Chapter 10

Lightning flashed as Thomas stuck his head out the barracks door, followed almost instantly by a boom of thunder. Frost took one look outside and went back to their room. She was probably smarter than he was.

Thomas pulled up his hood and ran to the castle. He was supposed to start his responsibilities as Princess Catherine’s protector this morning. Thomas jumped over puddles as he made his way to the kitchen entrance, giving up on trying to dodge raindrops as the sky opened up. He figured he would get something to eat since Jemma was still recovering.

Water streamed down the side of the stone wall in sheets, creating an almost waterfall effect. Thomas ducked through the deluge, opened the door, and rushed in, water dripping everywhere. He almost stumbled over a crying woman sitting on the floor with her head down and her knees pulled up.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to make a mess,” Thomas jested.

She lifted her head, and he recognized Princess Catherine. She saw it was him and jumped up and hugged him as she sobbed into his chest.

“I’m soaking wet,” Thomas protested as he worked to free himself. “Let me get dry, and then we can sort this out.”

She turned away from him, acting ashamed.

“I should go,” Catherine said.

By then, he’d removed his wet outer gear. He reached out his hand.

“Come with me, please, Your Highness. I know where the King’s private dining room is. He doesn’t use it in the mornings, so we can get some food and talk about what’s bothering you. I promise we’ll be alone,” Thomas suggested.

She took his hand, and he led her into the kitchen. The head cook recognized him and smiled.

“Lord Wolf. Where is your furry friend?”

“She was smart enough not to brave the rain. I imagine she’s currently sprawled out on my pallet, sleeping,” Thomas said.

“You should have followed her example. What can I do for you?” the cook asked.

“Princess Catherine is starved. She invited me to join her to break our fast in the King’s private dining room.”

“Did she?” the cook asked, shaking her head.

“I could eat,” Catherine said to save him.

“Do I need to bring it up, or can you fill your own plates?”

Thomas acted like he had to think about his answer. If everyone insisted on calling him Lord Wolf, then he might as well get some benefit from it.

“We can get our plates,” Catherine said to end his fun.

The cook loaded them up with bread, cheese, and an assortment of sausages. Thomas would bet that if Frost had known this was what was being offered, she would have braved the weather. His wolf could eat her weight in sausages.

They entered the room to find Queen Mary eating with Catherine’s parents, King Gabriel and Queen Natasha.

“My apologies,” Thomas said as he tried to back out.

“We were just talking about you,” Queen Mary said. “Join us, so we don’t have to do it behind your back.”

“Who? Me?” Thomas asked to make sure.

Princess Catherine stepped around him and took a seat. Everyone looked at Thomas.

“Yes, you. I wanted to meet the man who will be spending so much time with my daughter,” Queen Natasha said. “Tell us about yourself while you eat.”

Thomas joined them and gave an abbreviated history of his life to that point. King Gabriel was interested in all the apprenticeships Thomas had pursued growing up. He asked several questions about each one. Thomas assumed it was to test his knowledge so as to determine how seriously he took his training.

“Your father was clever in doing that. Titus and Pierce would benefit from such a practical education,” King Gabriel said.

“If you could manage to get my brothers to do any work, it would be a wonder,” Catherine shared. “Titus’s main activities are wine and women, while Pierce always has his nose in a book.”

“Catherine,” Queen Natasha scolded.

“There’s some truth to what she says,” King Gabriel admitted. “Putting them to work would do them both good. If either is ever to rule, they should know what the real world is all about.”

“I never thought of it as work. When I started my first apprenticeship, Nana Millicent told me that it was an honor my father had given me. That I should show my appreciation by learning everything I could. I looked upon it as a grand adventure. All the other younglings had to wait until the liminal ritual or rite of passage to get an apprenticeship. I also knew if I didn’t like one, I would have a new one the next year,” Thomas reminisced.

“When did your mother leave?” Queen Natasha asked to change the subject.

“When I was five, I moved out of the castle. My mother died seven years later,” Thomas said.

“Did she?” Queen Natasha asked, looking confused.

“It was an accident. My father said she drowned,” Thomas said.

“I’m so sorry,” Catherine said as she put her hand on his arm.

“Let’s let these two finish eating. Duke Able and Duchess Caroline would like to talk to you about fostering Candor,” Queen Mary said.

After they said their goodbyes and were left alone, Thomas turned to Catherine.

“Why were you upset this morning? I don’t need to teach anyone a lesson in manners, do I?”

Catherine looked down at her half-eaten plate.

“It’s nothing,” she mumbled.

Thomas sighed.

“Look. I never grew up around girls, so I won’t begin to act like I understand. But I do know that if we are to work with each other, it will be helpful to know what you are thinking,” Thomas prodded.

She gave him a sideways glance.

“It almost sounds as if you care.”

Thomas’s eyebrows went up.

“Wow.”

She gave him a little smile, which made his chest tighten. Moments like this made him jealous of the ducal heirs.

“I was feeling sorry for myself. If anyone would understand, it would be you since you were cast off when you were small. I feel like a pawn in some grand game between my father and your great-uncle. I was supposed to be accompanied by my best friends, Idalia and Godric.

“Godric was going to be my personal guard, but he was injured in the practice yard two days before we were to leave. Then I was told that Idalia’s father decided that he didn’t want her moving here,” Catherine said in a rush.

“I guess I never thought of myself as being cast off. I had Nana Millicent to look after me, but I understood that my moving was done for my safety as a third son.

“It is hard for me to imagine what your life must be like. But it could be worse; being asked to marry someone you just met would be worrisome. At least you get to pick.”

“It would be horrible if I were forced to marry your brother,” Catherine shared.

She quickly glanced at Thomas, worried he would be offended. Instead, he chuckled.

“I would be the first to agree with you on that, but unfortunately, you cannot pick your family. To be honest, I don’t really know my brother.”

“It’s going to be awfully lonely,” Catherine said, to get to the heart of the matter.

“Then you’re lucky that you met me. I may not be all that entertaining, but I’m a good listener. I can also introduce you around to everyone. Perhaps you could ask Queen Mary for a lady-in-waiting,” Thomas suggested.

Catherine’s face scrunched up.

“I don’t need someone spying on me. So, thanks but no thanks to a lady-in-waiting.

“What my father didn’t say is that I am more of a son to him than my brothers. I would have to kill myself if I were stuck inside reading poetry, singing, or even worse, doing embroidery. In fact, I’m probably better with a sword than you are,” Catherine boasted.

“We might have to test that theory,” Thomas said, pleasantly surprised.

His worst nightmare would have been to have to guard a princess who couldn’t sing and have to listen to that. He’d have to jab his eyes out to stay awake if she did embroidery.

“Do you ride?” Thomas asked hopefully.

“I love to ride.”

“My Rangers and I are going to teach our horses to be guided by leg commands. Maybe you could join us,” Thomas suggested.

“That sounds like fun.”

He could see that Catherine truly meant it. They both smiled. Guarding the princess might be a better duty than he had first guessed.

By noon, the rains had passed. Thomas sent word to his Rangers to meet him for lunch to introduce them to Princess Catherine. They obviously hadn’t broken their fast because they shoveled food into their faces like starving orphans; Frost’s dining habits might be more civilized. Thomas made a mental note to teach them how to eat around a princess. She was looking a touch scandalized.

Frost took to Princess Catherine almost instantly. Thomas caught the princess feeding the direwolf table scraps. When Princess Catherine reached out and rubbed the wolf’s ears and retained all her fingers, the Rangers all but swallowed their tongues.

A boy summoned them to the Royal Guard’s barracks. Torun wanted to talk to everyone.

When they arrived, they found out that Torun had arranged for a boar hunt. It would be held on the Queen’s Grounds, a ten-acre open field that Queen Mary had turned into an oasis of beauty. She’d planted a variety of wildflowers.

Thomas and Frost were frequent visitors when they had time. It abutted a lake on one side and woods on the other, making it the perfect place to take a wolf pup to run off her excess energy.

Thomas was surprised when King Gabriel walked in. He gave Thomas a curious look when he noticed his daughter alongside Thomas.

The room quieted when the King entered. He addressed the Royal Guard.

“King Edward has named me Master of The Hunt. We want to give the ducal heirs a chance to demonstrate their hunting skills to Princess Catherine. Your job is to make sure they are both successful in their hunt and kept safe. We’ll have beaters in the woods to drive the boars into the field.

“Because we’ll be on horseback, I would suggest that you have your charges stay back to allow the boars to get out into the open. I don’t want to have anyone needing to ride into the woods where he could injure either his horse or himself,” King Gabriel explained.

“We’ll be hunting with boar spears. Who is familiar with using one?” Torun asked.

“I’ve used a pig sticker on many occasions,” Alek volunteered.

Shepherd had also hunted with one.

A boar spear was different from those used in battle. It had a guard on the shaft a little below the blade. The guard acted as a barrier to prevent the spear from penetrating too deeply. The barrier, or wings, would also stop an injured boar from working its way up the spear’s shaft to attack the hunter.

“What about you, Thomas? I’d heard that you hunted boar,” Torun said.

“I’ve only used a bow to take them. I don’t personally want to get that close to an angry boar. With my luck, the spear would snap, and I’m now within reach of the beast. In the best case, I get gored. Worst, it takes my man parts as a trophy,” Thomas replied.

Every man winced.

“I volunteer to guard the gate,” Gage said.