Hidden Knights

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  Instead of smiling as she thought he would, he reached out, plucking the hat from her head. His eyes flashed with intensity. Reid held still, afraid to move.

  “Try not to be in there too long. I only have so much self-control.” And with that, he went into his room, closing the door behind him.

  Reid let out a long breath. Maybe she should have put him farther away from her own bedchamber.

  After a quick bath, Reid dressed in pants and a tunic. She supposed she could have borrowed one of Kamden’s dresses, but she didn’t see the need to worry about what she wore since they were staying in the castle for the rest of the evening.

  Reid entered the sitting room, finding Kamden perched on one of the sofas.

  Smiling at her sister, Reid poured herself a cup of steaming tea before sitting next to her.

  “Father looks exhausted,” Kamden observed.

  “He’s been through a lot.” Reid realized her sister had no idea their mother was alive. Setting her cup on the low table, she twisted to face her. “There’s something you need to know.” She wasn’t sure how to reveal the truth in a way that wouldn’t be shocking. Best to just come out with it. “Kamden, when I was in Axian, I met—”

  “There you are,” Ackley said as he sauntered into the room. “I remember one of our first conversations took place in this very room.” He slid his hands in his pockets. “This is where you tried to convince me that you were a man. Only, you’d stuffed your pants with a stocking, which had fallen to the side.” He chuckled.

  She wanted to ask him if Anna had told him that she was a woman or if he’d figured it out on his own.

  “Lady Kamden, I don’t mean to be rude, but I must steal your sister for a moment.”

  Rising, Reid followed Ackley to her father’s study.

  He closed the door. “I need you to send your sister away.” He left no room for argument.

  “You don’t trust her?”

  “It’s not safe for her to be near us right now.”

  Reid hadn’t considered coming here would put Kamden in harm’s way.

  “I’ve already spoken to your father on the matter. Royce is going to escort Kamden to your sister’s house. Which one is the closest?”

  “Bailey.” Her sister’s home was less than a day from the castle.

  “Tell Kamden to pack. She leaves in fifteen minutes.”

  “Even though she knows Idina and Leigh are here?”

  He went over to the window, gazing outside. “Yes. It’ll be safer. It’s only a matter of time before Victor or someone else shows up looking for you.”

  The thought of Victor or anyone interrogating Kamden didn’t sit well with Reid.

  “I know it’s hard,” Ackley murmured. “I know you want to spend time with her. But sometimes, because of the position we are in, the power we wield, we have to do things we may not want to for the betterment of others.”

  “I understand.” Reid had already been doing that her entire life.

  On her way back to the sitting room, Reid heard Kamden giggling. When she stepped into the room, she found Dexter—with wet hair—sitting across from Kamden. He was telling her some hunting story. Reid hadn’t even known he hunted.

  She cleared her throat, capturing their attention. “Sorry to interrupt. Kamden, I need you to go pack. You’re going to Bailey’s house. Now.”

  Eyes wide, Kamden stood. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes.” Reid forced a smile. “This is simply a precautionary measure. Nothing to worry about.”

  “If I leave, who will cook for you and your guests?”

  “We’re not staying here long.”

  “Then why send me away?”

  “War is brewing. I need you somewhere safe.”

  Kamden nodded. “I always enjoy going to Bailey’s. While my niece may be a terror, the watchman’s son more than makes up for any inconvenience.”

  Reid pursed her lips, deciding not to reply. Father would never allow Kamden to marry a commoner. Shaking her head, she watched Kamden hurry from the room.

  Dexter managed to start a fire in the hearth. The wood crackled as it took. “It’s wise to send your sister away.” He sat back on the sofa.

  “You’re agreeing with Ackley again? You must be ill.” She took a seat next to him.

  Running a hand through his damp hair, he grinned. “So this is where you grew up.”

  “It is.” Suddenly nervous at the idea of revealing so much of her life to this man, she became tongue-tied, not sure what to say.

  “I think we should stay here until we have a formal plan in place. Once we know what we’re doing, then we can travel to the City of Buckley.”

  “Should I send word to any of my other sisters to tell them to be on guard?” While they’d all married well, none were in positions of importance.

  “No.” He stretched his arms along the back of the sofa. “They should be safe. The king is after the dukes. Anna is after the king.”

  Kamden came down the stairs, pausing at the entrance to the sitting room. “I’m packed.” She sighed. “It looks like it’s going to pour. I hate riding in the rain.”

  “Then I suggest you hurry,” Reid said. Since they didn’t own a carriage, Kamden had no choice but to ride.

  Duke Ellington came up behind Kamden. “Change of plans. Instead of Royce, I’ll be escorting Kamden. Along the way, I plan to send messages to my men, readying them for war.”

  “Are you ordering them to convene here?” Dexter asked.

  “I am. Expect the first wave to arrive tomorrow.”

  Chapter Five

  After bidding her father and sister goodbye, Reid entered the great hall. Ackley and Dexter were sitting at the long table, each with a drink in hand.

  “Where’s everyone?” Reid asked, sitting alongside Dexter.

  Ackley chuckled.

  “What?” Reid asked, not sure she wanted to know.

  “Gordon is attempting to cook us something to eat while Mother and Idina hover over him, driving him nuts.”

  “That’s why we’re out here,” Dexter said. “Too many cooks in the kitchen.”

  “Do they even know how to cook?”

  Dexter slid his cup to Reid. She took a sip, then gave it back.

  “Gordon is like me,” Ackley replied. “He can cook if necessary. A skill we both learned from our time traveling in the army. Idina and my mum can’t even make tea.”

  “Huh.” Reid turned to face Dexter. “What about you?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Are you asking if I can cook?”

  “I am.” She needed to learn more about this man who would be her husband.

  “I can. Like Ackley, it’s a skill I learned in the army. What about you?”

  Reid shook her head. She was useless in the kitchen.

  Idina stormed into the room with a stack of bowls. “Apparently, we are eating like commoners in a tavern.” She tossed the bowls on the table with a loud thud before spinning on her heels, exiting the room with a dramatic flair.

  A moment later, Gordon entered, carrying a cooking pot. “We’re going to serve ourselves,” he explained. “Idina couldn’t handle carrying bowls filled with soup from the kitchen to here.” He quickly glanced over his shoulder, making sure his sister didn’t overhear him.

  “Lady Reid,” Leigh said as she came into the room. “You look well.” The queen mother wore a dark blue dress, her hair resting in soft waves down her back. Reid had never seen Leigh with her hair down before.

  “As do you.” Reid inadvertently peered at Leigh’s neck, trying to see if the woman had healed from Eldon attempting to strangle her. With her hair down, Reid couldn’t tell.

  Idina returned carrying a handful of spoons, which she flung on the table. “I’m not serving anyone.” She plopped down next to Ackley.

  “It’s okay, sister,” Ackley said. He leaned forward to pick up a bowl. “I can serve you. My head isn’t so far up my arse that I can’t help out.”

&nb
sp; Idina whacked him. “My place is in a war room, not a kitchen.”

  At that, Dexter raised his eyebrows. “Do tell.”

  “I’m exceptionally good at puzzles and games of that nature. I love helping my brothers and breaking codes. Working in the kitchen, serving others…not so much.”

  Ackley slid a bowl full of soup in front of her. “Can I serve anyone else?”

  “Since you’re offering,” Leigh said as she sat next to Idina, “I’d be honored for my son to serve me.”

  With a flourish, Ackley slid another bowl in front of his mother. He then proceeded to serve everyone else at the table before serving himself.

  Idina noticed her mother wasn’t eating. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “Prince Dexter, you have not been formally introduced to my mother.”

  “Since we’re all family,” Leigh replied, “let’s do away with the titles, shall we?”

  Dexter nodded. “Sounds like a good idea to me. It’s nice to finally meet my aunt.”

  Leigh smiled. “You look like your father.”

  Reid took a bite of her soup. It was rather bland. However, it was better than what they’d been eating over the past week.

  “What’s going on in the City of Buckley?” Gordon asked his sister.

  “Our soldiers are in the barracks at the castle,” Idina answered. “Everyone’s accounted for except the hundred soldiers Eldon took with him.”

  “Does anyone in northern Marsden know what’s going on in the south? We went into a tavern to try to hear the local gossip, but there wasn’t any.” Gordon slurped a spoonful of soup.

  “No one is aware of the events in Axian. People believe the king is there for the wedding, nothing more.”

  “I met with the Melenia officers. There are five hundred Melenia soldiers in Axian. We should be able to overpower them so long as my men remain loyal to me.”

  “And that will be the tricky part,” Idina mused. “Yesterday, a letter came for Duchess Ellington. Since I know there isn’t a duchess here and the letter bore the king’s seal, I opened it.” She reached into the folds of her dress and produced the letter, tossing it on the table. “It states the wedding was delayed due to the death of Prince Henrick. It then goes on to say the king requests the duchess to travel with a guard of one hundred men to the wedding. Once she arrives, the wedding will take place.”

  The spoon slipped from Leigh’s fingers, clanking on the table. “Prince Henrick is dead?”

  Idina pursed her lips. “Sorry, Mother. I withheld that information yesterday.”

  “My father is…” Dexter trailed off.

  He was probably going to say his father wasn’t dead, but he thought better of it. In order for Henrick’s plan to work, no one could know he was alive.

  “My father is at peace now,” Dexter said, focusing on his soup as he spoke.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Leigh said, her voice weak. “I’m retiring for the night.” She stood, then hurried from the room.

  “That was awkward,” Ackley mumbled once his mother was gone.

  “I didn’t think she’d still have feelings for my father,” Dexter replied.

  Reid hadn’t either. However, it made sense since Henrick still cared about Leigh, even though he was married to Nara.

  “Why do you suppose Eldon sent this letter?” Idina asked.

  Dexter plucked the letter off the table, examining it. “I recognize the handwriting. When the king sent word he’d be coming, we evacuated all servants and replaced them with soldiers. I assigned Stewart as my father’s deputy. Stewart wrote this—I’m certain of it.”

  “I know my brother,” Idina said. “He wouldn’t waste his time writing letters to the duchesses. He’d make a scribe do it for him. If Stewart was around, he’d use him.”

  Reid leaned forward on her arms. “So…the king instructed Stewart to write to all the duchesses and invite them to the City of Radella for the wedding. Is it not well known my father is a widow?” Reid swallowed, realizing her father wasn’t a widow. He was still married. And her mother was technically the duchess of Ellington.

  “You’re assuming each duchess in Marsden received an identical letter?” Idina inquired.

  “Yes.”

  “To answer your question,” Dexter said to Reid, “most know your father is a widow. I think Stewart sent the letter to Duchess Ellington, feigning ignorance on the chance you came here to hide, or someone here would know where you are.”

  “Which means Stewart thought we needed to know about this,” Reid mused, tapping the letter.

  “The question is then, why does the king want the duchesses and a hundred soldiers per duchess to travel to Axian?” Idina smiled, as if she already knew the answer, but was waiting to see if anyone else guessed it.

  Ackley cursed. “He plans to either strip the dukes and duchesses of their titles or kill them.”

  “Precisely,” Idina replied. “Thankfully, we have people watching the ports. I’ve received word there are several Melenia ships off the coast of northern Marsden. The king has no idea they are there. I believe Melenia intends to invade once the army and all dukes and duchess are south.”

  “I agree,” Gordon said. “When I talked with the Melenia officers before I left, they told me they wanted Marsden’s resources. I got the distinct impression they plan to stab Eldon in the back the first chance they get.”

  Idina’s smile grew. “I’ve been investigating the land across the ocean to the east of us. It is known as the Mainland. Melenia is but one kingdom of many there. Years ago, my father was engaged to marry a princess from Melenia. King Broc wished to unite the two kingdoms and open trade. However, my grandfather died, so the marriage contract was severed. Melenia has been upset with us ever since.”

  “While this is all very interesting,” Ackley said around a yawn, “I’m tired and would like you to get to the point—if there is one.”

  “I have a point.” Idina scooted forward on her chair, leaning on the table. “It just so happens war is brewing on the Mainland. There is a kingdom there called Russek. Its king has been showing signs of wanting to take over the neighboring kingdoms. So I wrote him a letter informing him a substantial portion of the Melenia army is hundreds of miles away. If he wants to invade Melenia, now is the time.”

  “Idina!” Ackley said. “That is devious. Even for you.” He rubbed his chin.

  “When the Melenia soldiers here receive word their kingdom is being invaded, they’ll rush back home and leave us the hell alone.” She folded her hands together. “What? Why are you all staring at me like that?”

  “You’re mad,” Gordon mumbled.

  “I think she’s a genius,” Ackley countered.

  “I’m glad you’re my cousin,” Dexter said admiringly, “and not my enemy.”

  “What if word doesn’t come in time?” Reid asked.

  “If any of the ships dock, I’ll tell them myself,” Gordon said. “I can lie and say we received word from Melenia requesting aid immediately.”

  Reid supposed that would work. “As far as the duchesses go, we should send each a letter.”

  “Why?” Ackley asked, twirling a spoon between his fingers.

  Reid stood and started pacing, a crazy idea forming in her mind. “I think I know how we can stop Eldon.”

  “Do tell.” He set the spoon down, folding his arms.

  She thumbed the ring on her finger. The ring of a duke. It gave her the power to call on the other dukes. “Since the dukes are absent, and are most likely being held hostage, I am going to call on each duchess.” When everyone continued to stare at her with blank faces, not understanding, she extrapolated. “I’m going to invoke the power of the ring to insist each duchess raise her county’s army.”

  “That’s ballsy,” Ackley mumbled. “I like it.” His eyes flashed with excitement.

  “You want the duchesses, the women, to call up their armies?” Gordon sounded skeptical.

  “I do.” The more Reid thought abou
t it, the more she liked the idea of women banning together to save the kingdom.

  Gordon scratched the side of his face. “The duchesses won’t know how to raise their armies, let alone how to lead their soldiers. That’s a man’s job.”

  Dexter chuckled. “It’s a good thing my captain, Gytha, isn’t present to hear you insult her like that.”

  “Weren’t you just in Axian?” Reid tapped her foot.

  Gordon nodded.

  “And while there, didn’t you see that women are perfectly capable of working, managing land, and being soldiers in the army?”

  Gordon chewed on his bottom lip. “But the duchesses were raised very differently and won’t know what to do.”

  “I know you believe that,” Idina chimed in, “but I bet that’s not the case. I think all the duchesses know exactly what to do. If their husbands didn’t tell them, then they probably heard and saw enough to figure it out on their own. And once they raise their armies, the captains will lead the soldiers to the City of Buckley. From there, Gordon and Dexter will take over.”

  Ackley slapped the table. “Eldon’s going to crap in his pants when he learns the women are conspiring against him. I love it.”

  “I suggest you get started on those letters,” Idina said to Reid, her face alight with hope. “It’s time the women of Marsden rally to save this kingdom.”

  “So this is your private bedchamber,” Dexter mused as he entered Reid’s room.

  “It is.” Reid knelt and picked up the discarded chess set, putting it back on the bookshelf. Rising, she found herself suddenly nervous to have Dexter in her bedchamber.

  With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked around the room, examining the knickknacks on her dresser, the books on her shelves, and the weapons discarded around the room. “I’ll admit, it’s not what I pictured.”

  Sitting on the edge of her bed, she asked, “What did you envision my room would look like?”

  He shrugged. “I thought it would be lighter and brighter.” Large gray stones, not wood like the palace, made up her walls, which gave the room a darker feel. Thunder boomed and the rain picked up, pattering against the windows. Dexter went over to the hearth, then stoked the dying fire back to life. “What do you usually do in the evenings around here?”