For Love or Kingdom Ch 1

  Ryland rode through the barbican into the main courtyard, feeling tension settle over him like a heavy cloak as he laid eyes on his childhood home for the first time in ten years. Though he remembered little, having willingly forgotten as much of his past as he could as he grew up away from his cruel father and brother, the people of Hartland seemed to remember him. As he rode through the countryside, more then once he'd ridden through small bands of cheering peasants, everyone seemingly genuinely happy to see their young prince once again returned to them from the neighboring kingdom. Now, the castle staff awarded him the same excited, clamorous greeting the people that lived outside of the castle walls had. In spite of the tension that made Ryland jaws ache from clenching his teeth, he smiled at those that greeted him so warmly, nodding and waving occasionally. Ein, Ryland's magnificent black horse pulled up short and snorted her irritation, stamping one forehoof. Ryland automatically reached down to stroke the mare's neck, soothing her anger as he looked to see what had brought her up short. When his gaze settled on his older brother, Derrin, the little good mood Ryland had managed to build vanished under a rush of irritation to match his horse's.

  "Hello, little brother," sneered his the older man, reaching out a hand to stroke the other side of Ein's neck, frowning when the horse shied away from his touch.

  "Hello, Derrin," Ryland said quietly, the deep rumble of his voice drawing a few whispered comments from servants that remembered the as yet unchanged high-pitched falsetto of a little boy's voice.

  "What a wonderful horse you have. Did King Lionard loan him to you for your return trip?" Derrin asked as he eyed the horse with obvious calculation in his eyes.

  Ryland could tell his brother planned to find a way to own the mare if he could. It pleased him greatly, though he hid his pleasure well, to crush his brother's plans. "No, Ein is mine. She was a gift for my twenty-first birthday from King Lionard."

  Derrin scowled up at his brother, clearly unhappy to have his desire thwarted so easily. "Ein? She?" he mocked, laughing rudely, several of his cronies laughing with him from somewhere deeper in the crowd. "That is a boy's name. Why would you name a mare Ein?"

  Ryland saw the signs of his mount's irritation and knew what was coming, but did nothing to stop the horse when she leaned down to bite Derrin's shoulder in anger. When his older brother yelped and jumped away from the horse, hand massaging his abused shoulder, Ryland had to fight not to laugh. Instead he leaned over and patted the horse, whispering as if reprimanding her poor behaviour, though he was in fact thanking and praising her for her actions.

  Sitting back up, Ryland smiled apologetically down at his older brother. "I called her Ein because it seemed to suit her, and because she made it known when she was a filly that it was her name. As I tried to come up with a good name for her, I listed off any and every name I could think of. When I came to Ein, she butted her head against my arm and nickered at me. I knew then that Ein was her name."

  Derrin glared up at Ryland, clearly not caring how or why the horse got her name, but not daring to say anything further that would make him look bad in front of the people he would one day rule. This was precisely why Ryland told his brother the story. It served as proof that he'd not only grown older and bigger, he'd grown stronger mentally as well. No longer would be be easily bullied, nor would he run and hide from the older man as he had when he was a child.

  "Father is having one of his better days, he awaits you in the Solar, though you may of course bathe, change and refresh yourself after the long journey. He will see you after lunch. The servants have been dispatched the take the tub and hot water up to your room. If you require anything else, you need only let them know."

  Ryland inclined his head in a half nod, half bow to his brother's directions. He of course knew how the household was run, since it was much the same as it was in Trinaly, but he accepted his brother's need to show himself superior. Ryland was not yet ready to harry his brother into a fight. He celebrated the small victory, the first of what he hoped would be many, silently, his hand stroking Ein's neck.

  "Sir, I can take your horse and stable her for you now, if you like," came a tiny voice from the vicinity of his knee.

  Blinking, Ryland looked away from his contemplation of his brother's retreat, looking down at the boy that stood beside him, rumpled and a bit dirty. "Pardon?"

  "I said I can take your horse and stable her for you now, Your Highness," the boy repeated, beginning to look a bit nervous.

  Ryland swung his leg over Ein's neck and slid to the ground next to the boy, offering him a warm and inviting smile. "Oh, that's quite alright, I'll settle her myself. Ein's a bit temperamental until she gets to know you. So, how about you come along and let her get used to your scent and the sight of you, then one day you shall be her personal groom, if you'd like."

  The boy's eyes had continued to grow wider and wider as he listened to his prince speak so plainly to him, and offer him such a high sign of respect. Ryland wasn't sure if the boy was going to cry, faint or just turn tail and run as fast as he could. He did none of the above however, instead squaring his thin shoulders and drawing his head high as if already he were bearing a great weight, and bearing it with pride.

  "I would be honored, Your Highness," the boy replied gravely.

  "Excellent," Ryland exclaimed as he turned in the direction of the stable, letting Ein follow at her own pace as she eyed her new surroundings.

  Several people watched in amazement as the horse followed in behind her master, not being led by rope or halter. Ryland smiled inwardly and was hard pressed not to chuckle when he caught the stable boy cutting surreptitious glances at the mare as she followed along willingly, so unlike most horses.

  "Tell me, what is your name?"

  "Dirk, Your Highness," they boy answered quickly, turning his full attention back to his prince.

  "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Dirk. But, I am not 'Your Highness.' That is my father and my older brother. I am simply Ryland." Seeing the scandalized look the boy directed at him, Ryland chuckled and relented. "Or, Prince Ryland if you prefer."

  The boy looked uncertain for a few moments more, then nodded slowly, "As you wish, Prince Ryland."

  Just before they entered the stables, Ryland felt eyes on him. Since most of the crowd had gone back to whatever duties they had, or to their lives in general, feeling the eyes on him disconcerted Ryland a bit. Pausing, he looked around, trying to find who it was watching him. At last his gaze turned up to the castle, finding someone standing at one of the windows. He squinted his eyes, trying to get a good look at who it was that watched him so intently, but the distance was too great for him to get more than the impression of a broad shouldered and muscular man with dark hair. Mentally shrugging it off, Ryland moved into the relative dimness of the stables and went about unsaddling and settling Ein in to her new stall, getting to know the young boy that was quickly growing on Ein. Ryland watched with pleasure as the horse lipped at some of the boy's red hair, making him laugh as he pushed her head away. The menial and familiar tasks and the easy conversation with the boy helped Ryland relax for the first time since he'd crossed the border from the kingdom of Trinaly back into the kingdom of Hartland.

  When he emerged from the stables some time later, the person that had been watching him from the windows had vanished and the courtyard was all but deserted. Ryland turned to give his farewells to his new little friend and was surprised to find the boy staring wide-eyed in the direction of the castle, his face a bright red that nearly matched his hair. He opened his mouth to ask the boy if he was feeling ill when he heard a small, feminine voice cry out his name from the direction of the castle. Turning his head he saw a young girl with streaming blonde hair running in his direction, her clearly unhappy maid following after as quickly as she could, calling to the girl.

  "Ryland, you're home! At last we get to meet, big brother," the girl cried as she closed the distance between them.

  By the time Rhyanon reached him, Ryland's eyes stung with tears barely suppressed and his heart ached at the sight of the little sister he'd been forced to leave when she was little more than a few weeks old. Seeing how much she resembled their dead mother only made him ache more, though he threw his arms open to her and gathered her up and swung her about the courtyard with a laugh when she flung herself into his arms.

  "Rhyanon! You turned out even more beautiful than I imagined! You look so much like Mother," Ryland commented as he lowered himself to a knee and held the little girl back so he could get a good look at her.

  "Thank you, big brother," the girl cooed, her face lighting up with her smile. "Father has told me many stories of Mother and told me how much I remind him of her. I think it pains him most times to see me because I remind him of her. I think he blames me for her death."

  Ryland could only gape at his young sister. To hear such come from the mouth of a ten-year-old child was shocking. Anger and hatred surged through his heart as it hadn't since he was a boy, and in that moment he was happy that his father was dying. That the man's cruelties had apparently been turned on his only daughter after he sent away Ryland, the usual target of his ridicule, was insufferable.

  "That is not true," Ryland snapped with rather more force than intended, drawing a gasp from his sister's young maid. Ryland glanced up at the girl and smiled apologetically, noting how attractive she was before turning his attention back to his sister and continuing much more gently. "Mother was fragile, as are all of the women from her family. Bearing Derrin weakened her, though she recovered much better than was usual, so they dared to have me. My bearing was much more difficult on her and she never quite completely recovered I fear. The healers swore she was infertile because of her frailties, but the gods proved them all wrong and blessed her twelve years later with the beautiful daughter she always wanted. She loved Derrin and I, but mother had always wished for a daughter. It was with naught but joy that she looked upon you after your birth and gave you the name of her own beloved mother and all of her love with her last breath."

  Rhyanon smiled and nodded, her face lighting up once more. "That's exactly as big brother Brady tells it as well!"

  Ryland felt his stomach turn over and his heart quiver in his chest at the mention of his former body servant and only childhood friend. His gaze darted back to the castle window from which he'd been watched perhaps an hour before, wondering if maybe it was Brady that he had seen. His heart began to race unexpectedly at this thought, so he pushed it aside and concentrated on his sister instead. "Well I am glad that Brady did as he promised the night before I left and told you the truth of our mother and myself."

  "Mistress, it is nearly time for the afternoon meal. You need to go get cleaned up so that you may dine with the King and Crown Prince," the girl's maid said quietly, reaching out to draw her away from Ryland.

  Pushing to his feet, Ryland smiled warmly at the young woman, amused to see her blush and look quickly away. "Your maid is right, dear little sister. You go with her and I shall see you again after I visit with father after lunch. We will sit and talk for as long as you like then, alright?"

  "Do you promise, big brother? I have ever so many questions!"

  "Yes, dearest little sister, I give my word of honor that after our father has turned me loose, I shall be all yours."

  Rhyanon giggled and grabbed at the sides of her skirt, dropping into a polite curtsy before allowing herself to be led away. Ryland watched until they had disappeared back into the castle, then turned to bid farewell to Dirk, surprised to find the boy gone. Frowning, Ryland shrugged and turned to the castle, his gaze drifting automatically to the window from which he'd been watched. He wasn't certain, as it had been ten years since last he had seen the inside of the castle, but he was almost positive that the window was in his own room; that whoever had been watching him, had been doing so from his room. Hurrying his steps as curiosity built, Ryland slipped into the castle, greeting staff that had not been able to come out to see him upon his arrival as he made his way to his rooms.