Mercy's Prince (30 page)

Merry
whirled around and gasped. A tall burly man choked Valerian from behind with a
stout cord. Already his face had lost color. Though he struggled mightily, he
was about to lose consciousness. Merry took a step forward and lifted her
hands, but what could she do? Did her Oath of Peace really mean she was helpless
to prevent Valerian’s murder? But how could she stand here and watch him die?

Then
Kieran appeared with a sword in his hand. The blade flashed, and the attacker
cried out. Blood spurted from the big man’s leg. He let go of Valerian and bent
over. Merry jumped forward to break Valerian’s fall and glimpsed a fountain of
blood as the stranger collapsed to the ground.

Merry
shuddered and had to force that image from her mind so she could turn Valerian
on his back. His face was blue. She probed his bruised throat. His windpipe had
been crushed, and he wasn’t breathing. She focused all her Healing energy on
the place to repair the damage and restore circulation.

“Merry!”
Kieran’s voice sounded as if he were far away. “You’ve Healed him.” His hands
pulled hers away from Valerian’s throat.

No,
no!
She
tried to shout, but nothing came out. When she opened her eyes, Valerian’s
injuries were gone. But he still wasn’t breathing.

Something
Papa had shown her leaped to her mind. She slipped out of Kieran’s grasp and gently
pulled back Valerian’s head until his lips parted. Then she pinched his
nostrils closed and covered his mouth with her own, pushing air into his lungs.
She kept breathing for him until she thought she would pass out, but his chest
spasmed and he sucked in a deep breath on his own.

Merry
sat back, trembling with exhaustion. Tears of relief poured from her eyes.

“You
did it, Merry. Praise the Most High for your gift!” Kieran helped Valerian sit
up.

“What
happened?” Valerian’s voice was barely audible. He put a hand on his throat.

Kieran
stayed beside him on one knee.

“I
saw you coming toward the house, but then ye kept walking, so I decided to meet
you. And ’tis a good thing I did. This brigand came from nowhere and garroted
you. I pulled out me sword and cut one of his legs, since he was too close to
risk stabbing him and maybe hitting you, too. He let go of you and so I—” Kieran
grimaced and turned away, vomiting into the grass. When he turned back his face
was pale. “Do ye know, ’tis the first man I’ve killed.” His voice lowered. “I
think we can now say the blade is sharp enough tae use in battle.”

Valerian
swallowed and tried to speak a little louder.

“Is
he missing one ear?”

Kieran
glanced back at the body.

“Aye,
my lord. This be the one you saw at the festival. Why was he trying to kill
you, I wonder?”

“I
would be more interested in knowing if someone sent him to kill me.” Valerian
turned his attention to Merry. “Did you Heal me? He strangled me so hard I know
there must have been some damage.”

Merry
nodded and wiped her eyes.

“She
saved your life.” Kieran’s voice was full of awe. “After she Healed your
throat, ye still weren’t breathing, so she did that too.”

“What
do you mean?” Valerian met Merry’s gaze. “What did you do?”

I
breathed for you, as Papa once showed me. I couldn’t let you die
.

Valerian
sat, stunned. Kieran stood and picked up his fallen sword. There was blood on
the blade. He pulled out a cloth, cleaned it, and replaced it in the scabbard.

“Shall
I fetch some help to get you both back to the house, Sire?”

“No,
I’m all right now. I will help Merry. You can bury the body or leave it for the
scavengers.” Valerian did allow Kieran to help him stand, and the squire
hovered beside him as if reluctant to leave.

“Are
you sure ye don’t need help, Sire?”

“Quite
sure.”

“Then
I’ll run and ask MacNeil if he has a preference about what to do with the
remains.” Kieran saluted and ran toward the manor house.

Valerian
held out a hand to Merry.

“Can
you stand? Are you well?”

She
nodded and let him lift her up.

Energy
has been taken from me, but not as much as before.
Merry did not look away
from his eyes.
I was so afraid I had lost you
. She began to tremble.

“You
are so giving, Merry. Mind to mind, and now breath to breath. I feel more and
more a part of you.” Valerian leaned forward and kissed her gently.

When
he pulled back, she stared at him, afraid to look away lest this prove to be a
dream. How had he become so dear to her in such a short time? She felt as if
they’d known one another always. She
was
a part of him, and he was part
of her.

Her
heart wanted to burst, and she hugged him, feeling his arms enfold her. She
leaned her head against his chest, listened to the beating of his heart. Merry
had never felt more alive than she did in this moment. It didn’t matter that he
would have to marry someone else someday, that her future was a great unknown. Right
now in this place and time she could stand here in his arms and love him with
her whole heart. That was a gift no one could take from her and a memory no
time would erase.

Merry
moved away first. Valerian’s face mirrored her own feelings, and she smiled.

“I’m
sorry,” he said quietly. “I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

She
took his hands in hers.

Don’t
be sorry. I’m not. We have this moment together, and that is enough for me to
last my entire life
.

He
kissed her hands and gazed at her with such tenderness as she’d never seen
before. It greatly moved her to be the object of such love.

“You
are extraordinary, Merry, do you know that?”

Perhaps,
but it feels a little awkward to be making such declarations with a dead man as
our witness
.

Valerian
frowned, troubled, and embraced her again.

“All
the more reason to declare myself to you now, while I can.” Standing there in
his arms, Merry wished he would kiss her once more, for they might never have
another opportunity. After all, they were to see his intended bride tomorrow.

He
must have had the same thought, for he pulled away and gazed into her eyes. Then
he gently cupped her face in his hands and brought his warm lips to hers. The
kiss was sweet and restrained, a moment of intimate sharing, but as far as
Merry was concerned, it was perfect.

Now
that
,
she told him when they parted,
is a very good way to communicate
.

A
smile illuminated his face, making him beautiful. Perhaps that wasn’t the right
word to describe a man who was a prince, but he
was
noble and beautiful,
both outwardly and in his soul.

They
pulled apart when they heard footsteps. Merry’s face grew warm as Kieran
stepped out from the trees. How much had he seen and heard? Well, no matter,
she trusted him to keep it to himself.

He
glanced from Valerian to Merry and back, puzzled. But if Kieran suspected
anything, he didn’t mention it. He nodded to the body on the ground.

“MacNeil
says we ought tae bury it. He’d rather not attract scavenger dragons.” He held
up a spade. “What about that hole over there? It looks like an old burrow. Then
all I’ll need to do is fill it in with dirt and rocks.”  

Valerian
shared one last glance and smile with Merry before speaking to Kieran.

“Here,
let me help you.” Valerian walked to the body. “Before we bury this, we ought
to see if there is any way to identify who he was.”

While
they were occupied, Merry picked up Shannon’s picture and embroidery hoop where
she’d dropped them. Then she turned away from the gruesome corpse and hugged
herself. She knew she was probably being a fool, and that someday she might
wish she had acted otherwise, but she had learned too well in the last few
months how fragile life was. For the remainder of her days, she would always
regret not having made things right with Papa and Michael before they died. She
never again wanted to regret
not
having spoken or acted when the
opportunity presented itself.

***

While
they walked back to Ruddy’s house, Valerian held out his arm for Merry to take.
She did so, gazing at him with a muted echo of her unexpected ardor. He covered
her hand with his own, recognizing that nothing would ever be the same again. Was
he a fool for revealing his great affection for Merry? Should he try to
suppress it, pretend it didn’t exist?

How
could he possibly deny it? They had a communion of minds and hearts, and now
even the breath of life. There was no way he could have avoided falling in love
with her, even if he had willed it. And, he had to admit, there was no one else
in the whole world he could have trusted more, or more desired to share his
intimate soul.

What
were they going to do? How could he possibly marry Hanalah
now
?

He
would try to follow Merry’s example and accept this gift of today and worry
about tomorrow if it came. After all, someone was trying to kill him. Between
that and the Horde, their future was uncertain at best.

Before
they stepped into the house, Merry gazed up into his eyes.

Will
you please ask Shannon where I might wash my hair?

“You
want to wash your hair?”

She
nodded, looking sheepish.

It
is rather a long process, and I don’t think I’ll have another opportunity
before we reach the Keep.

“I
can only imagine what an ordeal it must be.” He stroked her braid. “And you’re
right; this is probably your last chance before spring.”

He
explained the situation to Shannon, who took Merry in hand. Merry gave him a
parting glance. No words were necessary for him to understand that she felt as
he did, and from now on each would be incomplete without the other.

            *         

“What
happened out there?” Ruddy asked. His wooden leg scraped on the floor of the
hall as he approached.

“Someone
tried to kill me.” Valerian’s hand went to his throat.

“Do
ye know who it was? Kieran said he had to kill him.”

“I
had never seen him before the festival. He was also in the crowd during your
court. Tall, rough-looking, missing one ear.”

“That
does nae sound familiar. What will ye do?” Ruddy’s face was grim.

“What
can we do? Kieran and I will have to be especially vigilant. Does anyone in the
village sell horses?”

“Aye.
I’ve bought many from a man named Josiah. He’s honest and fair.”

“Do
you have time to go with me now to buy a gentle horse for Merry? For her safety
and ours, she needs her own mount.”

Ruddy
nodded and picked up his cane.

“Are
ye coming with us, MacLachlan?”

Kieran
looked to Valerian.

“Am
I, my lord?”

“I
think,” said Valerian, “I would feel better if you and your battle-proven sword
stayed here with Merry and Shannon.”

“Whatever
you say, Your Highness.” Kieran saluted.

            *         

An
hour later, they returned to the manor house. Valerian led their purchase, a
small black and white gelding old enough to be especially gentle. As they came
in sight of the house, Merry ran toward them wearing riding clothes, though she
was barefooted. Her unbound hair flowed behind her like a reddish-brown cape. Her
face lit with joy, and Valerian’s heart ached to see her.

She
stopped short and demurely put her hands behind her back. He met her gaze.

Kieran
said you went to buy a horse. Is he mine?

“Yes,
he is. He’s not much to look at, but he’s gentle and not too big for you.”

I
think he’s beautiful.
She sighed
. The black and white patches make his mane
look striped. Does he have a name?

“None
that I was told. Ruddy, did Josiah give this horse a name?”

“I
dinna think so.”

Good
. Merry clasped her
hands.
I shall call him Stripe.

Valerian
turned to Ruddy.

“The
horse has a name now. Stripe.”

“It
fits, lass.” The knight grinned.

May
I ride him now?

Valerian
stared down at her bare feet.

“I
thought Shannon gave you riding boots.”

She
did, but they’re made of stiff leather and difficult to walk in.
Merry bit her lip.