Shadow Knights

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  “Since a married man must walk you down the aisle—and neither your father nor your grandfather is here, and Henrick is still sick in bed—Gordon has offered to escort you. Is that okay?”

  She shrugged, unable to find her voice. This was it.

  “I’ll see you in there,” Gytha said as she left the room.

  “Come on.” Ackley took Reid’s arm. “I’ll walk you to the doors, then Gordon will take over.” They exited the antechamber, then headed down the hallway to the front of the great hall.

  At the doors, Gordon waited for her. Ackley kissed her cheek and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he went inside.

  “I’m sorry your father isn’t here,” Gordon said. “Do you know where he is?”

  She took his offered arm. “Are you asking out of concern or did your brother put you up to it?”

  “Concern. For you.”

  Reid nodded. “You are aware Eldon has a foreign army here, right?”

  He flinched, body tensing.

  “How can you stand by and support him?” she demanded.

  “He is my brother and king.”

  “He’s going to destroy the kingdom. Have you considered the possibility that once Eldon has eliminated all contenders for the throne, the Melenia army will turn on him and take over Marsden?”

  “We shouldn’t be having this conversation right now,” Gordon whispered.

  “When the time comes, I hope you make the right choice—to stand with us instead of against us.”

  The doors swung open, revealing a packed room.

  “And who is us?” he asked, cocking his head. “You?”

  “Us is the kingdom. The entire kingdom.”

  Gordon gingerly took the first step, escorting Reid down the aisle toward the dais where the ceremony would take place. Dexter waited for her at the end of the aisle. In full uniform, he appeared bold and commanding. When she smiled at him, he grinned back.

  At the end of the aisle, Gordon handed her over to Dexter. Reid and Dexter took their places, standing side by side. Instead of the marriage binder coming forward, the king moved to stand before them.

  “And here I thought this was going to be a punishment,” the king muttered so only Reid and Dexter could hear. “But you two appear far too familiar with one another. This will never do.” He tsked, the sound mocking and almost evil. It caused Reid’s blood to run cold.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Reid realized Nara wasn’t in the front row where she was supposed to be.

  An Axian soldier entered from the side door near the dais, coming to stand beside the king. He held out a piece of paper. Eldon took the message and dismissed the soldier.

  After reading the paper, he folded it and sighed. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to celebrate the marriage of Prince Dexter and Lady Reid. However, I’ve just received some tragic news.” He lifted the letter as proof. “It is with a grave heart that I inform you of the untimely passing of Prince Henrick.”

  A collective gasp spread across the room. Dexter jerked, shocked by the news.

  “In light of this unfortunate event, I cannot marry such a lovely couple on this day. Today must be reserved as a day of mourning, not celebration.”

  A ringing sound reverberated in Reid’s ears. Henrick was dead.

  Sliding the paper under his cape, Eldon cleared his throat. “It is also with great sadness that I reveal the second part of my message.” When he raised his right arm, soldiers began to march into the hall, closing and locking the doors.

  Apprehension filled Reid. What did the king intend to do? Would he slaughter them all? Her hands shook, fear swirling low in her gut.

  Harlow stood behind Eldon, off to the side against the wall, not saying a word or showing an ounce of emotion on her expressionless face.

  “A secret organization known as the Knights of the Realm is responsible for Prince Henrick’s death. I have proof that the Knights assassinated the prince.” Shaking his head, he moved to sit on the throne chair.

  A ripple of whispers whipped across the room.

  “What’s worse,” the king said, his voice trembling, as if he were on the verge of crying, “is that my own brother, Prince Ackley, has been linked to this murderous organization.”

  Blackness hovered around the edges of Reid’s vision. This could not be happening. The king was pinning Henrick’s death on Ackley and the Knights?

  “Any person—man or woman—with a tattoo of a rose and dagger is to be killed on sight. I will give a substantial reward to anyone who brings me a person with the tattoo—either dead or alive.”

  How did the king know about the Knights? As far as Reid was aware, Ackley had told Idina and Gordon. Had one of them told Eldon? It seemed unlikely. Did Leigh know? Would she have told her son?

  The king remained seated on the throne chair. A dozen soldiers lined up on the dais. Since they wore the king’s colors, Reid assumed they were the king’s Shields. Soldiers from the foreign army lined the perimeter of the room, blocking all the exits. Reid caught sight of Seb, who was dressed as a Melenia soldier. Had Dexter somehow managed to infiltrate the army with his own men? It was the first glimmer of hope that there might be a plan in place.

  “Prince Ackley,” Eldon said, his voice sounding weak. “Come here.”

  Two of the king’s men stepped forward, grabbed Ackley’s arms, and shoved him to his knees before Eldon. One yanked Ackley’s sleeve up, exposing his tattoo. Two additional soldiers withdrew their swords, pointing them at Ackley.

  “Prince Ackley. You are hereby stripped of your title and considered a traitor to the crown.”

  Reid almost laughed. Ackley could easily dispatch all four soldiers in under twenty seconds. However, he remained kneeling on the floor, staring at his brother. The queen’s words rushed back to Reid—what were Ackley’s motives for behaving so submissively? If he acted like a crazed assassin, everyone would believe the king. However, if he seemed like a non-threatening brother whom the king simply wanted to get out of the way, then people might begin to doubt the king.

  “Kill him,” the king ordered.

  Without thought, Reid lunged forward to help Ackley. However, Dexter caught her, pressing three fingers into her back. He wanted her to move on the count of three. She slid Nara’s dagger from her sleeve, palming it as she prepared to attack. Using three fingers, Dexter then touched four spots on her back, indicating the four soldiers surrounding Ackley. Then he tapped the lower right spot, meaning he needed her to strike the soldier closest to her. He touched one finger, the second, and then the third.

  With every ounce of strength she possessed, Reid threw her dagger at the soldier closest to her. It embedded deep into his back. He stumbled, falling forward.

  The soldier holding the sword to Ackley’s neck raised his arm high, preparing to strike. Dexter withdrew his own sword, slicing into the soldier’s arm before he could kill Ackley.

  The soldier who held the second sword on Ackley met with the same fate, thanks to Gordon.

  Grunting, Gytha threw a dagger at the fourth soldier’s chest. He crumpled to the floor.

  All four soldiers had been injured or killed in less than five seconds. Heaving in deep breaths, her wedding dress now splattered with blood, Reid stood tall, wondering what they were going to do now. The king remained frozen, his eyes wide with shocked fury.

  An odd groaning sound reverberated, then the floor beneath Ackley opened. Still on his hands and knees, Ackley fell straight down, disappearing from sight.

  Dexter shoved Reid. She yelped as she went flying into the hole, tumbling onto the hard, dusty floor. Chaos reigned above her. She scrambled out of the way just as Dexter landed on his feet next to her.

  “Run,” Dexter commanded.

  Instantly, Reid sprang to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ribs and her scratched hands. A long hallway stretched out before her, Ackley already running along it. She sprinted after him. The king shouted at his soldiers to attack. Screams ra
ng through the air.

  The hallway ended in a small empty room. Ackley waved her forward, then pushed her out of the way. Dexter came in right behind her, Gordon soon after.

  Gytha sprinted toward them, sword in hand. Two soldiers gave chase, mere feet behind her. “Shut the door,” she yelled as she turned to fight.

  “No!” Reid cried, moving to help her friend.

  Ackley yanked her back as Dexter slammed the door shut. He slid a metal bar across it, sending them into complete darkness.

  “We have to help her!” Panic and horror consumed Reid. She couldn’t let her friend die.

  There was a rubbing sound, then a torch flared to life. Dexter held it up, blinking away tears. “Let Gytha do her job,” he said. “She will be furious if we don’t follow protocol and listen.”

  “What will they do to her?” Horrified, Reid’s mind started working overtime. Would they take Gytha as a prisoner? Would they torture her to get information about the royal family’s whereabouts? Would they kill her?

  “When I shut this door, it closed the trap door. She should only have to deal with the soldiers stupid enough to chase her. Once she disposes of them, she’ll have to figure a way out.”

  “Is there a way out?” Ackley asked, his voice barely audible.

  “This palace has been here for centuries. It was built for situations such as this one. Stop worrying about Captain Gytha. Let’s get moving.” Dexter hurried over to one of the walls, feeling around with his free hand. He pushed on a brick, and a door swung open as he did so. “There’s a network of underground tunnels designed for this very thing.” He led the way down a dark tunnel. “I just never thought I’d actually have to use them.”

  They traversed through tunnel after tunnel until Reid feared they’d lost their way. However, Dexter never hesitated as he led them with a torch in hand. After at least a mile of twists and turns, they ascended a wooden staircase and exited into a windowless room.

  “Where are we?” Gordon asked.

  “The military compound.” Dexter doused the torch.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Reid froze, unable to move. She couldn’t even see her own hand in front of her face. A moment later, a door creaked open and Dexter ushered them into a brightly lit hallway. They ran through corridor after corridor until they came to one of the interior courtyards. Dexter barked out a series of orders, and soldiers scrambled to comply.

  “What are we doing?” Reid asked. Everything had happened so quickly she hadn’t had time to sort through what was going on.

  “We’re going to a safe location to plan,” Dexter replied. “Then we’ll retake the palace and kill King Eldon.” He said it so simply—as if they weren’t facing several seemingly impossible tasks.

  Horses were brought forward, along with handfuls of clothes. Dexter ordered everyone to change. Reid removed her wedding dress, then put on a plain brown tunic and pants. Someone handed her a hat to cover her hair. When she finished, she realized everyone else had dressed similarly.

  “Let’s go,” Dexter said as he mounted.

  Reid climbed on one of the smaller horses. Once she was situated, a soldier placed a heavy cape over her shoulders. Realizing chainmail lined it, she pulled it closer, thankful it would protect her body and the horse’s backside from arrows. Gordon, Ackley, and Dexter received similar capes.

  “How are we going to get out of the city without the king’s soldiers spotting us?” Reid inquired.

  “Those are not the king’s soldiers,” Gordon snapped.

  “Why are you coming with us?” Reid asked.

  Gordon pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. “Eldon is conspiring with a foreign army. He has taken my soldiers and tossed them aside in favor of Melenia’s. I have to stop him before we lose Marsden.”

  “What about Dana?”

  “She’s pregnant. Eldon already named my firstborn son as his heir. He won’t hurt Dana. He needs her.”

  With Gordon now on their side, Reid felt more confident in their quest to retake the kingdom.

  A large door built into the side of the wall swung open. “We have to start out slow,” Dexter said, heading toward the darkened corridor. “It’s steep.”

  A soldier handed him a torch. He entered the corridor, revealing a ramp descending into a tunnel. Reid followed behind him, her horse not hesitating in the confined space. Once Gordon and Ackley made it inside, the door slammed shut.

  “They have orders to blow the tunnel if enemy soldiers breach the compound,” Dexter explained.

  Not wanting to think about that scenario, Reid followed Dexter down the ramp. The ground eventually leveled out, and they were able to ride a bit faster. No one spoke. After a solid hour, they headed up an incline. Dexter dismounted, then fumbled with a door. It took him a few tries until it finally opened. Once they were out in the bright sunlight, Dexter closed and locked the door, which had been built into the side of a rocky mountain covered with vines. After making sure the entrance remained concealed, he mounted and led the way through the dense forest.

  They rode until they came to a narrow dirt path. Then they pushed the horses faster, no one speaking as they covered as much ground as possible before it became too dark to travel any farther. When they could barely see, Dexter led them off the trail and into the cover of the forest.

  “Sleep. As soon as there’s enough light, we’ll continue.”

  Too exhausted to think about the past twenty-four hours, Reid tied her horse to a tree, removed her cape, and stretched out on the ground. She heard the men mumbling about finding water for the horses. But she didn’t care. She closed her eyes, immediately falling asleep.

  Someone shook Reid awake. When she opened her eyes, she saw Dexter kneeling beside her. “It’s time to go,” he whispered.

  “Wait.” She grabbed his hand before he could stand. “I’m sorry.”

  “This isn’t your fault.”

  Reid scrambled to her knees. “No.” How could she explain it so he would understand? “I’m sorry your father is dead.” She wished there were a nicer, kinder way to say it, but there wasn’t.

  He closed his eyes, nodding once.

  Sliding her hands on either side of his face, Reid waited until he’d opened his eyes and focused on her. “We’ll deal with this together.” Eldon, retaking the kingdom, Henrick’s death—all of it. She would stand by Dexter’s side to right all the wrongs.

  He let out a shaky breath, then quickly hugged her before they rose.

  “Time to head out?” Gordon asked as he stood and stretched.

  Dexter nodded. “We need to get moving in case Melenia soldiers are trying to track us.”

  There was barely enough light to see since the sun hadn’t risen yet. A light fog coated the ground. Reid put her cape on, then mounted her horse.

  Dexter led them back to the dirt road. Once again, they pushed their horses as fast as they could. Come late afternoon, Reid realized some of the terrain looked familiar.

  “Why are we going to my grandparents’ house?” she asked.

  “That’s where I was told to go if there ever was a problem,” Dexter answered.

  The four of them made their way to the front of the manor. When Reid dismounted, the front door opened. She expected to see her grandmother standing there. However, Duke Ellington exited, followed by Colbert. Finn shoved past Colbert’s legs, barreling down the steps to greet Reid. She handed her horse’s reins to Ackley before kneeling to pet the dog.

  “What are you doing here?” Reid asked her father. “I thought you said you were going to speak with the person in charge of the Knights?”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets, pursing his lips. “That is exactly what I’m doing.”

  Anna exited the house. “Hello, Reid.”

  What was Anna doing here? How did Duke Ellington know her?

  Reid stood, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Anna raised her eyebrows, as if waiting for something from Reid. In that momen
t, Anna had an uncanny resemblance to Reid’s sister, Kamden.

  Reid took a step back. This was the woman from the portrait in her grandparents’ dining room. Shock rolled through her as she made the connection. “You’re my mother.”

  * * *

  End of Book Two

  Hidden Knights

  Knights of the Realm, Book 3

  This is the stunning conclusion to the

  Knights of the Realm series!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jennifer Anne Davis graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. She is currently a full-time writer and mother of three kids. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart and lives in the San Diego area.

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  Jennifer is the recipient of the San Diego Book Awards Best Published Young Adult Novel (2013), winner of the Kindle Book Awards (2018), a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards (2014), and a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2014).

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  Visit Jennifer at:

  www.JenniferAnneDavis.com