Beholden (The Fairest Maidens Book 1)

by Jody Hedlund

At a rumble and shaking, I paused a moment before I grabbed Gabriella and pushed her against the wall. I stretched over her to shield her from the sudden shower of rocks that cascaded from the entrance, rolling and crumbling into our passageway.

  “Ty! Watch out!” I glanced over my shoulder, assessing how I could help him without also leaving Gabriella unprotected.

  Too late, I realized the avalanche would threaten our meager attempt to keep the light burning. A second later, stones and dust doused the fire, plunging us into blackness.

  For several more seconds the rumbling continued, until only a showering of pebbles remained.

  “Ty?” I called. “Are you safe?”

  “I’ve survived,” he said through a cough.

  I sagged, my relief making me weak. “Can you crawl to us? We’ll be safest together.”

  “I’ll try.” His reply was followed by the clattering of rocks as he moved.

  Against me, Gabriella shuddered.

  “How do you fare, my lady?” I whispered, even as I felt the warmth of her breath and the rise and fall of her chest.

  “The light is out.” Her voice filled with fear.

  I reached down and loosened my knife from my boot. “If you stay behind me at all times, I shall be able to protect you from the rats”

  “But what about you?”

  “I’ll be fine.” Although I was quite proficient at using my seax, I’d never had to fight off rabid rats in the dark. I’d have to use all my senses to keep them at bay.

  I started to turn, but her fingers dug into my tunic. “Vilmar.” Her whisper wobbled. “You were right. I have quickly become enamored with you. And I do not want you to be bitten on account of me.”

  A fierce protectiveness flooded my chest. Curly’s words from the dance came back to me. “You love her.” Was it possible he was right? Whatever the case, I’d do anything to keep her safe, even if I had to sacrifice my own limbs to the rats to do so.

  Her grip against my tunic tightened, pulling me closer still, and her lips brushed against my jaw.

  The movement was likely accidental. In the dark, she couldn’t see where I was. It most certainly wasn’t a kiss. Yet, in the next instant, her mouth touched mine, softly, tentatively. At the sweet pressure, I didn’t care if she’d accidentally kissed me or whether she’d done so purposefully. In this moment, which very well could be our last, I wanted to kiss her, to let her know I’d never before met a woman like her, that I adored her.

  Additional rocks crumbled behind us, but I couldn’t think of anything else but Gabriella and the meshing of our lips. I deepened the kiss at the same time she did, our connection growing more urgent, more forceful, as if we both knew this was the end and we needed to make the most of every second together.

  “Make haste!” blared a voice I didn’t recognize. “Break through the wall faster.”

  I could see Gabriella’s beautiful face again, so close to mine, and I broke our kiss, hope surging through me. Light was coming from somewhere, and maybe we wouldn’t have to fight the rats after all. She would be safe.

  Bandaged, bloody, and bruised, Ty stood several paces away, taking in my position against Gabriella, no doubt having just witnessed me kissing her.

  Guilt rose swiftly, and I released her and stepped back. What had I been thinking to take advantage of her in this moment of weakness?

  A moment of weakness. Yes, that’s all it had been. We’d simply been two people taking comfort in each other during what we believed to be our last minutes of life.

  Thankfully, Gabriella’s attention was riveted to the growing hole and the light streaming through it, not upon my remorse.

  “Gabi?” came a familiar voice from the other side. Curly. “Ye be there?”

  “Yes!” She tiptoed toward the hole, standing on her toes to see through. “We are here and unharmed.”

  “Thank the saints.”

  “Stand back as we blast the rocks again,” bellowed an unfamiliar voice that set me on edge. Had the overseers descended to aid in the rescue? Certainly not. They never came down.

  I lifted Gabriella back into the crook of the wall and safeguarded her with my body as another blow rocked the cavern and crumbled more rocks. She held on to me tightly, but this time she kept her head down, as though embarrassed by the intimacy we’d shared.

  She needn’t have worried. I’d made a mistake and had no intention of repeating it.

  When the dust and noise began to settle, she lifted her long lashes and gazed up at me shyly. For several heartbeats, I lost myself in the beauty and tenderness in the depths of her soul, and in spite of my resolve, I found myself fighting the overwhelming urge to bend down and kiss her again.

  “Gabi?” Curly broke through the last of the barriers.

  I released her, but somehow felt as though she’d captured and kept a part of me.

  “The rats?” he asked, his tools outstretched as he glanced around.

  “We were in the dark but a few seconds.” Gabriella maneuvered carefully through the rocks.

  His gaze landed on her bare feet and then on the blackened remnants of the fire, now mostly covered in debris but showing the burned remains of one of her boots.

  “Stand aside,” someone commanded from the opening.

  Curly climbed farther into our drift, filled with more rocks and allowing little space to walk. An armed knight ducked through the opening. He’d divested his helmet, revealing a battle-scarred face framed by dark hair streaked with silver. A second and third knight followed him.

  Their attention fell upon Gabriella, and they bowed.

  “Lady Haleigh,” said the oldest.

  “Sir Lucan?” Surprise and happiness laced her voice.

  “Yes, ’tis I, my lady.” He kept his head bowed in subservience.

  “But I thought the duchess condemned you and your men to the dungeons.”

  “She all too quickly realized she’d reduced her defenses to nothing without us.”

  I tried to follow the exchange and make sense of who these knights were. From what I gathered, they’d once served Gabriella and remained loyal to her after the duchess condemned her.

  “They helped us clear away the rubble,” Curly interjected.

  “Then we owe you our lives.” From the confident way Gabriella lifted her chin, I could envision her as the lady of her manor, leading her knights and earning their respect.

  “They’ve come to be taking ye away from here.” The adoration in Curly’s expression matched those of the knights—and no doubt reflected mine as well.

  “Praise be.” I couldn’t hold back my relief that she would soon be out of this pit and returned to civilization. It was much more than I could have hoped for, especially as I’d struggled with thoughts of what would become of her once I finished my Testing.

  I expected Gabriella to react with a measure of gratefulness to the news. Instead, her expression was somber. “Does the duchess agree to release Benedict and Alice as well?”

  The older knight nodded. “Aye, my lady. She will free them as requested.”

  As requested? Had Gabriella been in touch with the duchess recently to petition for the liberation of herself and her servants?

  “Very well. Then I shall go.”

  Was there any question of accepting the offer? If she refused, then I’d make her, and I had no doubt Curly would too.

  She stepped forward. “Let us be on our way.”

  Sir Lucan glanced briefly at her bare feet before he politely averted his eyes. “Your shoes, my lady?”

  “I burned them to keep the rats away.”

  I quickly bent and began to loosen my boot. “You shall wear mine.”

  “No.” She stopped me with a touch to my arm. “The way is too treacherous.”

  I straightened. “You shall either wear mine, or I shall carry you to the surface.”

  “Neither—”

  I scooped her into my arms. My motion was so sudden, it forced her to wrap her arms around my ne
ck. “Lead the way, sir,” I commanded her knight as I started forward. I needed to move with haste before Gabriella protested and squirmed out of my arms.

  As if sensing the same, Sir Lucan nodded and ducked into the opening in the rubble, but not before I caught the glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. No doubt he was wondering who I was and what right I had to carry Gabriella with such familiarity. Under other circumstances, I suspected he would have challenged me, but he didn’t want her to walk barefoot through the rocky tunnels any more than I did.

  Though my head throbbed from my injury, I refused to slacken my pace as we traversed the winding tunnels. Curly aided Ty and offered to relieve me on several occasions, but I shook my head, unwilling to relinquish my hold on Gabriella even as I labored to carry her.

  We didn’t speak, but somehow no words were necessary. She nestled her head on my shoulder in the crook of my neck as if to relish these last minutes together before our farewell. Her fingers rested at the back of my neck and combed through my long strands of hair. The barest touch served to remind me of her lips against mine, of the moment of passion we’d shared. And once more I wanted to bend down and steal another kiss—although with great effort, I refrained from doing so.

  I could no longer deny my affection for her. It filled every crevice of my heart. She brightened the darkness of this place with her kindness and concern for everyone. Her sweet spirit made the difficult days more bearable. Her beauty made the bleakness fade.

  Of anyone here, she deserved to be free. I lifted a grateful prayer for this rescue, that tonight she would be able to luxuriate in the bath she’d longed for with her scented soaps.

  When we reached the final ladder that led to the surface, I had to release her. Placing her on the lowest rung, I watched her climb up, already feeling the loss of her presence. It was for the best. She was never meant to be mine anyway.

  In fact, perhaps her leaving was better for my Testing. Henceforth, I could focus on proving myself worthy to the Lagting and my father. I’d no longer have feelings and thoughts of her distracting me. And I’d be able to put more energy into challenging myself.

  Even so, as I reached the surface and watched her embrace and say farewell to person after person, a deep sense of loss stole through me, casting a pall over what should have been a time of rejoicing.

  More knights waited and bore the official standard of the Duchess of Burgundy. None of the overseers or guards could question the validity of her release—not that any of them would have, not with how fond they were of Gabriella. Like everyone else, they smiled at her good fortune.

  Though Alice was weak, Sir Lucan had secured medicine for her upon his arrival. During the long hours we’d been trapped, Alice’s fever had broken, and she’d had time to regain some strength. Thankfully, she was able to travel, though I doubted she’d be able to go far without tiring.

  When Alice and Benedict were safely across the bridge and only Sir Lucan and Gabriella were left, she hugged her closest friends once more before she approached me where I stood to the side with Ty. Still wearing our bloody bandages, we hadn’t taken the time yet to doctor our wounds. I would have plenty of opportunity once Gabriella was gone. For now, I wanted to gaze upon her beauty for as long as I possibly could.

  “My lord.” She curtsied, revealing the worn boots Sir Lucan had confiscated from the storehouse.

  “My lady.” I gave her a formal bow, all the while wishing I could gather her in my arms for a final embrace.

  “I shall never forget your kindness to me.”

  “Nor I yours.”

  “You are an honorable man, and I know you will eventually find justice and be restored to your family.”

  “Thank you, my lady.”

  She offered me a sad smile. “Though we only had a short time together, I do not regret a single moment.”

  Was she referring to the kiss we’d shared? I tried to convince myself to regret it, but the memory of it would stay with me for days and weeks to come. Was it possible, after I finished the Testing and became king, I might be able to see her again, just as a friend? “Perchance one day we shall meet again under more favorable circumstances.”

  “Perchance.” Her tone was wistful.

  Suddenly the thought of never seeing her again filled me with dread. “If you’ll permit me, I shall call upon you in Rockland after my release.” I didn’t know what purpose that would serve. What could come of such a visit? Nevertheless, she hadn’t yet departed, and I was already missing her and couldn’t imagine going forever without seeing her again.

  She dipped her head in acquiescence to my request—at least I thought it was agreement. When she lifted her head and turned away, tears glistened upon her lashes and melancholy filled her eyes. Deep, painful melancholy.

  The kind that had no hope for tomorrow.

  As much as I wanted to stop her and ask why she wasn’t rejoicing in the freedom she’d secured for herself and her two faithful servants, I suspected her sensitive spirit was likely grieving for all those she couldn’t liberate and must leave behind.

  I stood silently with everyone else and watched her carefully step from slat to slat across the bridge. When she reached the other side safely, I allowed myself to breathe again, even if each lungful was tight in my chest.

  She mounted one of the waiting horses before she turned and gave a final wave to all of us standing at the edge of Slave Town. As she rode from sight, I pressed a battered hand to my chest to ease the ache. Her leaving was for the best. If only I could convince my heart of it.

  The other slaves dispersed to return to the mine pits and finish their daily quotas. I turned to go too but stopped at the sight of Ty staring intently in the direction Gabriella and her knights had ridden. His dark eyes were more serious than I’d ever seen them. Did he sense some kind of danger for Gabriella?

  I fixed my attention on the path that led down the mountain, and I went back over everything that had happened since Sir Lucan had come for her. He was an honorable man. I’d seen that from the first moment I’d met him. He and his men were well armed and certainly wouldn’t allow any danger to befall her during the journey ahead.

  “Is she in peril?” I asked.

  “It is not for me to say.” Of course, Ty was refraining from involving himself, the way he was supposed to. Only this time I didn’t want him to refrain.

  “You sense something bad will happen to her.”

  “You know I must not influence you.”

  “This is different, Ty.” My voice dropped low even as my anger rose. “Her safety is more important than the Testing.”

  He shifted to look at me and arched his brow.

  “I care about her.” I admitted to something he already knew, especially since he’d witnessed our kiss. “I will put my Testing on hold if need be to ensure she makes it back to her home.”

  He studied my face, then shook his head. “I have already done and said too much, and I must not interfere any further.”

  With that he limped away. I watched him, my frustration building with each step he took. Gabriella would be fine. Even if the duchess made life difficult, at least she’d be free, and I’d no longer need to worry about her facing danger and death at every turn.

  I would have to be satisfied with that.

  Chapter

  11

  Gabriella

  By dusk we descended into the foothills of the Gemstone Mountain range. After the hours of traversing the narrow mountain trails, I was weary. I could only guess how exhausted Alice was as she slumped forward in the saddle in front of Benedict. The old manservant struggled to keep her from sliding off, but he was weak himself from the months of malnourishment.

  A short while later, we entered a small town, and I insisted we stop for a meal at the tavern. Alice roused enough to eat but then fell asleep the moment she finished. Benedict began nodding off too.

  At their exhaustion, I knew it was time to part ways and so secured a private room above the tavern
for them. As soon as Alice and Benedict were slumbering, I slipped down the narrow stairway and approached the table where Sir Lucan and several other knights were sipping ale. The proprietor and his wife sat at another table with a few other customers, their loud chatter and laughter a welcome sound.

  The room was dark with a cozy feel, lit only by the hearth fire and low candle stubs on each of the tables. The remnants of roasted game and rye lingered in the air. I could still taste the greasy pheasant leg and the thick, soft bread—a feast after the simple fare of hard rolls and fish we’d had the past months.

  “My lady.” Sir Lucan smiled and rose, as did the other knights, who were familiar but whose names escaped my memory. Their faces were flushed from the heat inside the tavern, though a cool breeze wafted in from the open doorway.

  “I am ready to leave. With all haste.”

  As though sensing my resolve, he placed his mug on the table. “Tonight, my lady?”

  “Now.”

  “I thought you wanted to give Alice and Benedict the chance to rest.”

  “They will rest, and I shall move on without them.” During the long hours of riding away from Slave Town, I’d had time to consider all the options, and as difficult as it would be, I had to leave Alice and Benedict behind. “Would you be so kind as to have one of your men guide them to Deerborne to live with my aunt’s family? There they will be safe from the wiles of the duchess.”

  And they would also be far away from me and unable to interfere with my dangerous mission. For if they had the least indication of what I planned to do, they would lock me away and keep me from it.

  Sir Lucan’s brow creased into worried lines. “Perhaps you should go to your aunt’s household as well, my lady.”

  “Perhaps in time.” I doubted that would ever happen, but I couldn’t say so. “For now, I must make haste to Rockland.”

  Midsummer’s Eve was only two days away. We had at least a full night’s hard ride ahead to reach Rockland. Once there, I would need hours to prepare for the ball, as well as time to travel to the royal residence in Kensington. We had not a minute to waste.