Redemption - M J Marlow (good book recommendations .TXT) 📗

and felt happy. It ended as the lord Kedys swept in, yelling and waving his arms.
“Do not chastise them, lord Kedys,” Marit said softly as she rose to her feet. “It was our wish to hear their village songs.”
“Princess!” Kedys whirled in mid-scolding and paled even further than his usual pale tone. “I did not see you…”
“Obviously,” Susa broke in, sneering. She thanked the servants and put her arm through Marit’s. “Come along, my lady. It is late and I am certain the others are worrying where you are.”
“Lord Kedys,” Marit said once more as she left. “You will not punish them for wishing to please me. Is that clear?”
“Of course, Princess,” Kedys bowed his head low, hiding his anger. He did not see the smiles on the faces of the servants.
“I don’t like that man,” Susa said as they went up the stairs to the residence level. “He always makes me feel like he’s up to something.”
“Don’t start poking your nose in, Susa…”
“Me?” Susa laughed as hugged Marit’s arm. “When have you ever known me to intrude?”
“Shall I begin from the very first instance,” Marit laughed at her friend, “or the last?”
“Marit,” Susa giggled as they went into Marit’s rooms, “you can be so cruel.” She froze as she saw Justin seated on the lounge. “It’s late,” she said as she stepped away. “I will leave you now.”
“There’s no need, Susa,” Marit said, eyeing Justin’s hopeful expression harshly. “Prince Justin has obviously gotten lost.” She looked at her escort. “Please help him find his way back to his own rooms, lord Edmund.”
“Princess,” Justin stammered, shocked at her refusal to speak to him, “I need to talk to you…”
“I am sorry, my lord,” Marit broke in. “I do not wish to speak to you. Not right now.” She stepped away from him and went to her ladies. “Perhaps tomorrow.”
Justin was stunned. He had never had a girl refuse him entry to her chambers before. It was a new experience for him, and he did not like it one bit. He bowed his head to her and stormed out of the room, leaving Edmund shaking his head. Justin slammed into the chamber he’d been given in the west wing and saw his father waiting for him. Jozef shook his head, knowing from his son’s expression that things had not gone as Justin had hoped.
“What do you expect, my son?” Jozef said as a servant brought Justin a goblet of wine. “She was not raised as you were. You have seen how her beliefs differ from our own already.”
“I thought if I went to her,” Justin frowned as he accepted the wine and sank down, “she would at least speak to me about what angered her.”
“The princess is sensitive,” Jozef frowned. “It is obvious from what you told me that your display of anger disturbed her. She was right to ban you from her company.” Justin glared at him and he shook his head at his son. “She is only a child. She will let go of her anger soon enough.” He was intrigued. “With the proper training, this princess will become a true asset to us.”
“Don’t start, Father,” Justin warned his father as Jozef got up to go. “I am not going to let you damage Marit like you did…”
“We do not speak of her,” Jozef snarled at his son. “Ever!” Jozef left his son to his thoughts and made his way to his own chamber where Rafel was waiting for him. “Have we received word yet?”
“The attacks will begin in earnest tomorrow,” Rafel replied. “He is quite eager to have her in his hands.”
“I wish him well of her,” Jozef sniffed. “As much as I might want an alliance between Northfell and Sylvan Ford,” he said, as his eyes grew hard with hatred, “I am not going to allow someone with Stormkeep blood in her veins to join with my heir.”
“Your hatred for Stormkeep is working to both our advantages, King Jozef,” Rafel smiled back at him. “By this time tomorrow, my pretty cousin will be in his hands, and we will have an end to worrying about his attacks.”

*
Marit finally relented and allowed Justin and Tavin back into her company the next day. She and Justin were walking the parapet together after the morning meal; followed at a discreet distance by her company of eight and his man, Bernard. Justin pulled her into the shadows of one of the towers and raised her lips to his, angry when she pulled away from him. He had never known a woman to hold a grudge so long. But then, he had never known a woman who did not use anger as a tool to gain something she wanted from a man. Marit was honestly angry for the way he and Tavin had acted in her presence. He did not blame her for it; he just did not understand it.
“I am dying, my lady,” he sighed as he pulled away. “The days until you are mine can not pass quickly enough.” Marit blushed and he kissed her on the hand. “You color so beautifully, my angel.”
“And you lie so wondrously, my lord,” Marit smiled. “I am red with the wind and my hair is all in tangles.” She turned from him and looked over the parapet at the river. “Tell me why you and my cousin were so angry with each other, Justin,” she asked him bluntly. She saw him frown and shake his head. “I can not marry a man who can not be honest with me, Justin.”
“It is not something you should have knowledge of, Princess,” Justin told her forcefully.
“I do not agree, my lord,” Marit began to argue and then quieted as she saw something that didn’t seem right. Fires off on the edge of the Fair away from the river. “Should fires be lit so early in the day?”
“It is probably in preparation for the feast,” Justin said as he held a handful of her hair to his cheek. He looked where she was and frowned. He dropped her hair and turned to his man. “Bernard! We must go!” He bowed to Marit and turned to her guard. “Look to your lady, men! I fear we are in for a long day.”
Marit wondered what he was talking about as he and his man took off. She watched as the fires grew and knew that the tent city was in jeopardy. She was running as she heard the screams of fear. Her guards cut her off and guided her to her rooms, locking her inside despite her protests. Pain hit her as people were injured and she finally had to be sedated. Sysha sat down next to Marit and stroked her back as the girl moaned, the pain being experienced by the people fighting the fires striking her sensitive mind despite the drugs. Marius arrived several hours later and sat with her as she was taking some nourishment.
“She has the gift, my lord king,” Sysha told him. “As you knew she would. The injuries suffered by your guests were felt very deeply by her.”
“How is it, Father?”
“The worst of it is over, daughter,” Marius told her before she could ask. “The healers are out attending to the injured, which were thankfully few, due to your timely warning.” He saw her look and shook his head. “You will not be joining them, child.”
“I can help, Father,” Marit frowned. “You know I can.”
“You can help, daughter,” Marius told her sternly, “by not placing yourself in jeopardy. These people came to see you wed. They would be disturbed if they knew their distress had led to your becoming injured or worse.”
“Is it not more of a dishonor for me to sit here in safety,” Marit asked him as she rose from the bed, “when I could be using my talents to help them?”
“You argue prettily, my child, but I will not be swayed in this matter.” He kissed her on the forehead. “It is time to dress. We have another banquet this evening.” He saw her frown. “It is almost over, Marit. You will soon be a bride.”
She smiled and he left her with a very pleased look on his face. Marit allowed her women to dress her and entered the banquet on her father’s arm. There had to be nearly a hundred people in the hall, she thought as she was seated next to Justin. He squeezed her hand where it lay on her knee and she smiled back at him warmly. He knew she was made nervous by this great assemblage and was doing what he could to comfort her. She had never been happier than he made her. She could see the burn on his arm as his sleeve parted and she healed it. He looked down at her in shock.
“You did not know?” she whispered as they leaned towards each other briefly.
“It was rumored that a princess of your house might have such a gift,” Justin told her, “but it was considered myth. A lie perpetuated through the ages to make marriage with such a woman highly desirable.”
“I would not marry a man who could be so easily deluded,” Marit told him fiercely. “Are you such a man, my lord Justin?”
“No,” Justin told her simply. His eyes were warm as he looked down into her worried face. “I prize you already, my sweet lady. This gift of yours changes nothing.” He leaned closer. “Your father is scowling at me. We had best leave our wooing to the gardens.” He turned to the lady on his other side and Marit turned to her father, who was doing his best to look like he had not been keeping an eye on her.
“He is to be my husband, Father,” Marit whispered as she leaned over and laid her hand on his. “You act as if he were bent on dishonoring me.”
“If I believed him capable of such an act, my child,” Marius whispered back, “I would not allow this match.” He laid his hand on hers, smiling. “He will make you a good husband. I am just jealous of the time he steals from us.” He turned and nodded to Kedys and the man stamped the staff as Marius rose with goblet in hand. “A toast,” his voice echoed through the hall. He turned to Marit and Justin. “To the union of our daughter, the princess Marit, to the honorable prince Justin of Northfell. May their life together be a long and joyous one.”
The hall resounded with cheers and applause. Once it had died down, those nobles who had not yet presented a gift came forward to lay their offerings before Justin and Marit. She watched the piles of rich fabrics, jewelry, and other gifts mount and Marit was overwhelmed. Justin looked at her father and he nodded. Justin rose to his feet and led Marit away. His man and her ladies and guard followed them to the gardens at a discreet distance.
“Such ceremony overwhelms you, my lady love,” Justin smiled as he sat her down and joined her on the bench. His hand lay over hers and he felt her shiver at his touch. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “We shall have to spend some time away from court, in peace and solitude.”
“I would like that, my lord,” Marit smiled. She could feel pleasant little shivers coursing through her at his touch and wondered if it would always thrill her so to feel his touch on her skin. “I think you are being indiscreet, my lord prince. You should stop now while I can still think clearly enough to