KOLTON
My cousin Britta sent me a letter, asking if I’d like to come visit her in Darrenberg. I finally agreed, desperate for a way to escape my father’s desire for me to marry.
I left in the middle of the night so I would arrive around midday. I’d kissed my mother and little sisters goodbye the night before, and had two of my best men with me as I set off.
The long ride was just what I needed to clear my head. The weather became warmer as the sun rose high in the sky, signaling a new day. The further I grew from Rhineland, the more I could feel all thoughts of Carina Schenwood leaving my mind. I knew I was ready to move on from that feeling of rejection that Carina had left inside me. But with my father constantly pressuring me to marry, it was impossible to not feel as though I’d let my family down. To feel as though I’d failed.
But as I grew closer to the wealthy village of Darrenberg, I finally felt free from my father’s stern presence. For the first time in a while, I was content. After all the defeat I’d experienced lately, all the mocking from Dirk, the talks from my father, and the rejection from Carina, I was ready to finally have some victory of my own. I was ready to forget that feeling of rejection, and this trip to Darrenberg seemed like a good place to start.
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The wind blew my hair in a long trail behind me and the feeling of freedom enveloped me. Although I was grateful to be out riding, there was an awkward feeling going through my stomach at being outside the castle walls by myself. Honestly, I felt a little guilty. But my father needed to see that I could take care of myself. And the more I thought about it, I decided this was a good idea and I should do things like this more often. Then perhaps he would realize I was so much more capable of defending myself than he thought.
As I continued riding at a high speed parallel to the forest, a blue jay crossed my path, flying towards the woods. The bright flash of blue caught my eye, and I turned Caleb to follow it. For a while it hovered above my head, and I watched the beautiful way it fluttered its wings — quickly and gracefully. Then it flew toward the woods, and I followed.
Before entering the forest, I jumped off Caleb, still holding my satchel that contained a small stack of parchment, some ink, my set of fine quills, and a rope for my horse. Imagining how beautiful it would look if I were to draw the bird, I entered the woods, never taking my eyes off it. If I brought Caleb with me, he would most definitely scare away the blue jay, so I tied him to a tree on the edge of the forest and continued on.
I stepped over logs and branches, making as little noise as possible. Finally, the brightly colored bird landed in its nest up in a tree.
I sat down on a nearby log and opened the satchel. I placed a piece of parchment on my lap and began sketching the bird, starting with the eye, and then the beak and the head. Soon I saw baby birds poking their featherless heads up out of the top of the nest, their beaks open, waiting for their mother to come feed them. Quickly, I drew a nest, and then sketched the baby birds, all so homely and ugly that they almost looked cute. The mother bird arrived to feed her babies, and I added her to the picture as well. The male bird stood scanning the terrain, guarding the nest protectively.
My mind wandered to the blossoming relationship between Merida and Barrett as I drew. A few days ago, Sir Jeremiah told me he saw the two of them walking down the village streets together, talking and laughing as they walked. I already knew Merida fancied Barrett, and I assumed he felt the same way. He just didn’t seem to display much emotion outwardly.
But what was not to love about Merida? She was fun, romantic, and kind. And she was pretty. She always saw the very best in everyone and everything.
And although I didn’t think I’d ever feel attracted to a man as quiet and sedate as Barrett, I couldn’t deny that he was handsome and kind. He had wonderful little sisters and was respectful. And Merida appreciated those qualities in a man. I wanted a man a bit more lively and adventurous than Barrett, but those qualities didn’t matter as much to Merida.
Yes, I thought the two of them would be perfect for each other.
The two birds suddenly abandoned the nest and flew away so fast they appeared frightened. I watched them in confusion, wondering why they would leave their home and their babies in such haste.
Then I heard it — loud rustling and growling coming from behind me. I stood up and let the parchment fall to the ground. When the noise grew louder I froze, for fear of what I would find if I turned around. My heart beat so hard, I could feel it banging painfully against my chest. Fear made it hard to breathe. Very slowly, I turned to see what could be making such loud noise.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared into the eyes of a large brown bear, less than a hundred yards away. It stood staring back at me, swaying side to side, as if ready to attack. The world around me seemed to stop momentarily. Then adrenaline rushed through me and my chest began to burn.
Against my better judgment, I turned and ran as fast as my legs would allow, leaving my satchel and its contents behind. I ran so fast I almost couldn’t feel my feet, and I had no idea where I was running to. I brushed violently against branches, stumbling through the trees. My chest ached harder with each gasping breath. Was I lost?
I stopped for a split second to look around me — nothing but trees and leaves. No castle wall. Panic rose up inside me as I heard the bear approaching from behind. I sprinted in a random direction, completely lost.
The bear came so close I could hear it panting and growling behind me. Just when I thought I would be dead, my foot caught on something hard and I flew forward. I reached out and grabbed a branch to break my fall, but I lost my grip. A sharp piece of wood cut my palm as my hand slipped off the limb. I landed hard on my stomach, then looked over my shoulder to see the huge bear hovering just above me. I had seen the look in its orange eyes before while hunting — they were not merciful. This bear wanted to kill me.
It stood on its hind legs, its sharp teeth glistening in the sun, preparing to pounce on me. I screamed and pulled my arms up over my head and neck, pressing my face to the dirt.
A large dirk sword flew across the air and struck the bear in the chest. The bear cried out in pain, falling back down to all fours. It screamed and panted, a dreadful, torturous sound. Clawing at the sword in its chest, the beast seemed to have forgotten me and only thought about its own pain.
The agonizing cries continued for several moments until the bear finally fell to the ground across my legs.
Pain began to spread through the lower half of my body from the weight of the bear. I was trapped beneath its warm, heavy, still panting body. It had stopped crying out, and seemed to be giving up. Gasping for each breath. Pain and suffering shown in its eyes.
I looked behind me to see three unfamiliar young men mounted on horses. The leader’s hand was raised, as if he had just thrown the sword. He stared down at me.
They all did.
Four more horses rode toward us, coming from a different direction. It was Father, along with Cordel, Sir Malachi, and Sir Jeremiah.
“Scarlett!” My father and brother quickly jumped off their horses and ran to me. The man who had just saved my life dismounted and ran to Cordel’s side. He was tall and broad like my brother, and together they pushed the bear off me. Then Cordel drew his sword. He raised it into the air, then thrust it down into the bear’s skull.
The suffering ceased.
Father took my hands and pulled me off the ground. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?” He placed his hands roughly on my shoulders and stared at my face.
I couldn’t respond. My breath rushed in and out of me. My lungs burned.
The stranger who threw the sword stepped toward me. “Are you hurt, Fraulein?” He obviously didn’t know who I was.
“I – I’m fine.” I looked up into his intense dark blue eyes. “Thank you.” It was hard to even speak as my body trembled in lingering fear. I wanted to say more, wanted to truly thank this man, but I couldn’t muster the words. My
heart still slammed against my chest.
The others — Cordel, Malachi, and Jeremiah — gathered around us. Cordel stood looking at me with a dark and threatening expression, his eyebrows lowered and his lips pursed in a straight line.
Father hugged me. “Thank God you are all right.” When he released me, he turned and thanked the young man who had killed the bear, but I didn’t hear a word they said as my head continued to spin.
I looked up at Malachi and Jeremiah. Malachi’s expression was blank, but Jeremiah had concern on his face as he looked at me.
I turned back to the man my father was speaking to and gratitude filled my chest. If he hadn’t been passing through at that very moment, my life would have ended in the most gruesome way.
“You may be on your way. We can handle things from here,” Father said to the young man and his two knights.
The man looked at me. “Are you sure you’re all right, Fraulein?”
I swallowed. He was handsome, with wavy, golden brown hair and tanned skin. His eyes were intense and focused on my face.
“Yes, thank you,” I replied. “You saved my life.”
My father tried to pay him, but he refused to accept it. “I’m just glad the lady is all right and well.” He looked thoughtfully at me before he turned and walked back to his horse.
“What is your name, sir?” Father called after him.
I waited intently for the man’s reply.
“Sir Kolton Reinhart of Rhineland.” He nodded respectfully, then mounted and rode off toward the castle.
“I knew he looked familiar,” Father whispered, not to anyone in particular.
I didn’t ask him about the man, not wanting to call attention to myself. I knew how much trouble I was in.
“Scarlett.” Father turned to me. “What are you doing out here, and why are you alone?”
I struggled to find the words to explain, but no matter how I phrased it, it sounded just as rebellious and disobedient as it really was. “I, um … I ….” I looked down and realized I left my drawing back by the birds’ nest, and my horse at the edge of the meadow.
“You left the castle without Sir Malachi, when I told you not to?” Father asked, sounding furious.
“Well, I … yes.” I kept my eyes on the ground as I spoke. “But I didn’t mean to go this far, and then that bear started chasing me and…” My sentence was interrupted by a shudder, and then a dry sob escaped me as I remembered the way the bear had come after me. I fought the impulse to run into Cordel’s strong arms as a longing to feel protected washed over me. But I wasn’t sure my embrace would be welcomed.
Jeremiah walked behind me and examined the dead bear. Then he bent and pulled the sword from its chest. I closed my eyes against the sight of blood dripping off the dirk sword and I stepped back.
I can take care of myself? I scoffed at myself for thinking so merely an hour earlier. This was no way to prove to my father that I was responsible. I had blown it. This had been a terrible idea.
Cordel breathed very slowly and intensely. He looked so mad, so threatening. Seeing Cordel and Father so upset, the bear carcass lying in front of me, and knowing that that man — Sir Kolton Reinhart — had just saved my life…the mixture of it made tears prick my eyes.
Father, Jeremiah, and Malachi continued examining the bear.
“It looks as if we have our catch of the day,” Malachi said.
“It’s a beast,” said Father. “Perhaps three times the size of an average bear.”
Jeremiah poked the bear’s head with his foot, scowling down at it.
“It’s too big for us to transport ourselves,” Father said. “I’ll have to send a few men over to retrieve it later. But right now, we need to get Scarlett back.”
They all turned to leave. Father grabbed my hand, but I quickly drew it back and gasped in pain. I looked down at the burning streak going across my hand. Blood dripped from a thick cut going across the palm of my hand. It must have happened when I fell and reached for the tree branch. I had been too terrified to even care about my hand before, but after Father touched it, it began to sting horribly.
“What is it?” Father asked. I lifted my hand to show him.
“I have bandages with me,” Sir Jeremiah said after seeing the nasty cut.
“This is deep enough that I assume you will have to have it stitched up,” Father informed me.
I grimaced, but he didn’t look sympathetic. He was right. I brought it upon myself. If I hadn’t disobeyed him, I wouldn’t have gotten attacked by a bear, and I wouldn’t have a deep cut on my hand either.
Jeremiah came over with a roll of bandages from his saddlebag. He took my hand and began wrapping it. “We’ll wrap it in a bandage until we can get you in the care of the healer,” he explained.
I nodded, wincing as he pulled the bandage tight and tied it.
“Sorry,” he said once finished.
“Danke, Thank you.”
“Bitte. You’re welcome.”
Father then led me over to his large battle horse. He mounted, then he grabbed my good hand and pulled me up to sit behind him. He asked where my horse was, and I explained I left Caleb tied to a tree on the outskirts of the meadow. So he instructed Jeremiah to go find my horse and meet us back at the castle. Then the rest of us took off, heading for Darrenberg Castle. The whole way I tried not to look at my bandaged hand. I felt guilty, knowing that this was entirely my fault.
The men rode to the stables to unsaddle their horses. When we were exiting the stables and walking to the castle, I said, “Father. I’m sorry I left the castle without you knowing.”
He looked at me. “I forgive you. You must never do this again. Do you understand?”
“Yes. But I—”
“Your Grace.” A guard approached us and began giving Father a report on something.
“We will discuss this later, Scarlett,” Father said.
I turned and headed for my chamber. As I walked down the corridor, Father caught up to me. “Scarlett, let’s visit the healer now. There we will discuss what happened today.”
Reluctantly, I turned to follow him, cringing inwardly at what he might have to say when we arrived at the healer’s chamber.
CHAPTER 16
“What you did today, Scarlett, was completely rebellious and intolerable.” My father paced as the healer unwrapped the bandage Jeremiah had put on my hand. “Everything I have ever done has been to protect you, and yet you rebelled against me and almost got yourself killed. Why do you continue to disobey me?”
When I didn’t say anything — only stared at the floor — he continued.
“This has been going on for too long. First, it was the incident with Sir Malachi in the woods, then the accident you and your brothers had down in that ditch, and now you are almost killed by a bear about seven times your size. This must come to an end!”
I bit my lip as Fraulein Beth washed my bloody cut. I hoped if I bit it hard enough that the pain, combined with the pain of my hand, would distract me from what my father was saying. His disappointment in me was clear, and it hurt my pride.
This was not how I thought this day would go.
Father was silent for a while. He looked to be thinking hard. The healer walked away from me to grab the stitching equipment. I cringed, thinking about the sharp needle piercing my skin.
When she returned, she handed me a small leather tankard. “Here. This should help with the pain.”
The warm water with healing herbs didn’t taste good, but I drank it quickly.
Beth then took my hand and began working.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the needle went into my skin. I bit my lip and clenched my eyes shut against the horrible burning.
“Just think about something peaceful,” Beth said, gently rubbing my arm.
I tried to imagine myself riding Caleb through a large field, but that only brought memories of the bear, so I quickly shoved that thought out of my mind.
When I
opened my eyes, Father was looking at me. The needle pierced my skin again. “Ugh!” I cried out, too late to stifle it.
“You don’t have anyone to blame but yourself, Scarlett,” Father said quietly. “You’ve brought this upon yourself.”
I nodded and whispered, “I know. This won’t happen again.” My breath came in quick, shallow breaths, the pain nearly unbearable. I hated looking so vulnerable in front of my father. He already saw me as weak and incapable.
“I know it won’t. And to make certain…”
I held my breath, waiting to hear what he might say.
“I am ordering a decree. From now on, you are no longer allowed to exit the town walls, not even with Sir Malachi.”
I stared at him, not believing my ears. “What are you saying? I can’t go outside?”
“That is correct. No more going outside the town walls,” he repeated.
I felt my world disappearing. “I don’t understand. Why?”
“Why do you think, Scarlett? You were almost killed by a bear today!”
“You can’t do that, Father! You can’t take away what little freedom I have. You don’t understand. I’m already allowed to do so little, and if you take away every bit of my freedom, I will lose my mind. You can’t lock me up here. Life will become unbearable.” The needle went into my skin yet again, and I cried out through clenched teeth.
He was only making the pain worse.
“I can lock you up, and I will. I have to. You leave me no choice after what you did today.” He stepped toward me and squared his shoulders. His voice was filled with intense passion. “And you saw the result of your disobedience. You were almost killed. After seeing that, I have to make the decision to never let something like that happen to you again. And I believe that by keeping you inside the castle walls, you will be safe.”
The silence stretched out for a long time after that. I knew I wasn’t going to win this battle. No matter how hard or how long I fought. He was not easily persuaded.
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