Hidden Knights
Knights of the Realm, Book 3
Jennifer Anne Davis
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and events in this book are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Reign Publishing
Copyright © 2020 by Jennifer Anne Davis
All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form without permission.
Cover Design by KimG-Design
Editing by Cynthia Shepp
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ISBN (paperback): 978-1-7344947-2-3
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-7323661-9-0
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Library of Congress Control Number: 1-8530521571
OTHER BOOKS BY JENNIFER ANNE DAVIS
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True Reign:
The Key
Red
War
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Reign of Secrets:
Cage of Deceit
Cage of Darkness
Cage of Destiny
Oath of Deception
Oath of Destruction
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The Order of the Krigers:
Rise
Burning Shadows
Conquering Fate
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Knights of the Realm:
Realm of Knights
Shadow Knights
Hidden Knights
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Single Titles:
The Voice
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Sneak Peek: The Key
Sneak Peek: Cage of Deceit
About the Author
Chapter One
Stunned, Reid stood there, not sure what to say or do. Finn nudged her hand, trying to get her to pet his head again. However, she couldn’t spare a thought for the dog because this woman—Anna—was her mother. Reid was certain of it.
“Why don’t you come inside so we can discuss the matter?” Anna said.
Duke Ellington shifted his weight from foot to foot while watching his daughter, not bothering to offer any explanation. Had he known Anna—Brianna—was alive this entire time? Or was he just as stunned as Reid was? She had so many questions, but she didn’t know where to start.
“Reid?” Duke Ellington said.
“Give her a moment,” Anna whispered. “She appears to be in shock.”
Reid did not want or need a minute to compose herself. And this woman had no right to presume to know what was best for Reid. Fury started to rise as a plethora of emotions warred with one another.
“Duke Ellington,” Dexter said, his loud voice cutting through the quiet evening. “Would you be so kind as to show us to our rooms? It has been a long, trying two days. Once we’ve had a chance to settle in, we can talk.”
The duke nodded before heading into the manor.
Colbert ordered a couple of stable hands to take the horses to the barn.
Finn barked and sprinted inside.
Dexter placed his large hand on Reid’s back, ushering her up the steps and through the front door. They went straight to the staircase, then up to the second floor. Reid walked of her own accord, not even aware she was moving. Anger, happiness, fear, and more anger consumed her. How could her mother be alive?
“Ackley, you can have this room,” Duke Ellington said. “And Gordon can take the room across from him.” He turned to face Reid and Dexter. “Are you two married?”
Reid opened her mouth, planning to tell her father that the king’s announcement of Henrick’s death had interrupted the wedding ceremony. She still couldn’t believe Eldon had tried to assassinate Ackley, blaming the Knights for Henrick’s death. She rubbed her temples, a headache forming.
“Yes,” Dexter said, surprising Reid. “We’ll be staying in the same room.”
Duke Ellington nodded, then opened another door. “You two are in here. You have one hour. Then I want to discuss what happened over supper.”
Reid entered the room, not even sparing a glance at her father. After removing her heavy cape and tossing it on a chair in the corner, she observed the single bed, nightstand, two armoires, and wash basin. Everything had a subtle elegance to it.
The door clicked shut. Dexter unclasped his cape, folding it and setting it aside before stretching out on the bed. Stubble covered his usually impeccable chin.
Reid crawled onto the bed, sitting beside him. “Why did you tell my father we’re married?” Duke Ellington would discover the truth soon enough.
His eyes intense, Dexter scrutinized her, making her stomach flutter. “I don’t want you in a room alone right now.” He reached out, taking hold of her hand. “We need to stick together. I’m not sure who we can trust.”
Everything was a mess. Her own mother, the leader of the Knights, had been lying to Reid this entire time.
“You looked like you were about to attack Anna, so I got you out of there. Talk to me. What are you thinking?”
What was she thinking? Flopping onto her back so she could stare at the ceiling instead of the man beside her, she tried organizing her jumbled thoughts. Only, she couldn’t. There were too many warring for attention. “My mother’s not dead.” Anna had been alive and well all these years. “I think my father knew.” There wasn’t any other conclusion—not since he’d gone to see the leader of the Knights, and he was here with Anna.
“Did Duke Ellington ever hint at or give any indication she might be alive?”
“No. Never.” A tear slid from the corner of Reid’s eye. Her mother had abandoned them. Why? To serve a cause? To lead the Knights? Was being a woman in northern Marsden so deplorable she’d had to leave her husband and five young daughters? Reid punched the bed. Anger and hurt mixed together, making her frustrated and confused.
“Maybe you need to talk to your parents,” Dexter said. “Allow them to explain before you draw your own conclusions.” He rolled onto his side, facing her.
Reid felt him watching her. She kept her eyes focused on the ceiling, trying not to cry. It didn’t work. The tears started falling. “I’m hurt.” An ache bloomed in her chest.
“I’d be hurt, too.” He reached out, wiping her tears away.
She rolled onto her side to face him, studying the man she’d feared only a few weeks ago.
His right hand cupped her left cheek. “Have you considered the possibility that Ackley first came to Ellington to seek you out for a specific reason?”
The room went unnaturally quiet. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe he didn’t stumble upon you as you’d thought. Maybe your mother sent him to recruit you as a Knight.” Dexter’s hand slid over Reid’s shoulder and down her arm, taking hold of her fingers.
She hadn’t considered that.
“Reid.” Dexter licked his lips, his eyes darkening as intensity shone through.
Her breath caught, and she leaned forward.
“I hardly think now’s the time to be cuddling in bed,” Ackley said as he sauntered into the room, not even bothering to knock.
Reid flew upright. “What are you doing in here?”
<
br /> Gordon entered behind Ackley, shutting the door. “We need to talk.” Gordon scanned the room, looking everywhere but at Reid.
Dexter sat up, propping himself against the headboard. “While I do agree we need to talk, I wanted a couple of minutes alone with Reid.”
“Just a couple?” Ackley smirked as he leaned against the wash basin, folding his arms.
“Reid just discovered her mother is alive,” Dexter stated. “I hardly think now is the time for snide comments. Wouldn’t you agree, cousin?” He cocked his head, watching Ackley.
Ackley glanced between Dexter and Reid. “You know you’re not married yet, don’t you?”
“Shut it, Ackley,” Gordon murmured. “We need to talk while we have the chance.” He paced at the end of the bed. “We have to get the Melenia soldiers out of Marsden. Then I can set things right.”
“What do you mean by that?” Reid asked, folding her legs under her.
Gordon stopped pacing, eyeing her.
“He thinks we can control Eldon,” Ackley explained. “That we can convince Eldon to want the same things we do. Well, in case you haven’t realized it yet Gordon, we no longer hold any loyalty to our half-brother. After he killed our father, he went and killed his own.”
Reid glanced at Dexter, who seemed to be handling the loss of his father remarkably well. It was probably too soon for him to have processed everything that had happened over the past forty-eight hours. She’d been so shocked by her mother being alive that she hadn’t even asked Dexter how he was doing.
Someone knocked on the door. “Everyone in there?” Colbert said from the hallway.
Ackley opened the door. “We’re plotting my brother’s demise.”
“As interesting as that sounds,” Colbert replied, “supper is ready. I’ve been asked to escort everyone to the dining room.” He peered inside, studying Reid. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.” Then to Dexter, she whispered, “Do you need a moment alone with your brother?” She wasn’t sure if anyone had informed Colbert of his father’s passing.
“I do need to talk to him,” Dexter said. “But I’m famished. We’ll talk after we eat.” He stood, pulling Reid up with him.
When Reid stepped into the hallway, Finn jumped on her, knocking her against the wall. She laughed as he licked her chin.
“Don’t let him jump on you,” Colbert said before ordering Finn to heel.
“I don’t mind.” Reid straightened her tunic.
“I didn’t ask you if you minded.” Colbert shook his head. “I don’t want him jumping on people.”
Markis exited one of the rooms, joining them in the hallway. “Where’s Gytha?”
“She’s still at the palace,” Dexter answered.
Markis rubbed the nape of his neck. “Who accompanied your group here?”
“No one,” Dexter replied. “We’re the only ones who made it out.”
“I’m sure Gytha will be fine,” Markis said as he made his way down the steps, everyone following him. “I’m going to do a perimeter run.” He exited the manor.
Reid also worried about Nara. Thankfully, the princess was a fighter and could defend herself. However, with Henrick’s death, Reid didn’t know what state of mind Nara would be in.
The group made their way toward the dining room. At the threshold, Reid froze, unable to cross. She stepped to the side, leaning against the wall as Ackley, Gordon, and Colbert entered. Sucking in a deep breath, she blew it out, trying to calm her racing heart. Her parents were in there.
“Are you okay?” Dexter asked, his deep voice rumbling through her.
She nodded, unable to speak. What would she say to her mother? Where would she begin the conversation? How are you alive? And what about Reid’s father? He was the one person she depended on and loved the most. How could he have lied to her for all these years?
Leaning down, Dexter slid his fingers around hers, clutching her hand. “You don’t have to speak to your parents right now,” he whispered. “Just go in there, eat, and listen to what they have to say. After supper, we’ll figure this out.” He pulled her away from the wall.
She untangled her hand from Dexter’s. If Reid’s father had lied to her and she knew him well, how could she trust this man whom she barely knew? What was to prevent Dexter from lying to her?
“If you’d rather head back to our bedchamber, go ahead. I’ll bring your food up later.” He took a step toward the dining room, waiting for her decision.
Everyone was in there, expecting Reid to walk through the door and join them for supper. If she hid in her room, she’d only be putting off the inevitable. At some point, she’d have to talk to them. Better to just get it over with. “No. I’ll face my parents.” She imagined invisible armor surrounding her. Later, when she was alone, she’d try to figure out how she felt about this.
“You’ve got bigger balls than I do,” Dexter murmured. “I’m not sure I could do what you’re about to.”
She glared. “Now you tell me?”
He chuckled. “Let’s go.” Taking hold of Reid’s hand, he tugged her into the dining room before coming to an abrupt halt. Reid bumped into him. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
Reid peered around Dexter’s massive shoulders to see who he was speaking to. She blinked, trying to banish the ghost of Prince Henrick, who stood next to Colbert, looking alive and well.
Dexter released Reid’s hand, rushing straight to his father and hugging him. “I wasn’t sure if you were faking your illness or not.”
“Sorry, son.” Henrick hugged him back. “I couldn’t risk anyone knowing.”
Fury built inside Reid. “Is no one dead who’s supposed to be dead?” she snapped, sick of the lying and deceit.
“Why doesn’t everyone take a seat?” Anna said.
Reid swallowed the ten nasty retorts hovering on the tip of her tongue. She needed to do as Dexter said and hear her parents out. Afterward, she could process everything and decide how to proceed. Rolling her shoulders back, she went over to an empty chair and sat. Ackley plopped on the chair next to her.
“Move,” Dexter ordered.
Ackley chuckled. “There’s a chair on her other side, cousin.”
Dexter mumbled something unintelligible, then sat on the chair to Reid’s left. Gordon sat on Dexter’s other side, her grandparents at either end of the table. Anna, Duke Ellington, Colbert, and Henrick settled across from Reid. It felt like a lifetime since she’d been here. So much had changed.
“What about Mother?” Dexter asked, addressing his father.
Glad for the distraction, Reid surreptitiously observed Anna, who seemed oblivious to the tension radiating through the room as she carefully spooned potatoes on her plate. Her aloofness made Reid want to scream.
“Your mother and I never discussed it,” Henrick answered. “I couldn’t risk anyone overhearing that conversation. She believed I was poisoned until the day of your wedding when Seb dressed as a Melenia soldier and snuck a dead body into the palace. Once the body was in my bed, I managed to get out through the secret passageways. Your mother agreed to remain behind in order to maintain the ruse.”
“Do I even want to know where the dead body came from?” Dexter asked, raising a single eyebrow.
“A farmer a few miles out died from a heart attack.”
Reid scrutinized Dexter, trying to determine if he was upset with his father for leaving his mother behind. What if something happened to her?
Ackley handed Reid a bowl of potatoes. Taking it, she scooped a helping on her plate before pushing the bowl toward Dexter.
Dexter folded his arms, leaning back in his chair. “What’s the plan?”
“There will be plenty of time to discuss it later,” Anna said. “For now, let’s enjoy supper.”
Reid cocked her head. “Enjoy supper?” Was her mother delusional? “How are we supposed to enjoy supper when a foreign army is in Marsden, our people are in danger, and those we love and care for are st
uck in the palace and we have no idea if they’re all right?”
Dexter slid his hand onto Reid’s thigh, squeezing it gently. “I agree with Reid,” he said, surprising her. “We need to strategize. Everything else can wait.”
“Very well,” Anna said, setting her fork down. “I thought we’d have a nice meal, but if you wish to discuss what I have planned, we can do that.”
Dexter bristled. It was Reid’s turn to slide her hand onto his thigh, gripping it so he’d maintain his composure. When she felt the hard muscles in his leg and the heat radiating from his body, she flushed. They were in the middle of a crisis, and she was thinking about the muscles in Dexter’s leg. Reid needed to get her priorities straight. Not only that, but her father sat across from her. She could feel him watching her. When she went to remove her hand, Dexter grabbed it, holding it in place.
“Before we get to your plan,” Dexter said, addressing Anna, “please explain how you’re alive.”
“Agreed,” Gordon said, not bothering to eat.
Anna glanced at Reid. “Delivering my fifth child was difficult. The midwife who came to help with the delivery thought I’d died since there was so much blood. After she left, I told Tatum I couldn’t stay in Ellington any longer. I had to use the opportunity given to me—it was the perfect cover. Tatum agreed, so he announced my death. He had my body transported to Axian, where I was to be buried.”
Anna’s response lacked emotion, remorse, or reason. Dexter clenched Reid’s hand. She remained quiet, not sure what to ask since her thoughts were jumbled.
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