10. Rainer

10

RAINER

T wo days later, Rainer knocked on Lady Reznik's bedroom door. He hadn't seen her since she was injured, so he was immensely relieved when she opened the door, looking completely done up. Her hair was twisted back into a neat updo and woven through with a golden headband spotted with little white star flowers. She wore a black woolen dress with gold buttons that fastened all the way up to her neck. Though she was far less pale than she had been after her injury, the inky black of the dress was a bit too harsh against her fair skin.

"You've been summoned by the king, Lady Reznik?—"

"Cece," she interrupted, her brow pinched.

It was a bad idea to be so familiar, but she didn't seem the type to let it go. " Cecilia . If you aren't up for it, I can tell the king you're still tired from the attack the other day and need to rest."

She held up a hand. "Nonsense. I'm good as new. Let's go see what he needs."

"You'll need a cloak."

She darted across the room, ducked into the closet, and reappeared a moment later in a dark green cloak.

Rainer led her down through the castle. The cobblestone courtyard had been cleared of snow, but ice formed between the cracks. It crunched under their boots. Rainer glanced at Cecilia out of the corner of his eye. Though her dress was made of heavy wool and her cloak lined with fur, she was already shivering against the cold.

She caught him looking. "Admiring the scenery?"

Rainer's cheeks heated as he searched for an excuse. "Just wondering how long it will take for that big pile of snow to melt." He nodded to the far side of the courtyard.

She cocked her head to the side and kept walking.

They cut down the path to the field behind the stables. An unforgiving wind whipped across the castle grounds, stealing Rainer's breath for a moment.

Cecilia shivered beside him, pulling her cloak tighter around her body and tucking her gloved hands within its folds. Her footsteps became quicker and her shoulders hiked higher as they moved closer to the pen where she'd helped the wild horse days before.

Vincent stood by the fence, speaking with the stable master. Xander leaned against the fence beside the king, his eyes narrowing on Rainer. Behind him, the same wild mare from days before was trotting in the pen as if she'd been fully trained. Cecilia drew up short, her cheeks growing pink, her eyes full of fire.

"Dearest, I'm so glad you could be here to see this," Vincent started.

Cecilia dipped into the shallowest curtsey Rainer had ever seen. He wasn't even sure it could qualify as a curtsey.

"It's such a pleasure to give an animal the attention it needs to be properly broken," Vincent continued. "I've seen to her training myself, you know."

Seeing the wild horse trotting circles in the smaller pen, a rider atop her back, filled Rainer with sadness he couldn't explain.

To Rainer, Vincent said, "You see, my fiancée thought that she needed more space to run." He gestured to the horse. "But you and I know that Tempest just needed some discipline. No one wants to be the bad guy, but I'll do it because it's my job as king. I need to know what's best for everyone even when they don't. "

He turned, guiding Rainer away from Cecilia and offering a conspiratorial smile. "As my advisor, I need you to know the same. I need to trust that you can be firm with Cecilia. She's been floundering since the rebellion. She's frightened and wild, like a wounded animal. She's quite angry with me because I let her get hurt, and she's right. It's my responsibility as king to keep everyone safe, and while I was saving my people, she was harmed. I take full responsibility for that. I need you to get her back on track. Can you do that?"

Rainer nodded solemnly. It was a relief that the king understood that she was struggling. It wasn't that Vincent didn't see her fear; it was that he believed in a firmer approach. The knowledge settled Rainer's unease.

Cecilia climbed up on the fence and Vincent turned his attention to her. Her gaze was fixed on the horse as if her will alone could make the beast wild. Tempest stopped and turned, charging toward where Cecilia stood at the fence before rearing up and tossing the man from her back.

Cecilia turned back to the king, challenge in her eyes. "It looks like not every beast is so easily broken."

The king's nostrils flared. "Lucky I have the fortitude to keep trying." Vincent smiled indulgently at her. "I'm glad you're here for this, Cecilia. I know you're fond of your new guard, and how badly we could all use some good news." His smile grew wider as he turned his attention on Rainer. "Rainer, I am so grateful for your commitment to your service with me, and especially for protecting my dearest Cecilia during that dreadful attack on the castle. Now that things are settling down, I would like to reward you for your loyalty and commitment. I'm very excited to share that I think it's time for you to have the kind of love and recognition you deserve. I have chosen a wife for you."

Cecilia gasped. The blood drained from her face. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her shock matched Rainer's. He'd done nothing to deserve such a thing, but it rankled that the king wouldn't ask him to choose for himself. Then again, a politically advantageous marriage would help his standing with the king and maybe it would stop everyone from looking at him like he was damaged.

Rainer chose his words carefully. "I thought that was a longer-term plan."

"If you want to be my top advisor, you need to look stable and settled here. Nothing will do that better than a good wife. Lady Eloise Spellman would be a wonderful choice for you. Her family is incredibly wealthy and loyal to me. They own some of the best lands in Argaria. She's a stunning woman. But Grant has made his intentions known. If you're not interested, I can't justify denying him, and it will put him in a more advantageous position to remain my top advisor."

For some reason, Rainer wanted to rebel against the idea—everything the king said was enticing, yet the offer felt more like a curse than a blessing. But he was not about to let Grant sweep this opportunity out from under him when he was so close to winning Vincent's trust.

"Your Grace, surely a choice like this should be up to Guardian McKay," Prince Xander said. He had been so silent during the exchange, Rainer had forgotten he was there.

Vincent sighed. "Quiet, Xander. Don't fill his head with your romantic notions of marrying for love. Honestly, you, of all people should be supportive, having had a recent political marriage yourself. I'm bestowing a great honor. Don't you agree, Rainer?"

Rainer nodded emphatically. "Of course, Your Grace. I apologize for my reaction. I'm just surprised. I hardly know Eloise."

Vincent chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll have a chance to get to know her. You'll make a handsome couple and she'll give you many beautiful children."

Cecilia made a choked sound. The king gave her a cutting look and she quieted herself. She looked down at her feet as her tears dripped into the dirt.

Rainer wanted to see her eyes, certain he'd be able to ascertain some unspoken sign that she was okay and just grieving the recent loss of her fiancé. The king said something, but Rainer couldn't tear his eyes away from Lady Reznik. Her shoulders curled in. He seemed to feel her deep grief as if it was his own.

"If you agree, we can begin by having the two of you spend some time together this afternoon," Vincent continued. "As long as you're both agreeable, there is no reason why we can't have you married by the end of the month."

"So soon?" Xander interrupted. "Surely Lady Spellman would like to have a say, and she probably has family who would need to make arrangements to attend." The prince's gaze met Rainer's. He looked furious, though Rainer didn't understand why.

"Alliances are more important now than ever if I'm to hold the throne. Lady Spellman's family holds great wealth and sway with the nobles. It would be a favor to me, Rainer, but you've seen the woman. You wouldn't exactly be suffering. She's stunning and very agreeable."

"Then why don't you marry her?" Xander asked.

Vincent smirked at him. "Because I'm already betrothed, of course."

Rainer cleared his throat. "I'll do whatever I must to secure your crown, Your Majesty."

The king clapped him on the shoulder. "That's my boy."

Cecilia turned and stormed away from them. Little white star-shaped flowers blossomed from the cracks in the ground where her tears had landed.

"Her tears make flowers," Rainer said, meeting the king's eyes.

Vincent's gaze trailed after his fiancée. "She's an incredibly talented woman, yes."

For some reason the innuendo in the words enraged Rainer. He wanted to remember so badly why he felt that way. Xander looked equally furious. Rainer strained for any hint of a memory, but his mind remained stubbornly blank.

"I need to go check on my lovely fiancée, but I'll arrange for Eloise to meet you this afternoon for tea," Vincent said, patting Rainer on the shoulder.

Panic clenched in his chest. It was all happening so soon. He needed to go back to his room to calm down .

The king turned to leave. Xander lingered.

"Why was she so upset?" Rainer asked. "Please, if you know something I've forgotten, please tell me, Your Grace."

The prince shook his head. "For the love of the gods, stop using my title, McKay. It's weird. Just call me Xander. And please stop asking. I can't tell you, even if I want to."

"Please." Rainer couldn't keep the desperation out of his voice.

"Why do you care?" Xander snapped.

Rainer didn't understand his fury. He couldn't find the words.

Xander's mouth formed a grim line. "I wish I could tell you, but the healers have forbidden us from doing so." His speech was stiff, devoid of affect—as if he'd rehearsed and repeated someone else's words.

"I want to remember," Rainer persisted.

"If you wanted to, you would." Xander's face fell. "Cece has been through a lot recently. She was hurt. She has been forced to give up a lot and it's unfair because she puts everyone else first."

Rainer felt an irrational surge of jealousy that the prince knew her so well. The pressure in his chest was almost unbearable.

"I think I need to go to her," he said.

Xander shook his head. "That's not the best idea. The king is a very possessive man. He might not take that in the best way, and it likely wouldn't be you that paid the price for it."

Rainer's eyes went wide. "He'd hurt her?"

"I've spoken out of turn. I have to go," Xander said, turning to dash back into the castle.

A sinking feeling settled in Rainer's stomach. He didn't truly believe that Vincent would hurt her, but he wanted to find Cecilia to ensure that she was all right.

That conviction floated away as he made his way back to the castle. Vincent held the keys to Rainer's whole future. In Olney, Rainer was constantly under his father's thumb, but here he could make his own way and finally prove himself not only as a great warrior but also as the king's right-hand man. In Olney, his birth father's legacy was a constant shadow looming over him, but here in Argaria that pressure felt far away and he could more clearly prove his value.

He walked into the castle, relieved to be out of the wind. He was not sure how he knew where she would be, but his feet had a mind of their own. They carried him down the hallways to a sitting room with the door cracked open. He heard her before he saw her and pressed himself against the wall by the door to her rooms.

"This was not part of the deal! You cannot do this!" Cecilia said, her voice shrill.

Vincent's impatient voice cut through her sniffling. "You're being hysterical. This is exactly the deal we made."

A sob rang through the silence. "This is not what I meant!"

Rainer could feel her agony and desperation even though he couldn't see her. He fought the irrational desire to burst into the room and comfort this woman he hardly knew from an argument he didn't understand.

"You should have learned already to be more specific in the deals that you make," Vincent said. "But I don't think that's what's bothering you. You're worried that someone else can provide the things you can't."

The room grew unbearably silent.

A memory stirred, but when Rainer tried to grasp it, it slipped through his fingers like a dream after waking. He cursed his broken mind. He tried again. The memory was fuzzy at first, but it sharpened after a moment.

A girl, perhaps six years old, stood in front of a roaring crowd in a fancy dress. The hem was caked in mud. Then the memory cut, leaving him with a headache like someone had rang a bell inside his skull.

Rainer leaned his head against the cool stone wall and tried to focus on the conversation in the bedroom.

"Accept this or I'll consider this defaulting on our deal," Vincent said.

What deal had they made? Rainer's head throbbed; he was so confused .

"Fuck you." Cecilia's voice was a whisper but the hurt in it sliced through Rainer.

A loud crack split the air and it took Rainer a moment to realize the king had slapped her.

"Watch your tongue and fall in line, Cecilia. Fight me all you want behind closed doors—you know how I like to fight. But do not take this recklessness outside these doors anymore."

Rainer took a step toward the door. He stopped and clenched his fists. Throwing away his chance to prove himself because of a lovers' spat between the king and his fiancée would be foolish. He certainly didn't approve of a man raising a hand to a woman, but Vincent was the king and he could make Rainer's entire future. He couldn't risk it when he was so close to redeeming himself for failing his witch.

Vincent wasn't just offering Rainer a chance to redeem himself. He was offering him a chance at the glory he had always dreamed of.

Rainer ducked around the corner just as the king left the room. Rainer waited until Vincent's footsteps faded before he walked down the hall and into the room.

Cecilia sat on a chair by the window, her face buried in her hands. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, highlighting dust motes that swirled and shimmered around her.

"My lady?" Rainer said softly. "I wanted to make sure you were all right."

Her head snapped up to look at him. Her left cheek was bright red. It was dark enough it looked like it might bruise.

Anger burned through Rainer, but he said nothing. Instead, he stared at her, waiting for her to speak about the violence—to give him an entry point. But she just wiped away her tears and smiled as if nothing was wrong.

Maybe she thought he hadn't overheard. It wasn't his place to force her to talk about it, and what could he even say? I'm sorry I didn't stop a man from putting his hands on you when I know better. The shame made Rainer sick, but he knew it would be worth it to bide his time.

She stared at him as if searching his face for something hidden. " Can you see me to the healer's suite?" she asked, her voice emotionless as she wiped away her tears.

Rainer nodded. She wove her arm through his, and he led her down the corridor.

Cecilia was uncommonly quiet as they walked, and he longed to break the silence, but his tongue stayed twisted and tangled with words that felt trite.

When she got to the healer's suite, she turned to meet his gaze. "I'll just go back to my room after this to rest. I wouldn't want you to miss your tea with Lady Spellman," she said in a way that suggested she very much would like him to miss it.

Cecilia closed the door in his face without waiting for his response.