My brothers and I have been busy training for our next jousting tournament. I believe we will be the best there, thanks to our hard practice regimen.
I pray my brothers and I will be able to visit Darrenberg soon. I miss you and your family terribly and often think fondly of the great times we’ve spent together. But I cannot imagine it will be too long before we are able to make the long journey north to Darrenberg. Possibly when my father is back in good health.
But until then, I hope to hear from you soon.
Lord Zachariah
I was surprised when the letter caused tears to fill my eyes. I missed my friend Zachariah and his three brothers Izaak, Lukas, and Micah.
The four lords were like brothers to me, but it was a five or six-day journey from Darrenberg to Gorenhelm, where they lived. Their father, Duke Stephon, was the Duke of Gorenhelm, and Zachariah, the oldest son, had many responsibilities because he was to become the Duke of Gorenhelm someday. It was hard for him to leave his obligations and duties and make the long trip here, and his brothers were young to make the trip by themselves. Even Zachariah, at age seventeen, was young to come to Darrenberg alone.
Many years ago, my father and Duke Stephon signed a peace treaty, promising to never engage the other in war and to always help each other in times of need. The region of Gorenhelm was as powerful as Darrenberg, and having the friendship of Duke Stephon was very beneficial to Father.
I met Zachariah and his brothers several years ago when they came to the castle with their father. They were kind, chivalrous gentlemen, and Jack and I had been good friends with them ever since.
I sat at my vanity and wrote a letter back to Zachariah. When I finished it, I decided to go to the village to see Merida, and I would give the letter to a messenger then.
Britta knocked on my door, and asked to take my measurements for my dress for the ball.
Once she finished, I asked a servant to fetch Sir Malachi. Then I took an arrow from my quiver and placed it between my belt and my hip. I left the quiver and bow in my chamber, but I often took a single arrow as a precaution when I went to town. True, I always had a bodyguard with me, but I liked having either a knife or sharp arrow on me in case we ever got separated and I needed to defend myself.
As soon as Malachi got to my chamber, we set out. I gave my letter for Lord Zachariah to a messenger, then we headed for Merida's family's house.
KOLTON
Rhineland Castle, one hundred and fifteen miles from Darrenberg region.
I sat at a large table with my family, eating the midday meal. My father began eyeing me, and I knew he was contemplating exactly what he was going to say to me. With his brows lowered, he spoke in a deep voice. “Kolton, I think it’s time you start thinking about your future.”
The bite of rabbit meat lost its flavor, and I barely managed to swallow it as I waited for him to go on.
“Do you not want to compete in tournaments? Do you not want a wife someday? A family?”
“I never said that. You make it sound like I am doing nothing with my life. But I am. I help you here in Rhineland every day, and I thought you appreciated my help.” I gave him a sharp look, not in the mood for this talk at the moment.
“I am appreciative of everything you have been doing here, but you cannot work for me your whole life.”
“I know that.” Trust me, I don’t want to work for you my whole life. “But I am only seventeen. It’s not like I’m running out of time. I’ll find a wife when I’m ready.”
“You know the deal we made. In a way, you are running out of time.”
I gritted my teeth.
“I can sign you up for a tournament and you can begin competing,” my father continued. “You can find a wife while you are traveling to and from tournaments.”
His persistence was frustrating. “Father, I’m not interested in competing. Besides, I’m not extremely good at it.”
“Yes, you are, son. You don’t know how skilled you are with a sword.”
“Skilled with a sword or not, I don’t think I would last long in a tournament. I am not as well-rounded a warrior as the Earl of Erguston.”
My younger sister, Odelette, was looking at me from across the table, a compassionate look in her warm brown eyes. It was the look she gave me whenever she felt sorry for me. Sometimes, it seemed like she was the only person in the world who understood me.
“You don’t have to compete in a tournament against Lord Erguston,” my father said. “And if you want to go to a university, you could train there and become even more skilled in combat.”
My mother, who sat to his left, gave him a look, as though to tell him he’d gone too far.
“Just think about it, Kolton.” Father finally stopped talking about it, and the table fell silent. The peace only lasted a few moments, then my two younger brothers broke into a petty argument and my mother tried to smooth things over. Their loud voices drowned out the sound of her soft voice.
Their ridiculous quarrel grew tedious, and I’d had enough. I rose from the bench, banging my fist slightly on the wooden table as I did so, and left the room.
Out in the courtyard, a slight breeze blew, cooling me and my temper. I had been in a bad mood for the past couple weeks, ever since Leo Schenwood informed me his daughter Carina, the girl I was supposed to marry, had run off with another man without a word to anyone. It wasn’t that I was very upset over losing Carina — I didn’t love her, and a girl who would even think of doing something so despicable wasn’t worth crying over. But I felt as though I let my family down by not marrying like they wanted me to. It wasn’t my heart that was wounded. It was my pride.
Then my father began nagging me daily about when I would succeed in finding a wife and starting a family. And though my mother hadn’t said anything, I could tell she was also disappointed in me.
I’d always hoped to attend Heidelberg University, and thought maybe I’d find a wife while I was there. But Heidelberg was expensive, so I began working for my father. But the longer I worked for him, the more I realized it wasn’t something I wanted to do for a long time. Father and I didn’t see everything eye to eye. I respected him and knew he was a great ruler, but he was stern and intense, and lately he had grown to be even more so.
Deciding to go for a ride to clear my head, I went to retrieve my sword.
As I walked down the corridor, my sister approached me. “Kolton. I am so sorry about Father.” She laid a hand on my arm. Her features looked more bold and dark in the dim corridor.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m just sorry I failed to find a wife.”
“Failed?” My sister’s eyebrows came together. “You didn’t fail. It’s not like you had any say in what happened.”
Obviously, the wealthy Carina Schenwood found me lacking in some regard. But I remained silent, not wanting to upset Odelette.
“And just between you and me,” Odelette continued, “I never really cared for Carina. She was a bit snobby and thought she was the prettiest girl in the whole word.”
Carina was pretty, but definitely not the prettiest girl in the world. Honestly, my sister Odelette was prettier. “Thank you, but it’s over now. It would be best if we all forgot about it and moved on.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Of course. I’m leaving now for a ride. I’ll see you tonight.” I gave her a smile so she wouldn’t keep worrying, and we went our separate ways.
###
When Malachi and I got to Merida’s house, her little brother answered the door. “Lady Scarlett.” He bowed and held the door open for us.
“Thank you, Max. But you can call me Scarlett.”
He looked hesitant but then nodded. “Yes, my lady.”
I stifled a laugh and smiled at him.
Inside, Merida's parents greeted me, making me feel as though it was my home as much as theirs.
I spent an hour or so with Merida’s family. Being with them — laughing and talking with the
m — made me feel like I had my family back, even if it was just for an hour.
Merida's parents were friendly, Max was sweet and polite, and Jonas teased his siblings the way Cordel used to tease Jack and me.
When Malachi and I departed, we made our way back to the courtyard. I didn’t go into the castle, but instead began walking in the direction of the stables.
“Where are you going?” Malachi asked.
“I thought we might take a short ride through the woods.” I held my breath, knowing he said no the majority of the time.
He looked unsure. “Perhaps I should ask your father first.”
“Oh, Malachi,” I begged. “I assure you he won’t mind. It’s been so long since I was able to ride through the forest. Please! We'll only be gone a little while. My father won't mind — he won't even know.” Because if he did, I knew he wouldn’t let us go.
Malachi thought for a long moment. “I guess I can be spared for a little while. But you have to promise me we won’t be gone a minute longer than an hour.”
“Of course. You can be certain, not a minute longer. I promise.” Excitement raced through me. Riding in the woods was one of my favorite things in life, and I rarely got to do it.
Malachi looked unsure, nervous. Paranoid. “Let us go so we can return soon.” He walked quickly away, scowling.
But I didn’t care. I had long ago gotten used to him being annoyed with me. I ran ahead of him, and he hurried to catch up.
The smell of horses surrounded me. A young stable boy shoveled hay into stalls. Malachi called him over and told him to saddle my horse.
My stallion, Caleb, was the sweetest of all the horses in the stables. He was slightly smaller than average and copper-colored with a white patch between his eyes.
Malachi helped me mount, and once I was seated, my heart leapt. Riding made me feel free — it enabled me to forget any stress or anxiety, at least for a while.
Malachi mounted his own horse and we left the stables, riding through the village and toward the town gate where Sir Jeremiah, one of my father’s knights, stood on guard. He waved to us as we went through, and I smiled and waved back. He was my favorite of my father’s men.
We rode across the grassy meadow and entered the woods to the west of the castle. Malachi warned me not to wander off. He was getting to be almost as protective as my father. But Malachi’s over protectiveness didn’t bother me much, because for me, there was no feeling like riding a horse through these woods. The forest was full of memories I made with Cordel and Jack when we were young. It used to be our favorite place to go.
I rode fast, with the wind blowing my hair until it flew out behind me. The fresh, late morning breeze felt delightful on my face. The sun shone bright overhead, and felt warm as it fell through the trees.
After riding for a while, we came to a stream. Malachi suggested we stop to get a drink, and I agreed. He watered the horses as I sat watching the swiftly flowing water and wondering once again about my father’s over protectiveness. Cordel, Jack, and I shared the same social status, yet he was always much more protective of me than of them. Jack and Cordel had traveled to many different regions including Gorenhelm, Rugart, Rhineland, and the warrior’s camp. Meanwhile, I had never left Darrenberg in my life.
Malachi seemed like the perfect person to ask about my suspicions. “Sir Malachi?”
He’d finished with the horses and sat a just couple feet away, looking into the trees. “Yes?”
“Please be honest with me. Do you know why my father never allows me to go anywhere without you?”
He stared at me for a long moment until it grew uncomfortable. Then he looked at the stream, his eyebrows drawn together, like he was thinking hard. “Well, Lady Scarlett, you are a princess. Your father wants to protect you. I thought you knew that.”
But I knew him too well, and his discomfort indicated an untruth.
So I pressed him for more. “Cordel and Jack are lords, and Cordel will become the Duke of Darrenberg someday. Does my father not want to protect them?”
“He does.” He climbed to his feet and held out his hand to me. “We should get back to the castle, my lady. Remember our agreement?”
Disappointed, I sighed. “All right. Let us go.”
Suddenly, Malachi put his hand firmly on my arm to stop me from rising. “Wait … what is that?”
We froze and listened.
Then I heard it — tree limbs cracking and the loud booming of men's voices. Malachi pulled me quickly to my feet. Then he pushed me behind a thick tree. We stood silently. The voices drew closer.
I tried to look around the tree, but Malachi held tightly to my shoulders from where he stood behind me. I looked up at him, and he put his finger to his lips. The men got so close I could hear their conversation.
“The problem is,” one of them said, “none of us knows what Lady Scarlett looks like. She’s no longer a little girl, but a young maiden.”
I gasped.
Malachi clamped his hand over my mouth.
The men continued talking. Thank God they hadn’t heard me.
“He is still set on getting his revenge,” the other man said. “Did you hear what Arnold said? He thinks it's unfair for him to take out his revenge on the young princess, thinks he should avenge his anger on Duke William instead. We need to teach him a lesson. He thinks everything in this world needs to be fair and just.” The man snorted, then I heard him spit.
I looked over at mine and Malachi's horses. They were mostly covered by several tall bushes, but I was sure the men would see them if they looked in that direction. What would they do if they noticed our mounts? Would they find us? Hurt us? Would Malachi be able to fight two men at once?
I instinctively felt for my arrow in my belt.
CHAPTER 5
Malachi's grasp grew tighter around my arm and my mouth. I looked up at his face, and he seemed to be trying hard to listen. I didn’t remove his hand from my mouth because I feared I would gasp again if he did.
Finally, one of the two men said, “Let's go. We'll search inside the gates. There's always the other plan if we don’t find anything.”
We waited until we heard them walk away, then Malachi released me.
“Who was that?” I asked him.
But he didn't answer me, only stared intently off in the direction the two men went in – toward the main gate. Then he turned and walked fast toward our horses. “Let’s go, my lady.”
When we reached them, he quickly lifted me onto Caleb's back. Then he mounted his own horse. I had never seen him move so quickly before. He dug his heels into his big horse and rode at a high speed. “Let's go around the walls and through the back gate.”
I followed him. That way was longer, but I wasn’t about to argue.
When we entered the town walls, Malachi rode over to Sir Jeremiah. “Close the gate. Don't let anyone in or out.” Then he looked back at me. “Lady Scarlett, I insist you come straight to the castle. Please, for your own protection.”
I nodded.
“Come with me.”
So we raced to the stables. Malachi jumped off his horse before it even came to a full stop. Then he helped me off mine.
“Malachi, what's going on?” I cried, gripping his arms to get his attention.
“Forgive me, my lady. I only want to protect you.” He took my hand, and we ran up the marble staircase and into the Great Hall.
My father stood talking with one of his guards. Malachi interrupted them. “Your Grace, I must speak with you at once!”
Father turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
“It's urgent,” Malachi assured him.
A look passed between them before Father said, “All right. Come with me.” The two of them hurried out of the Hall.
“Father,” I called.
He turned back to me. “Wait here, Scarlett. I'm sure everything is fine.”
But I followed them until they went into my father’s private study and shut the door behind th
em. I stood outside, and a shudder ran through my body. What was going on? Why wouldn't Malachi tell me what the matter was? Why was he so worried about those two men who were out in the woods? There were only two of them, after all.
But they had mentioned me by name. What were they talking about? Why were they after me?
I pressed my ear to the library door.
“I heard them,” Malachi said, slightly out of breath. For once he sounded frightened. “They said he still wants to get his revenge out on Lady Scarlett.”
A loud bang shook the door, like someone slamming his fist on a table.
“That fiend better stay far away from Darrenberg!” my father's voice boomed. “If he's angry, he should take it out on me and leave Scarlett out of it. I didn’t go through all this to have him find his way back into my region.”
I drew in a quick breath. My father knew who those men were?
“I swear,” Father said through clenched teeth, “if that beast dares to touch Scarlett, he will regret it!”
Confused, I could no longer think straight. I ached to burst through the door and demand to be told what was going on. Father and Malachi obviously wanted to keep this information from me, yet it pertained to me. I deserved to know.
I couldn’t bring myself to burst inside, but I couldn’t turn away from the door, either.
“I'll get a bunch of men together,” Malachi said. “We'll search inside and all around the town walls. If we find the men, we’ll take them as hostages and bring them to you. Then we will make sure none of his other men are around, in case he is planning an attack.”
“Good work,” Father told him. “But I want Scarlett in her chamber with guards stationed by her door. Do not let anyone near her.” He said the last sentence slow and firm.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
I stepped away from the door as Malachi walked out of Father’s study. He looked at me for a moment, most likely wondering if I had overheard their conversation. “Lady Scarlett, your father wants you to go to your chamber and wait until we make certain that everything is safe.” When I hesitated, he insisted. “Please, my lady.”
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