Fighting for a Crown

Chapter Thirty Five

Oldcliff was only two hours ride from Mrs Edgware's cottage, and every second of the journey was spent trying to figure out what to say to Evie when I saw her again.

Or what if Evie wasn't home? What if it was her father I encountered? Would he like me? He was military too, she'd said, so I might have some chance.

This part of the country seemed to be mostly vineyards, fields, that sort of thing. I passed some trees which looked like they might bare mangoes in the summer, I passed many many wagons with tanned drivers in old sandals and straw hats.

It was still very hot here actually, we were only a week away from Christmas but the sun still shone. I was sweating like anything - God I was going to turn up looking awful.

The heat was different, nothing like we had at home in Beltrain, where it was chilly most of the time, the sun only ever appearing in fleeting glimpses of warmth. It slowly dawned on me that I was actually so far from home. I had been away before but now... Now home didn't feel so homely. Now sun drenched vineyards were just as good as opulent palaces. Now I was redundant.

"E-excuse me, sir." I forced my dry tongue to speak as one rather fancy wagon passed particularly slowly. "Can you point me in the direction of the Bence household? I'm told it was -"

The driver laughed at me, he had curly black hair pulled back into a tail with a blue ribbon. His skin was a beautiful olive and his smile as he mocked me... No I liked Evie right now, I was focusing on her. "You're going the wrong way...sir. I'm on my way up, silk delivery for the lady, why don't you join me?" He grinned, flashing perfect teeth.

No, no I did not like this man, I just missed Evie.

"Thank you, I'll ride behind." I nodded in gratitude.

The man sang all the way there, a fifteen or so minute journey. "So where are you from?" He asked as we passed through the gates, an exotic accent on his lips.

"Uh, Beltrain." I supplied, finding my tongue twisted.

"Ha!" The man cried, letting his two horses clop up a drive lined with snowdrops. "You look it. That's a bloody long way sir."

I nodded numbly, choosing to focus on the romantic redbrick mansion ahead of us. There was a movement in one of the upstairs windows. It looked like her. I'm sure it was her. Saffron sensed my urgency and took off at a gallop until we wound up on the courtyard. A butler came out on one side, two men who looked like stablehands came on another side. I slid off and towards the butler. He was surprisingly young for the position.

He looked me up and down, and seemed to put my ungainly appearance aside for the quality of my clothes and the saddle Saffron wore.

"Is Evangeline back yet?" I spluttered. "Is she here?"

The butler had a cold face, even colder eyes. "Captain and Lady Bence are in the library. The children are still dressing. The family has not been receiving since-"

"No I have to speak to her." I interrupted, willing his cold eyes to soften.

"One moment sir." The butler bowed slightly, then slipped back up the stairs and into the house.

A sudden hand clamped down on my shoulder, causing my almost to yelp in surprise. "Not letting you in eh?" The silk merchant grinned. Now his perfect teeth irritated me. "I'm off around the back, good luck with your plight." He winked and then left back to his wagon. Saffron had been taken away. I was alone on the courtyard.

For five minutes I stood there, waiting, watching in the windows for some sign of movement in this eerily quiet house. Finally the butler re-emerged.

"Captain and Lady Bence will receive you. If you'd follow me, sir. Would you like me to take your sword, sir?"

I shook my head, not wanting to give him the attention of my speech. He led me into the house, through countless wide corridors. Every single one of them was empty. In the whole journey we only passed two members of staff, both of them wore black bands on their left arm.

The butler announced me, then left me standing in the doorway of a huge library. An elderly man and woman dressed in black stood to receive me. The woman had light ginger hair, and the man's was grey, but I assumed it had used to be brown, like Evie's was.

"I'm so sorry, is this a bad time?" I asked hesitantly, suddenly very nervous of these two people before me.

The man shook his head once, stoically. His wife smiled weakly at me. "It's fine. Do sit down. It's a pleasure to receive you, your Highness."

I followed the old couple back to a collection of plush armchairs. They were like the one in my study.

"I am Albinia Bence, this is my husband, Charles." The lady explained, her arm woven around her husband's. He still stared gravely at me.

"Gavrila." I supplied, feeling awkward without my titles, my formalities, my Evie, but pushing on nonetheless.

Though I tried to avoid it, an awkward silence followed.

Albinia finally broke it. "Evangeline told us a lot about you."

"I miss her a lot." I smiled, ignoring the fact that she'd commited treason in running. Did that still count though, if she wasn't on trial? I had no time to consider that, as the door on the far side of the room slammed open, and the girl in the black dress stormed in.

"How fucking dare you show your face here?" She roared with such menace for such a small person.

"Evangeline!" Albinia shouted in horror.

"Mama, leave if you must but with you here or not I'm going to murder this man with my bare hands." Evie growled, glaring at me.