by Jody Hedlund
During the whole process, Adelaide had concluded that a secret passageway existed, one that led in and out of Delsworth castle, allowing the king and his men to go after the treasure. But her scouts hadn’t been able to locate the tunnel entrance.
Using all the skills Lance had once taught me, I’d retraced my path through the thick woodland and found the hidden place. Though the way was narrow and at times required us to slither on our stomachs, I’d pushed myself onward with Adelaide following behind me, assuring me I was doing the right thing.
The Earl of Langley—Christopher, as he insisted I call him—was next in line, leading Adelaide’s strongest and bravest men. Among them was her captain of the guard, Firmin, a giant of a man who’d previously lived in the castle as one of the king’s guards. Once we were inside, Firmin planned to take half the men through the fortress for Magnus while I would lead Adelaide and Christopher to Rex.
Even from my short time living in the castle, I knew the best places to find Rex—if he wasn’t already at the city wall readying for the fight there. Additionally, if I encountered any of the king’s guards, they’d recognize me and wouldn’t question my presence in the castle until too late. At least I hoped so.
Courage, I silently admonished myself. Be of great courage.
With the cold, damp earth beneath my fingers and the darkness of the tunnel blocking out everything, I put one hand in front of the other and crawled onward. My mother and father had once bravely carried me out of the castle to safety. And now it was time to return just as bravely and not only free them but free the land from the curse it had been under for far too long.
When I bumped headlong into an iron door, I halted abruptly and whispered instructions to Adelaide. “We’ve reached the end. I’ll unlock the grate, go inside, and make sure the way is clear before I signal for you.”
“We must move swiftly and without hesitation,” she replied.
I guessed she was warning me not to let my personal feelings for Rex influence what I did. When I’d returned from the Highlands with Maribel and Edmund, we’d gone directly to Adelaide who’d delayed an attack until she learned the status of the treasure. I’d told her everything that had happened including Rex’s defiance of his father as well as his instructions to his knight to give me the key to the secret tunnel.
She knew as well as I did that Rex could have stationed guards at the entrance or even flooded it. As it was, he’d all but offered himself up to her. With such an act, I prayed Adelaide would show him some mercy. I’d asked her to spare his life. But she hadn’t promised me she would.
Even though I feared for Rex, I had to keep going.
With a click of the key, the grate unlocked, and I carefully slid it aside, peering through the opening to find that the storage room was deserted except for crates and barrels and old furniture. It was the same storage room in the lower level of the castle that my parents had been in when making their escape. The last time I’d been there, I’d searched for any sign of the door they’d used, but it was long gone.
I scrambled out of the rectangular opening that was big enough for only one person at a time to fit through. The others followed just as silently and crept up the winding stairway until we reached a passageway that led to the kitchens and other servant quarters. For the early morning hour, I’d expected the castle to be bustling with activity. But maybe with the king’s death, everyone was in mourning.
We’d heard the church bells tolling his death not long after dawn and had been surprised to learn he’d only just died, that he’d lasted as long as he had. Adelaide had suggested we take full advantage of the distraction the king’s death would provide. She’d issued orders for a frontal attack to draw attention away from us as we left for the secret tunnel that would take us into Delsworth.
Apparently, the tactic had worked well. No one was around to see us infiltrating the fortress.
We continued up steep, spiraling stairs to the next level where the great hall and king’s antechamber were located. As previously arranged, I planned to go ahead of the others and check both areas for Rex.
Before I could slip through the doorway, Christopher touched my arm and pointed to a window on the landing. It was narrow and slanted, made for shooting arrows at an enemy while staying secluded. “I think we may have found Prince Ethelrex,” he said.
I stepped into the landing, peeked through the slit, and found myself gazing over the inner bailey and main courtyard. Amidst a gathering of servants and soldiers, a broad-shouldered young man had been chained to a center post, his arms suspended above his head, and his legs spread. He’d been stripped to his waist, revealing a thickly corded muscular back that was already laced with a crisscross of red welts.
His head was bent, but his fair hair and warrior braids were evidence enough.
“Rex,” I whispered, nausea swirling as a whip struck his back. At the contact, his arms jerked and he arched up, but he didn’t make a sound, which only caused the slap of leather against flesh to echo all the louder.
“Magnus has taken control,” Adelaide whispered as she peered out the narrow slit.
Of course, Adelaide was right. And somehow I sensed this was what Rex had feared all along—that his brother would learn of the king’s declaration and make himself king.
I wanted to bend over and retch, but I took a deep breath, straightened my spine, and prayed for more courage. “He doesn’t deserve to die this way.”
Before anyone could say otherwise or stop me, I dashed through the door and into the passageway that led to the great hall. My footsteps pounded hard, matching the thud of my heartbeat. I didn’t care if Adelaide would eventually sentence Rex to death. I wouldn’t let him die so cruelly, especially not at his brother’s hand.
With footsteps slapping the floor behind me, I ran faster. There wasn’t a servant or guard in sight, and I guessed Magnus had ordered everyone to be present for the display that would show his authority over Rex.
Was Magnus overseeing the proceedings from somewhere out there?
It didn’t matter. Whatever the danger, I had to go to Rex.
When I reached the door leading to the inner bailey, I flung it open. Magnus and two guards stood on the forebuilding. At the slam of the door against the inner panel, they spun, first surprise and then confusion flitting across their faces. I didn’t give them time to question or halt me. I flew past them down the stone stairway.
“Stop the beating at once!” I called to the soldier wielding the whip. Already, I had my knife out and aimed at his arm. Though I didn’t want to hurt him, I’d impale my blade into his hand if he attempted to thrash Rex again.
Behind me, Magnus issued clipped orders to his guards. At the same moment, the guard with the whip pivoted, his expression one of surprise—and relief. Were some of the king’s guards reluctant to side with Magnus? Or perhaps this one was simply hesitant to bring bodily harm to a royal son.
“Throw me your whip!” I sprinted toward him, knowing I needed to keep ahead of Magnus’s guards. I couldn’t allow Magnus to catch me yet, not until I freed Rex and gave him the ability to fight back.
The soldier with the whip hesitated only a moment before tossing it to me. I caught the handle and then, gathering my strength, swung the multiple strands in an arc over my head before spinning and aiming for the guards pursuing me. The cords swept across their faces, tearing and slashing. One cried out and dropped to his knees, covering his eyes with his hands. The other drew back, his sword now drawn.
“Bring her to me alive,” Magnus called from where he still stood on the forebuilding. Not far from him, I glimpsed Adelaide and Christopher in the doorway. I didn’t know what they were planning, but I had to give them more time—time for the rest of the invading army to infiltrate further.
As one lunged at me with his sword, I slapped him with the whip and then sent it zinging toward the other, forcing them back.
“Get her, you imbeciles,” Magnus roared, his voice laced with derisi
on and frustration.
The men crept more slowly this time, and I once again slashed at them, this time hitting the neck and face of another and bringing him to his knees.
“What are you standing and waiting for?” Magnus waved impatiently at several guards who stood on the fringes of the gathering. “Capture her. Now!”
As additional soldiers advanced, I crouched lower, the whip in one hand, my knife in my other. I wasn’t a warrior princess like Adelaide, but with my father’s training and now God’s courage, I wouldn’t back down from the challenge. I’d fight until Rex had the chance to get away.
“Set Prince Ethelrex free,” I called to the soldier who’d given me his whip. A second later, at the jangle of iron against iron, I was relieved to see he was obeying. As the shackles fell from Rex, he slid down the post into a heap.
I caught movement from the periphery of the castle, and I prayed more of Adelaide’s men were penetrating the inner bailey. However, with Magnus’s soldiers advancing, I had to stay focused, twirling the whip up and moving it faster in front of me. It sliced through the air with a sharp snap.
Even as I provided a shield in front of Rex and myself, Magnus’s guards spread out and formed a circle around us. As they neared, the soldier who’d freed Rex unsheathed his sword, apparently willing to fight the onslaught. I welcomed his aid, but two against six or seven would make us easy targets. Nevertheless, I steeled myself to do battle.
At a command from one of the men, Magnus’s knights converged at the same time.
Once, I would have been frightened. But a strange calm settled over me—the same calm I’d experienced when facing the beast in the labyrinth. Was it possible that when we made up our minds to face our monsters, God gave us the right amount of courage at the exact moment we needed it?
I swung my knife while spinning with the whip, hoping to rake the sharp cords across as many of the soldiers as possible. A roar rose behind me at the same time that Rex sprang from the ground. In one swift movement, he reached for the sword of the soldier who’d set him free and sliced the three men advancing at my rear. Each man fell, one after another, crying out with pain.
Meanwhile, I unleashed the whip against the frontal attackers. While the momentum stopped two soldiers, several more pressed onward, close enough that I swiped with my knife only to miss.
At my failed momentum, one of the men grabbed my arm while the other yanked the whip from my other hand. Though I thrashed to free myself, they clung tightly. But Rex spun upon them, again roaring his fury. They shrank back but were too late. One swipe of Rex’s sword dropped them to the ground where they lay unmoving.
Rex swept up an abandoned sword and then straightened, weapons in both hands, his feet spread apart, the muscles in his bare arms bulging. I retrieved the whip so that I was well armed and ready to continue to fight next to him.
The inner bailey was silent with all eyes upon us.
Magnus stood stiffly on the forebuilding and motioned to several other guards at the gate. “Get him and then kill him.”
The soldiers hesitated—out of fear of fighting Rex or loyalty to him, I didn’t know. Either way, if they advanced, they’d soon find themselves dead at Rex’s feet.
A piercing whistle rent the air. It came from behind Magnus on the forebuilding. He spun only to find himself surrounded by Adelaide’s warriors. Throughout the inner bailey, along the wall, in the gatehouse, and even on the outskirts of the gathering, her soldiers stepped from their hiding places, showing themselves and their weapons and easily disarming the rest of Magnus’s knights.
Adelaide herself strode out the castle door confidently and regally to the place Magnus had stood only moments before. Still attired in her armor, she shed her chain mail hood, revealing her long, golden hair, making her beautiful and fierce at the same time. As she swept her gaze over the assembly, she ended at Magnus, who was cursing and struggling against the men who now held him.
“I am Adelaide Constance Dierdal Aurora, the true queen and heir of the house of Mercia.” Her voice carried forcefully and clearly across the bailey. “If you bow your knee to me and acknowledge me as the rightful ruler of Mercia, I shall restore your land, your prosperity, and your safety. I shall show you the mercy and kindness you long for.”
Magnus spat at Adelaide’s feet. “You are the usurper and will never be accepted here. I shall never bow my knee.”
Adelaide narrowed her eyes upon the young man. “So be it. You have sealed your fate.” Her gaze swept over the gathering and came to rest upon Rex.
For the first time since I’d started the fight for his life, my stomach quivered with fear. Even with his back bruised with welts, Rex was easily the strongest man there, possibly the strongest in all the Great Isle. He was a dangerous opponent. And his presence was commanding. If Adelaide eliminated him, she’d secure her reign and never have to worry about him challenging her.
Even as I fought against my urge to plead for his life, Rex began to cross the bailey, swords at his side, his focus locked upon Adelaide.
Christopher stepped next to Adelaide, his bow fitted with an arrow aimed at Rex’s heart. The large guard, Firmin, and his retinue broke away from the perimeter and pushed toward Rex.
Adelaide raised her hand. “Let him come.”
The men halted but kept their eyes upon the prince.
As Rex reached the foot of the forebuilding, he jabbed first one sword into the ground, then the other, the thud of metal against earth echoing ominously. Then he lowered himself onto one knee, bowed his head, and spoke in a clear voice, “I acknowledge you as the true queen and rightful heir of Mercia.”
At the sight of their warrior prince bowing in subservience to Adelaide, the servants began to lower themselves until every person in the bailey knelt with bent head.
When only Adelaide’s soldiers remained standing, my throat constricted at the realization of what Rex had just done. He’d not only handed over the authority to Adelaide, but he’d led the way for his people to do so as well avoiding bloodshed and bringing about peace.
Tears stung my eyes—tears of love and sorrow. In laying aside his rights in order to save his people, he’d proven himself to be a worthy prince. Perhaps he would have made a good and kind king and ruled with justice and fairness in a way his father never had.
But now, he’d never get the chance to find out.
Chapter
27
Rex
“I’ve come to see the prince.” Emmeline’s voice sounded outside my tower prison.
I pushed up from my bed and winced at the pain in my back.
“Your Highness,” the guard replied. “He’s not allowed any visitors.”
“I’m not just any visitor. I am his wife.”
Wife. My mind flashed to the image of Emmeline earlier today when she’d rescued me from the whipping. As she’d faced the oncoming soldiers, her brown eyes had flashed with both fury and determination. She’d never been more beautiful.
With Magnus looking on, I’d never been more frightened for her life, not even when we’d been down in the bowels of the labyrinth. I’d realized I had no choice but to defeat Magnus’s loyal guards so they couldn’t capture Emmeline and hand her over to Magnus who would torture her in order to make me his puppet.
In fact, I’d been so angry with her for walking into the midst of the courtyard and right into Magnus’s clutches that I’d nearly gone mad waiting for the guard to set me free. Even then, I’d pretended to be weak until Magnus’s men were nearly upon us before I’d risen and taken them by surprise.
When the queen had finally made her appearance, I’d wanted to fall down and weep with relief that Magnus wouldn’t be able to get Emmeline, that she was safe. I’d willingly handed the kingdom over to Queen Adelaide Constance, especially since it meant Magnus could no longer have it.
“You must let me in,” Emmeline insisted.
“The queen said the prince isn’t to have any visitors except those who are ten
ding to his wounds.”
I moved to the edge of the bed. Maribel had already bandaged my back shortly after I’d been ushered to the tower. Her husband, Lord Chambers, and several other soldiers had come with her and stood guard as she’d cleaned and dressed my wounds. Some ran deep, but thankfully I hadn’t suffered the flogging for long and the soldier hadn’t put his full force into the beating.
“Of course the queen would allow me,” Emmeline said confidently. “You needn’t worry.”
“I should check with the earl, Your Highness,” the guard said.
“I’ll not take long. I promise.”
After several moments of silence, keys rattled in the door. At the squeal of the hinges, I reached for the coverlet and draped it around my torso. Maribel had insisted the wounds be left uncovered temporarily, and so I’d rested on my stomach, letting the warm breeze coming through the high arched windows bathe my irritated flesh.
As Emmeline entered, I rose but didn’t make a move to approach her. She came in halfway, glanced around at the sparse furnishing—the worn table and chair, the small bed, a chamber pot, and pedestal holding a basin of water.
Although I’d spent the afternoon admonishing myself to keep my resolve to free Emmeline from her obligation to me, now that she was here, I could do nothing but stare at her beauty. She’d worn one of the gowns I’d bestowed upon her after our public wedding. The deep purple contrasted with her pale skin and dark hair that she wore in long, loose waves.
“Thank you for keeping my parents safe,” she said, darting a glance at my chest, her cheeks turning rosy before she dropped her attention to the straw on the floor.
Only then did I realize the coverlet hung open, revealing my shirtless body. At another time, I might have used the opportunity to tease her, but I forced myself to draw the coverlet closed. “The moment I arrived in Delsworth, I had them released and taken to safety.”