Page 22 of Veil of Winter

“What do you suggest we do, Sir Gerard?” Her tone contained a harder edge than she’d intended.

He didn’t answer for a few moments, then said, “I was hoping you could think of someone else we could go to for help. But if it must be Prague and King Wenceslaus, then so be it. To Prague we go.”

They rode on in silence. Part of her was angry that he didn’t seem to think her plan was the best one, but the other part of her was just grateful that he was willing to help her, in spite of any misgivings he had. But then that thought led to her being angry again that he had even questioned her plan.

Her aunt had often warned Elyce that a quick temper would only bring her shame, and she was undoubtedly right.

Shortly after her mother died, when she was only seven years old, Elyce’s father had ignored her pleas and refused to take her with him on a trip to Bohemia. Elyce had thrown a fit of crying and protest. But her fit of emotion didn’t have the effect on her father she hoped for. He looked at her scornfully, then blamed her favorite servant, saying that she encouraged Elyce’s temperamental displays.

Then he promptly sent for her aunt to come and “take her in hand.”

It was Aunt Winifred who acquired Ysabeau and dismissed the servant Elyce had been so attached to. But she had loved Ysabeau immediately, as she was nearer Elyce’s own age and was kind to her. Afraid that her aunt would punish her by sending Ysabeau away, Elyce had yet another reason to suppress her emotions.

Keeping her emotions stifled was difficult and sometimes resulted in a huge eruption when she held them in for too long.But she worked hard to keep her feelings hidden. She couldn’t bear to think of Ysabeau hating and scorning her the way her aunt and father did. Her father started treating her differently after she threw that fit, stopped bringing her little gifts once a week, and even stopped picking her up and tweaking her nose, which had been his daily ritual before the evening meal.

And now she was letting her emotions get control of her yet again, this time in response to Sir Gerard. She was hopelessly flawed, apparently.

The wind was picking up even more, cutting through her layers of clothing like a cold lash. They were surely in for a blizzard.

Six

Gerard hadn’t had much experience with snow, having spent his childhood and years of training in the more southerly regions of England. But he’d once heard an old knight tell of getting lost in a snowstorm in northern Scotland. He said he couldn’t see a foot in front of him. One of the old knight’s companions froze to death. They found him the next morning very close to shelter, but he hadn’t been able to see it in the blinding, blowing snow. Considering how dark the clouds were and how cold the wind was, Gerard could hardly doubt they were in for the same kind of snowstorm.

A few minutes later, the snowflakes began to fall—big, fat ones that stuck to his face. Princess Elyce had been sitting up straighter, but now she turned and buried her face in his shoulder. And in spite of himself, he found the action endearing. Indeed, there was something about her that made him want to protect her.

He knew she was spoiled and used to having her own way. And yet . . . there was nowhere he’d rather be than here, holding her, feeling her forehead resting against his shoulder, knowing he was keeping her warm and safe.

He was a knight. It was his duty to help others, to defend the weak, to uphold justice. And as far as he could tell, Princess Elyce’s cause was noble. She wanted to save her people from an unfair fate. He could admire her for that.

Despite the cold and danger, the snow was beautiful as it fell, creating a white, soft, muffled world. And soon it had covered their tracks and any sign of the direction they had taken.

The snow rose higher on the ground. The horses seemed to deal with it rather well, as it even seemed to help, rather than hinder, their ability to keep their footing on the slick rocks and high terrain. But his wonder at the beauty of the snow soon disappeared as the wind began to blow harder, driving the flakes like tiny steel pellets, stinging his cheeks and his hands. In no time he could barely see his horse’s ears right in front of him.

“We need to find shelter.” Sir Oswalt was in the lead, but he slowed his horse and moved alongside Gerard.

“Where is Ysabeau?” The princess lifted her head and looked around.

Ysabeau was on their other side, quite close. She was visibly shivering.

“We do need to find shelter,” the princess agreed, looking up at him.

“Did you and Jacob know of a place to stay along this route?”

“Jacob said there were trappers’ cabins in the mountains and that we could sleep in those if it was too cold to remain outside.”

“It is definitely too cold for remaining outside.” But there was no way they would be able to see a cabin, even if there were a dozen of them. Finding a cave or outcropping was also futile in this blowing snow. But he didn’t want anyone to panic or give up hope, so he said, “We’ll surely come upon some shelter soon, or perhaps this storm will end.”

Instead of arguing with him, as he half expected her to, she nodded and went back to hiding her face against his chest.

He turned to Sir Oswalt, having to raise his voice to be heard over the howling winds. “Any idea where we might find shelter?”

His friend shook his head. “And we only have an hour or two before nightfall.”

They were too high on the mountain for any trees to grow. They seemed to have reached a ridge that was straight and flat, but either side went straight down. If they lost their way or could not see the path, they could easily fall off the side of the mountain. But if their horses stopped now, the animals would surely freeze to death. So they kept moving.

God, I know You see us here on this freezing mountain. You couldn’t have sent mehere, orput it into PrincessElyce’sheart to save her people, only to let us freeze to death.

But what if He had? What if God had a reason for letting them perish? Or what if Gerard and the princess had been following their own foolish notions instead of God’s will?