Page 67 of Caroline the Cruel
Attendants delivered wine, along with food, and had a bath drawn. One attendant even offered to fetch the tailor or ready her horse. Roskide had missed its queen.
Caroline allowed an attendant to slip her boots off and take them to be polished. He’d followed her into the bathing chamber. She peeled the sweat slick clothes from her body and slipped into the bath. He’d seen her naked so many times it didn’t faze him. Her figure did nothing to him like it seemed to for the men she drove crazy and that he was glad for.
“I think you should have killed him.” Angus slumped down on a bench positioned against the wall under the little window. A warm breeze drifted in, and he let his shoulders sag as he scented the blooming roses right outside the opening.
“If I killed him, Breicher really would think I was a monster.” Caroline dipped under the water, holding her breath for a long moment before she finally emerged. “What should I do?”
Angus wrinkled his brow. It wasn’t often that the queen was at a loss. “I fear what I think you should do and what you want to do are completely different things.”
Caroline smiled at her commander. “Let me guess. Kill Hollis, annul the marriage, banish the rest of the Ivanslohe’s.” She tapped her finger on her lips like she was considering. “Oh, and get a different husband. Did I get it right?”
“Hardly,” he scoffed. “I think you should have killed them all already. They’ve been nothing but defiant towards you in the face of your mercy. Your husband stabbed you, for the Gods’ sake.”
“The dead Gods’ sake,” she interjected. “I don’t think he wanted to, though. I think he’s waging a battle between his feelings for me and his ideals, old beliefs, and misplaced loyalty.” A serious expression crossed her face, and he sat up. “I plan to win, Angus. I will have him.”
Angus sighed. In as long as he’d known her, he’d never seen her go back on something she’d decided. Once she’d made up her mind, she was as immovable as a mountain.
“Very well,” he said. “We probably need to get back before the king goes in search of his brother.”
Caroline took greater care dressing than she normally did. She wanted to appear sticky sweet, but irresistibly alluring and the dress she had chosen was perfect. Pale pink chiffon overlapped across her chest, held up by two delicate straps. A flouncy flowing skirt reached her ankles, and a slit that almost reached her hip lay closed except for when she was striding forward. She wrapped a string of natural pearls once close to her neck, and the second wrap dipping between the fabric of her bodice and her skin, leading the eye suggestively. Her aesthetic was the exact combination of a virginal princess and an adept seductress.
“I didn’t think you owned anything pink,” Angus said, giving her a quizzical look as she sauntered into her sitting room. “You look… pretty?”
She tapped a finger on his nose. “Precisely. Change of plans. I’m going to go fetch him under the guise that we have some work to do here.”
“Who are you going to leave in charge in Veetula?”
Caroline frowned. “Jaden?” Her voice sounded a little unsure even to her.
“I don’t trust him.”
“Fine, you then, since you’re volunteering. Come,” she said, clasping his hand. Then they were gone.
Chapter 12
“Idon’tseewhyyou are shadowing me,” Breicher grumbled to the soldier on his heels. The lad was no more than a boy in his mind, the scrawny thing struggling to keep up with his long strides.
“Queen’s orders, sir,” the soldier said, practically jogging to keep up.
“And where is our illustrious queen this hour?”
“In her rooms?” themanasked. Clearly, he didn’t know where the queen was and was offering up a guess.
“We just checked there.” Breicher was going to punch something. He glanced back at his tail, the current and most likely candidate. He spun around a corner, crashing into someone charging just as fast as he was. Breicher narrowed his eyes, then reached a hand down to help his nephew up.
Jaden eyed Breicher’s appearance, gesturing at his half-tucked shirt and his two days’ worth of stubble. “You’ve seen better days.”
“Thanks,” Breicher said, frowning. His nephew was pristine, as usual. Pressed, tucked, and smooth. Where had the young prince been going in such a hurry?
Before he could ask, Jaden said, “What’s he doing?” and pointed to the hovering soldier.
“Caroline has himescortingme. She’s worried I might get abducted again, or so she says.” Breicher scraped a hand over his rough jaw.
“Oh,” Jaden said, perking up in surprise. “I thought his shift was over. Car—her Grace sent me. I’m to escort you the rest of the afternoon.”
The soldier darted his eyes between the two royals, unsure of what to do.
Jaden heaved an annoyed breath and gave the man a look that questioned his competency. Waving a lazy hand, he said, “What are you waiting for? Scram.”
