Hidden Knights

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  “Is she okay?” Owen asked.

  “Anna is her mother,” Dexter explained.

  “Whom she didn’t know was alive until a few weeks ago,” Ackley pointed out.

  “You know Anna better than anyone else,” Dexter said, the chair legs scraping against the floor. “Why did she take Idina instead of killing her in the castle?”

  There was a long pause before Ackley answered, “I think she intended for her men to kidnap Reid. That’s what was supposed to set everything into motion. Only, Reid wasn’t here. So the lackeys she sent took Idina instead.”

  Dexter’s slow footsteps echoed in the room. “Is that why you left with Reid?” His voice sent a chill down Reid’s spine.

  “I didn’t know for sure.”

  “You saved Reid at the expense of your own sister,” Owen mused. “Interesting.”

  “Yes,” Ackley mumbled. “And now I need to get my sister back.”

  “Then let’s get to it. The faster we end this, the sooner I can return to Melenia.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The following days were excruciating. More than once, Reid wished she were a bird and could fly over the kingdom to see what was going on. Had Ackley and Owen managed to find Idina? Had the king sent his and the Melenia soldiers north to make a stand? Where were the Axian soldiers? Were Colbert and Markis okay?

  All counties north of the Gast River—with the exception of Lyndr—had their soldiers camped outside the City of Buckley. Duchess Lyndr had taken her soldiers south into Axian. Gordon spent his days organizing the counties’ armies into one single unit marching under the Marsden banner. He told Reid he needed to stay busy, so he didn’t go crazy worrying about his sister.

  Leigh remained locked in her room. The only one she let in was Nara. Nara told Reid that Leigh was devastated and felt as if she’d lost not one, but two, children.

  Dexter continued to hold meetings with the duchesses in order to make sure they felt included on the invasion south to oust the king and save their husbands.

  “I miss Axian,” Dexter said as he came into the bedchamber he shared with Reid. “I miss my father, my brother, and even the damn dog, Finn.”

  She laughed as she removed her tunic. “Has there been any word from Colbert?”

  “No, but I’ve sent him several messages.”

  “He always struck me as the bookish type.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “I don’t picture him commanding the Axian army.” Granted, he had a lot of help. Markis was with him, along with countless other officers.

  “Sometimes, I forget how little you know about my family.”

  Curious, she turned toward him, even though she only had her shift on.

  “Colbert is an excellent swordsman,” he explained as he went over to the fireplace, tossing another log on the fire.

  Reid recalled how Colbert had thrown himself in front of the dagger to save Dexter’s life, which meant he had to be brave as well. Opening the armoire, she withdrew her nightdress. On her way to the bathing chamber, she caught a glimpse of Dexter as he removed his tunic and undershirt, revealing his muscled torso.

  She froze, heat creeping up her neck and onto her face. He was beautiful.

  “Need something?” he asked, his voice husky, matching the dim lighting cast by the fire.

  Standing there like a fool, unable to speak, she shook her head and ducked into the bathing chamber. Tossing her nightdress on the floor, she realized she’d grabbed the wrong one. Silently cursing, she picked up the dress and went back into the bedchamber. Stretched out on the bed, shirtless, Dexter wore only loose pants that hugged his hips.

  Reid’s eyes widened at the sight. Being sure to keep her mouth shut so she didn’t drool like a damned fool, she forced herself to walk slowly to the armoire so she wouldn’t do something stupid like trip.

  “What’s the matter?” Dexter asked. “You seem flustered.” The corners of his lips rose as he fought a smile.

  She wanted to punch him. He knew he was making her uncomfortable being half naked. Instead of putting clothes on, he was laughing. Well, two could play that game. At the armoire, with her back to Dexter, she shoved the wrong nightdress back into the armoire. Taking a slow breath, she steeled her resolve and removed her shift, letting it fall to the floor like water. She heard him suck in a breath. Good, now he knew what it felt like. Ever so slowly, she removed her pants. With her back still facing Dexter, she leaned forward and withdrew the correct nightdress. She put it over her head and pulled it down her torso, shimmying so the fabric slid the rest of the way.

  She felt ridiculous acting like a harlot. However, she wanted to show Dexter what it felt like to be around someone who was half naked. Turning to face him, she hoped she’d flustered him as much as he did her.

  Dexter was still as a statue, his eyes wide as the moon. She smirked. From where she stood, she could see him swallow.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

  She raised a single eyebrow. “What? You think you’re the only one who can waltz around here showing that much skin?”

  “If I would have known that’s all I had to do to get you half naked, I would have done it a long time ago.” He jumped off the bed. “What will you do if I remove the rest of my clothing?”

  Now he was teasing her. She grabbed a pillow from the bed, then hurled it.

  He deftly caught it. “You shouldn’t have done that.” He smirked, dropping the pillow. With a devious glint in his eyes, he untied his pants. They slid straight to the floor. He stood there in only his underwear. “Now what are you going to do?”

  She was two seconds from throwing herself at him. As calmly as possible, she replied, “I’m going to go to bed.” She quickly climbed under the sheets, pulling them up to her chin. Maybe if she didn’t look at Dexter, the image of him in nothing but his underwear wouldn’t stay seared into her mind.

  Chuckling, Dexter crawled under the blankets next to her. “Funny you should say that. I’m going to bed, too.” He reached over, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. “You’re beautiful.” He propped his head on his hand, watching her. “What are you afraid of? Or are you just not ready?”

  She pinched her eyes closed, not knowing the answer.

  He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I love you, Reid Winston. Let me show you—my wife—how much.” He kissed her right cheek, then her left cheek.

  She could feel his body heat next to her. “I have a better idea,” she said, opening her eyes. “How about I show you how much I love you?” Her voice shook slightly.

  “Why don’t we show each other?”

  She rolled onto her side, facing him. “Okay.”

  He blinked. “Okay?”

  She nodded, ready to spend the night with her husband.

  His lips devoured hers.

  The following morning, Reid woke up in Dexter’s arms, the sheets tangled around their twined legs. Stretching, she was surprised she’d slept at all. They’d spent most the night kissing and being together.

  Someone knocked gently on their door.

  Since Dexter was still asleep, Reid slipped out of bed. Grabbing a discarded blanket from the floor, she pulled it around her naked body before going over to the door, opening it an inch.

  Nara stood in the hallway. “I need to speak with you two immediately. Lord Victor and Lord Robert are here.”

  Reid blinked. “My second cousin Victor and Lord Robert from Axian?” While she understood how Victor had caught up to them, she had no idea what he was doing with Lord Robert.

  “Yes. They’re both in the castle’s private sitting room.” Forehead creased with worry, she tightened her eyes.

  “We’ll be right there, Mum,” Dexter said groggily.

  Reid glanced over her shoulder at Dexter. He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. Even in the morning with his hair tousled, he was still handsome.

  “We’ll get dressed and meet you there
,” Reid said to Nara.

  Nara’s face softened as she gave Reid a knowing smile before leaving.

  Reid closed the door. Dexter waved her over to him. When she neared the bed, he yanked her closer. After tugging the blanket off her body, he leaned back on the bed, pulling her on top of him. His lips found hers.

  “Your mother is expecting us,” Reid said around kisses. If they didn’t stop this soon, the likelihood of making it to the sitting room this morning diminished greatly.

  “Minor details.” He flipped her so his body was now on top of hers. “But we do need to go and see why those two are here. We’ll have to finish this later.” He playfully bit her shoulder before getting up and pulling on his pants.

  Sighing, Reid did the same. One of these days, they’d be able to be lazy and lounge around their room all day. Today was not that day.

  Reid and Dexter entered the private sitting room. Lord Victor and Lord Robert sat on one of the sofas, each with a teacup in hand. Nara and Leigh sat across from them. Since Leigh was present, she must think the lords’ presence had something to do with Idina.

  Taking one of the chairs, Reid sat and addressed them. “Where is she?”

  “If you’re referring to Princess Idina,” Lord Robert said, setting his cup down, “word is the Melenia army has captured her as a prisoner of war.”

  Leigh’s face paled. Nara reached over, rubbing her back.

  “Why are you two here?” Dexter asked, coming up behind Reid and placing his hands protectively on the back of her chair.

  Robert chuckled. “Are you two playing king and queen?”

  Reid was about to inform him that they were married, but she kept that to herself. Dexter knew Robert and what kind of man he was. She needed to let him deal with the lord.

  Instead of responding, Dexter waited for Robert to answer.

  He rolled his shoulders back. “King Eldon sent Marsden soldiers to eliminate the Axian ruling families.”

  Reid’s heart pounded—did that include her grandparents?

  “Clearly he wasn’t successful in his endeavor since you’re here,” Dexter murmured.

  “The Marsden soldiers encountered Axian soldiers at every manor they visited.” Robert leaned back against the sofa, crossing his legs. “It seems you managed to organize and control your men even from so far away.”

  Relief washed through Reid. Her grandparents were unharmed.

  Since Dexter and Colbert had several plans in place before Eldon arrived at the palace, they were able to organize their soldiers quickly and prevent the attacks on the ruling families.

  Instead of acknowledging his own military genius, Dexter asked again, “What are you doing here?”

  Robert cleared his throat, shifting on the sofa. “You know what my position has been all these years.”

  “Yes,” Dexter replied. “You want Axian to be its own independent kingdom. You’ve made yourself perfectly clear on the matter.”

  “I’ve changed my mind.”

  Although Reid couldn’t see Dexter, she felt him tense behind her.

  “Explain.”

  Robert took a deep breath. “I see now Axian being its own kingdom won’t work. I understand Marsden will always be a threat.” He uncrossed his legs and then crossed them again, seemingly irritated at having to explain himself. “Fine. I’ll say it since that’s what you want. I support your bid for the throne.”

  The room seemed unnaturally quiet. Reid wondered why Robert felt compelled to come all the way to the City of Buckley to convey his position on the matter. She pinched her lips, letting Dexter handle this one. He pushed off the chair, moving to sit on the arm of it, next to Reid.

  “So, Lord Robert, you’re here to show your support for me.” Dexter’s eyes sliced over to Victor. “Why are you here?”

  Victor scooted toward the edge of the sofa. “I’m here on behalf of Duke Gregor Axian.”

  “My grandfather sent you?” Reid asked. She’d thought he was here per Anna’s instructions.

  “After…uh…losing you in northern Axian, I returned to the manor to check on Duke Axian. Since he has no legally living children, I’ve been appointed as his caregiver and am responsible for his well-being. The king did try to take his land. Thankfully, the Axian soldiers held the king’s men back.”

  So Victor’s loyalties were tied. “Does Anna know you’re here?”

  “She does. She asked for me to report back on the nature of your relationship with Dexter. She wants to know if it has changed.” He looked from Reid to Dexter and then back again, silently questioning them.

  “You will tell her it is the same.” Reid clasped her hands together. Anna couldn’t discover the depth of Reid’s feelings for Dexter. If Anna did, it would compromise everything, and she’d probably end up adding Reid to her list of people to kill.

  “Why did Duke Axian send you?” Dexter inquired.

  “Like Lord Robert, Duke Axian is indebted to you for what you have done. He asked I check on Reid. I am doing so under the guise that I am here on Anna’s orders.”

  “The time to strike is now,” Robert insisted. “We can’t give Eldon time to regroup.”

  “Is that so?” Dexter stood and wandered over to the window, gazing outside. “To be clear, you want me to remove the unlawful king, get the Melenia army out of our kingdom, you want your land and title retained, and you would like peace restored to the land?”

  “Yes,” Robert said, tugging the collar of his tunic away from his neck.

  Reid supposed Robert was afraid of things changing and only supported Dexter because Dexter would maintain a sense of familiarity. What Reid didn’t like was the fact Robert felt no loyalty to Dexter. His desire to support Dexter stemmed from need and what was best for himself—nothing more.

  Dexter faced Robert. “In that case, I want a few things in return.”

  Sitting on the window seat with the curtain closed, concealing her from sight, Reid gazed outside at the dark clouds rolling in. With so many soldiers sleeping in tents just outside the city wall, a storm was not a welcome sight right now. She sighed. All this sitting around, waiting, was starting to get to her. She just wanted this finished so she could start moving the kingdom forward.

  The door to the sitting room creaked open. “Reid?” Harlan said.

  “I’m in here.”

  A moment later, her friend pushed the curtain aside, peering into her private space. “What are you doing?”

  “I wanted some time alone to think.” She’d been hiding there for over an hour.

  Harlan crawled onto the window seat with her. “I know what you mean. I’m not used to living with so many opinionated people.” He let his head rest against the wall.

  For Reid, that was part of it. She was used to being by herself for hours. Yet, now she was rarely alone. She enjoyed the silence—it made her feel calm and tranquil. But she’d hid in here today for a different reason. Thoughts of her mother were inundating her. She kept thinking about Anna’s end goal, everything she’d learned about her, and ways they could beat her. So far, Reid hadn’t been able to come up with any viable plans. Every time she thought of something, Anna managed to outsmart them. Now, all Reid felt was incredible anxiety.

  “Looks nasty out there,” Harlan commented.

  Reid nodded, staring out the window. “And it hasn’t even started raining.” Thunder boomed through the sky, rattling the glass.

  “Are you okay?” Harlan asked, his voice soft and barely audible.

  “Yes.” She looked at her friend, wondering why he’d asked her that.

  “Dexter sought me out. He asked if I’d speak to you.”

  That surprised Reid. “About what?”

  He shrugged. “He said he thought you could use a friend.”

  Having Harlan nearby did offer a level of comfort and familiarity. It was like having a piece of home with her. The second she thought about home, tears filled her eyes. Her home had been destroyed.

  As if sensing her
discomfort, Harlan hurried and said, “I met Lord Robert and your second cousin Victor. They’re interesting.”

  “They’re staying here in the castle.” She rolled her eyes. Dexter should have made them stay at a local inn.

  Harlan fidgeted with the seam of his pants near his knee. “Did you hear a messenger arrived?”

  She shook her head—she hadn’t heard a thing.

  “Word came that when Duchess Lyndr arrived at the City of Radella, the king had her arrested, and he took control of her soldiers.”

  “Serves her right. We told her not to go.”

  “The irony is that he arrested her for raising an army against him.”

  Reid snorted. “I bet she had a fit screaming he’s the one who told her to come with an army.”

  They sat in companionable silence for several minutes. A light rain started falling outside.

  “Dexter told me the soldiers are ready to march,” Harlan said. “He plans to leave in two days. He wants me to come.”

  “You should.” He could help if someone got injured or if Anna tried poisoning any of the soldiers.

  “Umm,” Harlan murmured, shifting on the window seat.

  “What is it?” She knew her friend well enough to tell when he needed to discuss something with her.

  “Nara spoke with me.”

  Reid narrowed her eyes. Nara wouldn’t dare.

  “Here.” He handed a bag of herbs to her.

  Reid’s face flamed red. She refused to take the bag. How could Nara have spoken to Harlan about Reid needing something to prevent a pregnancy? She wanted to crawl into the window seat and hide.

  “I wish you would have felt comfortable coming to me yourself,” Harlan said. “Reid? What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t believe she did that.” Reid couldn’t decide if she was angry or on the verge of tears. Maybe both.

  “If you and Dexter aren’t ready to have a child, you need to be taking these.”

  Reid snatched the bag from his hand.

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he insisted. “Lots of women take them. My own wife does.”