Princess of the Midnight Ball - Jessica Day George [86]
“Rose, did you see—”
But Galen never did finish his question. A young man in a worn soldier’s uniform was limping up the path from the rear of the gardens. As he passed each group of revelers, they fell silent and watched him. Looking down, Galen could see that Rose was staring at the young man, her face pale.
“Lily,” Rose said in a choked voice. “Lily!”
Lily, who had been wiping cake off Petunia’s face, turned around. She saw the young man and dropped her damp handkerchief. He broke into as much of a run as he could manage, and Lily fairly flew into his arms.
“Heinrich,” she sobbed.
“Heinrich!” Galen’s cousin Ulrike screamed with joy and ran to the young man, hovering impatiently until he finished kissing Lily and could embrace her as well.
Tante Liesel fainted, and the widow Zelda Weiss rushed to her side. Galen started to go to her as well, but Rose held him back, her eyes wide as she nodded toward Reiner Orm.
Reiner’s face was dark. “Ulrike,” he barked. “Get away from that man!”
“But it’s Heinrich,” Ulrike said through her tears.
Now she and Lily were holding hands with Heinrich, the three of them standing in a circle. With a shaking finger, Lily traced the long white scar that ran down one side of Heinrich’s face. He raised her hand and kissed it.
“My son,” Liesel moaned as Zelda revived her.
“Mother.” Limping painfully, Heinrich started toward her, one arm still around Lily.
“We have no son,” Reiner said.
“That is a shame,” King Gregor said. “Because it seems to me that my daughter Lily is quite fond of that young man. And with her eldest sister married, I am looking for a suitable match for Lily.”
Rose chimed in, “Soldiers make very good husbands, Father.” She put her arm around Galen’s waist.
“So I am finding, my dear,” King Gregor said.
“Sire,” Heinrich said, clearly torn between going to his mother and dealing with his father’s disownment. “I am Heinrich Orm.”
“I know who you are, lad,” King Gregor said kindly. The wedding had put him in an expansive mood.
“I love your daughter Lily very much, sire,” Heinrich said. Lily, holding tight to his hand, blushed. “Only this injury has kept me from coming to you sooner, to ask for her hand in marriage.”
“Oh, Father, please say yes,” Lily pleaded, her cheeks wet with tears and her eyes like stars.
“I was with the Eagle Regiment,” Heinrich said with pride. “We were the first into Analousia and the last to leave. I was injured while escorting our new ambassador to his first meeting with the Analousian king.”
“Is that so?” King Gregor looked impressed.
“He abandoned his duties to the Queen’s Garden, sire,” Reiner said, his face purple. “He defied my wishes! I have disowned him!”
“Reiner, hold your tongue!” On her feet once more, Tante Liesel came forward and embraced her son, kissing his cheeks and wetting them with her own tears. “I let you place the mourning garland above our door. I let you speak of our son as dead because when word came from the neighbors’ sons of the horrors of their first battle, and no letter from Heinrich, I assumed that he was dead.
“But he isn’t,” she went on, her throat choked with more tears. “He’s alive! And in love still with his beautiful princess! Can’t you see, Reiner? We have been blessed!” She held out a hand to Galen, who took it, Rose still clasped to his other side. “Our son returned to us! Dear Renata’s boy returned and saved the princesses from who knows what horrors! It’s a miracle!”
The whole party held their breath, their eyes on Reiner Orm. At last, a suspicious moisture in his eyes, Reiner blew out his breath and nodded his head. “Welcome home, son,” he said grudgingly.
“Thank you, sir,” Heinrich said.
Reiner reached out as though to shake hands