Damask & Deception (Spellbound #2)

Chapter 23: My Hero

Rhiannon winced as her lady's maid, Ailla, brushed her hair a little harder than necessary.

"You let him leave here without you," the other woman was grumbling as she pulled the brush through the long tresses. "First you barely spend any time with him when he's here, and then you allow him to leave!"

"I cannot help that my husband doesn't wish to spend time with me," Rhiannon lied. "You cannot expect too much from an arranged marriage."

Ailla scoffed scornfully. "You're not trying enough. Men are slaves to their desires. Use it to your advantage."

It was becoming harder to excuse the lack of information she got from Baudwin, and Rhiannon wasn't sure how much longer she could avoid him. Her lady's maid might soon realise that it wasn't Baudwin making sure they didn't spend any time together.

"He's busy with the affairs of the kingdom," she mumbled, making a face as the hard bristles of the brush caught her ear.

"Then invite him to your bed to relax in the evenings. Make him talk about his long day."

The other woman made it sound so easy. As if she could allow that sort of closeness with her husband and not feel anything towards him. Maybe once upon a time that might have been possible, but she cared too deeply about Baudwin to spend the night with him and feel nothing. Orc's ass. How had she gotten herself into this mess?

"He should be back soon," Ailla muttered. "He's been gone nearly a fortnight. When he is, you had better make sure you get us something useful or we will no longer have a need for you or the king."

Rhiannon looked up at the other woman's reflection in the mirror. No! It couldn't be time to divest themselves of him already? She would have to begin feeding them some information, just to keep him safe.

"I will do my best. What information do you want?"

"Anything." Ailla moved away to grab whatever clothing she was to wear for the day. "But especially if you hear anything about Son of Deva. We will decide what is important."

Helping Rhiannon into a dark green dress with a scooped neckline and cinched waist, she leaned in close. "And I have been told to remind you he has not forgotten about the item you stole from him. He will want it back soon."

"I told you, I don't have it."

"We all know that's a lie."

"I don't have it on me," Rhiannon clarified. "I'm not stupid enough to travel around with it."

"Once your business here is concluded, you and I will travel to wherever you stowed it and retrieve it."

Over my dead body. She'd been a coward in the past. Hiding from the world. Hiding from her mistakes. No more. She would no longer stand idly by and let Son of Deva plunge the world into darkness. If this little piece of resistance was all she could contribute, then so be it. But she'd play her role for now, to waste their time as long as possible.

"Of course." Her voice was demure, masking her rebellious thoughts. She would never let him have it back.

Leaving Ailla behind, she walked to the upstairs parlour to break her fast with Braithe, as had become her habit, especially with the men away. During their time alone, the princess had told her about the mistreatment the kingdom had suffered under her parents' reign, and how Baudwin had come to take the crown from them after a big showdown. Her husband was a good man. She truly did not deserve him.

When she reached the parlour, it surprised her to find Aurelian sitting next to his wife, stuffing his face with scrambled eggs. As if on their own volition, her eyes strayed to the empty spot where Baudwin would sit on the rare occasions he joined them.