was here.
Tiring of her ministrations, Reen feigned weariness and bade her leave him to sleep. It was coming on to midnight and the men he had summoned earlier ought to return soon.
A shiver of evil pleasure shuddered through Reen’s flesh. He had been able to refresh himself from the same source once more without arousing suspicion, but he could not keep on that way. He needed servants who were whole, not half-devoured, and it was unsatisfying to restrain himself before he was fully sated.
He had sent his minions out with very specific instructions and told them not to return until they succeeded. He knew it would take them some while, but
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