Lionheart's Bride (The MacEgan Brothers Book 6.6) by Michelle Willingham

Author:Michelle Willingham [Willingham, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-05-14T12:00:00+00:00

Limassol, Cyprus, May 1191

Nearly three weeks had passed, and there was no sign of Liam MacEgan or the king. Adriana had seen the princess’s hope fading from her eyes, as they realised that they would remain prisoners of the emperor. Although Isaac Comnenus had not bound them in chains, they were locked in a chamber guarded inside and out. There was no privacy at all, and though she tried to shield the princess from the humiliation, there was little Adriana could do. The guards cast lots for the right to guard the interior of the chamber where they hoped to catch a glimpse of them.

Queen Joan never stopped complaining. From the moment they’d been taken captive, she’d made outrageous demands, for which the emperor had mocked her. When she’d insisted upon softer beds, he’d sent her a length of silk, removing the only mattress in the room. That night, they’d huddled together on a wooden floor, with nothing but the silk.

Joan had refused to humble herself, and they’d endured weeks of stale food and uncomfortable living conditions. But it was the princess who concerned Adriana the most. Berengaria had grown so thin over the weeks, her face pale while she stared for hours on end at the sea outside their barred window.

‘We’re not going to be rescued, are we?’ she whispered. ‘The crusaders who came on those ships…they’re dead, aren’t they?’

The remaining two ships had arrived only hours after their imprisonment, but the emperor had seized control of them, taking the king’s treasure and murdering the men. From their window, they’d seen the bodies of the crusaders, displayed like bloody prizes of war.

Adriana tried to reassure the princess. ‘The emperor knows Richard will come. He wouldn’t bother with guarding the shore otherwise.’ She crossed the small room and pointed to the hills where the Cypriots were bringing down carts filled with wood and stone. Over the next few hours, the men set out large stones, chests, doors of wood and all manner of building materials to fortify the beach.

One of their guards stepped in front of the window, barring their view. Though he could not speak their language, his message was clear. Adriana hesitated before moving back, sending him a slight smile as she withdrew.

The distraction was enough, and she stole his curved knife, hiding it behind her back. If the Cypriots were preparing for battle, it meant that an invasion was imminent.

The door to their chamber swung open, and a young maiden appeared, trailed by two of her ladies. She gave a sharp order to the guards, and they obeyed the command, leaving the room. In heavily accented French, she said, ‘I have been ordered to bring the princess and the queen to my father.’ Adriana remained against the wall for a moment, slipping the guard’s curved blade beneath the girdle at her waist, just behind her back. Neither Joan nor Berengaria moved forward, but while the guard was focused upon the noblewomen, Adriana donned the princess’s cloak to hide the knife.

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