Bride to a Brigand Read online

  It was then she saw Thelia.

  She was looking very lovely sitting at the front of a wagon that was packed with other women and a number of their children.

  She was wearing a large-brimmed hat to protect her beautiful face from the sun and the ribbons that tied under her chin, which were of rose pink accentuated the dark of her hair and the perfection of her skin.

  She did not see Ileana looking at her, for her eyes were on Vladilas giving directions and she was looking at him yearningly and with love.

  Ileana turned away abruptly and a few minutes later they were riding towards The Castle.

  Set almost at the end of the valley with thick woods, which covered the lower part of the mountain behind them, it was exactly, Ileana thought, as a castle should look. It reminded her vaguely of the castles she had seen in Bavaria and had a number of small turrets pointing up to the sky.

  From the distance it had a fairy-like appearance that gave it a look of enchantment.

  “I am afraid you must expect to rough it a little,” Vladilas said as they drew nearer The Castle, “because although I sent some of my people to The Castle as soon as I reached Zokāla so that it could be opened up, it has been empty for a long time and the caretakers in charge have grown very old.”

  “Do you mean that nobody has lived there since your father left?”

  He shook his head.

  “No, it was just waiting, I feel, for me to come home.”

  The way he spoke was rather moving and Ileana hoped for his sake that he would not be disappointed.

  She found, however, when she entered The Castle that it was furnished very attractively, and somebody, she was sure on Vladilas’s instructions, had put flowers in every room.

  They helped to conceal the fact that the curtains and carpets were faded and many of the chairs needed re-covering.

  But if it had seemed like a fairy tale Palace from a distance and, closer to it, it had a charm that was very different from the romantic beauty of her own Palace.

  There were portraits on the walls of Vladilas’s ancestors and although the furniture needed polishing, it was the product of many skilled craftsmen who she knew in the past had worked there.

  She felt sure that if one looked for them now they could still be found working at their trade in the small villages in the mountains.

  She wandered from room to room without Vladilas because he was still organising his people and supervising the raising of tents where they must live and sleep until cottages were built for them.

  From The Castle windows Ileana could see that the land down by the river, which ran through the centre of the valley, was rich and verdant.

  There was a huge lake below The Castle that reflected not only the sky but also the peaks of the mountains towering just behind them.

  ‘I could be very happy here,’ she thought involuntarily.

  Then it was almost as if somebody asked,

  “With Vladilas?”

  He was away for a long time, but an hour later her luggage, which her lady’s maid from the Palace had packed hastily, arrived in a brake drawn by six horses.

  With it came one of her younger lady’s maids because Ileana had thought it would be a mistake to bring any of the older ones who were very set in their ways and disliked change of any sort.

  Greta was a bright, rosy-cheeked young girl, only just beginning to learn how to look after Ileana’s gowns and eager to do everything right.

  Ileana liked her, but she chattered in a manner that the older maids disapproved of.

  “It’s lovely here, Your Majesty!” Greta exclaimed. “I couldn’t believe it when I was told I was to come with Your Majesty and look after you.”

  “I am sure you will manage very well, Greta,” Ileana replied, “and now I would like to have a bath and change.”

  Greta hurried off to arrange it, and when she had gone Ileana looked around her bedroom that she knew had last been used by Vladilas’s grandmother.

  His father had not been married until after he was exiled and his Greek wife had therefore never seen The Castle that had been so close to her husband’s heart.

  As Ileana remembered she was Greek, she thought of Thelia coming to the valley and wondered if it had been a disappointment to her and perhaps also to Vladilas when she had joined the expedition.

  ‘Perhaps they wanted to be together,’ she told herself and was surprised that she felt not angry but upset at the idea.

  It was then she asked herself why Vladilas had planned to leave without preparing her for his departure and had merely informed her that he was going in an hour’s time and would not be back for at least ten days.

  Had he wanted to spend those ten days with Thelia?

  Was that where his real interest lay?

  She could remember all too clearly Thelia’s soft voice saying to her,

  “Please be – kind to him. He is – so very – wonderful!”

  She had heard the throb on the words and was sure she had tears in her eyes as she said them.

  She loved him and, of course, he loved her because his mother was Greek.

  Suddenly Ileana could not understand why the thought of their loving each other made her feel lost and somehow afraid.

  ‘Of course there have been women, doubtless dozens of them, in Vladilas’s life,’ she told herself.

  He was handsome, a man, and if the Zokālans were famous for being ardent lovers, so were the Greeks.

  It would have been impossible for him with both Zokālan and Greek blood in his veins to live a life of chastity.

  And why should he?

  He was a brigand and took what he wanted and the Pallikares were famous for stealing not only a man’s possessions, if they needed them, but also his womenfolk, if they desired them.

  She tried not to think of the way Vladilas had kissed her and the manner in which his lips had first hurt her and then evoked strange sensations, which she could still feel flickering through her when she thought about them.

  ‘He was just punishing me!’ she whispered to herself.

  The whole incident was so disturbing that she tried to put it out of her mind, but found it impossible.

  Greta came back to say that her bath was ready and she found leading out of her bedroom that there was a small octagonal bathroom which she was sure was enclosed by one of the turrets.

  She knew now that her own room had a dome overhead that had glinted gold in the sunshine as they had ridden towards it.

  ‘It is a Fairy Castle,’ she told herself.

  She tried not to think that Vladilas, as far as she was concerned, was not playing the part of Prince Charming, but of an ogre who, if he did not terrorise the countryside, certainly managed to terrorise her.

  When she finished her bath, she put on a pretty summer gown that was simpler than those she wore in the Palace.

  “I expect, Your Majesty, you are hungry,” Greta said. “It’s long after midday.”

  Ileana had completely forgotten that, if she had been at home, she would have had luncheon by now.

  Then she remembered that Vladilas had said he was used to eating two meals a day – breakfast and dinner.

  At the funeral he had certainly appeared at luncheon time to play host to their relations and distinguished guests, but she had the idea that today he would be too preoccupied.

  She was right.

  When she reached the hall, an aide-de-camp came hurrying through the door. When he saw her, he pulled himself to attention and clicked his heels.

  “A message from His Majesty, ma’am!”

  “What is it, Captain Heviz?” Ileana asked.

  “His Majesty deeply regrets that, as he is so busily engaged, he cannot join Your Majesty for luncheon and hopes you will excuse him. He will come to The Castle as soon as he is free.”

  Ileana smiled.

  “I am sure His Majesty is very busy!”

  The formal expression on the aide-de-camp’s face changed to a boyish grin.


  “He is working harder than anybody, ma’am. There is nobody like His Majesty! He is marvellous!”

  There was so much enthusiasm in the young man’s voice that Ileana gave a little laugh.

  “I am glad it is all working out to plan,” she said and walked away towards the dining room.

  It was a simple meal but well-cooked and she was sure that Vladilas’s magic touch had already reached the kitchens.

  As soon as she had finished, she started to explore The Castle and to her surprise found herself wishing that Vladilas were there to explain some of the pictures to her.

  There were also many objects, which she supposed were family treasures that amazingly had not been stolen since his father had left the country.

  Then, because after the long ride, she had to admit she was tired and went to her rooms and thought she might rest.

  Instead she explored her suite in The Castle and found that her bedroom, which was very impressive with the silk bed curtains hanging from a gold corolla decorated with a riot of gold cupids, opened into a sitting room.

  Ileana realised that the exquisitely painted carvings on the frames and round the mirrors, which was the work of the native craftsmen, had made every room seem very colourful.

  In the sitting room were rugs of white fur beside those woven by the women from the villages with brilliant coloured patterns.

  There was also exquisitely inlaid furniture and pictures that must have been handed down for generations.

  There were huge vases filled with flowers in every room that scented the air and took away what she thought with the opening of The Castle must have been the mustiness of age.

  She opened the door leading from the other side of the sitting room to find what she was certain was Vladilas’s bedroom.

  There was no mistaking the huge four poster bed, carved and decorated with the same colours as her own bedroom, but hung with dark red velvet curtains and with the Royal Coat of Arms embellished with his father’s crest over the bedhead.

  It was a man’s room, but had the charm that was to be found in every room in the house.

  Again there were flowers that made it seem very lived in and it was difficult to believe that nobody had slept there for over thirty years.

  As she felt it was almost too intimate to be in her husband’s room, Ileana quickly went back into her own and lay down on the bed.

  She only meant to rest for a short time, but when she awoke the sun had sunk behind the mountains and she was aware that down in the valley below there were lights, which came from the fires outside the tents.

  The people they had brought with them would be cooking their evening meal and she thought she could hear the sound of violins in the distance and was sure that the gypsies were there.

  She had a sudden wish to join them to listen to the gypsy music and watch the dancing.

  She had the frightening feeling, however, that now she was Queen it was a joy she could never appreciate again.

  She told herself that she was being needlessly apprehensive, but she knew that, while nobody would be shocked or surprised if the King joined with his people either dancing or celebrating, it was something that would not be expected of their Queen.

  ‘I am being pushed out of everything!’

  She wanted to cry out at the injustice of it.

  Suddenly she thought defiantly,

  ‘I shall do what I want and nobody shall stop me!’

  But even to herself she did not sound very positive and she had a feeling that it would be like the incident of her trousers that Vladilas had forbidden her to wear and, seeing the way he had treated her already, it would be impossible to defy him.

  She stood at the window looking down at the lights and stamped her foot.

  ‘Why did I not marry Tomilav when I had the chance?’ she asked herself.

  Then she thought of how Tomilav had left the room on Vladilas’s order without even making the effort to say goodbye to her or even look at her.

  ‘He was frightened!’ she thought contemptuously.

  She knew that fear and lack of confidence in himself would be something she would despise in her husband.

  Greta came bustling back into the room.

  “Your Majesty is awake!” she exclaimed. “I’ll prepare your bath for you and I expect His Majesty will be back soon.”

  “He is not yet here?” Ileana asked sharply.

  “No, Your Majesty. He’s still working down in the valley. I hears how he’s making them all laugh. They say there has not been one grumble, not even from the older folk, who’re always ready to find fault.”

  “What is His Majesty doing?” Ileana asked.

  She wanted to restrain herself from being too curious, but somehow she had to know.

  “They say His Majesty’s here, there and everywhere! The gypsies are playing and singing and the children have been paddling in the river. It’s all like a wonderful picnic!”

  There was a note of yearning in Greta’s voice that told Ileana she longed to be with them and she thought that was what she would like too.

  But when Vladilas had left The Castle he had not suggested that she should join him.

  Then insidiously, almost as if it was conjured up in front of her, she could see Thelia’s lovely face and the expression in her eyes as she had looked at Vladilas as the wagon in which she was sitting drove into the valley.

  Angry, because what she was thinking was like a pain in her breast, Ileana said harshly,

  “Hurry up about my bath, Greta! You are wasting time gossiping, which you know you are not supposed to do!”

  She knew, even as she spoke, that she was being unfair, but somehow she wanted to hurt somebody, as she herself was feeling hurt because she was alone.

  Chapter Seven

  Ileana lay in the darkness and knew that never in her whole life had she felt so lonely.

  She had changed for dinner into a pretty gown, which was white and thought as she did so that her father would have approved of her not wearing black.

  “I hate gloomy-looking women,” he had said after her mother died and had insisted that she wore white and mauve long before the conventional time for black was over.

  “Now that I am Queen, I can do as I want,” Ileana insisted aloud, but knew even as she spoke the words that they were untrue.

  She knew that she must do what the King wanted.

  If not, he would be as angry with her as he had been when he found Prince Tomilav kissing her goodbye.

  Yet when she was dressed she thought that even his critical eye could find no fault with her appearance.

  She walked downstairs thinking she must find out exactly what he was doing and persuade him that tomorrow she should go with him and watch the work in the valley.

  It was after eight o’clock when the butler came to the dining room where she was waiting, to say,

  “I understand, Your Majesty, that His Majesty will not be returning for dinner.”

  “Why should you think that?” Ileana asked him sharply.

  “I hear, Your Majesty, there’s been an accident of some kind, and His Majesty’s sorting it out.”

  “His Majesty is not injured?”

  “Oh, no, Your Majesty, and I am told it is nothing at all serious.”

  The last words made it impossible for Ileana to say that she would go at once to the valley to see what had occurred.

  Instead she knew that the only thing she could do was to stay where she was and hope that the King would be back later.

  She ate dinner alone, as she had luncheon, waited on by what seemed to be a superfluous number of servants.

  The food was excellent with, as far as she was concerned, too many dishes.

  As soon as she could do so without it seeming unusual, she rose from the table saying,

  “Come and inform me as soon as His Majesty returns. I shall be in the drawing room.”

  As she walked along the passage with its attractive pictures and
inlaid furniture, she felt that nothing could be more obvious than that the King had not wished her to come with him to The Castle.

  Now he was behaving as if he was alone with no ties.

  She thought it even more obvious when, after waiting until nearly eleven o’clock, she went upstairs, feeling by this time quite convinced that the King, having made the excuse of an accident, was now perhaps dancing with the gypsies.

  Thelia would be with him and this was the pattern their lives would take in the future.

  ‘I cannot – bear it!’ Ileana told herself, as Greta helped her to undress.

  “I will not bear it!” she said aloud when she was alone in the darkness of her room.

  She felt as if the future was like a long dark tunnel to which there was no end and all she could see was darkness and despair.

  She tried to think of how happy she had been before she had made the fatal mistake of climbing Bela to spy on the Pallikares and in consequence found herself married to Vladilas.

  There had been horses to ride, Cavalry Officers to accompany her and, because her father was unable to take charge, her authority was accepted unquestioned.

  ‘I ruled the country then,’ she thought, ‘but now nobody will listen to me and Vladilas will have it all his own way!’

  She told herself that she hated him even more fiercely than she had before, but she knew that was untrue.

  In fact she had a sneaking admiration for the way in which he had stepped into the seat of power with no opposition.

  He would obviously as the years passed, become a hero figure with everybody admiring him for his strength and determination.

  Because he was so handsome there would always be women in his life, beautiful women like Thelia, with whom he would spend his leisure hours – and be concerned with his wife only on public occasions.

  “It is intolerable! Absolutely intolerable!” Ileana cried aloud.

  But she felt as if her voice was lost and stifled in the beautiful room with the cupids over the bed and the silk curtains blotting out the stars.

  Deep in the misery of her thoughts, she must have dozed for some hours before she was awakened by what she thought had been a faint noise.