To Love a Prince (Knights of Valor Book 1)(80)

She smiled and leaned against him. “What will you do as I get poked, prodded, and measured for a dress?”

“Dresses,” Eli said. “It’ll get colder.”

Auburn pulled his arms tighter around herself.

The prince glanced at the stack of correspondence cascading across his desk. His secretary must have stopped by once he’d learned Eli was home. “I have a lot of catching up to do, but that will wait until after we’re settled.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Marry me.”

Auburn smiled up at him, and Eli touched his lips to hers.

Pulling back from her took all of his strength. “While the priestesses are here and the sun is still up, I should see Duke Calloway and Lady Daniella. They should hear our news from me rather than through gossip or a wedding invitation.”

Auburn flinched.

“I’m ending a business arrangement, nothing more.”

A knock on the door had them both glancing up, and Eli bid the intruder to enter.

Mrs. Fields curtsied, as did an entire coterie of women.

Eli kept his face impassive as he motioned for them to enter. He lifted each of Auburn’s hands to his lips and kissed her palms. “Make sure my princess is well pleased.”

The ladies’ eyes saucered as they nodded.

Eli retreated to his desk, and Auburn glanced back at him. “I’m not familiar with Tamarian fashion.”

“I will marry you in a bed sheet. Choose whatever makes you happy.”

The ladies circling her sucked in their breaths and exchanged glances, but a frown from him had them focusing on the task at hand. One showed Auburn swatches of fabric and drawings as the others took her measurements.

Once Eli was certain that the wedding plans occupied Auburn, he slipped out of his office and motioned to two of the guards in the hall. “I am holding you personally responsible for my princess. You will not allow her out of your sight.”

The two men snapped to attention and saluted.

Once they’d taken up stations outside his office, Eli paused at the doors to his apartments. Satisfied that the priestesses were working through the Light spell, the prince sent a runner to find Duke Calloway and hurried down to the stables. He had to do this, but he didn’t like leaving Auburn alone even with Mrs. Fields, the royal guards, and three Priestesses of Thalia watching over her.





Chapter 47





Auburn heard Eli leave, and a sigh of relief passed through the women with her.

“Quite an intense man.” Mrs. Fields smiled and patted Auburn’s hand. “But he’s smitten with you.”

Color touched Auburn’s cheeks. “And I with him.”

Mrs. Fields clucked her tongue. “Of course you are, dear, and he’ll want everything just so for the wedding.”

“It was King Garrett who insisted on the ceremony. Prince Eli wanted to marry me tonight.”

“At least one of them had sense in his head. Now, about the menus we can put together on this short of notice,” Mrs. Fields said.

After an hour of working with Mrs. Fields and the other women, a chill shivered down Auburn’s spine. The room felt darker despite the warm sunlight, and Auburn glanced towards the door. Eli hadn’t closed it behind himself, but the door was shut and the guards missing.

Mrs. Fields and the other women followed her gaze.

“Is it locked?” Auburn asked, her voice softer than a summer’s breeze.

The housekeeper shook her head. “Why would it be, dear? No need to worry about anyone barging in unannounced. They wouldn’t dare come into Prince Eli’s study without an invitation.”

There was one person that would. Auburn had one of the ladies help her with the fastenings of her dress.

She glanced at the closed door again. “Is there a servant’s entrance in here?”

Mrs. Fields frowned. “Used to be a bedroom before His Highness converted it to an office. He liked the light.”

Auburn could see Eli using that light to his advantage, letting it shroud him in darkness while he studied anyone opposite him. But not the kind of darkness that was lurking outside his office now. That was Fredrick’s purview.

She remembered the feel of it from her visions, the same visions that had warned her not to ignore it. Mrs. Fields could think she was crazy, but Auburn had learned long ago to trust her visions.

They had gotten her to Tamryn.

Sucking in a breath, she walked over to Eli’s desk and rummaged through the drawers. Mrs. Fields exchanged glances with the other women when Auburn found a dagger and slipped it into the pocket of her skirts.

The housekeeper talked about flowers, but Auburn ignored her and crossed the room to search for the servant’s entrance. Mrs. Fields’ lips tightened into a thin line, but she showed Auburn where the entrance was and how to open it.

As the door snicked open, a young woman screamed for help.

“We must go,” Auburn said. “There’s only darkness and snakes if we stay here.”

Mrs. Fields’ frown deepened. “No need to get all worked up. It’s just Becky. Always flighty, that girl, but I best go see what’s what.”

“I don’t have time to argue.” Auburn touched the housekeeper’s arm. “Be careful.”

Before Mrs. Fields could say anything else, Auburn closed the servant’s door behind herself and fled down the dim corridor. She didn’t know where she was going other than away from the shadow that lurked outside Eli’s office.