Escape the Woods

by Gabriella Catherine

  With a smile, he explained that one of the men they captured had it, and when they brought the men to the dungeon, they stripped them of any belongings they had on their person. “I asked the man about the cloak, and he confessed he’d taken it from Duke William’s daughter.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you, Jeremiah.” He had to think I was crazy for how much I loved that simple black cloak, but it meant a lot to me.

  “You being safe is enough.”

  ###

  One week later, I stood in the solar with Father, Cordel, and Jack, making arrangements for Cordel and Lady Grizelda’s wedding. The past few days had been uneventful. Father dealt with the men in the dungeon, and the rest of the men rested and healed from the battle.

  I turned toward Father. “Who will be invited?”

  “All of Lady Grizelda’s family will be welcome, and anyone Cordel wishes to invite.”

  Cordel looked up from the parchment he was writing on. “You know I don’t like being in front of a large crowd.”

  “Get used to it,” was Father’s quick response.

  A hint of a smile shown on Cordel’s face. “Honestly, I don’t mind who comes, as long as the ceremony doesn’t last for hours and hours.”

  I laughed. He’d never been one for merry-making.

  “Will Sir Kolton’s family be invited?” Cordel asked.

  His question startled me.

  “Of course,” Father said. “After everything he’s done for me, it’s the least we can do to send them an invitation.”

  Cordel looked my way and caught my mystified expression. “What is it?”

  “It’s just that … well, I thought you disapproved of Sir Kolton.” I glanced around to make sure Kolton wasn’t around to hear this conversation. Father had asked him to stay in Darrenberg until after Cordel’s wedding to help with the aftermath from the battle. He’d kept Kolton busy the past few days, and I’d barely seen him except during meals.

  With a serious expression, Cordel replied, “He seems like a brave young man. He was willing to leave his hometown and risk his life to fight Endor. I’d say he’s proven himself worthy. I might just learn to like the fellow.”

  His words of approval warmed my heart.

  Jack winked at me, and I blushed.

  Gabriele entered the room, saving me from anyone seeing. “Lady Scarlett, I can take your measurements for your dress for Lord Erguston’s wedding now, if you’re ready.”

  I gladly followed her out of the room.

  ###

  All week I helped Father plan things — the menu, the decor, the seating arrangements. I was looking forward to the wedding ceremony and the celebration that would follow afterward. Because the wedding would be in the morning, Father invited Kolton’s family to come to Darrenberg the day before and stay the night in the castle. Sir Valdemar responded with gratitude for the generous offer and stated fewer accommodations would be required than Father had offered since he and his wife wouldn’t be able to bring all of their children. Zella at only two years old and Adelle at only eight were too young for such a trip and would be left in Rhineland with two of their brothers and a family member. The older girls would be in attendance. I’d finally get to meet Kolton’s sisters and parents, whom he’d told me so much about.

  Several nights before Cordel’s wedding, I sat in my chamber and wrote a letter to Zachariah. I told him about Endor and his curse, my capture, his tribe of warriors, and about Cordel, Jack, and their army coming to rescue me. Every time I thought about that night and how frightened I was, it made me more thankful to God for saving me and helping Cordel and Jack kill Endor. I had thought I was going to die that night and never imagined my brothers would come to my aid.

  It truly was a miracle.

  CHAPTER 29

  As I stood in front of the mirror in my chamber, making sure I looked presentable, Gabriele entered to inform me that Sir Valdemar and his family had arrived in Darrenberg. I left my room and ran toward the Hall.

  I was both nervous and excited to meet Kolton’s family. I longed for them to approve of me, and maybe even love and accept me. I was especially anxious to meet his mother and sisters, hoping to become good friends with Odelette.

  Kolton met me on the stairs. “Good evening, my lady.”

  “Oh Kolton, I’m thrilled to meet your family!”

  “They’re looking forward to meeting you as well.” He smiled and offered me his arm.

  “You’ve told them about me?” My heart jumped and I gazed up at his face.

  A playful smile cross his lips. “Of course.”

  We walked down the corridor and into the Hall. As we entered, Sir Valdemar and his family arrived through the main entrance. Father was in the center on the room, and Kolton and I went to stand beside him.

  “Greetings, Sir Valdemar,” Father said as the two of them shook hands.

  Kolton’s father bowed. “It gives me great joy to see you again, Your Grace.” He was tall and broad like my father, and he looked like an older, more serious version of Kolton.

  Father then nodded at the small, pretty woman standing beside the distinguished Sir Valdemar. “Baroness Katheryn.”

  She curtsied. “Duke William. I thank you for inviting us to stay here with you and your family. We are so grateful for your hospitality.”

  Father smiled. “It was the least we could offer.”

  Kolton stepped forward and greeted his family, hugging each of them, kissing his mother and sisters on the cheek. My heart melted at how gently he spoke to them. It was obvious he loved and respected his mother.

  My brothers entered the room then.

  “I believe you will remember my sons, Lord Erguston and Lord Jack,” Father said.

  The baron and baroness greeted my brothers, and their girls curtsied.

  “And who might this be?” Baroness Katheryn asked, turned her attention toward me.

  “Why, this is Scarlett,” Father said. “My daughter.”

  The baroness’s mouth fell open slightly. “This is Lady Scarlett? Little Scarlett?” She smiled and squeezed my hand. “The last time we met, you were so young!”

  Father laughed. “She has grown up a bit.”

  Kolton’s mother laid a hand on my cheek. “You still look so much like your mother. And you are so beautiful!”

  Her statement made me blush. “Thank you. I’m so happy to meet you. You are also very beautiful.” She was only a little taller than I, and her long, straight brown hair was pulled away from her pretty face and tied in a thin strip of leather at the nape of her neck.

  “Oh, thank you, dear.” She gave me another gentle smile. “These are my daughters, Odelette and Maddalena.”

  The two girls standing beside Kolton smiled and curtsied. One was a few inches taller than I, and the other slightly shorter. Odelette, the taller one, resembled Kolton, as she had brown hair and tanned skin, and the shorter girl, Maddalena, had a lighter complexion and dark, almost black, wavy hair.

  “You will now be shown the chambers in which you will be staying,” Father said. He had a servant tend to Kolton’s parents, and he asked me to lead Odelette and Maddalena to the chamber they’d be staying in for the next two nights.

  After I showed the girls their room, they asked to see mine. I opened the door and let them enter before me.

  “This is a beautiful chamber,” Maddalena said. She walked to the window and peered out.

  Odelette looked at my books. “Do you like to read?”

  “Yes. Do you?”

  “Very much.” She smiled.

  A few servants brought in the girls’ bags, and I told them which chamber to set them in.

  Back in my room, Maddalena asked, “Are you and Kolton sweethearts?”

  My cheeks burned. “No. We are not … Sir Kolton doesn’t say we are, does he?”

  “He doesn’t. He doesn’t talk about you often.”

  “Oh.”

  Maddalena continued, “He doesn’t talk about any girls,
at least not to his family.”

  Odelette stood beside me. “That’s true. But he did mention you, and for Kolton, that is a lot.” She smiled at me. “He must at least think you’re beautiful. I don’t know how he couldn’t.”

  “Thank you, Odelette. You’re very kind. But Kolton and I … we do not have any sort of understanding.”

  “But you are friends, right?” Odelette asked.

  “Yes, we are friends.”

  Thankfully, two maids arrived then to help the girls change out of their traveling clothes and into something more appropriate for dinner. Then the three of us returned to the Great Hall, where Father, Cordel, and Jack, along with Sir Valdemar, Baroness Katheryn, Kolton, and Grizelda and her family all sat around the table. Father, as usual, took his place at the head, with Cordel to his right, and Grizelda beside Cordel. Her parents and older brother, along with his wife, were staying at the castle as well, and they joined us for dinner.

  Sir Valdemar sat to Father’s left with his wife beside him. Odelette, Maddalena, and I sat together at the other end of the table, and Jack and Kolton joined us.

  The meal consisted of cooked pheasant, fried fruit-filled pastries, cranberries, and bread. The Hall grew noisy as Father’s men filled up the lower tables. Everyone ate and conversed with the people seated near them. Jack talked with Kolton, and I chatted with Odelette. She seemed so kind, not too reserved and proper, yet mature, calm, and collected. It was no wonder Kolton spoke so highly of her.

  When dinner ended, I took Odelette and Maddalena to the castle library. We looked at books for several minutes, until we heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Soon Jack and Kolton entered.

  “Greetings, ladies,” Jack said. “Sir Kolton and I were just continuing our conversation from dinner, but now that I see you girls are here, I suppose we shall leave.”

  “You don’t have to leave,” I spoke up. “We were just looking at some books.”

  Jack smiled. “If you’re certain.”

  I felt rather shy at being in a room so small and dim with Kolton. We hadn’t had a real conversation since the morning after the battle, when he walked me to my chamber and offered to carry me to the healer. Father kept him busy with work.

  Jack engaged Odelette and Maddalena in conversation, but I kept my back to them — I didn’t want anyone to see my flaming face.

  Motion to my right caught my attention. I looked up to find Kolton standing next to me. He smiled.

  I cleared my throat. “Your sisters are very kind, and so is your mother. I would very much like to meet the rest of your family someday.”

  “I’m sure you will.” His hair — and all of his features, really — looked darker in the library, which was lit only by three torches on the walls and a sliver of moonlight streaming through the window. He had a strangely intense look on his face, like something serious was on his mind.

  The library door opened wide, then closed with a bang. Jack, Odelette, and Maddalena were no longer in the room. Their voices trailed down the corridor and eventually vanished. I assumed my brother was bringing the girls to the solar to show them the view from the window there. That had always been Jack’s favorite place in the castle.

  We were now alone.

  Kolton glanced at the library door, then his eyes found mine. “How are you recovering from the night Endor and his men kidnapped you?”

  “Physically, I wasn’t very wounded.” I paused to draw in a shaky breath. “But I guess I’m still recovering emotionally. The nightmares are the worst part.”

  “I’m sorry.” He stepped closer.

  “It’s my fault, really. I’m just thankful to be alive.”

  “Thank God He led us to you. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if we hadn’t arrived in time.” His expression was intense, protective.

  I tried to soothe him by saying, “You came just in time, and that’s what matters. I’ll get through the nightmares, and I’ll be all right.” My heart started beating hard. Why am I so nervous? Perhaps it was the dark room or the intensity in his eyes.

  “Did they hurt you? You were bleeding when we got to the camp.” He stepped even closer, until his chest was about to brush against mine. He stared into my eyes.

  “Endor hit me and slammed me against a tree. That’s why I was bleeding. The other men handled me roughly, but that’s all. They didn’t seriously injure me, and they didn’t touch me inappropriately.”

  He took my hand in his while maintaining eye-contact. “I’m so sorry. I wish I’d been there to protect you.”

  “Like I said, it was my fault. I ran right into Endor’s trap.”

  “You don’t deserve to be treated like that. You deserve far better.”

  KOLTON

  Scarlett was strong and courageous and beautiful. She deserved to be loved and to be happy. I saw the way she treated her family and the way she treated mine. I saw her talking with peasants in the streets and heard from Britta that she brought the children food and clothing. A girl like her deserved to marry a gentle, loving, humble man.

  I fought the impulse to pull her into my arms. To hold her like I did out in the woods after she battle ended. She’s all right. I’d continuously remind myself until it sunk in.

  Instead of embracing her, I settled for taking her hand in mine.

  She looked a bit surprised, maybe even intimidated. I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles to reassure her. “So Endor cursed you when you were a young girl?”

  “Yes. When I was nine years old. My father must have told you before you left with the army.” She ran her fingers over my palm and my wrist, her touch so light and gentle and soothing.

  “Yes, he told me. Why would someone ever do that to you?”

  “He wanted revenge on my father. I guess that shows what hatred can cause a man to do.”

  I opened my mouth to say something, but then I heard footsteps coming down the corridor. I released her hand and took a step back just as my father and Duke William entered the room. They stared at us.

  “Scarlett,” Duke William said, “where are Odelette and Maddalena?”

  Lady Scarlett glanced at me. Her words were soft, with a slight tremor in her voice. “They left just a moment ago with Jack.”

  “Please go find them and take them to their chamber. They’ll want to rest after their long journey.”

  “Yes, Father.” She hurried out of the library.

  Duke William eyed me suspiciously. And he had every right to wonder what his fifteen-year-old daughter and I were doing alone in this dark room. It must have looked a lot more scandalous than it really was.

  Now, even if Lord Erguston gave the duke a good word about me, he won’t want to hire me ever again.

  ###

  “I’m going to go get my maid, and she’ll help us prepare for bed,” I told Odelette and Maddalena. I stepped out of their chamber and walked down the corridor. I paused as I passed Kolton’s chamber. He had been staying in the chamber right beside Jack’s since the battle. The door was closed, so I kept walking.

  When I reached the stairs, Gabriele was coming up. As we walked back down the corridor, Kolton exited his chamber. Our gazes locked for a moment, then he walked toward me.

  “Lady Scarlett, I’m sorry for making your father upset.”

  I shook my head. “You did nothing wrong.”

  Finally, he lost the worried look, his features softening into a smile. What would it be like to lean toward him and let him hold me? It wasn’t hard to imagine hugging him goodnight.

  Gabriele cleared her throat, startling me out of my reverie. “Goodnight, Sir Kolton.”

  “Good night, Lady Scarlett.”

  I hurried past him to Odelette and Maddalena’s chamber.

  ###

  I sat up in bed, surrounded by darkness. Who put out my fire? I shivered, pulling the blanket up to my neck.

  A noise came from one corner of my chamber, causing my heart to stop. I looked for the source of the sound, and saw s
omething gleaming near the window. It looked like metal.

  The feeling of being watched came over me. I began to tremble. Was someone in my bedchamber? My eyes strained to see, but the darkness was so thick, I couldn’t identify anything.

  Anxiety caused me to ask, “Who’s there?”

  No answer.

  Then, a figure stepped out of the shadows, into the sliver of moonlight coming through my window. A tall man wearing a hood and cloak looked at me.

  A gasp left my lungs. I had to scream. I had to alert my father or one of my brothers. But my voice was gone.

  The man held a large spear in his hand. It glistened more noticeably now in the moonlight. When he finally spoke, his voice was like that of a demon. “I’ve been searching for you, Scarlett. Now, I’m going to torture you until you die a slow and painful death.”

  My entire body shook, and I eyed the door, estimating how many seconds it would take me to sprint to it.

  The man removed his hood, revealing his face. Endor.

  I jumped from my bed and ran for my door. Endor caught my arm just as my fingers touched the doorknob. He pulled me deeper into the room.

  Finally, I was able to scream. I yelled as loud as I could. “Help me! Father! Malachi! Help!” Jack’s chamber was closest to mine. Perhaps he could hear me. “Jack! Jack, please! You have to hear me-”

  Endor jabbed his spear into my torso, taking my breath. He pushed it deeper into me, until it protruded from my back and my blood spilled onto the floor.

  I cried out. “Jack! Help me, please! I’m dying!”

  Endor glared down at me, but he looked different than he had in the woods. His skin was white, almost demonic. His eyes were black.

  Excruciating pain spread through my midsection. Why have I not died yet?

  I woke up, shrieking and panting. I scanned the room frantically. Where was Endor? Was it just a dream?

  I practically fell out of my bed, onto the cold floor, grasping my stomach to make sure it was intact. I have to get to Jack. I needed to be reassured that I was safe.

  Adrenalin surged through me, and I ran to the door. The corridor was completely dark. I heard nothing but the pounding of blood in my ears and my breath rushing in and out of me.