The Princes Determined Read online

  The Princes Determined

  The Princes Book 2

  Robin Danner

  Published 2012

  ISBN: 978-1-59578-985-3

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2012, Robin Danner. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Blurb

  After a failed wedding, Rowena of Bevelaire is abandoned by her treacherous father and left to the tender mercies of her intended groom, Prince Talin. A dangerous man with his own agenda, Talin could be Rowena’s damnation or destiny.

  To safeguard his people, Prince Talin is determined to do anything, including marry the daughter of his bitter enemy. But a marriage to Lady Rowena could cost him a kingdom … or his heart.

  Dedication

  For my nephew Connor, who helped out with my boys so I could bring this story to life.

  And also for William and our three little ones … I love y’all “this much.”

  Acknowledgements

  A big thank you to Kara Griffin, Rosanna Leo, Wendy Lewis, and Vristin Pierce for letting me vent when I needed to. It’s not easy to work, write, and raise a family. I appreciate all of you listening to my tales of woe.

  Chapter 1

  “She refuses to eat, Your Highness.”

  Prince Talin of Noventia turned his attention from his own private repast and gave a cool look to the footman who had the misfortune to bear these tidings.

  “How many meals has she refused?”

  The footman lowered his eyes. “Four, Sire.”

  Talin slammed his fist on the table, rattling the dishes. “So she has not eaten since noon yesterday?”

  “That is correct, Your Highness.”

  Talin motioned for the footman to clear away his meal. “Damn that woman!”

  He was unused to having his orders disobeyed, yet his betrothed vexed him at every turn. He’d been forced to more or less imprison her in the castle. If he relaxed his guard at all, she roamed about the city spilling untruths about him to anyone who cared to listen.

  His advisor, Collin d’Arcy, who had joined him for supper, pushed aside his own plate. “Now that Lady Rowena’s father is gone, she is trying everything in her power to thwart your seduction.”

  Talin growled under his breath. He was a man unused to rejection and did not take it well. “She will not get out of this betrothal. It is time she reconciled herself to her fate.”

  His betrothal to Rowena, the beautiful daughter of Roarke of Bevelaire, was not viewed in a favorable light by his subjects. Roarke had long been held to be responsible for the death of Talin’s father, their beloved king, but Talin had good reason for desiring the marriage.

  “Yes, it is.” Collin nodded. “It is unfortunate your first wedding was interrupted.”

  Talin laughed, but the sound held no humor. “An attempt on my life and the subsequent disappearance of Roarke couldn’t help but bring the ceremony to a halt.”

  All had not been in vain, though. Talin’s brother, Mathis, and his favorite soldier, Nadia, found love during the tumultuous events of the last few months.

  “I should go make sure the damned woman eats.”

  Collin lifted an eyebrow, but did not try to dissuade him. “I shall wait for you in your study.”

  Talin got to his feet and strode from the dining chamber. He crossed the hall and climbed the stairs with determined steps. Rowena was housed in his private wing at the castle of N’ior. The blue carpet runner that lay the length of the hall muffled the sound of his footfalls. The servants he passed bowed, but stepped out of his way as he proceeded with what he was certain was a black look on his face. Within a matter of minutes, he reached her chamber.

  “Open the doors!” he commanded the sentries who stood guard outside Rowena’s room.

  The men rushed to do his bidding, and then stepped out of harm’s way. Rowena had been known to toss dishes and food at their heads.

  Talin would’ve been amused at her show of spirit had she been any man’s bride but his.

  The chamber was unusually silent. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the pristine white bed and the set of chairs situated near the hearth. The gold and white guest chamber was empty. He stepped inside the room to search for signs of her presence.

  He threw open the doors to her wardrobe and gritted his teeth. It was packed with clothes, yet neither Rowena nor her two ladies-in-waiting were to be found.

  He roundly cursed, turned on his heel, and exited the room. He fixed a hard glare on the sentries. “Fools, she has escaped!”

  Talin did not wait for their response. She could not have gotten far. He would see that she was located and brought back to the castle.

  “Summon Collin. Tell him to join to me in the throne room immediately,” he directed one of the sentries.

  Collin was the only man other than his brother he would trust with his life. His advisor knew all of his secrets and would know how to handle this.

  Several minutes later, Collin joined him. The sentry must have informed him of Rowena’s disappearance because the knight already had information.

  “I’ve got men scouring the city and the surrounding countryside. No horses were taken from the stables, so she cannot have gone far.”

  Talin’s blue eyes flashed with irritation. “I’ve never met a more irritating woman in my life!”

  Collin’s weathered face creased with amusement. “She is quite beautiful, Your Highness.”

  “Bah.” Talin waved aside his advisor’s compliment. “What need have I of beauty if she is determined to drive me to an early grave?”

  They both knew this was more than a mere courtship. Noventia’s treaty with Bevelaire was in jeopardy. Everything he and Collin had plotted depended on his marriage to Rowena.

  In the three weeks since their ruined wedding, Talin asked himself a hundred times if he could bear being married to a woman who made no secret of her hatred for him. The marriage was a necessary evil to protect his kingdom. Roarke would pay for what he’d done, but to accomplish this task, Talin needed Rowena as a pawn.

  This did not sit easily with him. He had long used women for his amusement, a brief tumble, a casual flirtation, and as mistresses. The difference was that it had been done with the prior knowledge and consent of the other players. In this matter, he presumed Rowena was ignorant of the complex schemes surrounding her.

  Until he knew more of her relationship with her father, he could not trust her.

  Talin paced the hall, his long strides taking him from one side to the other. His steps slowed, and he spun to face Collin. “We cannot let her slip out of our grasp. It will ruin our plans.”

  Collin sat down in a chair and crossed his arms as if he were prepared to wait all night if need be. “She will be found, my lord.”

  “What if she is not?” Talin sat opposite Collin and stretched his long legs out in front of him.

  Collin’s wise eyes met his. “Then we form a new plan to defeat Roarke.”

  “What do we do now?”

  “We wait.”

  Though the situation was far from amusing, a laugh was wrung from Talin. “Col
lin, my friend, are you always this calm?”

  His advisor bobbed his head. “Yes.”

  Talin settled deeper into his chair, prepared to wait for word of Rowena. “Then let us play a game of cards while we wait.”

  Cards were fetched, and they played for hours. Collin did not display any concern of the passage of time. Talin followed his example and ignored the shadows that grew deeper around the pair as night fell.

  It was well after midnight when word came that she’d been found.

  “Finally!” Talin surged to his feet to command the soldier who delivered the message. “Bring her to me.”

  The women were announced and shown into the room. They were escorted by soldiers, who formed a human barricade between the ladies and the doors.

  Gregor, one of his captains, stepped forward. “Your Highness, Lady Rowena was found near the gates.”

  “Is that so?” His eyes narrowed, and he turned his head toward his intended bride. “Did you fancy a walk about town, my dear?”

  Unlike her two ladies, who entered the room with bowed heads and cowed manners, Rowena kept her gaze resolutely forward and head high. She offered no response to his question.

  Talin dealt with her ladies-in-waiting first. He waved a finger in their direction. “You two are to return to Bevelaire at morning’s light. For now, you will be kept under lock and key in the servants’ quarters.”

  They wisely chose not to argue.

  Next, it was time to deal with Rowena. She still had not looked at him, but he could discern she was distressed at the banishment of her ladies. Her mouth turned down at the corners after his announcement.

  “Leave us,” he instructed the soldiers and ladies in a booming voice. “I wish to speak to Lady Rowena in private.”

  The room emptied immediately. Collin also stepped out, presumably to avoid witnessing the prince’s wrath. The doors banged shut, and the space became ominously silent.

  The heels of his boots clicked on the marble hall as he approached her. She stood as still as stone, her face impassive. The candlelight flickered across her features as he drew closer.

  Her beauty was remarkable. It was a shame she despised him.

  He circled her, studying the garb she’d chosen to wear during her failed escape. “Ah, Rowena. Red suits you.”

  He tugged on the hood of her cape and uncovered her guinea gold curls. “Unfortunately, gold is a color that draws attention.”

  She continued to ignore him, but he knew she heard. Her spine grew rigid as he came to a stop in front of her.

  Mere inches separated their bodies. It was tempting to touch her, yet he did not.

  “Tell me. How did you leave unnoticed?”

  A smug curve of her lips was his answer.

  Fortunately, he’d already learned what he needed to know from her sentries. He tapped his forefinger against his lips and pretended to ponder the situation. “Let’s see if I have this correct. Your ladies convinced the guards to leave their post by promising them … shall we say … certain favors. While they partook of such favors, you slipped out and later met with them in the hedge maze.”

  His eyes widened with mock surprise. “But you didn’t manage to elude the sentries I posted at each gate leading out of the city, did you?”

  Rowena gave a slight hiss, but remained wordless.

  “I fear it does make me question you if you surround yourself with ladies of such low moral fortitude.”

  He knew his statement would get a rise out of her and it did.

  “You are a fine one to talk, prince!” Her brown eyes flashed with fire. “I have heard the rumors of your lovers. My father warned me you are nothing but a rogue.”

  He wanted to laugh at her outburst, but resisted the urge. “Yet your father agreed to marry you off to me.”

  She rolled her eyes and spoke as if he were daft. “Of course he did, you dunce. You are the prince of Noventia. Why would he not? If you were hideous and disease-ridden, my father would have forced me marry you.”

  Talin latched onto her words. “So I am not hideous?”

  He knew he was not. He did not seek her confirmation, nor desire it. All that mattered was this woman stayed put long enough for him to publicly marry her.

  Rowena ignored his question, as he’d suspected she would.

  She was a vision in her blood red cape. Golden curls fell past her waist and spilled upon a bosom curved pleasantly outward. She was petite, with a tiny waist and tinier feet. Barely taller than a child, the top of her head met his shoulders.

  Despite her youthful appearance, she was twenty years of age. She was old enough to know her transgression could not go unpunished.

  He tutted softly. “Rowena, I am afraid we are at an impasse. What should I do with you?”

  “You can let me go!” She spat. “My father is not here, so whatever game you play need not concern me.”

  He was intrigued by her intuition.

  It was true. He needed her father to be a willing participant in their marriage for his plan to work. It was not enough Roarke had signed the betrothal papers. He had to be present to witness the joining of his daughter in matrimony with the prince of Noventia. If Roarke was present to witness the match, it would send a message to Bevelaire the duke approved of Talin. If Roarke turned on Noventia, as Talin suspected he would, it would be a public break of the treaty. Talin could carry out his attack against Roarke.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” He lowered his voice. “You almost married me once. What happened to change your mind?”

  Her brown eyes gave away nothing. Not a flicker of emotion appeared in their depths. “I was prepared to do my duty. My father is gone now.”

  “Do you not find your father’s disappearance odd?”

  She laughed, but the sound was devoid of humor. “I find nothing my father does odd.”

  Not for the first time, Talin wondered about her relationship with her father. Roarke of Bevelaire was a hard man. Once a fierce soldier, he’d been his own father’s ally. Rumors abounded of the man’s treachery, but nothing could be proven. It was hard to believe Rowena could live with the man and not suffer ill effects. Perhaps she was cut from the same cloth and was as deceitful as her father.

  Talin disregarded the thought. She was headstrong and impulsive, but she did not display a vicious nature.

  He reached for her, but dropped his hand before he touched her. “Rowena, I can protect you. If you fear your father, you need only tell me.”

  She looked startled for a moment, but then her lovely features hardened. “I fear no one, prince. It is an emotion that does more harm than good.”

  “I completely agree with you, my lady. Fear is a destructive emotion.”

  “So there is no one you fear, prince? I find that hard to believe.”

  Talin shrugged. “Be that as it may.”

  Rowena conducted herself with poise, although she seemed a bit aloof at times. Talin suspected this was a protection mechanism. From what, he did not know, but her life could not have been an easy one.

  He held out a hand he knew she would not accept. “Come. It is late. I will escort you to your bed.”

  Rowena turned her nose up at the offer of his hand. “Am I to be locked in the servants’ quarters with my ladies?”

  He smiled with anticipation “No. You will be locked in mine.”

  * * * *

  “Stop staring at me.” Rowena glared at the prince, who lounged bare-chested in his oversized bed.

  His teeth flashed white in his swarthy face. “I can’t help it. You look ridiculous over there.”

  She had the childlike impulse to stick out her tongue, but she resisted the urge. “I am not sharing your bed.”

  “Why? Afraid you will have to marry me?” He lifted an imperious eyebrow. “I hate to disappoint you, but you will be my wife sooner or later.”

  “I prefer later,” she snapped as she flopped about on the uncomfortable chaise lounge she’d chosen for her bed. “
Or not at all!”

  Talin did not reply. Instead he crossed his arms behind his head, and continued to stare in a way that discomforted her. It was as if he could see her thoughts, a ridiculous notion. The prince was many things, but certainly not a mind reader.

  How embarrassed she would be if he did know what she thought.

  If only he were not so deucedly attractive, she would be able to keep her wits about her. Instead, every time she looked at him, her intentions scattered to the winds.

  She’d heard rumors of his charm, but she’d certainly been unprepared when she’d first met him. One look at his face and she’d wanted to swoon. The knowledge that he wanted to marry her solely because of her father is what kept her somewhat immune to him. Any man who willingly tied himself to her father was not a man to be trusted.

  Why did he do it? Why did the prince sign a treaty with Bevelaire when rumors abounded that her father murdered the old king? She had heard the stories. The prince definitely had something up his sleeve.

  Rowena did not appreciate being involved in his and her father’s machinations. When her father disappeared after the thwarted assassination attempt, she’d been elated. It was her chance to escape, both from her father and the unwanted wedding he’d arranged.

  Unfortunately, Talin proved a much more ardent suitor than she’d suspected. For all intents and purposes, she was his prisoner.

  “You should’ve let me go,” she mumbled.

  The prince ran a hand through his long black hair. “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not? You are the prince. You can do whatever you want.”

  He lifted a brow. “What I want is to marry you.”

  She threw up her hands and growled with frustration. “I have heard the maids’ whispers. I know you made up a rumor ours is a love match. Why would you do that?”

  His face hinted at nothing. “To protect you.”

  But Rowena knew better. She had not survived twenty years with her father without learning a thing or two. Talin wanted her close because he did not trust her. She did not trust him either. She trusted no man. In a few short months, she would be twenty-one and could access the trust her mother had left her. She could at last escape her father’s iron grip. All of her hopes were dashed when her father came to her and informed her of the betrothal.