Rachel Rossano - The Theodoric Saga (9 page)

He turned to Labren.“You know the rest.” He laid the quilts on the floor inside. “I will lock the door and go down and see what is going on.” Labren urged Eve inside, but placed a hand on Han’s shoulder before he followed.

“Thank you, Atluer.” Han gave him a quick embrace and then Labren hurried after Eve.

Before he shut the door, he smiled at them. “We will protect you.” Then the door closed. Eve heard the lock click and the sound of the key being drawn out. Labren faced the door until Han’s footsteps could no longer be heard.

Taking a deep breath, he turned and regarded her.

Labren’s heart ached as he turned away from the door. He did not have much opportunity to dwell on it though. He was, at once, confronted by the frightened face of his young wife. Smiling to reassure her, he studied her face. Her green eyes, large with fear, overwhelmed her features. The ashen color of her skin made him wonder if she was going to faint on him.

“Come, we need to find the cupboard we are going to hide in.” Hopefully, getting her mind on something practical would be distracting.

With great caution, they made their way through the maze of covered furniture, boxes, and trunks crowding the room. Sunlight poured in from the window on the west wall.

With only a few whispered instructions, they found the cupboard that he remembered. A solid oak monolith, it stood against the wall farthest from the door. The body of the piece began a foot above the floor and rose to about Eve’s shoulders. The length of the front was twice the height and four times the depth. On the outside it appeared to be just like any ordinary cupboard anyone would find in a pantry, kitchen or basement. When Labren opened the doors and lowered the false back, a gaping hole appeared. The space inside went back into the wall behind. A clever catch was installed into the trim around the false back so it could be opened from the inside or outside.

Eve shot him a questioning look when the false panel obeyed his fingers’ command and revealed the small area beyond.

“Now would not be a good time to tell me you’re claustrophobic,” Labren joked.

Her horror answered his flippant remark. His insides clenched in dread as he watched fear tense the muscles in her hands, balling them against her skirt. She was going to panic on him if he did not do something. He pushed himself across the space between them. She fought him slightly when he first enclosed her in his arms, but then relaxed against his chest. He leaned against a nearby trunk, rubbing his hands up and down her back. They had to get inside, but how to tell her this.

“Do you trust me, Eve?”

The fair head bobbed slightly. Labren smiled.

“I trust you, too.” His voice was soft. “Darling, we have to do this. You know that.” He took a deep breath and smoothed her hair. “We can do this together, okay?” After a few moments, Eve finally nodded.  He silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Deciding that she would probably feel less closed-in if she was closest to the door, he climbed in first. The area was too low to sit up in. Labren laid down full length and then slid sideways into the small space. Settling on the quilts spread on the rough wood, Labren finally motioned for Eve to come.

Her fear became tangible as she backed into the space toward him. Carefully, she latched the outer doors from the inside, and then she slid back farther so she could close the secret panel.

Labren felt her shudder as the latch caught with a soft click. “Labren?” Her voice broke.

“Yes.”

“Where are you?”

Earlier Labren committed to not pursuing the physical side of their marriage during the day. He often ached to touch her hand or hair, but he held back. At night, he usually waited for her to fall asleep before he drew her close. She never protested and during the last few weeks her arms solaced him while the fever raged in his body. She comforted him when the shivers made it so he could not warm himself.

Yet again, Labren longed to reach out to her, but fear that touching her would nudge her over the edge into hysterics held him back. “I am right here.” She rolled toward him and followed the sound of his voice with her fingers to his mouth.

“Hold me, please.”

Not waiting for a second request, Labren reached out and pulled her to him. Her whole body shook as she buried her face against him. He whispered against her hair, “All you have to do is ask.”

An hour later, Labren stared into the darkness and listened to Eve’s steady breathing. Sleep brought her relief soon after they closed the door. Savoring the sweetness of her closeness, he breathed in the scent of her so that it filled his chest.

He cherished the tender sprouts of trust manifesting in the last weeks. Fear no longer darkened her eyes when the time came to retire. Ever since their last night with the wagon train, she had not resisted his embrace and closeness when they slept. In fact, more recently she had begun to curl up against his back at night. Thankful for the warmth her body gave, he also appreciated the effect of her presence on his sleep.

Since he was eight, death haunted his dreams. Each episode differed, but they all ended the same way: a lost fight to the death and a sudden awakening after the final blow. Heart pounding, sweat drenched, and nerves on fire, he frequently started up, gaining his feet before his thoughts. All that had suddenly changed on that night before they left the wagon train. No dreams came that night at all. Eve’s sweet presence in his arms seemed to keep them away.

Eve shifted in his arms and nuzzled more closely to his chest. Labren moved to accommodate her new position. As he did, his hand fell to her shoulder. Warm, soft, and inviting, he fought his resolutions to not pursue her until she was ready. Gently he brushed his fingertips against the side of her face, closing his eyes to savor the silky softness of it. She sighed and turned her face toward his touch.

Thoughts of kissing her crowded his mind. As he did with increasing frequency of late, he wrestled them aside. He refused to rush her. He wanted her to want it too. Extra caution was a necessity because of the strength of the desire growing with each passing day. He groaned softly. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to go much farther than just lips to mouth.

Footsteps thundered distantly. Labren’s heart jumped. He listened. The tempo and intensity indicated children. After a few moments, they pattered out of range.

What if it hadn’t been just the children? The thought made his breakfast sour in his stomach. Death for them both would be the only answer. His father made it clear that Labren’s life was worthless. Eve’s would be even less valuable. The king wasn’t one to wait patiently for nature to manifest whether or not she was with child. Hanging or simply the sword would deal with the problem.

His middle cramped. They had to escape notice. Eve must live.

Fingering the curling ends of Eve’s braids where the pins were giving way, he wondered how it would look down around her shoulders. Only once, when she was drying it after washing, had he seen it in all of its golden waved glory. The scent of heather whispered to him. Someday, hopefully soon, he would be able to thread his fingers through the loose strands...

Pulling his thoughts up short, he tried to guide them back to the danger they faced. His plan of speaking with his brother and offering his services to the Secret Service as Labren Marcus no longer seemed plausible. Ireic intended to offer him the crown. Labren frowned. He didn’t want it.

What kind of a king would he make? He hated bureaucracy and politics, much preferring straight answers and honesty. Formality and rank annoyed him. And, fashion was a joke. Well over half of the government was corrupt and self-glorying. Besides, Eve wouldn’t fit among them. The thought of Eve putting on airs, spending hours on her toilet, or flirting with noblemen evoked a mixture of laughter and disgust. She would try to adapt. He knew she would, but he couldn’t bear the thought of her trying. He loved her just the way she was.

He had never desired his birthright. Trained his whole life to claim it, he hoped to convince Ireic to keep it. Even with Ireic on the throne, his life with Eve wouldn’t be completely untouched. Children would become a pressing necessity to secure the royal line and stability for the nation. He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation with Eve. She still shied away from the topic or any possible reference.

She shifted slightly. A passing flutter of breath against his cheek made his heart thump wildly. No, Eve’s needs and desires were quickly taking priority over anything else. She was his. She needed him. And, more importantly, he needed her.

“I need to shift my leg.”

Eve jumped. Labren’s arms tightened protectively around her. One hand caressed her shoulder in slow circles.

“Sorry, I did not mean to startle you.”

Thoughts waded through the fog in her head as Eve struggled to remember where she was. The unique smell of her husband surrounded her. It felt too small to be the shack where they had stayed…she remembered. Thick walls closed in as the cottony air clogged her mouth.

“It’s okay. We are safe.” Labren’s soothing voice met her rising panic. His lips brushed her ear as he spoke. “I am here,” he reassured her. She clutched at his arms, but he evaded her hands.

“All I am doing is moving my leg into a better position.”

His voice made it easy for her to follow his movements. Finally his arms returned to their places around her, but this time his face was even with hers. The warmth of his breath brushed her cheek. As though sensing her wariness, Labren asked, “Are you comfortable?”

“Yes,” she croaked, barely above a whisper. Her mouth tasted disgusting. His hand in her hair and the warmth of his lips on her forehead distracted her from the gritty nastiness in her mouth for a moment.

“You seem less agitated.” His chest vibrated beneath her palms.

“How long have we been in here?” She leaned into his warmth and wondered if his nightly fever was back.

“I would guess about five hours, give or take a half hour.” He shifted his body weight again. In the process, his leg brushed hers. Suddenly aware of the stuffiness of their box, Eve’s heart rate accelerated. She tried to fight the fear. She started whispering, “I am not going to panic,” over and over under her breath. She concentrated so hard on not panicking that she did not realize something was wrong until something pressed across her mouth. At first she thought it was Labren’s hand, but quickly realized it was not when he pulled her closer with both of his hands. He was kissing her.

Silently Labren prayed that she would not scream. Instead her lips yielded to his and she hesitantly relaxed against him. She tasted better than he had imagined. Her soft lips tempted him to deepen the kiss. Holding back, he chose instead to run his hand up her back and into her wonderful hair.

The sound of footsteps in the room outside brought his mind back to the danger at hand. He did not think it was Atluer out there. Maybe one of the children knew about this hiding place and told the men.

Reluctantly he relaxed his hold on Eve and drew his mouth away from hers. She let out a soft gasp and then fell silent. She trembled, but made no more sounds.

The catch on the cabinet’s outer doors opened. He tightened his arms around Eve and prayed.
Father, Kurios, please spare us.
Heartbeats pounded in his ears as he strained to listen.

Thoughts scrambled about in his head. He had to save Eve. He had no hope if captured, but Eve might avoid death. If he could convince them that she was his mistress or a young girl he had brought to entertain him, maybe they would leave her here in the Professor’s care. Of course they would watch her for a time to make sure she was not carrying his child. They would not know that there was no chance of that yet.

He strained his ears and waited to hear the lock on the panel releasing, but it did not move. Instead, someone tapped lightly on the wood.

“Han sent me up after a platter for Abrigail.” The voice was muffled wood between them, but Labren recognized the voice of one of the students. The boy continued. “The messenger came ahead of the envoy with Prince Ireic. He came to give us time to prepare for the arrival of the prince and his company. Han will be bringing food up to you after everyone is settled for the night. I am going now.”

Labren heard him scramble to his feet and close the cupboard doors. The muffled sounds of a box being moved and a squeaky hinge penetrated the wood. Finally the storage room’s door banged shut.

“What about your leg?” Eve’s concerned voice broke into his thoughts. “This immobilization is going to make it stiff. You need to exercise it every day in order to get the full use back.”

“I guess it will have to wait. I will do those exercises that the Professor gave me when Atluer brings us the food.”

Carefully, he stretched his good leg back behind him. Where was that back wall? His bones ached and he needed to move again. Eve rolled away from him as he shifted and did not roll back. Uncertain how to reach out to her verbally, he groggily settled into his new position. “I am going to try to sleep. Please wake me if you hear anything.”

A barely audible positive response came from Eve’s side of the box. Labren began to quiet his thoughts for sleep, but her state of mind bothered him.