Free Fate War: Alliance by E.M. Havens Page A

He could feel Samantha’s eyes on him so he continued. “When she died, Freedom was never the same. She needs someone, Samantha. She needs someone to care about again, someone to trust. Freedom is yours now. I thought maybe once the Binding Time is over we can work with her together and go riding.”
    “No.” Samantha’s answer was immediate and firm. Cole pushed away from the stall.
    “No?”
    “I appreciate the gift, but I’m a lady and riding is not of interest to me.”
    “Are you saying my mother, The Queen of Arborea, was not a lady?” He was inches from her face now, and she turned to meet his stare. There was a belligerent fire in her eyes, and her chest heaved in deep breaths of frustration. He wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her, then kiss her. It was what he saw behind the fire that stopped him. Regret and sorrow fueled those flames.
    “I’m not saying the Queen was not a lady – “Samantha spoke in polite measured tones. “and you know very well that wasn’t what I was saying. I’m saying that I appreciate your gift, but riding is of no interest me. I am a Lady above all. Now if you will kindly show me back to our quarters where we are supposed be.”
    She gathered her skirts and walked calmly toward the stable doors leaving Cole as confused and frustrated as ever. This was not part of the plan.
    ****
    Samantha’s hair bore the brunt of her frustration as she combed the knots and tangles from it. It slowly transformed from a complicated collection of curls to shiny straight sheets.
    “Ugh!” Though the utterance was sparked by the removal of a particularly nasty knot, the intensity resulted from Lord Cole. He had already retired to his study for the night leaving her disheveled and distraught.
    Did he know? He couldn’t know. Yet he managed to test her at her weakest points. He must derive some pleasure from causing her failure. Several times today, especially in the stable, he had managed to push her to the edge, leading her to act like something other than she was, a lady. She had even almost spoken to him in anger. That would not do. And how had he convinced her to even leave their quarters?
    She slammed the brush on the dresser and stared at her washed face and combed hair in the mirror. She could not hold the gaze of the plain girl that stared back. Ashamed, she moved to the window. The lights of the city twinkled in a hollow reflection of the stars above that were hidden by the ever present haze from factories and other mech.
    Why did he have to test her so? With a resolute sigh, Samantha turned to the overstuffed bed. She would just have to be stronger, more focused. Eventually he would be confident in the lady his wife was supposed to be.
    Pulling the covers close to her chin, she wondered if he would come to her tonight. She shuddered and swallowed her fear. Maybe this was another test.
    Was she supposed to go to him? If she was, she would fail at that, too.
    Though she fought against it, sleep drifted in bringing with it fragments from the last two days. She remembered Freedom, and a sad smile crept across her face. Cole was right about the horse. Freedom needed someone. She couldn’t stand the thought of the poor beast locked away and alone. Forgotten. Samantha understood.

“King Arnold, a pleasure.”
    Samantha curtsied low, holding the layers of her blue, lace trimmed dress up from the floor. The handmaid had done a tremendous job of tightening her corset. Multi-colored stars popped before her eyes with the movement.
    “None of that now. We’re family.” The King’s kind voice and hand guiding her back up put her at ease. He stood in the doorway of her and Cole’s bedchambers. Images of him in red coattails flashed into her mind, and she pushed them back. Today, he wore a grey morning coat, complete with a red striped waistcoat and ascot. The ruby eyes and toothy grin of a gold dragon head peaked at her from the crook of his arm where his cane