After a day in the forest, Rolfe could make only one conclusion: it was clear he had not loved Annelise with sufficient ardor.

Perhaps his long run of celibacy had weakened his skills of seduction. Perhaps the lady had not been as pleased as he believed. Perhaps they had not adequately explored the range of lovemaking possibilities.

Whatever the issue, it was clear to Rolfe that the only possible recourse was to return to the great bed and seduce his lady wife again.

As many times as necessary.

The promise of that made him even more anxious than usual for the day to end.

He knew his anticipation could only be due to the prospect of breaking the curse. It had nothing to do with Annelise herself. As charming as she was, he was in no peril of forgetting the truth of their match.

Their marriage was a bargain, no more and no less. On his side, there was a curse to be broken. On Annelise’s side, there was the prospect of comfort, security and a spouse who would treat her well.

Their marriage was an example of duty, honor, and a measure of trust. The fickle emotion of love was of no relevance.

Rolfe was pacing outside the gates of the palace long before the sun finally dipped toward the horizon. He was determined to put every moment of the night to effective use.

The curse had echoed in his thoughts all day, feeding his resolve.

As soon as he became transformed, the gates opened to him. Rolfe strode nude into the courtyard and they closed behind him silently. He crossed the garden with long steps and discovered Annelise in the shadowed foyer. Mercifully, her back was to him, for she had lit a lantern. Even the darkness in the courtyard was not complete.

Rolfe crept up behind her silently. He wished that he had a silken handkerchief and immediately spied one upon the floor. He blinked, then realized he should put the palace’s inclination to serve his will to better use.

Annelise’s kirtle was new—and it could not be coincidence that it was of the same deep green he had envisioned upon her. She had possessed no baggage when she entered the palace gates, so this, too, was a manifestation of his desire. The kirtle clung to her curves in a way that made him all the more intent upon his nocturnal quest.

He snapped the handkerchief over her eyes, blindfolding her, and she gasped. “You!”

“Yes, it is me, my Annelise.”

“Where are you? Where have you been today?” Annelise reached for the knot in the handkerchief, but Rolfe gently grabbed her wrists.

“You will not look upon me.”

“You promised to tell me the truth this morning, but you have been impossible to find.”

“I changed my thinking.”

“Perhaps I will change my thinking and look, then.” It was a shame that he could not see her eyes, in a way, for he knew they would be flashing with fire.

“Perhaps you would be foolish to do so.” He dropped his voice low. “Trust me, Annelise. I will show you all as soon as I can.”

“You deceived me.”

“Not by any scheme of mine. You must believe me, Annelise. I was deceived myself.”

“How cruel,” she said, her tone wary.

“Indeed. I spent the day trying to make amends.” He stole a quick kiss. “Believe that I would never break my word to you willingly.” Her annoyance seemed to be melting and Rolfe wished to avoid more questions he could not answer. He spun Annelise around and around, easily evading her searching hands as he ensured that she kept her balance.

To his delight, she began to smile, then to laugh. “You will make me dizzy!” she accused. Her laughter made Rolfe smile himself and he wished they did not have to play such games.

What if he did confide in her?

The possibility was tempting.

But no. He should persist in his scheme first. When the curse was broken, he would be able to defend them both from whatever threat might result from confiding in her.

When he stopped her and held her shoulders in his hands, Annelise still wavered unsteadily. She reached up with one hand and claimed one of his, as if he were her anchor. Her lips parted and her cheeks were flushed, and Rolfe could resist her no longer.

He bent and kissed her sweetly, then stepped back. Annelise tried to grab him, but her hands closed on empty air.

Rolfe chuckled and she spun to face the sound. “I will find you,” she threatened, then headed toward him. Rolfe stepped silently around her as she walked toward the place he had been, and instead was behind her. She reached out, found nothing, and pivoted at the sound of his foot dislodging a small stone.

“I thought you scarred or maimed, sir, but so far I find nothing wrong with you. Perhaps there is nothing amiss.”

Rolfe’s heart stopped. “Perhaps you have not looked closely enough.”

“Perhaps you fear that I will recognize your face,” she continued and he might have cursed her cleverness if he had not admired it. “Perhaps that is why you keep your name secret.”

“Perhaps you should not ask such questions.” Rolfe circled her silently, intent upon surprising her.

“What else am I to do all day alone?” she asked, flinging out her hands. “You said you would confide in me, sir. This is a poor start for our match.”

Rolfe stepped closer and abruptly caught her shoulders in his hands. “I thought we began quite well,” he whispered and kissed her throat. She sighed and leaned back against him, her lips parting. “Catch me if you can,” he whispered and darted away again.

“Devil!” Annelise cried. Rolfe laughed. She pivoted and headed for his voice. “You change the subject, avoiding my questions.”

Rolfe eased sideways, knowing that her hearing would be sharpened.

“Over here!” he murmured, hastening the other way when she turned. “No, here!”

“You are wicked, sir.” Annelise propped her hands on her hips. “Perhaps you never intended to confide in me at all. Perhaps that was only a ruse to seduce me. Perhaps nothing changed this morning at all.”

He crept up behind her, caught her waist in his hands, and bent to kiss her ear. “I thought it was my kiss that seduced you?”

Annelise shivered then spun in his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he bent to kiss her again. “It is the truth that I find most seductive, sir,” she said just before his lips touched hers. “Tell me yours and I shall be yours this night.”

“I believe you will be mine regardless, my lady wife,” Rolfe replied, then captured her lips. He kissed her slowly, holding her close, enjoying how she responded to his touch. She opened her mouth to him and leaned against him, her surrender so complete that his blood heated.

Then her hands roved across his shoulders and down his arms and she broke their kiss. “You are nude, sir!” She was blushing.

“Surely you are not shy this night, Annelise? I was warmed all day by the memory of your passion.”

“But not compelled to share my company.” Annelise spun out of his grip and reached for the knot in the handkerchief. “Is this match about desire alone? I had understood that marriage was a greater union than that.”

Rolfe ran for the bed chamber as soon as she lifted her hand and ducked around a bend in the corridor just in time. “It seems, my lady, that you welcome my touch.”

“Yet I would welcome more than pleasure, sir.”

Rolfe eased deeper into the shadows as Annelise pursued him. He wished for darkness and the corridor became as dark as night. He stood, veiled in shadows, and watched her approach.

“What if I refuse your touch until you tell me more of yourself, sir? What if I demand a confession for each night abed?” She reached out to the wall with one hand, letting it guide her as she continued toward him.

“You would not manage the feat, my Annelise.”

“Would I not?”

“I come to believe that you were made for passion.” Rolfe dropped his voice low. “Or perhaps you were made for me.”

She caught her breath. “Yet I am certain, sir, that my passion would be greater with the exchange of confidences.” She smiled. “Is that not a prospect worth your consideration?

It was. Indeed, Rolfe could not imagine Annelise showing greater passion than she already had. The possibility of more almost tempted him to confess the whole tale.

Rolfe bit his tongue and did not reply.

He knew better than to be hasty with trust. He reminded himself of Rosalinde.

“And so you fall silent,” she said. Rolfe flattened himself against the wall, but she came closer, evidently assuming that he had continued down the hall to the bed chamber. She shook her head. “Straight to the bed, as though there was nothing else of import in this match than pleasure. I had expected more from you, sir, and do not mind confessing as much—”

Annelise passed him, just steps away in the darkness, as she chastised him. Rolfe waited a moment, then snatched her from behind, spun her around, and kissed her. He poured all his desire into his embrace, hoping to convince her that his scheme of seduction was best.

When he lifted his head long moments later, Annelise leaned against his chest. “You are persuasive, sir,” she whispered.

“I would make your surrender worthwhile,” Rolfe whispered and caressed the soft curve of her cheek.

Annelise laughed. “You make me forget my plans and my resolve far too easily. I think you do not fight fairly, sir.”

“Would you rather I abandoned the battle.”

“No, sir. In fact, I pray that you do not.” This time, she stretched to touch her lips to his.

Rolfe was aroused that she initiated the kiss. Indeed, the lady showed more ardor than even he had come to believe and when he next had the chance to speak, Rolfe’s voice was husky. “I am not too proud to confess that I sorely missed you and your touch this day, Annelise.”

“Then you should not have left me.”

“Would you believe me if I said I had no choice?”

“Where did you go?”

“I had an errand that could not be delayed.”

“But where?”

“Beyond the walls.”

“But where? You did not take your destrier or palfrey. How could you have gone any distance without them?”

Rolfe’s heart chilled. “My destrier?” he echoed, realizing that she had not been idle during her day alone. “You were in the stables?”

Annelise laughed a little. “I searched every corner of this palace for you, sir, though the only living souls I found were in the stables.” She must have interpreted his silence as surprise. “Even I have the wits to recognize the steed of a knight, sir, as well as his armor and weapons. He is quite a lovely stallion.”

Rolfe did not know what to say. How would he explain the absence of servants? What could he say about his absence? He did not wish to lie to Annelise, but her curiosity was confounding.

“Will you not tell me?” she asked quietly.

“I cannot.” Rolfe sighed. “I would if I could, but I cannot.” It was true and he hoped she understood as much. Rolfe was certain that Annelise was trying to study him, seeking a glimpse of his expression. When she sighed, he wished that he could see her expression. The shadows were as much a curse as a benefit.

“It was disappointing to find you gone this morn,” she said, leaning her brow upon his chest. She was so close to him that he could feel her heat and her hair fell over his hands. He bent to kiss her brow and was inundated by the scent of her skin. He wondered if the scent of Annelise would always be such a potent temptation to him. “Although the flowers were beautiful. Thank you for them.”

“They are roses,” Rolfe said, feeling a wave of gratitude that she had accepted his meager explanation.

“Roses are not so large and lush as that!”

“They are in Outremer. Do you like them?”

“They are magnificent.” She touched her lips to his throat and heat emanated from that spot, making Rolfe hold her more closely.

“I would love you again this night,” he whispered. “Perhaps more than before, but only if you agree.”

“Of course,” she replied, her breath fanning his skin. “Of course, my lord husband. My passion abed is yours to command.”

Her agreement was all the encouragement Rolfe needed. He swept Annelise into his arms and strode for the bed chamber, determined to ensure that the lady learned even more of pleasure.

One more night.

A more thorough loving.

And this time, the curse would be broken.

On the morrow, he could confess the truth.

* * *

The man was persuasive, indeed.

Annelise had never experienced such pleasure as her husband granted to her. He knew more of her body than she, it was clear, and he could conjure passion that she had never imagined might exist. He set her very soul on fire, cast her to the stars, then did it all again. It was too easy to surrender to the sorcery of his kiss, too easy to forget her own resolve to uncover all of his mysteries. He could make her forget her plans with a touch.

And worse, she did not regret a bit of it.

He was vulnerable only in one moment. Annelise realized as much after he had pleased her twice and had his own release. Immediately after their mating and his release, he was spent, just as he had been the night before. He almost dozed and it was in this brief interval that Annelise knew she must try to discover more of him.

He had promised to tell her more this day. It was only fair to her thinking that she actively seek the truth that he had declined to share.

When he fell back against the linens, his breath coming quickly, she recognized her chance.

Annelise propped herself on her elbow and looked down upon her husband. It was darker than dark, for he had drawn the drapes around the bed, but she knew where he was. She set her fingertip upon his lips and felt him smile beneath her touch.

“Were you pleased?” he murmured, his voice a low growl of satisfaction.

She smiled herself, liking that he was concerned for her welfare. She came to believe that he was a good man, if a secretive one. “You know I was, sir, and twice so.”

“Good.” He captured her hand and kissed her fingertips. “I would not see you disappointed.” It was a sentiment that pleased her, but Annelise refused to be swayed from her plan.

“Who are you?” she asked.

She felt him stiffen. She felt the skip of his heart and knew he was shocked.

“I beg your pardon?”

Annelise dropped her chin onto his chest, her fingers tapping against his shoulder. “Who are you?” she asked again. “I capitulated to your touch,” she reminded him. “Now you could offer a morsel of truth in exchange. Surely you already know that I am cursed curious. You promised to tell me more on this day, and though I understand circumstances can change, you could share some detail.”

He took a quick breath and she heard the change in his tone. “I am lord of this palace, of course.” It was evident that he wished to flee from her questions.

Annelise angled her weight over him, knowing she could not stop him if he chose to leave, and tried to charm him. She gave his shoulder a playful poke. “Your name, sir. I wish to know your name.” When he did not reply, she shook her head. “I begin to wonder, sir, whether you wed me only for your pleasure. Perhaps I am to be a courtesan, with only one purpose in your life.”

“Do you not wear my ring on your finger?” he asked, and she heard that he was insulted. “Did I not pledge myself to you?”

“Yes, but without offering your name.” Annelise tapped a finger upon him. “Are you a villain or an outlaw, sought far and wide for your crimes?”

“No!” That he was insulted was a good sign, in her view.

“Have you a wife already then, and you fear that I should discover the truth of it?”

“No!”

“A betrothed?”

“I have no wife and no betrothed,” he said, sitting up as he spoke. “Indeed, I had no intention of wedding until I came to this palace, and then...” He fell silent just as his confession became interesting.

“And then?” Annelise prompted.

“And then I changed my thinking.”

“Why?”

“I cannot tell you.”

Annelise considered what he had told her. “But you came to this palace. You did not inherit it from your father?”

“Not from my father, no.” His reluctance to share even this was evident in his tone.

“Are you an imposter? Have you usurped the true lord of this palace?”

“No!”

“Then how did it come to be yours if not from your father?”

He got out of the bed and paced, and she knew he was deciding upon his reply. “It was a gift,” he said finally.

Annelise felt her lips part in surprise. “A gift? From whom? What did you do to earn such a rich gift?”

“You could say that I won a lady’s favor.” He sounded to be exasperated but Annelise was not precisely reassured.

She swept from the bed to pursue him. “Sir! Where is this lady?”

“Gone.”

Annelise could not believe it. He had seduced the lady who owned this palace, then the lady had left him in possession of it. While she already had great admiration for her husband’s amorous skills, the tale was unlikely to be true. “I would have a more plausible explanation, sir.”

“And you will have it, when I can share it.”

“When will that be?”

“I hope on the morrow.” His doubt was clear and Annelise recalled his conviction that he would be able to tell her more on this morning. Who had deceived her spouse? Was it this lady who had given him the palace? Was she capricious in her whim?

A thought assailed her and she flung herself at him. “Did you visit this lady on this day? Is that where you were?”

“No!” He seized her shoulders and she knew he was looking down at her. “Annelise, please trust me in this. She is gone, I hope forever, but her injunctions still govern my own choices. I hope that you and I will change that, together.”

His appeal was irresistible, though still Annelise worried what she did not know. “But you will confide in me when you can?”

“I will.” He pressed a kiss into her palm. “I ask for your patience until I can do so.”

Annelise frowned. She was being swayed by his touch and reminded herself that her request was fair. “Why will you not let me see your face?”

“You guessed it yourself. I do not wish to distress you with my disfigurement.”

Annelise shook her head “I was wrong,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with you that I can feel.” She ran her fingertips down his chest. “And I can see nothing amiss with your mail. If you were missing a limb, your armor would have been modified.”

“My mail?” His voice was strained. “You have found my mail?”

“Of course, I was in the stables.”

“But it is at the back, out of view.”

Annelise bristled at the implication that she had been nosy. “It is in plain view for anyone who looks. What else would you have me do all day?” she asked. “A prisoner can at least explore her cell.” She sensed that he was shocked and caressed his shoulder, wanting there to be harmony between them. “I took your destrier for a ride today, by the way. He seemed impatient for a run, although we could only canter in the courtyard. It was better than no exercise at all.”

Her husband made a choking sound. “You rode Mephistopheles?”

“Mephistopheles?” Annelise blinked. How curious that he confessed the name of his destrier before his own. “Why would you give that fine creature such a dreadful name?”

“It was the breeder who named him—he named all his black foals after demons, it seemed—and I saw no reason to change it.”

That was more of a confession than Annelise had expected.

She decided to challenge him more, in the hope of more detail.

“No reason?” she scoffed. “Such a name could bring you the worst fortune imaginable. You invoke a demon each time you utter his name. It is folly, sir.”

“Is it?” He sounded amused again, which was good.

“How long have you had him?”

“Five years.”

“And your luck in that time?”

“No worse than that of any other man.”

“You have this marvelous palace. That is better fortune than most could boast.”

“Is it?” he asked tersely.

Annelise made a guess, purely to provoke him. “Did you summon a demon and make a wager? Was that the lady you seduced to gain this prize?”

“Annelise!” He turned away from her as if he would leave. “You must cease your questions.”

She considered that her guess might have been close to the truth. “Do not leave me so soon, sir,” she urged, sliding her hands around his waist. She pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. “I do not believe we have loved enough this night.”

She felt him glance back and his hand rose to cover hers.

He did not speak, and she dared to be encouraged. She eased back, drawing him after her. “You should ride your destrier more often, for he was restless,” she chided gently, then kissed his cheek. “It is not good to treat a steed thus. I can only guess that you have a sizable investment in such a fine beast.”

“Yes. He cost me dearly.”

“Where did you find him?”

“In Outremer.”

He had been on crusade then. Pride filled Annelise that her husband had been so brave as to render such service. He was a man of honor, just as she had believed. “If you acquired this destrier in Outremer, you must have ridden another to the Holy Land. Surely not the palfrey in the stables?”

Annelise was silenced when her husband rolled suddenly atop her and he caught her shoulders in his hands. “You have erred seriously this day,” he informed her, his tone forbidding as it had not been thus far. “Do not question what is around you, Annelise.”

“Whyever not?” she dared to say. “I must do something with my time and every puzzle has a key. If you will not tell me about yourself, sir, it is only reasonable that I try to divine the truth.

He shook her and she fell silent, feeling his will bearing upon her. “Look only at what you are shown.”

“But—”

“But nothing,” he whispered, dropping his thumb over her lips. His tone was fierce as it had never yet been and Annelise feared suddenly that there was true peril for him in this place. “It is imperative that you follow my dictate on this. All could be lost, Annelise. All.”

Her heart skipped then, for she feared for her husband.

But surely, if he was in danger, he had greater need of her assistance? She did not truly believe in demons, despite what the nuns had taught her, and she knew there had to be some reasonable explanation for all that she had seen in this strange place.

His voice was low when he spoke and his words were hot. “Never betray me, Annelise.”

“Of course not,” she agreed, though she could not imagine what he meant.

She would not betray her spouse: she would save him.

And that would earn his love forevermore.

It was not precisely how she had hoped to wed a man who loved her, but the end result would be the same.

Whatever threatened him and their future would be her challenge to resolve.

Then his lips closed over hers, obliterating all such considerations from her mind. There was only her husband in the darkness, her husband and his seductive touch.

Her husband and the pleasure only he could conjure.

And for the moment, that was more than enough.

* * *

Annelise had never believed in magic, but awakening to find her husband absent again compelled her to reconsider her perspective.

Where could he have gone?

And why?

There was a new kirtle laid out for her, and her linen and stockings had been washed. She knew her husband had not done that—even if he had been inclined to do such labor, he had had no spare moment the night before. A meal awaited her pleasure, just like the day before, although once again, she could not detect another person in the palace.

The servants might use hidden passages, but Annelise doubted they could remain so completely out of sight. Surely she would catch a glimpse of them?

The horses had been fed and brushed, and their stalls swept out. She was certain the weeds in the garden had been pulled and the dead blossoms had been trimmed. The palace was perfectly clean and organized—as if it had several dozen servants.

If there was a rational explanation, Annelise could not think of what it might be.

And why was his palace in such a location? There were no fields for crops, no villeins as at Sayerne, no road or bridge that might bring tolls as at Beauvoir, not even mines as were reputed to have been at Roussineau. As far as she knew, the palace was lost in the forest to the south of Beauvoir, just as she had been.

He said he had won the palace from a lady. Why had she built it in this remote location? Had she been hiding from some vengeful individual or evading the consequences of some foul deed? Even that made little sense, since the lady was gone. Why had she bestowed the palace upon Annelise’s husband? It seemed a whim beyond all expectation, especially if she yet drew breath.

Could her husband be responsible for his benefactress’ demise? Annelise paused in the act of taking a piece of bread, then shook her head. No. He was kind and generous. Not violent.

She recalled his vehemence the night before and set aside the bread. She would believe the best of him until she had evidence to the contrary. His kindness to her had to have some reward.

If the lady had brought a fortune from Outremer, where had she found the craftsmen to build the palace and those high walls? Someone would have heard rumor of it. Annelise had to believe that Tulley would have known of it and come to see it for himself.

She stepped into the courtyard and considered the clear blue sky. The weather was the most perplexing detail, and the one she could not explain at all. She knew there was snow on the other side of the gates, yet within the walls, it was as warm as a summer’s day. Even the most perfect location could not have ensured that.

No, there was something greater afoot.

She could not dispel her own suspicion that a demon had been invoked. She had never given credit to the notion of them existing in truth, but here was evidence aplenty.

If a demon held her husband in thrall, that would explain his heated reaction the night before. He had shown time and again that he was protective of Annelise, and it made sense he would fear for her welfare. Of course, he would not wish her to invoke the demon or be compelled to face his wrath.

It would also explain why her husband had not been able to confide in her as he had promised he would. Yes, a demon might refuse to keep his word. They were reputed to be untrustworthy.

But why was he so adamant that she not see his face? He was not scarred or disfigured.

He must fear that she would recognize him. Annelise could not imagine that might occur, but if her husband feared as much, he must have good reason. Perhaps he recognized her.

Annelise blinked. She knew few knights, to be sure, having spent so many years in the convent. But perhaps he had seen her at Tulley’s château or had ridden in the company of Yves. They did resemble each other.

By the time she had broken her fast, Annelise was resolved. If there was a spell or a curse laid upon him, she would have to break it and free her husband. She would spend the day exploring the palace again, seeking hints that might be of aid.

And she must see his face. If she knew something of his origins, that might aid in her quest. He could only be hiding himself from view because she might well recognize him, and Annelise needed every bit of assistance she could find to win her spouse’s freedom.

* * *

Rolfe was more vexed than he might have believed possible. Despite the fact that he had loved Annelise more thoroughly, he yet again found himself transformed into a wolf. He could have shouted in rage that day in the forest, but instead, his protest came out as a howl. He hated that he had been unable to keep his pledge to her and felt like a cur for deceiving her at all.

It was wrong.

He paced all of that day, wanting only to be back at his lady’s side.

Yet Annelise was not slow of wit. Her guesses showed a fearsome accuracy. She might guess all the truth without him confiding in her at all!

Rolfe halted in the forest and looked back toward the palace. She might guess his truth. What if she learned of the curse, but not from him? What if the palace revealed his situation to her? He would not have confided in her directly then, so perhaps she would not lead a killer to his side.

Even if she did, even inadvertently, if he was his own self all of the time, he could defend them both from any foe.

Rolfe eyed the palace. He thought of Annelise, her fire and passion, her loyalty and her persistence.

Then he wished.

I wish that my lady wife should find something in the palace that would help us to break the curse.

It was done.

The sun was already setting, so Rolfe hastened back to the palace.

He strode through the gates as soon as they opened and turned his steps toward the stables. He had not seen Annelise in the garden and he wished to greet her fully dressed this time. There was a bath awaiting him in the stables, yet another reminder that the palace served his whim.

The water was hot and he welcomed the sense of being clean again. He wished he had not left his clothes and the cloak in the bed chamber, only to see that they were folded and clean, waiting on the bench with his mail and armor. He dressed with satisfaction, taking a moment to rub his destrier’s nose and talk to the great beast. Judging by the position of the saddle and the gleam of Mephistopheles’ coat, Annelise had ridden him again today.

The horses had plenty of food and water, and he noted the presence of a second palfrey stabled with the first. She was a pretty mare and friendly, the healing wound on her flank telling him of her identity.

Rolfe left the stables with purpose, wondering what his inquisitive wife might have found. He pulled up his hood as he walked, hoping he would not have to hide from her much longer.

* * *

Perhaps some puzzles did not have a key.

Annelise returned to the palace, exhausted and discouraged after another fruitless hunt. She had ridden the destrier again because he seemed to expect it, but she had not addressed the horse by name. The sun was setting and she expected that her husband would appear soon. She hurried to the chamber, hoping there might be a bath waiting for her.

But there was a book on the low table, one that had not been there before.

Annelise stood on the threshold of the chamber where she found her meals thrice a day and eyed the massive volume.

No, it had not been there before. She would have remembered a book of such splendor. Even the nuns had possessed few so wondrous as this one.

The book was bound in dark green leather and adorned with elaborate gold filigree. On closer inspection, she realized it was more lavish than any book she had ever examined before.

But books, particularly weighty ones, did not simply appear out of thin air.

Of course, many other things did in this palace.

Annelise crossed the chamber and tried to pick it up. It was a heavy tome, as thick as her hand was wide, and layered with dust. It was large, as well, its height more than the distance from her elbow to her fingertips. She blew the dust off the cover and sneezed as the resulting cloud enveloped her.

She opened the book cautiously, then grimaced. Its contents were inscribed in a beautiful but unfamiliar script. She could not read it.

Who could read it?

Was this the script of the infidels? Annelise had no way of knowing for certain. She might have had a moment’s uncertainty, but she already knew that her husband was no infidel. He had ridden to Outremer on crusade, with the insignia of the King of France on his standard. He was as Christian as she—perhaps more so, if the opinion of the nuns was solicited.

Had the lady who had given him the palace been an infidel?

There was an interesting notion and just cause by every law in the land for him to have dispatched the lady as a foe. Annelise hoped he had not done as much, all the same. Were knights not sworn to defend women and children?

She frowned and closed the book, hearing his step behind her in the courtyard.

She turned and her heart skipped at the sight of him, even though his hood was drawn over his head and she could not see his features.

She would exhaust him, she decided in that moment, exhaust him and steal a look at him in the night before he could stop her.

“What is that?” he asked as he came to a halt beside her. His arm slid around her waist and Annelise turned to him, lifting her face for his kiss. He did not disappoint but kissed her with sweet heat, his tenderness convincing her even more that he was a man of great merit.

“I meant to ask you as much. I found it here, just this moment.”

He leaned over and opened the book, scanning its contents. “Ah, written in the script of the infidels.”

“Can you read it?”

He shook his head. “Not me.” She felt the weight of his glance upon her. “Can you read it?”

“I can read Latin, thanks to the nuns, but not this.”

“The nuns,” he echoed. “Tell me about the nuns.”

“There is little to tell. I was sent to the establishment of the Sisters of Ste. Radegund for my education.”

There was laughter in her husband’s words when he replied. “And who was taught to consider the world in a new way? The nuns or you?”

“You mock me!”

“I tease you, my Annelise. I cannot imagine that you found it easy to be consigned to silence and obedience.”

He did not say that as if it was a bad trait.

“I did not. I despised it there.”

“Yet you were intent upon returning to that cloister when you arrived here.”

“I meant to escape an arranged marriage,” Annelise admitted. “We departed from Beauvoir keep at dawn, but became lost. The path to the convent was obscured by the snow.” She shivered in recollection. “Then the wolves attacked.”

“And instead of escaping an arranged marriage, you were required to accept another one.”

“That is true, sir.” She spared him a smile. “Though the terms were not marriage or death the first time.”

“Which explains your change of perspective.” There was no condemnation in his tone and Annelise thought perhaps he sympathized with her plight. He gestured and she sat down, then he sat opposite her. “And what do you mean to do about that, if ever you leave this palace?”

“Do?” Annelise frowned in confusion. “I do not understand.”

“Will you seek an annulment?” His tone was light, but she felt his intense interest in her reply.

How strange that she already came to rely upon his presence in her life, even after so few days, even knowing so little of him. She spared a glance to the palace and tried to imagine being without her enigmatic, resolute, passionate spouse. She failed.

Did he mean to abandon her?

“Our match has been consummated, sir,” she said with care.

“You could accuse me of claiming what was not mine to take.”

“I would not do as much!” Annelise was appalled by the suggestion. “We are wed. We have exchanged our vows. We are bound to each other, sir, until death us do part.”

The words seemed to startle him rather than reassure him, much to her surprise. “But there are no witnesses of our vows, Annelise, and no record of them in any parish church. You could deny them and it would be only my word against yours.”

A lump rose in Annelise’s throat. “I have your ring, sir,” she reminded him tightly.

“And so you do. I wonder only if you might choose to lose it once you know more of me.”

Annelise understood then that her husband’s secret was a fearsome one. Perhaps his caution was deserved. Perhaps he did not understand that she took her vows most seriously, whether there had been a witness or not.

“There is only one way to know for certain, sir.” She dared to reach out and put her hand over his. “You could tell me of yourself.”

He recoiled, but she continued before he could protest. “I am a prisoner within these walls. Regardless of what you confide in me, I cannot flee. I cannot share such tidings with any other soul.” She shrugged. “Well, I could tell the horses, but I doubt that they care.”

He laughed then, laughed as if she had surprised him. She thought that he was not displeased. “You are right, my Annelise. Your thinking is most clear.” He laid his hand upon the book again, turning it so that he could open it once more. “How curious that you should find this today.”

His tone hinted that he did not find it curious at all, which made Annelise wonder.

“Perhaps someone left it for me,” she said, convinced that it had been him. “But that makes no sense as I cannot read it.”

He was turning the pages and paused at an elaborate spread. “Look at this,” he said with awe. “These calligraphers possessed such skill.” And he touched the script with his fingertip, as if to caress it in admiration.

The letters shimmered for a moment. When the light faded, they were different. Annelise hastened to her husband’s side to look down at the book. It was written in the Latin script with which Annelise was familiar.

“How did you do that?” she demanded.

He shook his head. “I do not know.” He closed the book and opened it again, but the script remained legible.

“I suppose nothing should surprise me any longer in this palace,” she murmured and her husband chuckled. He cleared his throat and began to read.

There were, there were not, in the oldness of time, twin daughters born to a djinn and his wife. Herein lies the tale of Leila and Kira, twins born to Azima and Azzam. They were matched in looks but not in manner...

“A djinn and his wife?” Annelise let her skepticism show. “This is no more than a fable for children.”

“Is it?” her husband asked in a low voice.

“Clearly, it is, and as such, it is of no use whatsoever.”

“How so?”

“We have no children and I feel no inclination for idle entertainment.”

He considered her for a long moment and yet again, she wished she could have seen his eyes. The book must be of import.

Before she could reach for it and read more, he swept to his feet and caught her hand in his. “Come for a stroll in the garden, my lady. I would talk to you while dinner is prepared.”

“But the book...”

“Will remain at your disposal, should you care to entertain yourself during the day.” He spoke with a resolve that surprised Annelise, as if he was giving a command. When she looked back, the book had been moved to another table and a cloth had been spread upon the low table.

Dinner was being prepared.

“I still do not see your servants,” she noted.

He tucked her hand into his elbow and led her into the garden. “I misled you, my Annelise. I have never seen servants in this palace either, though it seems they must exist.”

Annelise caught her breath, sensing that something had changed. Her husband was not avoiding her questions but seemed inclined to answer them this night.

That could only be an excellent portent.