Bjorn

The bright sun temporarily blinds me as I step outside of my cottage, until I shade my eyes with the back of my hand. It’s a brisk morning, cold enough to see my breath mist in the air, but not so frigid that I’m concerned about snow.

“You promised to pick some apples for me.” Linnet—my younger sister by fourteen years—raises her eyebrows at me as we walk side by side.

“Yes, Linnet,” I chuckle. She can be so demanding when she wants something.

This time of day is my favorite. It’s like everything is new again, a fresh start. The trees look greener, the dirt on the ground a more vibrant orange-brown, and the sound of the birds chirping a morning greeting promises a bright day.

“I’m serious, Brother.” She wags a chastising finger at me. The morning sun glistens off her blonde hair, the golden beams casting an almost halo effect over her head. “Don’t be getting distracted with your training and secret meetings.”

We reach the barn located not too far away from the cottage and she pauses at the double-door entrance, one eyebrow raised.

“I will gather your apples,” I promise. She nods, then disappears inside the barn.

My mood sobers. The stress of farming by day and trying to save our kingdom by night is weighing on me.

Which reminds me that several more men have joined our coalition in the last few days. We need to set a meeting date to welcome all the new members and explain our goals.

I still can’t believe how fast word is spreading and how many people want to join us. Linnet may think what we’re doing is silly, but she’s young and not all that aware of what’s happening to the kingdom.

Our farm isn’t a large one when compared to others in the area, but it is abundant and thriving. Unlike so many others who keep losing more of their crops to the realm’s tax collectors.

I’m most proud of our orchards with their plump and juicy snow apples. It takes a lot of work to tend the fields, but the satisfaction every time I harvest the crops is more than worth it.

The farm and my family together are more than worth the risky path of resistance against Tiern Valmont Mournhollow and his evil minions. I need to do whatever I can to protect our land and the people I love.

The sun glistens off the royal castle’s shiny towers just off in the distance, where King Lucien lives.The sight of the majestic ivory towers standing so proud and tall used to fill me with a sense of confidence and security.

Not any more. Now, it reminds me of what used to be and how wrong things have become.

My steps slow as I reach the field just before the orchards. Is that. . .

Narrowing my eyes, I squint at the figure standing in the middle of the tall grass.

It is! That is a woman standing there. And if my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me, she’s naked!

I have to do something. As I close the distance between us, I drop my basket and remove my jacket, while covering my eyes with the other hand.

Usually, I’m very sure-footed. That talent comes from years of hunting to put food on the table. But I’m so surprised by this naked woman in my field that I’m not watching where I place my feet and accidentally step on a twig.

The sound of it cracking is loud enough to draw her attention. She spins around, her long black hair swirling around her.

“Please,” I say softly, holding the jacket up between us. “Put this on.”

I turn my back to give her privacy. But before I do, I catch a glimpse of her face, her eyes downcast. The small peek I do see sends a jolt of awareness straight to my gut.

“How long were you there?” she asks me.

“I just arrived. I didn’t see you over the curve of the hill,” I say, careful to keep my eyes turned away from her.

But even with my back turned, the vision of her beauty is burned into my mind—a small oval-shaped face with pale skin and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. And lips as red as the berries growing at the foot of the nearby waterfall, with just the slightest pout to them.

“And did you see much of me?” Her voice is strained, unsure.

“Your hair covered nearly your entire back,” I say quickly. “Your body remained mostly hidden, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

There are rustling sounds behind me and then she goes quiet. I ask, “Are you decent now?”

There’s no answer, so I slowly turn, prepared to look away again if she isn’t properly covered.

Although she’s fairly tall for a woman, the jacket still swallows her trim figure, the hem reaching to mid-thigh.

She raises her eyes, and she looks like she’s going to thank me. But then an odd expression crosses her delicate features.

Her cool blue eyes, reminiscent of the glacial waters in the northern region, regard me with suspicion. She looks at me as if she knows me.

And hates me.

“Are you alright?” I ask carefully, watching several emotions play over her face. They don’t linger long enough for me to identify any of them, at least not until her nose wrinkles in confusion.

“I. . . I’m not sure,” she answers. Her voice is hoarse, as if she hasn’t used it in a while. Those stunning blue eyes turn sorrowful and she frowns.

I don’t like seeing her looking so confused and upset, so I try a different tactic. “What’s your name?”

She frowns even more and shakes her head. “I don’t know.”

A sliver of unease shoots through me. What is this beautiful woman doing in the middle of a field, alone and naked? And why is she looking at me as if I’m to blame for her predicament?

Maybe she’s a decoy. Are there bandits hiding in wait? I take a thorough look around me, but don’t see anything out of place.

“How did you get here?” I ask, returning my gaze to her slim figure. “Did someone leave you? Were you separated from your party? Are you hurt?”

She frowns slightly and looks around the field as well. Her eyes narrow at the orchards, and for a second, I think I see some kind of recognition. But then her eyes dull again and she shakes her head.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything.”

I try to see through all her thick, black hair, looking for a wound. If she had hit her head, that could explain the memory loss.

But not the nakedness.

It’s all I can do to keep my eyes firmly on her face. That glimpse of her body shook me before I turned around. All those curves and hollows will forever be burned into my brain.

My jacket is bulky on her and helps to hide some of her trim figure. But I can still see her legs. They are long and muscled. She wears an anklet on her left ankle, but other than that she is completely naked. I can’t seem to get over that fact. I can’t just leave her with nothing but my jacket in the middle of a field where she knows no one, not even herself.

While I’ve been lost in thought, the woman has been studying me. Judging by her expression, she’s not too happy with what she sees. When her eyes clash with mine, her face pales slightly, as if she’s looking at a ghost. Even more confusing.

“We need to get you somewhere safe,” I tell her.

She blinks and her expression goes blank.

“Safe.” The way she says the word is as if she doesn’t believe that is a possibility. My protective instincts kick in.

“I can take you wherever you need to go.”

She shakes her head. “I’m fine.” Her tone is abrupt and. . . angry?

“I can take you to the village, help you get a room at the inn,” I say warily.

She shakes her head again. “I don’t need your charity,” she snaps. I take a step back at the intensity in her voice.

“You’re not safe out here,” I try to explain.

But when she only looks back at me stubbornly, I sigh. I want to be angry at her less than cooperative attitude, but I remind myself that she’s out here all alone, naked, and doesn’t even know who she is.

“You can come home with me,” I offer suddenly, hoping she might feel more comfortable with someone she knows at least a little bit. “You will be safe there, I vow it.”

When she still looks unsure, I add, “My parents and my sister live there, too.”

To my horror, her bottom lip starts to tremble, and her aloofness instantly disappears. I watch as those beautiful blue eyes fill with tears.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she says, but her voice lacks conviction.

“You don’t have a lot of options,” I remind her, though I feel like an ass for saying it. She hitches her chin up a degree, but tears still leak from her eyes.

I hold her gaze and wait, but she doesn’t even blink or flinch. I sigh, shaking my head.

“If you’re certain,” I begin, and she nods. “Then at least let me fetch you a dress.”