Mercy's Prince (13 page)

Mercy opened the cottage door and gasped. It
was Papa! She rushed to embrace him, but stopped at the look on his face.

“You’re back,” she said timidly.

“That is obvious.” His scowl deepened. “What
are you doing?”

Mercy gestured to the loaves of sweet bread she
and Rafael were decorating.

“Tomorrow is the winter feast, Papa. Rafael is
helping me make something for the gathering.”

“How can you think of celebrating at a time
like this?”

Mercy blinked away the tears that came to her
eyes. Papa had been little more than a slave the last few months, but that made
his anger hurt even more. Didn’t he think about what the women and children had
suffered in the men’s absence?

“Have you been released from your servitude?”
she asked.

“I’ll explain later. Brother Gabriel comes
directly. Make yourself presentable.”

“Yes, Papa.” Mercy pulled on her overdress and
braided her hair with trembling fingers. As she tied on her kerchief, her
fingers fumbled with the knot. Rafael had not moved or said a word since Papa
entered.

A quiet knock sounded at the door. Papa opened
it, and without a word Gabriel stepped inside. His intense eyes met Mercy’s,
and he
Saw
her thoughts. It was never a comfortable feeling, but she
determined not to fear her future husband.

“May the God of Peace bless you for that,” he
said with a smile, causing her to blush. “Both of you, be seated.”

The three of them sat on the stools at the
table.

“Have you told her anything, Brother Joel?”

Papa shook his head.

“I only just arrived myself.”

Gabriel faced Mercy. Though his eyes bore into
hers, he did not use his Sight again, for which she silently thanked him.

“We were imprisoned at the Keep while the king’s
son was given the task of determining our punishment.”

“In prison?” Mercy frowned. “But I thought you
were working somewhere in the Southern Woodlands. The king sent a messenger to
tell us.”

“Silence, daughter.” Papa crossed his arms.

Gabriel held up a hand to Papa.

“Yes, we were sent to a large holding of Lord
Reed’s and have been there until today, when we were allowed to return to the
village.”

Mercy glanced at Papa but risked speaking to
Gabriel.

“Did the king say you had completed your
sentence?”

Papa scowled, but Gabriel continued before he
could say anything.

“His exact words were that our three months’
labor was sufficient payment for the three battles in which we did not fight,
but should the fighting resume, then we will be returned to our labors.”

“I don’t understand why you had to labor at
all.” Mercy shook her head. “Didn’t you explain to the king about the Oath?”

“Daughter! You speak of matters you know not
of!” Papa raised himself off the stool, and for a moment Mercy feared he would
strike her. She had never seen him so angry before.

Gabriel restrained him until he sat down again.

“Peace, Brother Joel. You must not allow your
anger and bitterness to consume you. Sister Mercy has a right to know what we
are dealing with.”

Once Papa had settled down, Gabriel leaned
closer to Mercy. He had never seemed so eager to share anything with her
before. It was unnerving but gave her hope, too, that perhaps their marriage
could become a true partnership.

“According to the laws of Levathia, we are
disobedient to the king’s requirement that all able-bodied subjects must fight
in his army. But according to the laws of the God of Peace, we cannot fight.
Therefore, we must obey God’s laws over those of the king. That is what I
explained to him.”

“Then why did the king have his son determine
your punishment?” Mercy frowned.

“Only the king himself has the power of life
and death over his subjects, which I suspect is the reason he gave this task to
the prince.” Gabriel smiled. “I don’t believe the king wanted to have us
executed.”

“Executed?” Mercy gasped. “Simply for following
your conscience?”

“For
not
following the king’s command.”
Gabriel’s face became thoughtful. “I can understand better, I think, why the
king must sometimes be harsh in his rule. If he were to allow even one man to
disobey his law, would that not open the floodgate for all men to disregard the
rule of law? The result would be disastrous for the entire kingdom.”

Mercy tried to grasp what Gabriel was saying.

“So it was the prince who ordered you to become
slaves instead.”

He nodded and folded his hands upon the table.

“It was actually a quite reasonable way for the
king to save face.”

“Reasonable?” Papa said. “How is it reasonable
for a Healer to have to dig ditches from sunup to sundown, seven days a week?”

Mercy winced and covered her ears. Papa had
never shouted so loudly.

“Please, Brother Joel,” Gabriel said. “You must
control yourself.”

Papa growled and stood. Then he went outside,
slamming the cottage door.

Mercy saw the hurt in Rafael’s eyes. His lower
lip trembled.

“Come here, Rafael,” she said with outstretched
hands.

He jumped up and ran to her. She held him close
and scooped him into her lap. He put two fingers in his mouth while Mercy
rocked him.

“I’m sorry, Brother Gabriel,” she said. “Please
continue.”

He stared at her with a pleased smile and
continued to stare until she had to look away.

“Forgive me,” he said. “It’s just that, after
what we have experienced in the last few months, seeing you is like a drink of
cool water to a man dying of thirst.”

Mercy’s cheeks flushed. Gabriel had never said
anything like that to her before.

“I’m just thankful that you all have come
home.”

Gabriel offered his hand. Swallowing, she
placed her small hand in his larger one. He gripped it gently.

“Your father is having a difficult time
forgiving the king and his son for the indignities he has suffered.”

Mercy nodded, but her throat was too choked to
answer.

“I don’t believe he will lose control, but if
you fear for yourself or the child, please tell me and I will talk to him. He
still respects me or at least my authority.”

Mercy tried to hold them back, but tears
spilled onto her cheeks and she pulled back her hand, horrified for him to see
her weakness. Gabriel waited quietly while she dried her eyes, still rocking
Rafael.

“I’m
sorry,” she whispered.

He
shook his head and smiled again.

“No
need for that. Will you tell me what you have been doing while we were absent?”

Shyly
at first, Mercy told Gabriel all that had happened, including Serene’s
departure, the coming of the king’s messenger, and last of all that she had
discovered her gift of Healing. His eyes brightened at the news.

“Praise
the God of Peace!” he said, his voice exultant. He invited her to hold his hand
again, and this time he cupped it between his own and bowed his head.

“Oh,
God of all Peace, may You bless this Your child as she uses the gift of Healing
You have bestowed upon her.” Then he tenderly kissed her hand and released it.

Mercy
studied Gabriel’s face, seeing it as if for the first time. He was not truly
handsome, not compared to her cousin, Michael. But Gabriel had a noble mien and
was pleasant enough to look upon. Not, she chastised herself, that the outward
appearance was as important as what was in the heart. After all, Sister
Providence had long ago lost whatever beauty she’d had in her youth, but the
old woman possessed so much inner beauty it put Mercy to shame.

“May
I ask,” Mercy said, “what ‘indignities’ was Papa talking about?”

For
the first time, Gabriel seemed reluctant to speak about what happened.

“In
the prison we were put in stocks for two days.”

“Stocks?
Is that anything like our pillory?”

Gabriel’s
mouth was grim.

“Yes,
but with several great differences. The prison was underground, and there were
no windows. The air was difficult to breathe.”

“What
other differences?” Mercy asked when Gabriel didn’t continue.

“Where
the pillory holds one’s head and arms immobile, stocks are for the legs.”
Gabriel took a deep breath. “There were rats. Big ones. And because we were
trapped like that for two days—”

“Two
days?” Mercy gasped. How could they have endured sitting immobile with rats
crawling on them for so long? “The king’s son ordered that? No wonder Papa is
so angry. I would hate him, too.”

“Sister
Mercy.” Gabriel suddenly reverted to the stern village leader, and it made her
want to cry. “You must not hate or it will turn and consume you, as it has your
father. The prince merely ordered us imprisoned. When he came to the dungeon
and discovered our condition, he immediately had us released from the stocks
and commanded light be provided.”

“You
had no light?” she whispered. “Not even a ray of sunlight?”

Gabriel
shook his head, his eyes distant.

“Truly
the dungeon was a tomb of death and decay.”

Mercy
shuddered. Gabriel’s words showed that whatever difficulties she’d endured in
the absence of the men, it was nothing compared to what they’d experienced.

“How
long did you have to stay in the dungeon?”

“No
more than a week. It seemed much longer than seven days, but time moves slowly
in a place like that.” He smiled at her again.

Mercy
marveled that his reaction to the situation was so different from Papa’s. In
fact, Gabriel was so altered by the experience she hardly knew him. Before, he
had been somber, rarely smiling, and she had feared that as her husband it
would be impossible to please him. But now he fairly glowed with an inner joy
she found both puzzling and exhilarating. Would she have found such joy in the
midst of suffering?

He
stood and Mercy gently slid Rafael from her lap so she could stand also.

“I
would prefer to stay here in your company, dear sister, but there are many
things I must do.” His eyes searched hers, and he
Saw
her thoughts
again.

“I
hope I may see you at the feast tomorrow?” Mercy became suddenly shy. Rafael
leaned closer to her to better hear Gabriel’s answer.

“Of
course. A celebration will help lift everyone’s spirits.” He gently touched her
cheek as he continued to gaze into her eyes.

For
a moment, Mercy thought he might kiss her, but he merely smiled and backed
toward the door.

“Until
tomorrow then?” She wanted to say more; she was reluctant for him to leave.

“Yes,
my dear sister. Peace be with you.” He left her then, closing the door behind
him.

Mercy
stared at the door, marveling that Gabriel was an entirely different man. With
him she knew she’d be safe and secure. This cottage was no longer a haven. She
sighed and turned. Rafael stood where she’d left him, bewildered. She sat on
the stool again, and he climbed back to her lap.

“What
do you think of him, Rafael?”

“He
is much nicer than he was before. And Sissy?” He gazed up at her.

“Yes,
love?”

“I
think he likes you very much.” He sounded so much like a wise old man that
Mercy laughed.

“I
hope he likes me, Rafael. After all, I will be his wife after three new moons.”

Rafael
went rigid.

“Will
I have to stay here with Papa when you get married?”

Mercy
made sure he was looking into her eyes so he would know her words were true.

“No.
You will live with Gabriel and me. We will all be together.”

And
Papa may visit us
if he will behave himself
.

***

As
soon as Valerian and Kieran rode into the Keep, they were intercepted on their
way to the stables by one of King Orland’s pages.

“Your
Highness,” the boy said with a bow. “The king wishes to see you right away.”

Valerian
glanced at Kieran and shrugged. Then he nodded at the page.

“Tell
His Majesty we will attend him presently.”

The
page bowed again and raced back to the Keep.

“He
must o’ been watching for you, Sire.” Kieran dismounted and gave the reins to a
groom.

“My
father must be anxious about something.” Valerian frowned. “Could the Horde
have attacked in our absence?” When he handed the reins to Conrad, the groom
shook his head.