Hidden Knights

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  Setting her on her feet in one of the empty sparring areas, he said, “Your swords are over there.” He pointed to the corner.

  Furious he’d thrown her over his shoulder like a sack of flour, she stomped over and grabbed her weapons, withdrawing them from their sheaths. When she faced him, he stood with his legs shoulder-width apart, his hands at his sides.

  “No weapon?” she asked.

  “I don’t need one.” His fingers twitched as he prepared to spar.

  She couldn’t best him physically—which meant she had to outsmart him. An idea formed. Lifting her sword, she pretended as if she were going to strike his side. When he went to block with his arm, she twisted her hand awkwardly. Crying out, she dropped her sword, then grabbed her wrist, cradling it.

  “Are you okay?” Dexter took her hand, examining it. “Does this hurt?”

  While his attention was on her hand, she withdrew her dagger, placing the tip at his neck. “I win.”

  He chuckled. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

  “Nope.” She grinned.

  “Then, yes, I concede this round.” His foot shot out, hooking around Reid’s ankle and flipping her to the ground.

  Lying flat on her back, she blinked at the bright sky. “That was a bit excessive.”

  He straddled her. “Was it?” His dark eyes danced with mischief.

  “Your Highness,” a soldier shouted as he ran into the training area. “There’s someone here to see you. He says it’s urgent.”

  With his eyes still trained on Reid, Dexter asked, “Did he give his name?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. He said his name is Seb.”

  Dexter went unnaturally still, a dozen emotions flitting across his face. Finally, he jumped to his feet. Reaching a hand down, he pulled Reid up.

  “Is he an older gentleman?” Dexter asked the soldier.

  “He is.”

  “Is he alone?”

  “No, Your Highness, he is not.”

  Everyone had stopped sparring to watch the exchange between Dexter and the soldier.

  “Then I guess we better go see what Seb wants.”

  Entering the great hall, Reid and Dexter approached their guest. Seb sat on the sofa, a man kneeling on the floor beside him. Ackley, Gordon, Idina, and Gytha fanned out in the room.

  “Seb,” Dexter said. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “Some matters cannot be entrusted to another person,” Seb replied, standing to shake Dexter’s proffered hand.

  “Who’s this?” Dexter asked, pointing at the kneeling man.

  “This is Prince Owen of Melenia.”

  Shock rolled through Reid. One of the Melenia princes was here? Why hadn’t she heard about him before now? Like the other Melenians she’d encountered, he had short blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. However, he wasn’t wide shouldered or muscled. She put his age to be closer to her own—eighteen or nineteen.

  “Are you certain?” Dexter asked.

  “I can verify Prince Owen’s identity,” Gordon said. “I met him when I spoke with the Melenia officers stationed outside the palace. He is the fourth-born child of the king and queen of Melenia. He was sent here to assist Commander Beck with the soldiers.”

  Dexter observed the young man. “Captain Gytha, wait here with the prince. Everyone else, come with me.”

  “I’m going to stay with Gytha in case she needs backup,” Reid said. If the prince were here learning military strategy and how to invade another kingdom, he had to be intelligent and skilled with the sword.

  Dexter lifted a single eyebrow, but he didn’t question her. “That is an excellent idea,” he replied. With a flourish, he handed her a dagger before exiting the room with the others.

  Reid slid the dagger into the back of her pants in case she needed it. This man obviously didn’t have any weapons on him. Seb would have made sure to remove them before traveling with him. However, something told her not to underestimate him—that he was far more lethal than he seemed.

  Prince Owen’s wrists and ankles were tied together. Did Seb bring him here on his own? Or had he traveled with additional soldiers? Perhaps the prince was utterly useless, and he didn’t have any sword skills. Maybe his father had sent him to get him out of the way or to instill some sort of work ethic in him.

  She watched the prince where he knelt on the floor, trying to get a read on him. His eyes were trained on her, making her feel oddly exposed.

  Gytha placed a hand on Reid’s arm, pulling her away from the prince.

  A slow smile spread across his face. “I was trying to determine who you are,” he said. “Now I know.” His voice had a thick accent.

  “You could have asked. I would have told you.” Reid saw no harm in him knowing her identity. She sat on one of the chairs across from the prince. Gytha insisted on standing next to her, hovering like a protective mother.

  Prince Owen’s intelligent eyes narrowed, taking Reid in again, assessing.

  Wanting to gain the upper hand, Reid crossed her legs, trying to pretend he didn’t rattle her. “Tell me, Prince Owen, you seem like a spry young gentleman. How did you manage to be captured by an old man?”

  He sprang to his feet, ankles and wrists still tied together.

  Gytha was already there, a knife at his throat. “Don’t move, prince.”

  Reid chuckled. “So temperamental. Often a trait in the youngest sibling.”

  “You would know, Lord Reid.”

  Drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair, she said, “You didn’t let Seb capture you, did you?”

  Instead of replying, he sat on the sofa.

  “Do you think he wanted to come north?” Gytha asked, her knife still pointed at Owen.

  “I do. The question is why.”

  Gytha shook her head. “I told you, I don’t like these Melenians. There aren’t any women in their army.”

  Owen chuckled. “We’re not any different from Marsden.”

  “In Axian, we let women fight.”

  “Too bad your king has gained control of Axian. Last I saw, he was rounding up women wearing pants and tossing them in prison.”

  Reid bristled. The only people left at the palace were soldiers. And the women had all worn dresses so as not to upset the king. If what the prince said were true, that meant the king had sent soldiers to the nearby cities. Panic began to grow for the Axian people. They needed to overthrow Eldon as soon as possible.

  Standing, she started pacing behind the chair, trying to figure out why Prince Owen would have wanted to leave the Melenia army and come north. What was here that he’d be interested in? “Your king and queen want control of Marsden,” she said, thinking aloud. “I’ve heard they are enamored with our mines.” Ships had been transporting jewelry to Melenia for quite some time.

  His face remained impassive, indicating there was some truth to what she said.

  “Did you come north to check on the mines?” She gripped the back of the chair, closely watching his reaction.

  The corners of his lips rose, whether it was from her guessing the truth, she couldn’t be sure. Maybe she should ask Ackley for lessons on interrogation.

  The only other reason she could think of for him being here was to check on the Melenia ships off the northern coast of Marsden.

  Dexter, Gordon, Ackley, and Seb returned to the great hall. Reid wondered where Idina had run off to.

  “Gytha, you and Ackley will escort Prince Owen to the barracks,” Dexter ordered. “He will remain there for now.”

  “I assume in a locked facility?” Gytha asked.

  “Ackley will show you.”

  Reid wasn’t sure what that meant. Was there a dungeon or some sort of holding cell in the barracks?

  Ackley chuckled, the sound cold, dark, and humorless. “This should be fun. Come, Prince Owen, it seems we get to play.”

  Once Gytha and Ackley left with the prince, Reid turned to Dexter. “You’re having him interrogated?” The thought of Ackley t
orturing another person made her sick.

  “There’s no need,” Seb said. “I already know everything of importance.”

  “Then why did Ackley imply he’d be interrogating the prince?”

  “I’ll find Duchess Bridger,” Gordon said.

  “And I will accompany you,” Seb said. They exited the room, leaving Reid and Dexter alone.

  “What am I missing?” Reid asked.

  “Word came from Melenia,” Dexter explained. “Duchess Bridger has the letter.” He went over to the fireplace, putting one hand on the mantle while hunching forward. With his back to her, he said, “Russek slaughtered the entire Melenia royal family, and he gained control of the kingdom. Most of the Melenia army has been killed as well. He ordered heads placed on spikes along the entire border. It was brutal.”

  Reid collapsed on the sofa, dumbfounded. “Does Idina know?”

  “She does. She’s in her room, crying.”

  The princess had to feel awful since she’d written to Russek letting them know a substantial portion of the Melenia army was in Marsden.

  “If this forces the Melenia army to return home, then Princess Idina will have managed to accomplish something with minimal loss of life to the Marsden people,” Dexter said as if reading from a book.

  “I agree, she very well may have saved our civilians’ lives, but at the cost of Melenians?” How many people had been ruthlessly slaughtered? Reid’s stomach twisted at the mere thought.

  “War is never pretty,” Dexter said as he took a seat beside her. “It brings out the worst in people.” He took hold of her hands. “And when we march south into Axian, we will be at war. People will die.”

  She didn’t want to think about people she knew and loved dying. “Who is going to tell Prince Owen?” He was the only surviving monarch. “I mean, King Owen?”

  “Gordon went to ask the duchess to give the letter to Owen. Then we will release him so he can gather his soldiers and return home.”

  “Do you think he’ll retaliate against us?”

  “He can never know of our involvement in the matter. I’ve already told Idina she isn’t to say a word to anyone about what she did.”

  Reid agreed. However, an ominous feeling took root. Secrets rarely stayed hidden.

  Since Duchess Willer, Duchess Tucker, and Duchess Slader had each sent a messenger with word they would stand with Reid, only Duchess Ryder and Duchess Lyndr remained undecided. And both duchesses had arrived with their soldiers outside the city wall only an hour or so ago. Reid stood in Eldon’s office, staring out the window, wondering if Duchess Ryder and Duchess Lyndr would stand with Reid or side with Eldon. If they stood with Reid, then Dexter could proceed with removing the king. Dexter had yet to release Owen—she didn’t know what he was waiting for. However, she hoped once he was allowed to go, he’d pack up his soldiers and sail back home. If he didn’t, then Dexter would have to fight the Melenia soldiers as well. She chewed on her thumbnail, hoping it didn’t come to that.

  Ackley poked his head in the room. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Thinking.”

  “Want to snoop with me?”

  “What about the duchesses?”

  He rolled his eyes, then stepped into the room. “Duchess Lyndr is refusing to meet with you. She said she supports the true king. I informed her the true king stripped me of my title so I wouldn’t be marrying her daughter. Once the shock wore off, she said she was taking her soldiers south as her husband and the king requested. Good riddance is what I say.”

  Reid leaned against the window ledge. “I suppose it would have been too much to ask that all the counties support us.”

  “You invoked the ring,” he reminded her. “That means if we win, her land and title will be stripped.”

  Reid pinched the bridge of her nose. “What about Duchess Ryder?”

  “She will only speak with Gordon, her son-in-law.” Ackley folded his arms. “She’s here with her two sons. Idina asked to accompany Gordon to speak to her.”

  “I’m not needed?”

  He smirked. “Thus, the snooping.”

  She smiled. “Okay.” More than anything, she was curious what he was searching for.

  “Go change out of that dress. I’ll meet you at the barracks.”

  “Who do you need me to be?” A man, woman, merchant, servant?

  “I need you to be yourself.”

  Walking along the street in the City of Buckley, Reid adjusted her hat, making sure she hid her hair beneath it.

  “Will you focus?” Ackley mumbled.

  “Sorry.” They were nearing the gate in the wall, and they needed to make it past the soldiers without anyone recognizing them.

  Since it was afternoon, there were still a lot of people coming and going, allowing the two to easily blend in with the crowd, no one stopping or questioning them as they left the city.

  “Care to tell me where we’re going?” she whispered. When he’d said they were snooping, she thought he meant in the castle, not out here. As far as she could see, soldiers were camped in tents.

  “To the mines.”

  “In Bridger?” she squealed. They were leaving the area completely? Bridger was almost a day’s walk from there.

  “We’re going to borrow some horses.”

  “Even on horseback, it’ll take us a couple of hours. Each way.” People would question where they’d disappeared to.

  “I told Dexter I was taking you to do some reconnaissance.”

  “We won’t be back until after dark.”

  “Exactly. It’ll be easier to sneak inside the castle under the cover of night.”

  Not having the energy to argue, Reid followed him toward the forest. Just before they reached the cover of the trees, they came to a large fenced-in area where the horses for the Slader officers were kept.

  Acting as if he belonged there, Ackley opened the gate, then began saddling one of the horses. Not wanting it to take any longer than necessary, Reid joined him. Picking up a smaller saddle, she put it on one of the horses. Once they finished, they led the animals out of the pen, heading toward the trees. Reid kept waiting for someone to scream or stop them; however, no one did. When they were far enough away for anyone to see them, they mounted.

  “We’ll need to travel fast,” Ackley said. “Ready?”

  Instead of answering, she leaned forward, squeezing her legs into the horse’s flanks as she commanded it to run. The animal took off. Reid smiled as the wind whipped through her hair, the land rushing below the horse’s hooves.

  Chapter Fifteen

  After securing the horses to trees, Ackley and Reid crept toward the mines, trying to get a better look. When they neared the large hole in the ground, they got on their hands and knees, crawling to the edge.

  “It’s still light out,” Reid mumbled, silently cursing Ackley for bringing her along. “Someone is going to see us.”

  “No one is expecting us to be here.”

  At the edge, they stretched out on their stomachs, observing the hundred-foot-wide circular hole before them. Like the last time Reid was there, over a hundred miners were excavating precious stones along the sides. Also like before, the men had short hair and wide shoulders, indicating they were from Melenia.

  “If Duchess Bridger is so upset over Melenia taking her resources, why isn’t she trying to stop them?” Ackley mused.

  “Since her daughter is married to Eldon, she probably doesn’t want to cause any problems.” Besides, most of Bridger’s soldiers were currently at the City of Buckley with the duchess.

  “Where do you think they take the stones?” he mused.

  That was a good question. Once a miner dislodged a stone with his hammer or spike, he put it in a basket around his waist. The men stood on ledges built into the sides of the hole. At the end of the day, they probably came out of the hole and emptied their baskets somewhere. Reid scanned the area, not seeing any place where they’d do so. “Where do the men go at night?” she ask
ed, not spotting any tents or homes nearby. The men had to sleep somewhere. And they needed food. “Why is any of this important?”

  “I’m curious. I think there is more to it than we know.” He started scooting backward, away from the hole.

  Reid did the same.

  When they were safely back under the cover of the forest, Ackley started pacing. “I want to find out where they’re keeping the stones until they ship them to Melenia.”

  “Why?” Reid asked, leaning against a tree.

  “Once Owen learns of his kingdom’s fate, what do you think he’s going to do?”

  “Rush home.” Hopefully with his soldiers in tow.

  “And what of the stones?”

  “He’ll leave them?” Reid suggested.

  “Most likely. The problem with that is he could come back for them. Especially if he’s financially strapped for cash.” Ackley stopped pacing. “We need to find the stones and gain control of them. They are too valuable to leave in Bridger. If the duke gets his hands on them, it’ll throw off the balance of power.”

  Who was Ackley more concerned about? King Owen or Duke Bridger? “Doesn’t the duke own the mines?” Which would make the stones his in the first place? And hadn’t Dexter promised the duchess full control of the mines would return to Bridger?

  “Part of Eldon’s marriage negotiations to Harlow included these stones. I know for a fact he hasn’t received full payment yet.”

  Reid rubbed her temple. “Ackley, why are we really here?” She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like his answer.

  He gestured over her shoulder. “Perfect timing.”

  Reid glanced back, seeing Ackley’s Knights approaching. “What are they doing here?”

  The Knights moved like shadows cast by the setting sun.

  “They’re here to help us.”

  The group formed a loose circle around Reid and Ackley.

  “Our mission is two-fold,” Ackley said, wasting no time. “Half will stay here to find out what the Melenian miners do at the end of the day. Where do they take the stones? Are they stored somewhere? If so, where? My guess is they’re somehow using the Modig Mountains.”