Betrothed to the Barbarian. Carol Townend
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had never actually spoken to the Commander, because it had been in Dyrrachion that she and Katerina had switched places. They had deceived him into thinking that he was escorting the Princess back to the Palace, whereas in truth he had been escorting Katerina.
Does the Commander know that rather than escorting me, he was duped into escorting my maidservant? Is that why he is looking so coldly at me?
‘My lady!’ Katerina dropped to her knees and bowed her head, several veils slithered to the floor. ‘It is so good to see you! Oh, my lady—’
Afraid that Katerina might mention Martina, Theodora held up her hand. ‘A moment, Katerina, we are not alone.’
Commander Ashfirth gazed at her with cool, assessing eyes and stepped fully into the bedchamber. Reaching behind him, he shut the door with a snap.
Theodora stiffened. ‘What do you think you are doing?’
‘My lady, you are the Princess?’ the Commander demanded, voice curt. Holy Virgin, he knew about the deception practised upon him.
Does he know about Martina?
Katerina scrambled to her feet. ‘Of course this is the Princess.’ She laid a hand on the Commander’s chest. ‘Ash, all is well. The Princess is home at last and I need to speak to her, in confidence.’
‘You want me to go?’
‘If you wouldn’t mind waiting in the reception chamber.’ Katerina smiled. ‘I will introduce you properly when I have brought the Princess up to date with everything that has happened since we last saw each other.’
Commander Ashfirth nodded at Katerina, gave Theodora a grudging bow and left the bedchamber.
Theodora looked thoughtfully at Katerina. Katerina had had an unhappy past. Indeed, it had been Theodora who had saved her from a life of abuse as a slave and had freed her. The Katerina whom Theodora knew had been extremely wary of men. ‘You are very familiar with Commander Ashfirth.’
What has she told him?
Katerina’s smile lit up the bedchamber. ‘Yes, my lady, and with very good reason—the Commander is my husband.’
Theodora’s eyes went wide. ‘You married Commander Ashfirth?’ Theodora had never thought Katerina would be able to trust a man again, never mind marry. ‘So soon?’ It had only been a few weeks since Theodora had persuaded Katerina to take her place. And now she was married?
‘It was not a difficult choice, my lady, despoina. Ashfirth is an honourable man, and thanks to you I am—’ her chin inched up ‘—a free woman. I have every right to marry.’
Theodora smiled and touched Katerina’s arm. ‘Of course you do.’ Her hand fell away. ‘You must tell me everything. First, if you please, you must tell me how much you have told him.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Does he know about Martina?’
Katerina shook her head and a twist of hair, as dark as Theodora’s, trembled at her temple. ‘No.’
Theodora felt her tension ease. ‘Thank God.’ She frowned at the closed door. ‘Is Anna outside? I should like to see her, too.’
Katerina grimaced. ‘Princess, I … I’m afraid that is impossible, Lady Anna has left the City.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Lady Anna left Constantinople several days ago.’
Theodora groped for the bed, she had to sit down. ‘Anna abandoned you when I charged her with looking after you?’ Katerina had little knowledge of the ways of the Court, which was why Theodora had asked her lady-in-waiting, Anna of Heraklea, to go with her. Anna was meant to have taken Katerina under her wing; she had promised to explain the intricacies of court protocol to her … but if Anna had left the City …?
‘Princess, Lady Anna knew I was safe. By the time she left, she knew that Commander Ashfirth and I … that we …’ Katerina glanced at the great bed and coloured ‘She knew I was safe.’
Theodora rubbed her forehead. ‘What on earth happened? Blessed Mother, you had best start from when you arrived at the Palace.’
‘All went well, at first. I was nervous, of course, but Lady Anna was a great help and Ash … the Commander … was kind. We did not make much of a show of ourselves, nor did we plan to do so. But almost as soon as we had arrived, General Alexios staged his coup and his mercenaries overran the City. For a few days all was chaos.’
Theodora shook her head as Katerina told her about the old Emperor’s downfall, as she learned how Katerina and Anna were caught up in the unrest at the time of the coup and had to flee marauding mercenaries. Theodora did not have to be a seer to realise that Commander Ashfirth had helped Katerina, but her jaw dropped when she learned that Anna had been saved by a Frankish knight she had bought in the slave market.
Theodora held up her hand. ‘You are saying that Anna bought a cavalry officer at the slave market? A Frank?’
‘Yes, my lady, despoina.’
When Katerina proceeded to explain that Anna had fallen in love with the slave and had sailed off to Apulia with him in order to escape an arranged marriage, Theodora fell back against the mulberry pillows.
‘Anna let a Frankish cavalry officer carry her off to Apulia?’
‘Yes, Princess.’
Theodora could not help but groan. ‘I don’t know what I expected when we returned and found the apartment empty, but this …’ She caught her breath. ‘The knight will not hurt Anna, will he?’
‘I believe that he loves her, he intends to marry her.’
‘That at least is something to be thankful for.’
‘I am sorry, Princess. Everything was going smoothly until His Majesty, the new Emper—’
‘Yes, yes, I am sure you did your best.’ With a sigh, Theodora pushed herself upright. She needed no reminder that the dawn of the new regime changed everything. ‘In truth, Katerina, in the circumstances you did well. There is one slight problem …’
‘Despoina …?’
‘Duke Nikolaos came to this apartment in person this afternoon. He was looking for me. As I understand it, he arrived in Constantinople with His Majesty and he has been sending me messages for some days. The Duke is not pleased to have been, as he sees it, ignored.’
‘Oh.’
‘Exactly. Oh.’
Katerina clasped her hands at her breast. ‘Princess, I am deeply sorry not to have been here. Ashfirth felt it was too risky. I have been at his house in the City; he refused to let me leave.’
‘And you were happy to fall in with his wishes.’
‘I … yes.’
What must it be like to be loved in such a way? A painful twinge that felt alarmingly like envy shot through Theodora. What must it be like?
Katerina was staring at a swirling pattern in the marble floor, twisting her fingers together. ‘My apologies, Princess, I would have insisted on being here if I knew the Duke was in the City. Ashfirth didn’t tell me.’
‘Never mind, he was probably trying to protect you. And you are here now, which means we can each step back into our own shoes. It will be a relief to you, I am sure. Katerina, tomorrow the Imperial Court is going to find that Princess Theodora Doukaina is much recovered. She is going to make something of a show of herself and we need to discuss how she is to go about it. Once we have done that, you must take me into the reception chamber. I should like to thank your husband for all he has done for you.’
Next day, the bells for morning service had barely faded when courtiers in the Great Palace were