The Shortcoming (Unexpected Circumstances 4)

Chapter 1—Resolutely Surrender

For a very long moment, I just stood there with mouth agape, trying to understand what had apparently occurred so close to me yet without my knowledge. I had been on the other side of the stables, only vaguely aware of the knights at the far end. Now that I understood what they had been doing, I was shocked and horrified.

The girl rolled over to her hands and knees and began to push herself up and out of the dirty straw before I gained my senses and moved to help her.

“Are you hurt badly?” I asked quietly. I crouched down next to her and reached out to offer assistance though I didn’t know what I should do to help. The girl reached over her shoulder and pulled her soiled dress against her chest. It was badly torn and likely ruined. If only I had realized what was happening to her earlier…but even then, what could I have done?

“I am fine, my lady,” the girl’s soft voice proclaimed as she tried to right herself. She used one hand to push her short, dark hair from her face.

“My name is Lady Alexandra,” I told her. I really didn’t know if my name was known yet or not here in Sawyer though Branford kept assuring me I would be known both by name and face before the end of summer. The colors of my dress made me stand out as a supporter of Silverhelm, not as its future queen. “I am Prince Branford’s wife. If you tell me what happened, maybe I can help.”

The girl’s eyes went wide with terror as she scrambled in the dirty straw to get herself sitting upright. She shook her head and started begging me.

“No, no—please, my lady! Do not speak of it!” She pushed herself up onto her feet as chaff rained down from her torn dress. I stood as well, reaching for her arm to steady her as she swayed. “I am fine, really. I just need to get Lord Leland’s horse now.”

Lord Leland. Undoubtedly, this was Sir Leland, the knight Branford had mentioned the previous day. I was sure of it. He was the knight who had bested Branford in the joust. He must have been the blond knight who stayed after the others had left. I remembered Branford’s warning to stay away from him.

“You cannot possibly—” I didn’t get my sentence out before I heard my name called from the other end of the stables.

“Alexandra!” Ida stood near Romero’s stall, looking up and over the wall. She looked from left to right, seeking me out.

“Over here, Ida!” I called back and waved my hand in her direction. Ida gathered up her skirts and came quickly to the other side of the building. When she reached me, she observed the girl in the stall and then faced me with a look of concern in her eyes.

“I was stopped by Lady Sawyer,” Ida said. “I realize you have only met her once, but you already know how difficult it is to get her to end a sentence. What happened?”

“There were some knights here…” I started to say.

“Please, my lady,” the girl begged. She reached out as if to take my hand. “I do not want to start any trouble.”

“Trouble?” I asked. “You have done nothing wrong.”

“Lord Leland bade me to collect his horse,” she said softly. She grabbed a bit and bridle from the wall of the stall and started to walk toward the door to the barn. “I should go to the farrier now.”

“He was one of the men who hurt you, wasn’t he?” I asked, grasping her arm and turning her to me. Her gaze darted from me to Ida and then back to me again.

“He did no harm, my lady.” The girl pulled her shoulders in on herself, as if she was trying to disappear into the ground.

“No harm!” I scoffed, pointlessly indicating her torn dress and muddied skirts.

“It is his right,” the dark haired girl said with a shrug.

“Alexandra,” Ida said as she placed her hand on my arm, “what happened?”

I looked from the girl to Ida and wondered what I could say. I did not want to frighten Branford’s sister, nor did I want the girl to run off before I could convince her to seek help. Before I could respond to Ida, I heard my name called again, this time by the deep voice of my husband. He had also entered the far end of the stables near his horses. I waved my hand in the air to get his attention.

“Please, my lady,” the girl said again, “truly, I do not wish to be a burden. I should go…”

“It is not a burden!” I said, insisting, but before I could say any more, Branford was near.

“What are you doing down here?” he demanded as he walked over toward us. He looked from me to Ida and then into the stall. The girl had managed to straighten her dress so she was no longer exposed, but the dress was obviously torn, and her lip was bloody and swollen. Branford looked back to me. “Alexandra?”

“There were some knights here,” I started to say, but the girl grabbed my arm. When I turned, she was shaking her head and begging me not to tell Branford what had happened.

“Please, my lady,” she said.

I looked back to my husband, but he was looking away from me and away from the girl in the stall. His jaw was set, and his hands flexed into fists for a moment.

“What are you doing down here, Alexandra?” Branford asked, demanding my answer.

“Branford, she was—”

“We need to return to the arena,” Branford said, cutting off my words.

“But, Branford,” I started to say but was interrupted again.

“It is not your concern, Alexandra.” Branford’s eyes darted quickly between my face and the stall where the girl stood with her head bowed and then toward the entrance to the stable.

My heart sank, and words would no longer form in my throat. He was not going to help her—that much was obvious. I knew by the look in his eye, he had not misinterpre