35 The Visitor

Once they were safely inside, the Duke pulled the Duchess into his office and closed the door. Ilona looked at her brother and found him staring after them, a strange expression on his face. She cleared her throat and his eyes moved to her.

"Thanks for that," she said, looked at a random painting instead of meeting his gaze.

She knew she could have saved herself and Delaney. She really didn't need his help. But she would thank him anyway and felt strangely relieved knowing he still cared about her enough to save her.

Or maybe he'd just done it to save his beloved duchess.

"Where have you two been?" Ian asked then.

Ilona felt her cheeks warm and she glanced his way, "We were just out."

"Out where? Doing what?"

"At a shop."

"What shop?"

Ilona frowned at her brother and took a deep breath. "At a dressmaker's shop."

Ian's eyebrows shot up, "Who was getting a dress? You?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Ilona didn't answer. A snort of laughter came from Ian and he shook his head. Before he could tease her further though the door to the Duke's office reopened and he stepped out with his wife on his arm.

The Duke told them he'd call for them to come in in a moment. They nodded and he walked across to the sitting room, opening the door and standing back so Delaney could walk in. As soon as the door had closed, Ilona looked to Ian for an explanation.

"Who's in there?"

"Mace," Ian sighed.

"The Prince?" Ilona asked in surprise and watched as her brother nodded.

She didn't wait a moment longer, sneaking forward and leaning in close to the door the others had just gone through.

"Ilona don't!" Ian hissed.

His sister rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to get caught. Besides... that Prince might be our ticket to getting our siblings back. I want to hear why he's here with all these guards."

Ian looked unhappy but after a moment of hesitation, moved forward to join her, pressing an ear to the door.

"...What are you doing here Mace?" they heard Delaney's voice, "And why on earth are there so many guards out there in the first place?"

"My wicked sister-in-law has insisted on me having this many guards with me at all times now," the smooth voice of the Prince answered, "She seems to think I will be so against this marriage to her sister that I will run away so I don't have to go through with it."

"Where on earth did she get that idea?" Delaney asked.

"That's exactly what he did the last time he was supposed to be marrying her," Vincent answered.

Ilona and Ian met one another's gazes then, both with raised eyebrows.

"I know it wasn't the best course of action," the Prince said, "But it still saved me in the end. Can't make someone get married if you can't find them."

Ilona heard Delaney laugh and Mason reply but she couldn't make out what they'd said. Then the Duke said something and it got quiet.

"Can you hear anything?" Ian whispered.

"Shh," Ilona hissed, pressing a finger against her lips.

"I've decided I want to run off again," the Prince announced, "I just can't stand to marry that horrible woman. I don't care if Danny disowns me and takes away all my titles and lands. I would be poor but happy."

Ilona's mouth fell open and looked up to see Ian looked the same.

"Where would you go?" the Duchess asked.

"I have an idea... I figure they would look for me at any of my estates and then at Edgewood or here, thinking you and Vince were harboring me. I probably couldn't stay with any nobles or people from the court. Danny would look there."

"So where would you go then?" the Duke asked now.

"I think it would be best if I didn't tell you."

"What about money?" Delaney questioned after a moment, "How would you pay for things?"

"I have a good amount of money I've kept tucked away. I will take it with me."

"Surely we could help you with money too couldn't we?" she asked, "Even if we can't give you a place to stay."

"Thank you Delaney but I wouldn't take your money. I wouldn't want either of you to get pulled into the middle of it when it becomes a fight between Danny and I."

"You think it will come to that?"

"I know it will," the Prince answered, "I will have disobeyed the King. He can't simply ignore that. I'll be punished."

The Duchess said something else and then Ilona heard the Prince say, "I'll be alright. Don't worry about that."

Ilona felt anger spark to life inside her and she moved away from the door, her eyes flashing.

"Wait," Ian whispered, hurrying to follow her, "Where are you going? They're still talking."

"I've heard enough," she snapped, heading for the stairs. Ian grabbed her arm before she could climb them.

"What's wrong?"

"Didn't you hear him?" Ilona demanded in surprise, "The coward is running away!"

"Yes," Ian said slowly in confusion, "But can you blame him? I wouldn't want to marry that horrid woman either."

"That's not the point!" she threw her hands in the air, "His brother, King Daniel, said no to the King of The Red Lands because he said his brother was already set to be married. Now the selfish coward is running away so he won't have to do either!"

"Ilona..."

"No Ian," she snapped, "You heard him. He has plenty of money and doesn't care about his titles. He's going to run away somewhere and live some happy life while Isaac and Willow spend their lives trapped in a dungeon! He could help us and still escape his marriage to that nasty woman but he only cares about himself."

"But Ilona he..."

"Just stop," she shook her head, her anger moments away from boiling over and causing her to storm in and say something to the Prince himself, "I don't want to hear you defend him. You stay here and wait for your precious Duchess and your new noblemen friends. I'm going to go to my room and work out a plan to help Isaac and Willow now that we know for certain these so-called "good people" won't be helping them. You may have forgotten about them but I haven't."

Ian opened his mouth to argue but they heard the door to the room being opened and he jerked to look in that direction. When he turned back, Ilona was already nearly to the top of the stairs, leaving him behind.

Delaney and Vincent were walking the Prince out. In the entry, they stopped and he gave them both his dazzling smile again.

"Don't worry about me," he chuckled before looking at Ian standing awkwardly by the stairs, "Ian can you come outside with me? I forgot I have a letter for your father but I left it in the saddlebag. I didn't want to chance it falling out in the street."

"Of course," Ian gave a slight bow before following Mason outside.

Ilona hurried the rest of the way to her bedroom and dashed to the windows, looking down on the deadly handsome Prince as he stood by his horse with her brother. Angry tears stung her eyes. This man had made a joke of her at the castle and now she found out he was even worse than she thought. How could someone so charming and handsome be so selfish and sneaky?

Prince Mason looked back, smiled, and waved to Delaney and Vincent. He then turned and got a folded paper from the saddle and held it out to Ian. When Ian went to take it though Mason didn't let go. Ian looked at him in confusion and found the Prince's serious blue eyes on him. If only Ilona could have heard his words.

"Bring your sister to the castle tomorrow night once Delaney and Vincent have gone to bed," he said urgently, "Don't tell anyone where you're going."