by Jody Hedlund
Edmund reached for my hands. Devoid of gloves, our fingers slid together smoothly, sending tingles over my skin. His face was pale and drawn from his recent illness, but I was struck as never before at what a distinguished, handsome man he was.
“Dearly beloved,” the priest said, “we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in Paradise, and into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if any man can show just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, by God’s Law, or the Laws of the Realm, let him now speak, or else forever hold his peace.”
“I object,” came a voice from the far side of the cathedral.
Startled, I spun, as did most everyone. Amidst gasps and murmurs, those who were standing lowered themselves to their knees.
There in the open double doorway stood Adelaide, the sunlight streaming in upon her. She wore a stunning royal blue gown. Her golden hair was piled on top of her head, and a crown was centered among the glorious waves. She was breathtaking and regal, with an air of power and confidence that filled me with awe.
Behind her stood Christopher, attired in regal court garments. Without his chain mail, I hardly recognized him.
The queen glided forward into the cathedral, and the people cleared a path for her. As she strode forward, her face was unreadable. When she stopped several feet away from the altar, Edmund tugged on my arm and began to kneel. I followed his example in bowing to the queen. Since meeting her, I’d thought of her as a warrior and leader. But today, seeing her in all her glory, I realized she had the aura of a royalty and would make a magnificent queen.
“Your Majesty.” I bowed my head before her.
For a long moment, I remained subservient. When I finally dared to lift my head, she held out her hand to me, revealing a signet ring with the royal emblem that had once belonged to the house of Mercia—two golden lions standing rampant with a ruby at the center.
I kissed it, and then she assisted me back to my feet. When Edmund had taken his place next to me, I met the queen’s gaze. I was surprised to see pride and joy shining in her blue eyes that were so much like my own. Since she’d voiced her objection just moments ago, I’d expected to see censure.
“I am heartily glad to see you, sister.” I dipped my head again.
“As I you,” she replied with a smile.
I couldn’t help but return the smile, the gladness of our reunion filling me. We’d had so little time together to make up for the years apart. I hadn’t been sure if we would survive the pestilence to see each other again, and I lifted a grateful prayer God had seen fit to spare us both.
“I did not think you would object to our wedding,” I said. “I thought it would please you.”
“I only objected because I did not want you to begin without my presence by your side.” She moved to stand next to me, and Christopher did likewise with Edmund.
At her show of support, my heart swelled with a gladness it couldn’t contain.
“After all,” Adelaide continued, “I could not miss the wedding of my most esteemed royal court physician, could I?”
My pulse stuttered. “Royal court physician?”
Adelaide lifted her chin and let her gaze fall upon the masses of people on the floor, along the walls, and crammed into the back. “Her Royal Highness, the Princess Maribel, has worked a miracle among the displaced of Mercia as well as the good citizens of Norland. Because of the gift bestowed upon her by Almighty God, she has brought healing to this city and all of Norland. In honor of her service and her skills, I hereby announce from this day henceforth, she is to be esteemed, respected, and sought after as the greatest physician in all the land.”
Loud cheers and clapping echoed throughout the cathedral, and I couldn’t keep the tears from filling my eyes. My dearest dream had come true. The people were ready to accept me as a woman physician. Not only did they accept me, but they lauded me.
Edmund’s hand slid into mine once again. And when our eyes met, I knew God had blessed me indeed with more than I could ask or imagine. He’d given me this incredible man to spend my life with, and He had opened the way for me to continue to use my gift of healing.
Only when I’d let go of my selfish ambitions and been willing to embrace His greater plans, had I found true contentment. In the end, He’d provided an even better way for me to use my healing skills than I could have done as a nun. He’d increased my scope, and now I would be able to help so many more people.
Adelaide’s proud gaze came to rest on me. She didn’t have to say anything for me to know what she was thinking—that God had indeed answered our prayer in a way we’d never been able to envision on our own.
“I have been speculating during the return voyage from Loughlin,” she said softly. “Perhaps there is more to King Solomon’s hidden treasure than mere riches. What if the real treasure lies within us? With the gifts God imparts to us? What if those combined gifts are the keys to ridding the land of evil and restoring peace?”
I nodded eagerly at Adelaide’s astute observation. “Wisdom and healing are indeed great treasures. Already God has used these gifts to bring about much good.” Adelaide’s wisdom had gained her an alliance with Norland as well as acceptance among the rebels of Mercia. And now my medicine and healing touch had saved our army, along with countless people who supported our cause.
What about Emmeline? Wherever she was and whatever she was doing, had God given her a gift as well? Were our gifts the treasure? Or was there more we still needed to seek down in the labyrinth?
Although I wanted to voice my questions, Christopher cleared his throat loudly and gained Adelaide’s attention. He inclined his head to the crowded nave, raising his brows meaningfully.
She nodded in reply and then turned to face Edmund. “We have brought someone back with us from Loughlin. Someone who was loathe to miss your wedding.”
“Your Majesty?” Edmund asked politely.
Adelaide beckoned at a man from the crowd. “Your grandfather.”
Chapter
24
Edmund
My grandfather? I scanned the faces before me. Surely the queen was mistaken. “Captain Theobald killed my grandfather for aiding the rebellion.”
“No.” The queen focused on a figure approaching from the back. “The captain planned to arrest your grandfather for assisting in my escape from Mercia. Fortunately, friends became privy to the plans and warned us. Thus, we were able to intervene and save him in time. He has been residing in Brechness until he left at the outbreak of the pale pestilence.”
My heart twisted with the news and with the realization that I’d almost murdered Theobald, not just for what he’d done to my family but also because of my grandfather—especially because of my grandfather.
Theobald had taunted me, lied to me, and tried to use my need for revenge to turn me into a bitter and angry man. It had almost worked. What if I’d killed him that day thinking I was taking revenge for my grandfather’s death? How would I have been able to stand here today and hold my head high? How would I have been able to look my grandfather in his eyes without thinking about what I’d done?
Was it time to finally stop trying to forget about all that had happened and instead forgive? Was that where true freedom was found?
Once again, the crowd parted as a stoop-shouldered, white-haired man shuffled toward the altar. The man I remembered had been tall, having brown hair with only a smattering of white at his sideburns. That man had walked with purpose and certainty. Was this old man really my grandfather?
It had been over seventeen years since I’d been dragged away from my childhood home in Chapelhill. Seventeen years since I’d last seen my grandfather. Seventeen years since he’d hugged me good-bye in a hard embrace. So much had changed during that time.
As he drew nearer, he halted and sucked in a wheezing breath, as if seeing me was too much f
or him. Christopher was at his side in an instant, lending him a supportive arm, holding him up, gently encouraging him the final distance to the altar.
I was grateful for Christopher’s quick aid, for I couldn’t make my legs or arms work, nor could I manage to think of anything to say.
Maribel slipped her hand through the crook of my arm. In an instant, her strength and steadiness seeped into me and reminded me we would face the future together, side by side, as husband and wife.
“Grandfather?” I said tentatively.
“Edmund.” His voice wobbled, and he studied my face, his eyes welling with unshed tears. “You look like your father.”
I nodded. “If I am ever half the man my father was, then I will be blessed indeed.”
At my words, tears spilled over onto Grandfather’s lined cheeks. “I believe you were saved by God’s mighty hand to rise up and do greater things than your father ever did.”
When our gazes connected, I saw there the man I’d always known, the wise and loving grandfather. The stresses of the years might have aged him and changed his outward appearance, but inwardly he was still the honorable nobleman I remembered.
“I have searched for you all these many years,” Grandfather said. “I prayed every day that if you were alive God would help me find you.”
I couldn’t begin to imagine the heartache and worry he’d experienced at my disappearance. “I’m sorry, Grandfather. I believed you were murdered like everyone else—”
“Do not be sorry, my child,” he said. “If God had answered my prayer the way I wanted and allowed me to find you, King Ethelwulf would have killed you by now. Instead, God put you someplace safe, where you could be trained and prepared for taking care of the princess and for contributing to the fight that is yet to come.”
In my heart, I sensed Grandfather was right—that I’d been in the best place possible. If not for being at Highland Convent, I would have missed knowing and loving Maribel. Even so, my heart ached at all the years I’d missed being with my last remaining relative.
Maribel’s fingers closed around my arm in a gentle squeeze. The look in her eyes told me she understood exactly how I felt, that she regretted the many years she’d been separated from her sisters. But her touch also reminded me we had the present to spend with our loved ones and hopefully many more years in the future. We couldn’t focus on the regrets of what was lost. Instead, we needed to cherish what we had left.
Grandfather held out a shaking hand. I grasped it and bent to place a kiss upon his knotted knuckles. Instead of allowing me the kiss, he pulled me forward with surprising strength and wrapped both arms around me in an embrace as hard as the ones he’d always given me as a boy.
I hugged him back, letting the years slip away, letting my love for him swell until my throat ached.
When he finally released me, his cheeks were wet and his eyes bright. “Now, shall we have a wedding?”
I wasn’t sure what the appropriate course of action was in our situation. I’d just been reunited with my grandfather, and I wanted to spend time with him. And yet, I also didn’t want to put off marrying Maribel another day.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, my grandfather smiled and took a step back. “I can think of no greater joy than to watch my grandson get married. I never believed I would see you alive again. And now, here I am, standing with you and witnessing your wedding. If I die tomorrow, I will be a satisfied man.”
“Let us not talk of death,” I urged.
“You need not fear, Edmund,” Maribel said. “I shall not allow your grandfather to become even the slightest bit ill. If I have my way, he will live for many, many years.”
At Maribel’s sweet expression, her earnest eyes, and the love there just for me, I was overwhelmed with gratefulness. I’d lost so much long ago, but I’d gained even more through the adversity I’d endured.
Christopher led Grandfather to the spot next to me, ceding his place of honor. Grandfather seemed to stand taller, and pride shone from his eyes.
As Christopher positioned himself on the opposite side of Grandfather, the queen smiled. “Shall we begin the wedding?”
“I say yes,” Maribel replied, her eyes dancing once more with excitement. She was radiant in her gown. The rich ruby color brought out the blue of her eyes and made her hair shine more golden. Once again, as when I’d first glimpsed her, my mouth went dry with just how beautiful she looked.
If I’d wanted to kiss her all those years she’d worn her drab, colorless habit, I thrummed with the need now that she was alive and vibrant the way she was meant to be. My gaze dropped to her smiling lips, to the delicate curves, to the memory of the forbidden kisses we’d shared in the labyrinth.
Starting today, I’d get to kiss her as much as I pleased and for as long as I wanted. The thought burned through me so that I couldn’t keep myself from reaching for her waist and drawing her near.
“If Your Majesty will permit it,” I said to the queen, “I would like to adjust the order of the service just slightly.”
“How so?” Adelaide answered.
“If I may,” I said, dipping toward Maribel, “I’d like to kiss my bride first rather than last.”
Without waiting for permission, I bent in and touched my lips to Maribel’s. The tender clinging pressure was my promise that from this day forward, I would love and cherish her foremost, till death parted us.
At the gentle return pressure of her lips, I knew she was promising me the same.
Chapter
25
King Ethelwulf
“You allowed Princess Constance and Princess Maribel to escape.” I spat at the two soldiers lying on the dungeon floor.
“We tried, Your Majesty,” croaked one of the men through cracked, dried lips. He attempted to sit up, but he was too injured and weak to make it higher than his elbows. “But somehow they learned of our ambush and were prepared when we attacked.”
Inwardly, I seethed at the stupidity and failure of my elite guard. I’d already questioned other surviving soldiers and discovered most of what had happened before I’d sentenced them to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Yet, an insatiable need for more information drove me to the dungeons again.
Several servants holding torches stood by with burning incense pots to cover the stench of decay and the rancidness of bodily waste. Even so, I had to breathe through my mouth in order not to gag.
“And what exactly happened to Captain Theobald?” I demanded.
“He was injured and killed, Your Majesty,” said the other guard, whose wounded arm had putrefied. “We found his body ravaged by wild animals.”
I shook my head at the captain’s ineptness. He was fortunate he’d died. After failing me one too many times, I would have hanged, drawn, and quartered him too. I didn’t care that the man had served me well in my early campaigns to regain Mercia. He’d failed me now when it mattered most.
At the very least, I could give him credit for following Princess Maribel to the labyrinth. The discovery had been monumental. I hadn’t known the extensive network of tunnels in the Highlands existed. After speaking with my trusted advisors, we’d concurred that Solomon’s hidden treasure was likely there. But the caverns and patterns of the labyrinth were so extensive, and the traps so deadly, none of the soldiers who’d gone down had come back alive.
Instead of losing more men, I’d decided to have my scholars attempt to discover a map or more information regarding the labyrinth. While they’d uncovered mentions of labyrinths and mazes in fables in other countries, they’d found nothing substantive about a real one here in Mercia, mainly speculations that had been passed on among the elite guard regiments.
I’d almost begun to believe someone had purposefully destroyed every manuscript containing evidence or clues regarding the labyrinth, perhaps with the hope of erasing the memory of it from history.
Nevertheless, I’d tasked the scholars to keep searching, sending them out to confiscate each history book they cou
ld find. Even if they succeeded in compiling more information, my closest advisors had reminded me we only had one key, and we’d likely need the other two in order to unlock any hidden treasure we might find.
That made the loss of Princess Maribel all the more frustrating. I’d been counting on getting her key to add to my collection. And now apparently Princess Maribel was in Norland within the safety of Brechness. I’d even heard rumors over the past day that she’d single-handedly stopped the spread of the pestilence and saved the army. I’d also heard she’d married a young nobleman from Mercia, Lord Chambers.
“Did the princesses tend your wounds?” I asked, although I already knew from questioning the others yesterday that only these two had refused treatment—at least of the men who’d lived until another detachment of knights had arrived.
“No, Your Majesty,” said one of the men gruffly. “We didn’t let them touch us. We would rather have died than betray you.”
The damage was already done, however. Word had spread quickly that the lost princesses had worked together to bind the wounds and provide relief to my soldiers. I had to give Princess Constance credit. She was perceptive, using her sister’s compassion to draw on the emotions of the rest of the people. As it turned out, she and Princess Maribel were being lauded as angels for their selfless conduct.
Princess Constance was not only endearing herself to my people, but she was gaining more loyalty every day. I had few noblemen I could truly trust, mostly those who could be bribed. If she kept winning favor, she would face little resistance when she invaded and would likely be able to march all the way into Delsworth.
Unless, of course, I could find the third lost princess first.
“Rex,” I bellowed.
Near the stairway, my oldest son shoved away from the wall and stalked out of the shadows. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
The light of the flickering torches heightened his massive size, his thick arms and torso. It emphasized his broad shoulders and strong hands which could snap a man’s neck in two pieces as easily as a chicken bone. At twenty, he was handsome with fair hair like his mother’s. He wore it in tight warrior braids, along with the black chain mail and cloak of my elite guard.