Rose and Thorn: Possession of The King (Book 1) (A Collection of Roses)

by EMILIA RAY ROSE

  The moon impressed deeply how fleeting the night was and how the next day would be upon her in a blink. From now till the night of the dawn, when the blue spring moon would adorn the sky, was all she had to get Storm the Red Diamond.

  The words she’d overheard Folly tell to the stranger earlier in the evening came back to her and she shuddered.

  What did he mean when he said death would be waiting at the door? Ressa asked herself.

  Despite her uncertainty, she was sure of one thing—something big was being planned for the wedding and it definitely was not something good.

  Could it mean my demise? she wondered.

  Perhaps Cavel and Ezra planned to kill her and dispose of her before she was to walk down the aisle and get wed to the prince. This possibility didn’t make sense because she couldn’t think of any reason why Ezra would want to kill her. Besides, it wasn’t like he would do that.

  There had to be another reason.

  Who knew if he was plotting against Cavel? Maybe it was his demise Ezra was planning instead. After the pain Cavel had caused the people of Markenia, she wouldn’t blame anyone for attacking him. Besides, Ezra was the next in line to the throne after Cavel, so if Cavel died the throne would automatically go to him upon the king’s demise.

  No. Not Ezra, Ressa thought.

  The captain of the guards did not seem like the type. Somehow he appeared to be a forthright and honest person. He wasn’t the kind of man who would scheme the best ways of killing his brother while he was yet alive.

  With the two possibilities discounted in her mind, the entire night's events didn't make sense. In the small-time Ressa had spent with Ezra she had never noticed a malicious bone in his body. He was the nicest man she had ever met, perhaps a bit bothersome but nice.

  A lump formed in her throat when she thought about how conflicting her feelings towards Ezra were. For five weeks she had done her best to avoid him, but he had stayed with her both in person and in her thoughts. It was impossible to end his presence in her daydreams and get him out of her head. She felt drawn to him like a hummingbird to nectar or a purple dragonfly to a crystal clear lake. He was like an irresistible melody, seeping deep within her bones.

  “Ezra,” she murmured with a sigh.

  She could tell from the peculiar feelings he aroused in her that he was different. He was not made of the same stuff as Cavel or other unscrupulous men she knew of.

  The memory of the person she’d seen with Folly earlier returned to Ressa and she sighed. She didn’t want to believe that Ezra would have something to do with someone as wily and rough as Wort.

  It would have been much better if I had managed somehow to see his face, she thought. It would have prevented the uncertainty, the suspense, and the restlessness that plagued her.

  All the days she had spent in the castle thinking about the best way to get her father out had been made bearable by Ezra. He was such a gentleman, interested in nothing but her safety and well-being.

  I’ve got to thank him for his kindness, she thought and a smile formed on her face.

  An image of his face floated up before her. It was a memory of the moment they’d been together on the hill. That was the first time she had noticed the color of his eyes. They were golden, like little polished orbs of gold. They were the eyes of an honest man and a handsome one too. That he might participate in a murder plan upset her stomach.

  No, she thought, in blatant refusal, that can’t be Ezra.

  With a flick of her head, Ressa tried to free her mind of the doubts that clogged it. Good looks don’t make a good heart, she said to herself. A man could be as handsome and sweet as Ezra and yet his mind could be filled with evil thoughts.

  Still, she couldn't help but think, No. Not Ezra.

  The more she thought about it the more she was convinced. There was no way Ezra was going to betray his king and his cousin. He was too loyal to them. Although he was a soldier who must have faced off with those who had evil intentions towards the royal family, there was no way he'd be capable of cold-blooded murder, not after the way his parents died.

  Ressa forced her mind stray to other things while she waited for the knock she was expecting. It did her no good to dwell on such gloomy thoughts. They served no purpose. Worrying and fretting had brought her no closer to finding out who had been with Wort Folly when she saw them. All it had done was to make her worry. Now she had to think of other things.

  Unfortunately, her mind was blank. No other thought took form in her mind. Every single one of them paled in comparison to the matter of Wort Folly and the mystery man, except the matter of her father’s welfare. The moment the thought slipped into her mind every other matter faded away.

  She wondered what he was doing at that moment. Was he being fed or was he being starved? Had Slade Storm turned him into a slave? It would kill his dignity to be reduced nothing more than a beast of burden, condemned to answer to a man who had absolutely no right to his loyalty; to work without any hope of receiving any form of wages for his work.

  She didn’t know if her father would survive if the man worked him too hard. While he still had his freedom and King Alvert had been in good health and in firm control of his kingdom, her father used to schedule his working hours carefully. I want to stay alive for my little girl, he would tell her.

  Slade Storm did not care about things like that.

  Ressa sighed. This thought was even worse than the first. It got her worried. It was so frustrating to know that there was nothing she could do until the time was right.

  Again she forced her mind to move on from that thought to something pleasant. That was when she remembered that she was to have a visitor in her room. She stood up and began to pace the room. Where is he? Ressa did not like waiting and hated that she would have to wait for her visitor to show up.

  As if on cue a knock on the door drew her attention there. Ressa rushed to the door and pulled it open. Ida Nilly stood just outside her room with a basket of fresh fruit and a smile on her face. This was not the knock she'd been waiting for, but it was a welcome one all the same. Ressa took the basket from the old woman's hands and ushered her into the room. Ida sat down on the closest chair and heaved a sigh. Her face was bright with a smile.

  “Tell me everything, child,” she said and leaned forward so she was closer to Ressa. “Was the night worth a million stars?”

  Ressa giggled in delight. “I don't know how to begin.”

  “Start at the beginning and stop at the end,” Ida said. Before Ressa could start Ida turned to look at the wardrobe next to her. Something she didn’t quite understand had drawn her attention. There, hanging over the wardrobe door, was the rose-and-gold gown Ressa had worn to her engagement ball. The skirt was covered in blood and a large hole was visible.

  Ida gasped. “In the name of Saint Annebeth! What on God’s blessed earth is that on your dress, child?”

  Ressa felt her heart lift into her throat as she spun around towards the wardrobe. “Oh, I met a man tonight,” she said flippantly.

  “Did he injure you?” Ida grabbed her by the hand and began to inspect her body without much ado.

  “No, no, he didn’t,” Ressa replied quickly.

  Ida stared hard at her. “Then what happened?” Without waiting for an answer she got up out of her chair to grab the gown.

  “He was a member of the Royal Guard and his two-headed wolf almost attacked me,” Ressa told her. “I climbed the first garden statue I could find, but then I fell. The man caught me. Unluckily for me he had a large catch of Rabbit.”

  “Oh, you poor girl. That must have dampened your big night.”

  “It did indeed.”

  “Here, child, help me bring the gown down from the wardrobe. I'll have it cleaned for you,” Ida said.

  But as soon as Ressa went to help poor Ida with the gown another knock rapped against her door. Ressa’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh Ida, whoever it is send them away.” She was afraid her plans would be ruined i
f Ida found out.

  “You stay here, child, I'll get the door,” Ida said and crossed the room. She swung the door open and popped her head out to see who stood behind it.

  “Madam Ida, I didn't know Lady Rose had visitors. I'll come back.”

  The sound of Ezra's voice made Ressa beam though he wasn’t the one she'd been expecting. Still, his presence was welcome all the same although she would never let him know that. She took to her usual hiding place and listened with a smile on her face as he talked. His voice was melodious.

  “Now Lord Thorn, what are you doing here at this time of night?” Ida asked him.

  “I had to make sure Lady Rose made it to her chambers safely,” he said. “After all, she did leave her ball quite early. The king became concerned.”

  “Well, aside from a ruined gown she's doing just fine.”

  “Ruined gown?”

  “Wait here,” Ida said, shutting the door in Ezra's face.

  “Child, hand me that gown, Lord Thorn with all his strength can help this old woman take your gown down to the wash.”

  Ressa shook her head in agreement smiled and handed Ida the gown.

  “Now young lady, you get some rest. Tomorrow is your big day. No use you walking down the aisle with dark marks underneath those pretty eyes of yours.”

  At that moment Ressa realized that would probably be the last time she would ever see Ida. She threw her arms around the woman and gave her a big hug. She held her so tightly the poor woman nearly lost her breath.

  “Okay child, okay. I love you too,” Ida said, hugging back.

  She turned to the door with the gown in hand and swung the door open.

  “Here you go, young man,” Ida said, swinging the gown at Ezra's head. “Be a nice lad and escort this old woman down to the wash. This gown is heavy and the steep steps to the washroom take a toll on my back.” She closed Ressa's chamber door behind her.

  Ezra froze for a moment with the gown in his hand and examined the stains of blood on the skirt. He turned once more towards Ressa's door and gazed hard at it before following Ida, who was already halfway down the hall.

  As soon as they left Ressa took her position by the open window to wait. She sat back down in her chair waiting for her visitor to arrive.

  ***

  Ressa sat in her window watching the moon, her legs against the windowsill. She prayed her visitor would make it before her heavy eyes closed and not a moment too soon there was another knock on the door.

  Ressa swung her legs off the windowsill and moved hurriedly to the door. She swung it open, and, as expected, her footman was standing before her.

  “Odis,” Ressa said, beaming.

  “My lady,” Odis said with a bow. “Your request has arrived.”

  Odis, her sixty-five-year-old footman, was one of her closest confidents in the castle. He’d helped her several times within her short stay already. He stretched out his arm, giving Ressa a sizeable white-clothed package tied with twine.

  “Thank you,” Ressa said, handing him a small silk satchel in exchange.

  Twenty silver coins were contained in the satchel. “Compliments of Prince Cavel himself,” Ressa said. She knew it was worth an entire life of happiness for Odis, Ida and their daughter Raven.

  “Thank you, my lady,” Odis said. “Good luck on your travels. I shall miss you. Please let it be known that you would have made a great queen.”

  He folded the satchel neatly and put it into his pocket. He bowed one last time and left the room as quickly and quietly as he came.

  As soon as the door was shut, Ressa rushed to her bed and opened the package. The cloth unfurled to reveal a crossbow belonging to none other than the company of royal guards. Beside it lay a silver arrow with a razor-sharp point. Ressa then dug her hand under her pillow and retrieved the rabbit’s foot she’d stolen earlier in the evening. The putrid stench from the piece of the rabbit was somewhat dizzying. The stench seemed to be stronger now than when she’d first grabbed the piece. With one hand clamped on her nose, Ressa drove the arrow into the rabbit’s foot. She felt a small crack as the arrow went through bone. With the foot firmly impaled, she stuck it into a satchel then set it back beside the crossbow. Wrapping the crossbow back up, she slid it under her bed.

  The crossbow under her bed brought some reality to her plan. Ressa went back to the window, sat, and drew her knees to her chest. She cast her gaze through the window and tried to steady her nerves. It wasn’t going to be long before she set her plans in motion.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The grass on the hills undulated in rhythm with the breeze of the night. The moon illuminated the entire landscape but not enough to announce Ressa’s position within the grass. She had a spyglass with which she watched the guards and the two-headed wolves patrol the surroundings of Cavel’s treasure room. Unlike the day before, she didn’t need to watch patiently for a break in their routine. She had a plan and a damn good weapon now.

  Rolling to the side, Ressa very carefully unwrapped the crossbow. She couldn’t risk pulling off the satchel that masked the rabbit foot’s scent. She remembered Wort saying that wolves could smell the rabbits from five miles away. Ressa’s stakeout point was a little more than ten miles, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She placed the crossbow gently by her side to avoid triggering its release unintentionally then looked through the spyglass again. She was just in time to catch the Treasury Carriage roll in.

  It’s got to be now, she thought. The trap door to the treasure room would be open at that moment. The guards would then form a perimeter around it, preventing any attacks or attempts at infiltration. Ressa pushed herself to her feet. Slipping the spyglass into the bodice of her dress, she picked up the crossbow.

  Her hands trembled slightly as she caught the wolves in her sights. Once they were steadily in view, she pulled off the satchel over the rabbit’s foot. As expected, the wolves began to get agitated and draw the attention of the guards. With a deep breath, Ressa swung her arms ten inches to the left and fired towards the dark forest sitting behind the castle road. The wolves, already growling and yapping, dashed off towards the forest, taking most of the guards with them. The guards had their crossbows and swords primed against whatever danger the wolves had sensed.

  Knowing she had but little time, Ressa let the crossbow drop to the ground; then she sprinted down the hill towards the gate. On reaching the gate, she walked past the Treasury Carriage into a long hall where she was confronted by two paths, both dark and ominous. Ressa leaned into the cover of shadows to catch her breath and to think. Her mind went back to the night she met Cavel. She remembered the small staircase she’d espied, leading down to the dungeons or some other room. Instantly, she knew it was the right place to search, even though it meant having to get close to Cavel.

  Leaning over the wall, Ressa stealthily inched her way through the darkness. She knew that if she went too hastily, she might end up getting caught, arrested, or worse. Cavel would not have mercy on her if she was apprehended. He would easily put her to death, to make an example out of her. He was one for making examples out of people who crossed his commands. Her father was living proof of that.

  Suddenly, Ressa stopped. Her heart beat so furiously she was afraid it would give her away. She could hear the sound of voices down the hallway. However, knowing that she had to carry on no matter what, she continued to move. Her hands trailed the wall, guiding in her in the darkness; when her fingers reached the coign of the wall, she stopped. Here the voices were very clear as they reverberated loudly. She could make out some of the things that were being said.

  “My lord, my man is in position.”

  “Good. I want the job done before I say I do,” another voice said.

  The familiarity of the voices bloomed into recognition. Ressa clasped her hand over her mouth instantly to keep her from shouting obscenities as anger surged through her body. The voices in the darkness belonged to none other than her betrothed, Prince Cavel, and Wort Fol
ly. It made sense now. They were trying to murder someone before the wedding.

  But who is it? Ressa thought. Is it me or could it be Ezra? Is Cavel trying to get Ezra killed so he can cement his claims to the throne?

  Ressa’s heart thumped incessantly.

  She wanted so much to run off and warn Ezra. But her mission and getting her father to freedom far outweighed any other thing. So Ressa waited till Cavel and Wort had crossed over into the castle halls.

  She felt faint like her strength had been sapped. She couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. Just as she was about to lapse further into the song of her frantic nerves, she heard a grating boom behind her—the sound of the gate being closed or opened.

  Realizing she didn’t have time, Ressa peeked out the corner to check if all was clear. In the process, she espied a door and then walked towards it.

  Quickly, she walked through the door and followed the hallway into the deepest parts of the castle. Soon, she began to see a golden glow ahead. As she walked closer, the golden glow grew bigger and brighter until she came into a room. The torches on the wall gave a gossamer glow to the buckets of gold and silver Cavel had scrounged from the people under the guise of taxes. Beside the torches, on the wall, hung beautifully carved busts of curvy women, each one adorned with different jewels. Ressa walked through the overflowing field of glittering gems, her eyes glowing with breathtaking awe until she came to the back where she saw a glass case on a marble ionic pedestal. The glass case was ornately designed with silver leaves and gold specks. In the case there was a sculpted form of upturned palms cupped together. Right in the middle of it nestled the Red Diamond.

  Carefully, Ressa moved closer to the case. It was a good thing Cavel had spent more effort securing outside the treasure room than inside or Ressa would never have made it close to the diamond. Her eyes were full of admiration as she opened the glass case. With a loving touch in her hands, she lifted the diamond from off the sculpted hand. The Red Diamond was large, deftly cut, and without blemish, adorned in an elaborate gold setting.