after awhile, “but it occurred to me that you have been out here alone for quite some time now. Shouldn’t someone be searching for you?”
Emmeline surprised them both when a giggle escaped her lips. “Actually, it took a good portion of my morning, but I managed to sneak past my guards. It was a miracle my handmaiden didn’t find me. She, in particular, will not be pleased when I return.” Emmeline couldn’t help but let laughter bubble out of her at the memory of her escape. “Isn’t it silly that I had to go through so much trouble to enjoy some fresh air?”
Erick smiled in answer but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Why do you want to leave the palace?”
Emmeline sighed. There were so many reasons she could never explain to him. A forced marriage, lack of freedom, over-protective guards. None of these things were safe to discuss. So once again she told him the only truth she could.
“ I suppose the storm is partially to blame,” she said. “I’ve been forced to hole up in my chambers for weeks, which has become quite tedious. When it stormed at home I usually played my harp. With the rain and thunder beating against the house I could almost pretend nature was making music with me. I have yet to find any musical instruments in the palace though. Do you know why that is?”
“It ’s the law, My Lady.”
“ A law against instruments?”
“ No, against any form of music. In the palace, that is.”
Emmeline couldn’t believe it. A law to ban music? She wondered how many other silly laws Dolmerti seemed fit to impose on its people. No fires while the princes were away, no music in the palace. What was next?
“Why ?” she asked. “It’s not as if music ever hurt anybody.”
Erick shrugged.
“Well, that’s very disappointing.”
“ Are you not in good company at the palace?”
Emmeline nodded half-heartedly. “My handmaiden, Adelia, is very kind to me. I hope she won’t be too angry with me when I return. She’ll probably sleep in front of my door for a week!” Emmeline laughed at the thought.
Erick chuckled. “Your guards too.”
Emmeline frowned. The guards already slept at her door. She couldn’t get rid of them.
“Adelia is the closest thing I have to a friend right now,” Emmeline said. “Although, I’m not sure how much I can trust her just yet.”
“Why?” Erick asked.
Emmeline waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s nothing. I think I’m just not used to having any friends.” Truth was, Adelia was kind and very giving, but Emmeline didn’t appreciate how willing she was to follow Mahlon’s orders. If it were up to Adelia, Emmeline would never have received permission to wander the palace corridors. She had a feeling that privilege would be taken away as soon as she returned.
E rick pursed his lips. “If you are in need of a friend, I could prepare a horse for you to ride. The King’s horses behave much better than most people, I think.”
“I would like that very much, ” Emmeline said. Her heart leapt at the chance of bonding with one of the King’s horses. There was a possibility an equestrian friend would be the only friend she’d ever have in Dolmerti.
Erick’s grin lit up his entire face and Emmeline wondered what it would be like to have a friend like him. His ready smile and easy laugh seemed to reach into her weary chest and pull out laughter of her own. The longer she was with him, the more all her worry and sadness seemed to melt away. True, Dolmerti’s rules on propriety might frown on a future princess befriending a servant. But she felt no more a princess than he a servant. For the first time since arriving, her step was light. She could almost forget the pain of the last several weeks.
“ The day is worn,” he said. “I can still take you to the stables, but perhaps I could prepare a horse for you tomorrow morning?”
“ That would be wonderful.”
“If it pleases you, I could ride along with
Emmeline surprised them both when a giggle escaped her lips. “Actually, it took a good portion of my morning, but I managed to sneak past my guards. It was a miracle my handmaiden didn’t find me. She, in particular, will not be pleased when I return.” Emmeline couldn’t help but let laughter bubble out of her at the memory of her escape. “Isn’t it silly that I had to go through so much trouble to enjoy some fresh air?”
Erick smiled in answer but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Why do you want to leave the palace?”
Emmeline sighed. There were so many reasons she could never explain to him. A forced marriage, lack of freedom, over-protective guards. None of these things were safe to discuss. So once again she told him the only truth she could.
“ I suppose the storm is partially to blame,” she said. “I’ve been forced to hole up in my chambers for weeks, which has become quite tedious. When it stormed at home I usually played my harp. With the rain and thunder beating against the house I could almost pretend nature was making music with me. I have yet to find any musical instruments in the palace though. Do you know why that is?”
“It ’s the law, My Lady.”
“ A law against instruments?”
“ No, against any form of music. In the palace, that is.”
Emmeline couldn’t believe it. A law to ban music? She wondered how many other silly laws Dolmerti seemed fit to impose on its people. No fires while the princes were away, no music in the palace. What was next?
“Why ?” she asked. “It’s not as if music ever hurt anybody.”
Erick shrugged.
“Well, that’s very disappointing.”
“ Are you not in good company at the palace?”
Emmeline nodded half-heartedly. “My handmaiden, Adelia, is very kind to me. I hope she won’t be too angry with me when I return. She’ll probably sleep in front of my door for a week!” Emmeline laughed at the thought.
Erick chuckled. “Your guards too.”
Emmeline frowned. The guards already slept at her door. She couldn’t get rid of them.
“Adelia is the closest thing I have to a friend right now,” Emmeline said. “Although, I’m not sure how much I can trust her just yet.”
“Why?” Erick asked.
Emmeline waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s nothing. I think I’m just not used to having any friends.” Truth was, Adelia was kind and very giving, but Emmeline didn’t appreciate how willing she was to follow Mahlon’s orders. If it were up to Adelia, Emmeline would never have received permission to wander the palace corridors. She had a feeling that privilege would be taken away as soon as she returned.
E rick pursed his lips. “If you are in need of a friend, I could prepare a horse for you to ride. The King’s horses behave much better than most people, I think.”
“I would like that very much, ” Emmeline said. Her heart leapt at the chance of bonding with one of the King’s horses. There was a possibility an equestrian friend would be the only friend she’d ever have in Dolmerti.
Erick’s grin lit up his entire face and Emmeline wondered what it would be like to have a friend like him. His ready smile and easy laugh seemed to reach into her weary chest and pull out laughter of her own. The longer she was with him, the more all her worry and sadness seemed to melt away. True, Dolmerti’s rules on propriety might frown on a future princess befriending a servant. But she felt no more a princess than he a servant. For the first time since arriving, her step was light. She could almost forget the pain of the last several weeks.
“ The day is worn,” he said. “I can still take you to the stables, but perhaps I could prepare a horse for you tomorrow morning?”
“ That would be wonderful.”
“If it pleases you, I could ride along with
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