The Reign of Trees Read Online Free PDF Page B

including Prince Henrick himself.
    “While you are a guest here at the castle of Andoradda, we do desire you to be comfortable. We are not barbarians and you, my dear, are far from the typical prisoner of war. Dine with us, and you will see that our kingdom is every bit as refined as yours.” King Henrick finished his offer and then stood. He approached the princess and held out his hand to escort her to the great hall. She froze in place, not knowing how to respond. She wanted to be defiant. In fact, she wanted to kick him in the shins like a toddler throwing a tantrum. She had been dragged away from her homeland and separated from her new husband—that certainly seemed like justification for acting out like a forlorn child, but she could not harm King Henrick. He always had a certain kindness about him; at one time, he had doted on her like he had accepted her as his own daughter. Even if he was now her enemy, she could not treat him with such vehement contempt.
    Illianah took the king’s arm. It would only be a few days that she would be required to dine with him: she could act the part of a somewhat agreeable guest for that long.
    Once in the great hall, the king walked Illianah to the table, but then turned to his seat before helping her into her chair, revealing what had likely been his intention: Prince Henrick stepped in and held the chair for Illianah. “My Lady,” the prince said. His eyes had thawed from their earlier coolness, and in place of the coolness was a twinge of mischief. As he slid her chair toward the table, he bent and put his face next to hers. “Just how long do you plan on wearing that nightgown?” he whispered.
    She did not do him the honor of whispering her reply. “It is the custom in Burchess for newly married women to show their allegiance to their husband by dressing demurely,” she said forcefully.
    “Is it?” he replied, also neglecting to whisper. “’Tis a tragedy for mankind, then,” he said, his voice sounding light and amused; his face, however, indicated no such playfulness. He held his mouth straight, almost in a frown, and his eyes were again cold as steel. “One could always count on beholding a spectacular sight when dining with Princess Illianah. Pity.”
    Yet again, Prince Henrick had forced a rush of color on her cheeks. She hated the man, and felt no guilt in her Christian heart for doing so. Prince Henrick was detestable. And even more so was the fact that Illianah had once taken pride in the fact that he, like every other man, could not keep his eyes off her.
    ***
    A fortnight passed with Illianah still at King Henrick’s castle. This was not the few days that he had earlier mentioned. She was growing impatient. She was not allowed to leave the castle, and it seemed that Prince Henrick never left the castle either. It was becoming nearly impossible to avoid him. She had trained herself to look the opposite direction whenever she was forced to be in the same room with him and she never answered his inquiries about her well-being.
    She had been given needlepoint to work with, as well as canvases and paint, but those only held her interest for so long. Illianah’s restlessness seemed to be on Prince Henrick’s mind as well, because every time she sighed or resumed pacing the floor in the solar, he would ask whether she needed anything. “Yes!” she answered on this particular day. “I need to get out of this castle. I want to go home .”
    “I can guarantee you, Princess, that no one is more anxious for your return to Burchess than I.”
    She clenched her teeth to insure that she did not growl at him like a savage dog. “Then, pray tell me, My Liege, why I must remain here.”
    Prince Henrick set down the paper he was studying and looked up from the table. “Your father refuses to meet our demands. It appears that he wants you to stay here.”
    “Had you not asked for so much ….”
    “What we asked was nothing, Princess. He is refusing based on his