Maiden of the Forest

Chapter 36 - Wedding Jitters

Kit was leaning against his balcony door, staring unseeingly out into the gardens. Darkness had already descended for the night and all was peaceful. The cold breeze of the autumn wind gently drifted past the curtains, fluttering them slightly, causing the torches on the walls to flicker but not in a fearful or menacing kind of way.

It had been two days since the ball. Kit could hardly believe it when Lord Andrew Duherst confirmed everything Count Welling had confessed without a fight. The loath in his eyes as he spat his thoughts in Kit's direction two nights ago had, at the time, made Kit's entire frame shake in barely controlled anger. He had insulted Ella, calling her the worst kinds of things, saying he would rather be banished from the kingdom than allowing a scullery maid to rule over him. Count Welling, however, looked completely penitent, proving to Kit that the poor man had only acted because of the threatenings given by Lord Duherst (who lived in the next town having a greater amount of power to his name).

Lord Duherst's father, Count Jefferson Duherst, had no idea that his son had committed such acts and harbored such feelings. He actually threatened to disown him. Being quite embarrassed, the Count practically begged Kit's forgiveness on his knees when the matter was made known to him. Kit told him that his son's fate was in Ella's hands and that the matter would be solved after their wedding. Until then, Lord Andrew Duherst was to remain in the dungeons. His father found this agreeable but feared what Ella would decide concerning the fate of his son. Kit assured him of Ella's compassion before sending the man on his way.

"You know, if you keep the window open you'll freeze to death," a snide comment came from behind him on the bed. "I don't know about you but I don't want to be responsible for telling your lady you died the night before your wedding."

Kit rolled his eyes as he turned to see Phillip lounging on his bed, wiggling his toes while his arms rested behind his head.

"You do realize you're lying on the king's bed?" Kit pointed out, frowning.

"Really? No wonder it's so comfortable."

"Phillip," Kit groaned, closing the window and drawing the drapes, "what are you doing here?"

"I thought that was obvious," Phillip said, resting his head in his hand, "I'm here to celebrate my best friend's wedding."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I know."

"Why are you being such a pest?"

Phillip grinned, shrugging. "No reason."

Kit rolled his eyes again, sitting down in a chair, rubbing his face. Despite showing irritation, he was actually really happy to see Phillip. It had been six years since they'd seen each other but even though all that time had passed, it seemed like it was only yesterday that the two were sparing in the guards practice arenas and riding their horses through the fields just outside the palace walls.

"Kit, what's on your mind?"

Kit looked over at his friend before letting out a heavy sigh. "Though it happened two days ago I'm still coming to grips with the fact that someone has been plotting to rape my future wife since he'd first laid eyes on her," he grumbled. "I can't believe it, Phillip. Lord Duherst started making advances on Ella but she spurned him immediately without a second thought. Then her poison tester ended up dying. Then we learned of the town of Durington experiencing neglect and we barely discovered all of it was connected at the masquerade! Lord Duherst was behind the whole thing! After Ella rejected his affections, he maliciously tried to poison her. When that didn't work, he tired to create a circumstance that would distract me. While I was tending to the needs of the people of Durington and dealing with Count Welling – who was in on the plot – he would steal Ella away, force himself upon her, and possibly kill her. All because she refused his affections! Can you believe this? I'm supposed to be getting married in the morning and yet all I can think about is how so much could happen under my very nose without me noticing. I came so close to losing Ella two nights ago. If you hadn't been there, Phillip…"