The Ciphers of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood #2)(68)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kranmir
Collier took Maia’s hands in his, bowing his head gallantly to her. “Truly, Lady Maia, you have made good use of your time here.” The look of scorn he shot at Murer finished the insult with a sting.
Lady Deorwynn was livid, her teeth bared into an almost wolflike snarl. She glared at Maia with red-hot hatred. “Out,” she said with no pretense of civility. “I believe you are wanted elsewhere, are . . . you . . . not?”
Before Maia could move, Collier increased his grip on her hand. “Yes, I believe you are right, Lady Deorwynn. She is wanted greatly elsewhere . . . in Dahomey, in fact.”
Gasps of surprise sounded behind her. Even Maia looked at Collier in astonishment. What was he proposing now?
“You have chosen her to wait on my daughter?” Lady Deorwynn retorted, utterly aghast at the notion. “Surely one of the other girls would be better suited. My husband will not—”
“You completely misunderstand me,” Collier rudely interrupted. Still holding Maia’s hand, he stepped closer to Lady Deorwynn, his jaw clenched in suppressed anger, the guise of the simpering suitor vanishing in a burst of flames. “Surely all can plainly see that Maia is the fairest woman in this room. And to Maia’s beauty, add grace, wisdom, and refined talents. She was born to be a queen in her own right and not just trained as a courtier. I can see why you have so jealously hidden her from me, my lady.”
Lady Deorwynn’s face went scarlet with dawning realization. “You . . . all along . . . you came here for . . . for her?”
Murer’s composure finally cracked with the knowledge that this handsome king was not to be hers, but Maia’s. She covered her mouth and stormed tearfully from the room.
Collier inhaled deeply as he regarded Maia’s stepmother. His voice deepened to his richer, truer tone as he dropped all pretense of a heavy accent. “Lady Deorwynn, forgive me, but you are blind. Your power has waned. Maia and I were secretly married in Dahomey many months ago. I came to Comoros to reclaim my wife. And I am not departing these shores without her.” His lips quivered with rage as his eyes scorched the vain woman. “And you will never harm Maia again.” He gazed authoritatively at the stunned group of women. “Leave us,” he barked with a tone of command.
The room quickly began to empty, most of the women leaving in a fluster, and some, like the queen, leaving with a look of uttermost loathing. As the ladies hastily filed out, Collier bent his lips to Maia’s ear. “Not your friend.”
“Suzenne,” Maia called, stalling her. Suzenne looked around in surprise before coming forward, her brow knitting together in consternation and fear.
The Aldermaston’s wife lingered at the door and then closed it, leaving the three of them alone. The silence was immense. The two friends wordlessly regarded Collier, Maia in admiration and Suzenne in awe.
Collier’s aspect had changed suddenly to one of triumph and delight. “Oh my, I must admit . . . that was very satisfactory,” he chuckled, tugging softly on Maia’s arm and leading her over to the cushioned seat. “The look on her face. I will always cherish that memory. By Idumea’s hand, how I loathe that woman.” He smiled reassuringly at Suzenne and motioned for her to sit near Maia. “How do you fancy traveling to Dahomey, lass?” he asked her.
“What have you done, Collier?” Maia asked, still shocked at the sudden change in events.
“Nothing I had not planned to do earlier,” he said, arching his eyebrows. “I was saving the announcement for when your father arrived. I had this little speech prepared—” He shrugged modestly. “But when I saw how Deorwynn was treating you . . . when I saw her contempt and heard her excoriating words, I had to do something, my dove. No one insults the Queen of Dahomey. No one insults my wife.” He shook his head. “We may not agree on all matters, Maia, but we can assuredly agree that she is a serpentine vixen who thrives on spreading misery. How have you endured her all these years?”
Maia’s heart was bubbling with so many emotions she could hardly breathe. She stared at Collier with wonder, not knowing what to say first. “But you humiliated Murer . . .”
“Deliberately!” he crooned, pacing. He went to the lute and plucked a few notes from it. “It was delicious. I cannot feel bad about that, Maia. Do not even ask me to. I vindicated you.”
“I know,” she answered, “but you caused pain and grief. Murer . . . she really believed in the betrothal . . .”
He smirked and played an inharmonious chord. He winced and then fixed it. “Perhaps if they knew of my subtlety, they would have been better prepared. You remember my name . . . it is Feint Collier.” He sighed impatiently. “Murer was a necessary deception, of course. But you were my target all along.”
Maia was flattered that he had not been truly tempted to cast her aside; however, questions still persisted in her mind. “But what of our encounters in the garden?”
He wrinkled his brow. “What do you mean? I was completely, even brutally honest in the garden, Maia. I am still angry with you. I am not entirely certain how to make our marriage work.” He stood restlessly, and toyed with the lute. “We see things very differently, you and I. But sitting here, listening to that woman berate you, humiliate you—you, who are the rightful heir of this kingdom, and she, the usurper! Who is Murer compared with you? I confess that I wanted everyone to see that. Believe me, word of this will spread, and spread quickly. My mortal offense to Lady Deorwynn and her children . . . well, frankly the beauty of it is that it will only increase my popularity among your people! So, believe me, Maia, I have been planning this. I thought our dance would happen at Whitsunday, but it still can.” He plucked out a few more notes on the lute, smiling at her impishly.