The Sapphire Broach

Chapter 31 (rough draft)

Kenric did not hurry home. He walked slowly, his mind deep in thought. Images of Ivy with a noose around her neck filled him with dread again and again. What if he hadn't discovered who she was and gone after her? What if he hadn't found the broach? What if the people hadn't let him kiss her?

He sighed and remembered the feel of her lips against his and her desperation when she kissed him back. If he hadn't been so frightened for her it would have been the greatest moment of his life. He would surely never forget it, but the tiniest part of him regretted it.

Pinning the broach to her dress had saved her, but it had also taken her out of his life forever. She was a princess now—no, they would crown her queen. Queen of Berryann. And he was Kenric Mannering, a poor, measly peasant—a nobody.

He would vanish from her life and her memories, while he sat back and watched princes from all over flock to her and vie for her attention. He would watch them court her and someday hear of a royal wedding.

"We should just forget about her, Sweetie." He patted the mare. "Forget all about her."

When darkness made it impossible to travel farther, he camped for the night, then continued on in the morning.

"Kenric!" His mother ran toward him a few hours later when he entered their property.

Janie, Anna, and Rodney rushed to him too.

"Did you find her? Is she well? What of King Rymond? Is she restored to the throne?"

Kenric held up his hands. "Easy, Mother. I cannot possibly answer all those questions at once."

She took a deep breath. "One at a time then. Did you find her?"

"Yes."

"Is she well?"

He paused and reviewed the events of the previous evening. "Yes."

"What of Rymond?"

"He fled. Soldiers pursued him. I imagine they caught him."

His mother eyed him, no doubt concerned at his lack of emotion. "Is she restored to the throne?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you here, son?"

He blinked. "Where else would I be?"

"With her, you dolt!" Janie cried. "Why are you not with her? You love her!"

"I do not love her." That was probably a lie, but it would have to become the truth. He couldn't love the queen.

"You are a fool!" Janie nearly screamed at him.

"No, Janie!" He matched her anger. "I am not a fool! She is the queen! A pathetic little peasant like me does not march up to the palace and beg to court the queen. It does not work that way. And besides, I do not love her."

"That is a lie."

"How would you know? You never saw us together. All we did was argue and fight!"

"All you ever do is argue with people," Janie countered. "Especially people you care about."

Kenric glared at her. That wasn't true . . . or was it?

"You are a rather stubborn man with a healthy temper," his mother added.

Kenric ran his hands through his hair. They were right, of course. He did care about her, more than he had ever cared about anyone. Maybe he even loved her, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

***

The first three weeks of being the queen passed in a blur of meetings and councils. Ivy changed Rymond's tyrannical laws and sent a delegation to their ally, Alexandria, retracting the threat of war and patching their damaged friendship. She appointed new guards and leaders to replace Rymond's corrupt ones and familiarized herself with the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom.

She sent men to the prison in Chesterville to personally see to the release of Carl Anderson, and sent others to Akerton to find her Aunt Maurie. Word reached her quickly of Carl's release, but Akerton was a week's journey by horse so it would take time to receive news of Aunt Maurie.

She stayed busy every moment and had no time to think of Kenric, other than to replay their kiss in her head over and over. And when she did, her knees grew weak and she had to think of something else.

Finally the kingdom fell into place and Ivy had a bit of time to herself. Her freed thoughts turned immediately to Kenric. How had he known who she was? Why had he returned just to leave her again? Why had he kissed her? Had it only been a way to save her, or had it meant a little more?

"This has to stop!" Ivy said aloud.

"Um . . . what has to stop, Your Majesty?" A middle-aged servant stood before her with a tray of tea and an afternoon snack. She hadn't noticed him enter the lounge.

"Oh, forgive me. I thought I was alone."

"There is nothing to forgive." He set the tray on the table before her, but did not leave. "However, my Queen, if something troubles you it may help to speak of it to someone. I am rather good at listening."

A huge sigh attested to her need to talk. "I cannot stop thinking of that night three weeks ago and the man who . . ."

"Ah. The man who kissed you." He nodded as though he understood far more than she had shared.

"Yes. He saved me when the soldiers chased me from my aunt's house. We traveled together for two weeks. He was shot and nearly died. When he recovered he went home to care for his mother and siblings."

"And then he came here and saved you," the servant finished for her.

"Yes. He came here and . . ."

"Kissed you," he again completed her sentence. "We already mentioned that."

The real question that burned within her slipped out. "Why did he leave me?"

The servant poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. "Imagine you were him. If you, a common man, saved a woman you cared for and then she became queen, what would you do? Would you stay and grovel at her feet, hoping she would pay attention to you?"

She understood. "No. I would go home and try to forget about her."

The servant smiled, then left her to her thoughts.

He had left because she was the queen? It only took a moment for her to make a plan. She jumped from where she sat on the sofa and ran after the servant, her slippers swished across the marble tiled floor. "Wait!"

He turned to her. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Am I allowed to leave?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "You are the queen. You can do as you wish. However, I believe that delegates from several of our ally countries will be arriving starting tomorrow to discuss your new relationships and trade dealings. Next week a representative from—"

She lifted her hand to quiet him. "I understand. I can leave, but I really cannot."

He nodded.

"Would you tell the head guard that I wish to speak to him, then? I need him to send some men to Tolarre."

The servant smiled. "I will."