Get ready for a special treasure this April. We're sharing a never-before-seen deleted scene from Georgia Leighton’s Spellbound—it didn’t make the final cut, but it’s full of intrigue and a peek behind the curtain.
Meredyth
Meredyth nudged her horse into a canter across the brow of the hill. Below her, the hunt streamed through the valley; the brown swirl of the hounds disappearing into the woods beyond, following the scent of the fox, and the galloping riders thundering after them, ruddy faces turned into the beating wind, their horses’ coats velvety dark with sweat.
‘Steady there,’ Meredyth murmured, tugging her chestnut mare to a halt to watch. She leant forward and rubbed Willow’s neck, breathless despite their restrained pace. ‘We are too old for this.’
Willow’s ears pricked as the hounds howled, moving in for the kill, their barks echoing across the valley. Meredyth tightened the reins and held the mare still as they watched and waited for the chase to finish.
The rush of the wind was so loud that she did not hear the thud of hoofbeats behind her until she caught sight of a flash of black from the corner of her eye and turned to see a horse slowing to a halt.
‘Your Majesty!’ she exclaimed, trying to mask her shock. ‘Long live Queen Hana, Queen of the Bavaughian throne.’ She bowed her head, noticing that no attendant had followed the Queen. They were alone.
‘Hello, Lady Lansin,’ replied Hana, bringing her gelding close to Willow’s side. Her face was mostly obscured by a hunting veil which hung from the brim of her hat and scooped under her chin, its ends fluttering over her shoulder. It was an unusual design and Meredyth suspected that most of the ladies of court would be wearing a similar item at the hunt scheduled a few days from now.
‘You look most becoming, Your Majesty.’
Hana laughed but she did not seem amused.
Below them, there was the sound of a great cheer and Meredyth guessed the fox had been caught.
‘You are much too young to be hanging at the back with the likes of me, Your Majesty,’ Meredyth added, after a pause. ‘My hunting days are over, but at your age I was almost leading the charge. Hard to believe now, I grant you. I should probably stay behind by the fire, but I cannot help myself, you see, and perhaps watching from afar is better than—’
‘I am sorry about Lord Lansin.’
‘Oh. Thank you, Your Majesty.’
‘I know it was some time ago,’ said Hana, her face turned to the valley below. ‘I should have paid my respects to you then. I am sorry about Jenolie as well. That was even longer ago, I know. She was good to me – a friend – and I was terribly sad to hear of her passing. I would have sent something to you, but I was . . . I was in a difficult place.’
Meredyth glanced sideways at Hana, but her veil made it impossible to read her expression. ‘Thank you, Your Majesty,’ she replied. ‘I still think of her every day. I was sad to lose my husband, of course, but it is different with Jenolie. I dare to say that to you because you will know what I mean. You are a mother.’
‘Yes,’ Hana said softly. ‘I am.’
Applause broke out below and Lord Rosford appeared from the woods, carrying the head of the fox aloft. He walked over to a dun stallion and bowed to the small rider perched in the saddle.
‘Prince Stasthes’s first hunt,’ said Meredyth.
‘Yes. I would not have come today, but he wanted me to watch.’
‘He is a good rider – look at his seat! He is the spitting image of his older brother and both of them are just like the King.’
Hana did not reply, but Meredyth noticed her fingers tighten around her horse’s reins and the tan leather of her gloves squeaked.
‘I know you do not like me, Lady Lansin—’
‘Hana – Your Majesty – that is not true!’
‘You are never at court.’
‘Grief has taken its toll on me, Your Majesty.’
‘You were her Chief Lady-in-Waiting.’
Meredyth hesitated before saying, ‘I am too old for the follies of court. Besides, you remind me of Jenolie and it is painful.’
There was more applause from the valley below as Lord Rosford dipped his finger in the fox’s blood and reached up to dab it on Prince Stasthes’s forehead.
‘I sought you out today because I need your advice,’ said Hana.
Meredyth had been thinking of the masquerade many quartets ago, when she had watched Hana and Jenolie walking arm in arm together in the Lustore palace gardens, her daughter’s red curls shining in the faint light. She swallowed down the pain in her chest and said, ‘I will do my best, Your Majesty.’
‘Did the King . . . Did Felipe ever . . . lay hands on you?’
Meredyth coughed to give herself time to think of an appropriate response. ‘The King and I were close in our youth, and we did—’
‘No, I did not mean that,’ snapped Hana, and her horse, sensing her frustration, sidestepped and tossed his head. ‘Everyone knows that.’
Meredyth felt herself flushing red. ‘Then what do you mean, Your Majesty?’ she replied, fighting to keep her tone level.
‘Did Felipe ever . . . strike you?’
‘Strike me?’
‘Yes.’
‘You mean—’
‘Did he ever do this to you?’ asked Hana, yanking her hunting veil aside to reveal a mauve bruise that stretched from her left cheek to her chin.
Meredyth’s breath caught in her throat and she raised her hand, as if to pull Hana to her in an embrace, but then she remembered herself and dropped it back to her side.
‘I am sorry, Your Majesty. That looks painful.’
‘Did he do that to you?’ Hana persisted.
Meredyth shook her head. ‘It was so long ago. His father was alive when we . . . were close, and he was not yet King. But Felipe has always had a temper.’
‘It is this threat from the Tolbiens,’ muttered Hana, tugging her veil back into place. ‘He is barely sleeping and he wants me for . . . distraction, but nothing I do or say is right.’
Meredyth winced. ‘I am sorry. It is not right.’
‘I tell him people will see the bruises, but he does not care.’ Hana paused and fiddled with the red trim on her velvet riding habit. ‘I have heard Lord Mourial will be bringing his youngest daughter to court soon and she is very beautiful – is that right?’
‘I believe I have heard that too, Your Majesty.’
‘Perhaps she might offer Felipe some distraction?’
Meredyth bit her lip and looked down at Willow’s mane. She would not encourage such a scheme, though she suspected Lord Mourial would be all too pleased with the idea, no matter the damage to his daughter.
‘Did he do it to her?’ asked Hana suddenly, turning to look Meredyth in the eyes for the first time.
Meredyth wondered at first if she should lie, but she did not know whether that would help. ‘No,’ she said finally. ‘Not that I ever knew of.’
Hana’s jaw tightened and she gathered up her reins, before kicking her gelding into a trot. ‘I must see my son. Goodbye, Lady Lansin,’ she said, heading down the hill towards the hunting party below.
‘Goodbye, Your Majesty,’ Meredyth called, but Hana had already ridden away.
