by Shay Savage
“King Branford, what are you doing?”
“I’m here to destroy you and your family for what you have done,” I replied softly. “Is that not obvious?”
“It was your own cousins who devised that plan!” he said. “I knew nothing of the handmaid or the tea!”
His gaze shifted quickly to the door and then back to me again. I knew he was lying, and I told him so as my sword hovered between us.
“You have already made those responsible pay for that,” he said. “There is no more need for bloodshed!”
“No need?” I snorted. “You seize my wife and have the audacity to look shocked when I break down your door?”
“Seize your…seize your wife…?”
“Do not play innocent with me!” I bellowed as I swung my sword in an arc near his head. “I will not stand for it any longer!”
“King Branford, I have no knowledge of Alexandra’s kidnapping. I swear—”
“Where is my wife?” I screamed. I had tried to keep my voice calm and low before, but it was no longer working. I was quickly losing whatever dignity I might have left. The muscles in my arms were sore from battle but still cried out for more bloodshed.
“King Branford, you must believe me! I have no idea where your queen may be.”
I slowly raised my sword and held it in both of my hands as I pointed it to him.
“I will not listen to your lies,” I said quietly. “You will die for everything you have done to me and to my family.
“Branford…listen to me—”
I laughed and I stalked toward him. I felt as if I were in a trance as everything he had caused slowly traversed through my memories—my parents’ death, the misplaced faith of the mentors I had trusted with my life, the presence of the handmaid who harmed my wife, Alexandra’s disappearance…
I heard my own voice drop to a whisper.
“Perhaps you thought I had no breaking point, but believe me—I am broken now.”
He barely drew his sword in time before my blade crashed into his. There was little room for fighting in the enclosed quarters. Inside my head, the visions continued as I swung my blade at Edgar again and again. He parried, ducked, and tried to escape over his bed, and I lunged toward him, taking the bed’s canopy down and leaving the silk drapes scattered around the floor. I leapt over the bed and attacked again.
Edgar rolled over on his back and kicked out with both of his feet. They connected with my gut and knocked me backwards as the blow knocked the wind from me. I gasped and tried to right myself before he came at me, but he had the upper hand as he clashed his blade into mine and sent me reeling backwards to the wall behind me.
He followed after but made the mistake of setting his sights on me and me alone. The silk from the bed still lay strewn across the floor, and his boot caught on the fabric. He lost his balance and tripped just as I spun, turned to the side, and slipped my blade across his wrist.
It was only a small cut—not deep enough to kill—but it sliced the tendon, and he cried out as he dropped his sword. I grabbed him and threw him against the wall, my body following after. With my blade extended, I crashed into him. I felt the resistance of the wall as my sword exited through his back and struck stone.
I looked down into his face, my breath escaping from my lungs in short bursts, and slowly twisted my wrist. His shoulders clenched and turned inward, and his mouth opened and closed twice before he slumped forward a little. I took two quick steps back, and my sword slid from his chest as I moved away from him.
The king of Hadebrand, the man who exerted his own will over my kingdom and was responsible for my parents’ deaths, slowly slid to the ground with his back still up against the wall. His fingers twitched slightly toward the blade that lay several feet out of his reach as if there were some way he could seize it now. Edgar’s eyes stared up at me for a moment, and he seemed as though he wished to convey some message to me before his look glazed over, and he stopped moving.
I stared at the dead man until my own eyes felt dry and burned from the smoke outside the windows.
Edgar had known nothing of Alexandra’s disappearance. It was all over his face—etched within his eyes as I killed him. He didn’t know where she was or why we had come to destroy him on this day. He had no idea it was the common people of Silverhelm who were now tearing the walls of his castle to the ground.
And I still had no idea where she was or what was happening to her.
All the mental blocks I had placed inside my head since we rode from Silverhelm crumbled, and thoughts of everything my enemies may have done to Alexandra rushed over me. I took a few steps backward, only stopping when I hit the stone wall behind me. It was cold, but I barely felt the chill. I could only feel the stifling heat and stale air of the bench where I cowered and hid as screams echoed through my mind.
I should not feel this pain any more. Edgar was dead now, and my father and mother had finally been avenged. I should not feel like this again. Edgar was gone, and there was no way he could harm anyone in my family any longer. He could not harm me. There was no cramped space underneath a bench, and the screams in my head were not real. I knocked my head against the stone to try to dislodge the memories from my mind and focus on the present.
Alexandra? Where are you?
My hands shook, and I tried to ball them into fists to make them stop, but it didn’t work. I could barely draw breath, and when I did, I could smell blood and sweat and death all around me. Was she here? Had they killed her?
“Do not touch him,” I heard someone say, “lest you have no regard for your own life. Give him a few moments.”
I became aware that my hand, still clenched into a fist, was slamming repeatedly into the limp body of the dead king on the floor. I cried out and pushed myself back to the wall, forcing my fists into my eyes as I tried to erase the images in my mind.
After some time had passed—seconds, minutes, I wasn’t sure—I opened my eyes slowly to see Parnell standing a few feet from me with both Erik and Rylan behind him. One of his arms was held out to the side, blocking young Erik’s advance.
“My king?” Parnell tilted his head to one side and took a half step forward.
I tried to inhale slowly, but my body did not obey my commands.
“Branford.” This time I felt his hand lightly on my arm, and I met his gaze.
“I have to find her,” I said quietly. “I have to find her now.”
“We shall,” Parnell said.
I looked at Edgar’s corpse on the ground and watched, fascinated for a moment, as his blood spread across the floor. Who else would know where she was hidden? If the dungeons and outlying buildings were all empty, where else would she be?
“Is there no sign?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“None, my king.” Parnell hesitated. “We have been through all of the castle and the surrounding areas. They must have her hidden somewhere else.”
“Where?” I turned and stared him in the eye. “Where is she?”
“The rest of the royal family is in the throne room,” Parnell informed me. “One of them has to know.”
“Whitney,” I said with a nod. “Whitney will have known about it all along.”
“Then let us get the information you need from her.”
I looked around a moment, and I noticed both Rylan and Erik had moved out of earshot. I leaned close to Parnell and spoke quietly in his ear.
“What of Greysen?”
“No sign of him,” Parnell said. His voice was grim. “He would not have fought against your forces, and I would have expected him to show himself by now, just as Rylan’s spy has done.”
“He should be here,” I said in a similar tone. “What if he was discovered?”
“Then there is nothing we could do for him now,” Parnell said, and I knew he was right.
“To the throne room?”
“Yes, my king.”
The rest of them were there—Queen Margaret, her two daughters, and
her youngest son. Margaret and Whitney were both bound and held by a guard, but the twins only had their hands tied behind their backs and cloth secured across their mouths. They sat on the floor near one of the regal thrones. Jared struggled against his bonds, but he could not loosen them.
“Your husband and Prince Gage are dead,” I told Margaret. “You will all die soon if the whereabouts of my wife is not revealed.”
“You are insane,” Margaret yelled, “just like your father! You have no idea what you should do for your kingdom, which was made most obvious when you refused to unite us! All of this blood is on your hands!”
“And there will be a damn lot more of it if you don’t answer me!” I screamed into her face. “Where is my wife?”
“Always so melodramatic!” Whitney sighed. I turned toward her and glared.
“If you know anything of this…” I let my voice trail off. There was something in her eyes I did not like—at all. It was…knowledge. “You know where she is.”
The princess merely shrugged.
“She knows nothing of the sort!” Margaret said, but the tone of her voice had changed. She, too, was looking at her daughter, and I could see the doubt in her eyes.
“You will die if you have touched her,” I said to Whitney. “Where is she?”
“What difference does it make?” Whitney asked. “You do not need her; you never have. I am here for you.”
I scoffed and shook my head, narrowing my eyes at her. Could she be serious? As many times as I had told her she would not be made my queen, could she still think there is a possibility of a union?
“Branford, be reasonable.” Whitney cooed at me. “We are meant to be, not you and some common trash—”
Whatever else she was going to say remained stuck in her throat as I backhanded her across the face. She squealed like an animal and fell to the side before Parnell could right her again.
“Get your hands off my daughter!” Margaret screeched from across the room.
“Where is my wife?” I snarled again at Whitney. I pulled back my hand to hit her a second time while her mother yelled at me.
“I said stay away from her! Do you hear me? She is my daughter and a princess! You will not treat her so!”
I turned and eyed Margaret standing in front of one of my soldiers with her arms pinned behind her back. I stalked slowly over to her and leaned down until my face was but inches from hers.
“Do you know where my wife is?” I asked her quietly.
“No, I do not,” she said in her haughty tone. “And if I did, I would not—”
Margaret’s sentence ended in a choking gasp as my blade slid easily into her. I placed my hand on her shoulder and pushed down at the same time I pulled up with my sword arm, impaling her further with a twist of the blade.
“Then I have no more use for you,” I told her lifeless eyes.
As her body dropped to the ground, I turned back to Whitney. Her eyes were wide as she tried to take a step forward but found herself still in Parnell’s grasp and unable to move. I could hear the muffled cries of Jared and Hedda through their gags.
“King Branford,” Parnell said quietly, “are you sure you want to—”
“Every tower razed.” I repeated my statements from this morning. “No one loyal to Hadebrand survives. No one.”
My gaze moved briefly to the twins where they cowered in the corner of the room. Hedda’s wide eyes were red and swollen as she stared at her mother’s lifeless body. I swallowed hard and turned back to the older princess.
“Tell me now.” I growled as I pointed my sword at her.
Whitney’s gaze moved slowly from the body on the floor back to mine. Her breath came in short, choppy huffs as Parnell yanked her backwards to hold her steady.
“Where is Alexandra?” I yelled again.
“She can rot right where she is!” Whitney screamed back at me, apparently not even realizing her admission.
She knows.
It was revealed in her eyes as well as betrayed on her lips. Edgar…Edgar had not known the plots of his daughter though he had also answered for them. The deed itself, though, had all been Whitney’s. The woman was obviously insane to think such a plot would work to bring her into my good graces, and now she was going to tell me where to find Alexandra.
“Erik,” I called out, and my young page appeared at my side.
“Yes, King Branford?”
“Fetch four horses and bring them to the field just outside the castle walls.”
“Yes, sire!”
“Parnell?”
“My king?”
“Bring Whitney to the field.”
Our eyes met, and I could see within his that he knew exactly what I intended to do. He had not the stomach for it, but he nodded his acceptance and began to push the princess out of the chamber.
“What of those two?” Rylan asked.
I looked to Hedda and Jared, both still bound and gagged with tears running down their faces. They had just watched their mother die, and they had to know Whitney was next. Jared was a stranger to me since he had only just begun to battle in tournaments, but I recalled Hedda. Alexandra had even talked of taking care of her as a babe. She had grown much since I had last seen her a few years ago.
“No supporter of Hadebrand survives,” I said simply. I waved over one of the soldiers, and he came forth to bow before me. I leaned close to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Kill the offspring of Hadebrand. Be quick and merciful, and deliver the heads of the royal family to the front of the castle when it is done.”
I could see the man’s throat bob slightly as his gaze met with the young girl’s fearful expression. He nodded quickly, and I could see the resignation in his eyes.
“Yes, my king.”
“Good man,” I said quietly as I took my hand from his shoulder. He looked up to meet my gaze, and I could see the questions in his eyes. “Survivors with grudges lead to future wars. With each of their lives, you save the lives of your kingdom’s future children.”
I saw the understanding in his expression, and I knew the deed would be done quickly. I did not look at Jared or Hedda again but looked instead to their sister, whose blood would soon be on my hands in a much more direct way. I took one more glance at the soldier who would be the executioner of the youngest of Edgar’s children.
“It will be done,” he said. His voice was hoarse and caught in his throat.
“You will perform this duty,” I said, making sure we both knew there was no question about it.
“It is my honor to serve Silverhelm, King Branford,” he said with a more definitive tone.
I nodded and followed Rylan out the door to the tournament arena behind Hadebrand’s castle. It was the very same place I had first laid eyes on my beautiful wife. I remembered it vividly.
“What is your name?” I questioned the beautiful creature before me. I was glad for my armor and the ability it had to hide my excitement and lust.
“Alexandra, my lord.” She responded so quietly I only barely made out her answer. I watched the color brighten her cheekbones until she dipped her head, causing her hair to fall across part of her face.
“Are you agreeable?” I asked as I tilted my head to get a better view of the face she tried to hide behind her long hair.
“My lord?” she asked quietly. She obviously did not understand my meaning.
“Are you agreeable, Alexandra?” I said again. I decided to make an official proposal so there would be no further doubt in the young maid’s mind. “Will you agree to marry me?”
I had been so sure of my course, and I knew my action would anger Edgar into a response. He had already made it clear he believed Sterling lands should be part of Hadebrand, and having the son of those lands insult him in such a way would require action. I had given no thought to the handmaid whose life I would turn upside down in my quest for King Edgar’s head. I had no idea what I would drag her into. Even if I had known at the time, it would not have mattere
d to me.
I no longer cared as much about Sterling lands, avenging my parents, or Edgar’s death. The only thing that mattered was Alexandra, and I still had no idea where she was. If I could have gone back and changed it all, I would have, without a doubt. I would have found a way to still take her as my wife without destroying both kingdoms in the process.
The moon was high in the sky, and torches lined the center of the arena where four strong horses stood in a row. I walked steadily into the center where Parnell stood with Whitney’s arms held behind her back. She struggled against him with anger in her eyes and jeers on her lips.
“You will release me, you foul creature!” she yelled at him. “How dare you! You are nothing more than a…a breeder of beasts!”
She twisted again, and Sir Rylan raised an eyebrow.
“Shall I silence her?” he asked. He held a piece of cloth in his hands.
“No,” I said. I shook my head as I walked straight up to her. “I want answers.”
“You’ll get nothing from me!” Whitney snorted at me and stomped her foot.
I leaned over and grabbed the hair at the back of her neck. I pulled sharply back, tilting her head and snarling down at her. She cried out and tried to kick me.
“Then I will listen to your screams!”
“You would not dare do anything against a royal!”
I chuckled softly right before I spat in her face.
“Do you see your father? Your brothers?” I asked her. For the first time, she had no response. “That’s because their heads are being placed on spikes at this very moment. Did you not watch your own mother fall? Do you think you will be spared? Your sister is likely dead by now, as well, though her fate was far more merciful than yours will be.”
“You would not,” she said, though her voice did not sound so sure. “You would never do such a thing to me…you love me.”