The Accidental Prince Read online

  ‘I know it, but surely—’

  ‘Don’t try to stop me from leaving,’ Serena warned. ‘I … I need this time to decide what to do, Mother.’

  The queen’s shoulders lowered in defeat. ‘You’ll be married this summer,’ she reminded her. ‘And after that happens, your husband will keep you safe.’

  Serena didn’t believe it, though she nodded to her mother as if she did. Clara reached out and took her hand. She hid her dismay at how fragile her mother’s knuckles were, how pale the skin.

  ‘Take the next fortnight at our estate in Oberalstadt, if you need some time to recover. If your father returns and asks where you are, I’ll tell him I sent you to visit my relatives.’ Her mother tried to smile. ‘And when you return, I’ll do what I can to protect you from his temper.’ Her gaze shifted over to the wardrobe that contained her day dresses. ‘Perhaps I’ll be strong enough to speak to him myself.’

  Serena doubted if her mother could do anything, but she demurred. ‘I love you, liebe Mutter.’

  The queen reached up and touched her cheek. ‘I’m sorry for being so weak. If I had more strength …’ Her voice trailed off with unspoken words.

  Serena lowered her strength. ‘You’ll be fine.’ And so will I. She kissed her mother’s cheek and squeezed her hands, praying that she would see her again one day.

  After she left, she passed the tall windows that lined the east wing. As a young girl, she’d sometimes raced her sister down the hall, while sunlight spilled through the large panes of glass. Now, she walked at a more dignified pace, as befitted a princess.

  Raindrops spattered down the windows, but even the wretched weather couldn’t destroy the bottled up hope inside of her. Freedom lay just within her grasp.

  She returned to her chamber, waiting for her father and Anna to depart for Sardinia. Anna would be presented to the widowed king as a possible candidate for his new wife.

  When Serena glanced in her looking glass, she saw the redness surrounding her throat. Without asking for permission, her lady-in-waiting Katarina brought out a lace fichu and drew it around Serena’s neck to cover the skin. ‘Does it hurt, Your Highness?’

  ‘I’ll be fine.’ But when Serena stared at herself in the looking glass, her face was pale, her green eyes rimmed with red. Despite all of her careful plans, she couldn’t repress her shiver. Her father might have killed her this afternoon.

  She touched the back of her head, and the barest pressure sent a wave of pain within the skin. Katarina dampened a cloth from the washing basin and sponged at her hair to remove the traces of blood. Though her lady was gentle, Serena closed her eyes at the pain.

  Soon you’ll be gone from here. And he’ll never hurt you again. She clung to the thought, taking comfort from it.

  ‘The coach is waiting in the forest,’ Katarina whispered beneath her breath. Before she could say another word, there was a knock at the door. When Serena nodded for Katarina to answer it, her lady-in-waiting announced, ‘Your Highness, the Princess Anna is here to bid you farewell.’

  Anna entered with three of her ladies trailing behind, and Serena went to embrace her. Her sister wore a rose taffeta travelling gown with seven flounces and a silk bonnet with a matching rose ribbon. A dark woollen cloak was tied around her shoulders. She held her gloved hands together, worry creasing her smile.

  ‘I’ll miss you,’ Serena told Anna. It was true. Despite her desperate need to escape, she would think of her mother and sister often. Perhaps one day she could send for Anna, or make arrangements to come and visit her after her sister was married. But the tangled sadness in her heart wouldn’t soften. She was afraid of never seeing them again, and it hurt to imagine the loneliness.

  Anna appeared worried. ‘I know that … a royal marriage is expected of me. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid. What do I know of the king of Sardinia?’

  ‘You’ll be fine. And the weather will be much warmer.’ She braved a smile, but Anna didn’t answer it.

  ‘I still don’t understand why you’d want to leave for a holiday alone.’ A worried expression pulled at her sister’s mouth. ‘With only a few servants?’ Anna pressed her hands together. ‘How can you manage? You need at least seven ladies, simply to get dressed in the morning. Fifty would be a more appropriate number.’

  Serena only smiled. ‘I want a quiet holiday, not an army surrounding me.’ Besides, she’d sent word for the caretaker to assemble a household of servants within the hunting lodge. It was far easier to make an escape with six servants, rather than fifty.

  Anna would have none of it. In a whisper, she added, ‘You shouldn’t defy our father. What you’re planning will only make him angrier.’

  Her sister reached out and touched the fichu at Serena’s throat. The knowing look in her eyes made her wonder if Anna suspected the punishments she’d endured. Had someone told her?

  ‘The king will never know I’m gone.’ Serena stepped back, adjusting the fichu to hide her reddened skin. ‘I’ll be fine.’

  ‘You can’t go off on your own,’ Anna insisted. ‘Someone might try to kidnap you or worse.’

  ‘It’s only meant to be a short holiday. By the time you return from Sardinia, I’ll already be home. No one need ever know of it.’ The falsehood rolled easily off her tongue, and she pretended as if it wouldn’t matter at all. She could only pray they wouldn’t find her.

  ‘But why would you go to Hamburg?’ Her sister looked as if she’d suggested living in a beggar’s cottage. ‘We haven’t gone there in years. And there’s nothing at all to do. Except … catch fish.’ Anna wrinkled her nose with disgust.

  Serena didn’t answer, but merely hugged her sister again. ‘I’ll miss you.’

  A tightness rose in her chest at the thought of leaving Anna, but when her sister squeezed back, she fought back the shadow of pain from her bruised ribs. A flash of fear came over her, remembering her father’s beating.

  You don’t have a choice, she reminded herself. You have to go.

  ‘I’ll return in a few weeks,’ Anna promised. ‘And hopefully the king of Sardinia will choose someone else. You’re fortunate that the fürst of Lohenberg will be your husband. At least he’s quite handsome.’

  There was an enigmatic look in her sister’s eyes, as if she wanted to say something else. Instead, Anna drew back and said a final farewell.

  After her sister had gone, Serena ordered her ladies to help her change into a navy blue woollen travelling gown and a dark cloak. She raised the hood over her hair and covered her gown with the voluminous fabric.

  ‘Shall I come with you to the lodge, Your Highness?’ Katarina asked, her voice fearful.

  Serena shook her head. ‘You’d only be punished. If you stay here, you’ll be safe.’ She’d arranged for a coachman, footman and four guards to accompany her.

  Katarina pressed her forehead to Serena’s hand in a deep curtsy. ‘As Your Highness wishes.’

  ‘Go back to my father’s library. The guards I hired are standing outside the doors. Bring them to me.’

  But her lady-in-waiting hesitated a moment. One by one, her other ladies surrounded her, and Serena saw the worry in their eyes. Then Katarina spoke, ‘Your Highness, you must know that … we would do anything to protect you. What you’ve endured from His Majesty—’ Her lady bowed her head and flushed with embarrassment. ‘It’s so very wrong. And though there are servants loyal to him, rest assured, we will help you to leave, as best we can.’

  Serena looked at the faces of her ladies. These women had been with her for years, and they were so much a part of her life, she hadn’t thought of how lonely it would be without them. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

  ‘There was a … problem with your coach,’ Katarina said, biting her lip. ‘The footman, Herr Henley, will explain, but—’

  ‘We haven’t much time,’ one of the other ladies interrupted. ‘I’ll go and fetch the guards.’ With a curtsy, the young woman departed.

  Serena turned back t
o Katarina. ‘What problem?’

  Katarina shrugged. ‘Just something unexpected. Your sister, Princess Anna, arranged it.’ With that, Serena relaxed. Anna would do nothing to interfere with her plans.

  A quarter of an hour later, the men arrived. Among them was Gerlach Feldmann, captain of her father’s guards. He looked uneasy about the journey, but of all the guards, she trusted him the most. He’d assembled men to help her, at great risk to himself.

  Serena bid her ladies farewell, and raised her hood to hide her hair. The guards led her through the scullery maids’ quarters, to avoid notice.

  Throughout each twisting corridor, her lungs tightened with fear. Although her ladies and many of the servants would not betray her, she doubted if every servant could say the same.

  When they reached the grounds outside the palace, Serena ran through the rain, clutching her cloak around her. Her lungs burned with exertion as she fled into the wooded grounds just beyond the gates.

  She never looked back. With a surge of energy, she raced as fast as she dared toward the coach that awaited her. It would take a full day to reach her grandfather’s lodge, but that didn’t matter. She would savour each mile that took her far away from the palace. No one would stop her now.

  ‘Your Highness,’ the footman, Herr Henley, interrupted. ‘There is something you should know.’

  Serena lifted her hand to dismiss him. ‘Tell me once I’m inside the coach.’

  The rain was pouring down, soaking through her hood and cloak. The waiting footman opened the door for her, and she let him assist her within. She sank down upon the cushioned seat, lowering her hood.

  Then she stared in shock at the prince who was seated inside the coach, directly across from her.

  Chapter Two

  ‘You seem surprised to see me,’ Karl said, knocking twice on the ceiling of the coach to signal the driver onwards.

  His bride, in fact, looked as if she wanted to throw open the door of the coach and flee. Not quite the reaction he’d hoped for, but it came as no surprise.

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  His suspicions were now confirmed. Princess Serena had indeed lied to pacify her sister.

  ‘Was I not invited?’ Karl asked, keeping a neutral expression on his face. ‘Your sister Anna sent a letter, thanking me for taking care of you.’

  Beneath her breath, the princess muttered something about killing her younger sister. ‘You are not coming with me to Hamburg. Or anywhere else.’

  Even in her bedraggled state, she held herself like a crown princess. Likely he was meant to apologise and cower beneath the regal order. Instead, Karl rested his hand upon the door of the coach to prevent her from trying to leave.

  ‘She informed me that you intended to take a holiday with only a few servants.’ He kept his tone neutral, but there was no doubt that his bride was growing more indignant by the second. ‘She was concerned about your welfare. And your reputation.’

  Confusion shadowed her eyes. ‘Why would there be any harm done to my reputation by going alone?’

  ‘Some might believe you were going to meet a lover. Without your father’s knowledge.’

  ‘Oh, for heaven’s sakes.’ Her green eyes sparked with indignation. ‘How on earth could I have a secret lover, when I’ve been betrothed to you for the last six years. When would I have had time to meet someone?’

  ‘One of the palace guards, perhaps … or your groom?’

  ‘There is no one at all.’

  ‘Good. Then I won’t have to kill them.’

  She stared at him as if she didn’t know whether or not he was serious. Before she could make another remark, he levelled a hard stare at her. ‘What is your true reason for going?’

  The princess eyed the rain outside and lifted her chin. ‘My reasons are my own. Now get out of my coach.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I have nothing to say to you. And if you don’t leave now, the rest of my father’s guards will catch up to us. I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping me.’

  ‘You might like being kidnapped by me,’ he said softly. Leaning in closer, his knees touched hers. ‘Think of it as getting better acquainted.’

  Serena seemed to hold her breath when his hands came upon either side of her seat. Her green eyes were frozen with fear. ‘You shouldn’t be here,’ she protested. ‘It’s not proper.’

  ‘I don’t care about what’s proper or right, Princess.’ He reached out and captured her gloved hand, despite her attempt to snatch it back. ‘But I do care if my intended wife is trying to run away.’ He caressed her palm with his thumb, and her lips parted with startled surprise. ‘Or am I wrong?’

  She cast a frightened look outside the window. ‘This has nothing to do with you.’

  Whether or not that was true, he strongly suspected she was fleeing from something. Or someone.

  ‘You have no right to interfere with my plans,’ she insisted, pulling her hand back.

  ‘Don’t I?’ He changed tactics, for it was nearly time to put the second part of his plan into action. ‘Did it not occur to you that every man who has helped you on this … journey … could face charges of assault or treason?’

  ‘Not if I absolve them,’ Serena pointed out. ‘I won’t be gone for … very long. When I return, I shall take full responsibility for my orders.’

  She believed it; he could see it in her innocent green eyes. She really thought that her word was strong enough to vouch for the men.

  ‘Every last one of these men will lose his post.’ Karl leaned forward, resting his forearms upon his knees. Once again, she drew back. Whether it was an aversion to him or another fear, he didn’t know.

  ‘They will never work in the palace again, and every person who saw them leave will know of their involvement in this frivolous holiday of yours.’

  Her face reddened with fury. ‘It’s not frivolous at all.’

  ‘It is when it affects men’s lives.’ His gaze hardened upon her. ‘Do you have any idea what these people endure for your sake? They would throw themselves in front of a bullet to save your life. And yet, a single word from you would destroy them.’

  Her hands clenched in her lap. ‘You don’t understand—’

  ‘No, it’s you who doesn’t understand.’ The coach was slowing down, and Karl saw the open land shift into another wooded forest. The coachman had obeyed his orders, and slowly, the vehicle came to a stop. He opened the door, and outside the rain pounded so hard, it was difficult to see. ‘I’m sending them back.’

  ‘Do not presume to undermine my orders.’

  ‘I’ll presume whatever I wish. Your Highness,’ he added with a dark smile. Before she could make a single move, Karl reached for the princess and captured her waist.

  She let out a hiss, clutching her side. ‘Don’t touch me.’

  It didn’t surprise him. Princess Serena was a woman accustomed to getting her own way, and she wasn’t about to obey him meekly. Despite her gasp, Karl lifted her outside the window, into the freezing rain. ‘I can’t breathe,’ Serena insisted, and he shifted his hold lower, still carrying her as he strode away from the coach. When he raised a hand to the coachman and her escorts, he signalled them to return to the palace.

  But her guards didn’t obey. Instead, they closed in with weapons drawn.

  ‘Princess Serena?’ Captain Feldmann queried, awaiting his order. He held a bayonet, the sharp point directed toward Karl.

  He couldn’t fault them for loyalty. He set her down, giving her a chance to make her choice. Rain poured down over them, dripping past the princess’s hood and soaking her gown.

  ‘Do you want anything to happen to them?’ Karl demanded of her, beneath his breath.

  His bride gripped her cloak, her face crestfallen. He was counting on her to consider the truth of his words.

  ‘If you want to leave, I’ll escort you myself with my own men.’

  She stared at him, and he could see the words of argument forming in her mind. �
�It’s your choice,’ he continued. ‘Go with me. Or return to the palace.’

  Her hand went to rest against her throat, and it almost seemed that she was fighting back tears. He couldn’t understand why, but at last she nodded.

  ‘Return to the palace,’ she ordered her men. ‘Fürst Karl will see me safely to my grandfather’s lodge.’

  The captain withdrew his bayonet and knelt before the princess, his knee sinking into the mud. ‘Your Highness, my men will be forced to search for you.’

  She offered him her palm, raising him up. ‘Then don’t let them find us. Take them to all the other estates before the lodge. I just … want a fortnight to myself.’

  ‘You truly wish to go with the fürst?’ Captain Feldmann questioned.

  The princess sent him a glance, but to her credit, she nodded. ‘He will not harm me. You’ll be in less trouble if I go with him and his men.’ Despite her calm tone, her face revealed her displeasure at the prospect.

  One by one, her guards disappeared into the woods. When they’d gone, Karl took her hand and gestured toward his own coach, which lay waiting down the road. ‘My coachman Samuel will accompany us from here on out.’

  The princess stood motionless, staring at her departing servants while the rain drenched them both. ‘I cannot believe I’m even considering this.’

  Karl wasn’t about to let her change her mind. Instead, he led her to his own coach, where his footman opened the door. Lifting her inside, he settled her upon the soft cushions. Within moments, his coach changed directions, travelling northwest instead of south.

  The rain had soaked through Serena’s cloak and her dark blond hair hung in tangled waves beneath her hood, across her shoulders. She was trembling, and her eyes glittered with anger.

  ‘Why are you really here?’ she demanded. ‘And don’t tell me it’s because my sister sent you. You didn’t care enough to come and see me more than twice in the six years since we’ve been betrothed.’

  ‘I think you know why I came, Princess,’ he said smoothly. ‘To make sure you weren’t eloping with some other man instead of me.’ He removed his hat and set it beside him. The cold rain had dampened his face, and his clothing was soaked from the bad weather.