Rowan looked from Allegra to the king, sensing there was more than was immediately apparent, more than just her release of the prisoners. For now, he refused to intervene, not until he learned the reason for Allegra’s discontent. But he would not permit her to suffer any harm.
The food forgotten and growing cold, Allegra turned to him. “Please take me back with you. If you only knew the truth–“
”This is not his business.”
“Then I will make it his business,” she said. “You see, the prisoners–“
”Shut your godforsaken mouth! He’s not interested in Fomorian matters.”
“Oh, but I am.” His patience at an end, he addressed the king. “Just in the short time since my arrival–barely an hour–I sense that all is not well in your country. I suspect the princess’s unhappiness may be justified.”
Arnou scowled. “I repeat, this is not your business.”
“Anything that involves the princess, I have made my business. She was my ward in Avador, didn’t she tell you? And though she no longer resides in Avador, her concerns are mine.”
Arnou looked from Allegra to him. “And just what is she to you, besides being your former ward?”
“She is the woman I–“
”I love him!” Allegra blurted. “And I have no desire to marry you.” She looked at Rowan and smiled. Her expression mingled joy with relief, but love above all.
Arnou nodded in grim response. “Oh, but you will marry me. I am the king, and my word is law. There is nothing that this–this Minister of State can say or do that will prevent our wedding.”
“Let her go,” Rowan said, “for I love her very much.” He caught Allegra’s look of pure happiness, and his heart turned over with love for her. “Why wed a woman who doesn’t want you, whose marriage to you will bring her grief? Grant her the happiness she deserves and–“
”This isn’t a marriage between two ignorant peasants we are referring to,” Arnou said. “We are speaking of a royal union. No one said anything about happiness.”
“Oh, and I have no say about it?” Pink spots bloomed on her cheeks. “I am neither your wife nor your ward. You can’t make me marry you.”
“I repeat. Release her. I’ll take her back to Avador with me.”
“She’s not going anywhere. She is staying here.” He faced Rowan defiantly. “You want her? Then fight for her.”
“Come now, Your Majesty. Let’s not be so melodramatic. Only let me take her back to Avador with me.”
Arnou laughed. “What a coward!” He threw an amused glance at her. “You want to go with this coward? He knows he can’t defeat me.”
“Not a coward,” Rowan replied, “ for I am a skilled swordsman. But I see no reason for such drastic measures when it would be far simpler to grant the princess her wish.”
Arnou’s look held pure contempt. “Besides being a coward, he’s dull-minded. No matter how many times I say something, he doesn’t understand.”
“Very well.” Rowan scraped his chair back and stood. “We will fight for her.”
“No, Rowan, don’t! If anything should happen to you–“
”Poor lady.” Arnou sneered. “See how afraid she is for you.”
“Please, sweetheart.” His looked projected all the love and tenderness he felt for her. “Be quiet and don’t interfere.”
She nodded and stepped aside, her mouth twisted in anguish.
Rowan caught sight of the servants who had gathered around the corner of the great hall, no doubt anticipating a spectacle.
Arnou snapped his fingers at the servants. “Clear the table and chairs.” They rushed forward and folded the trestle table, then moved the table and chairs against the wall. He snapped his fingers again. “Go fetch the steward and tell him to bring my sword.”
Within minutes, the steward arrived, a look of puzzled inquiry on his face, but he said nothing. He handed the sword to Arnou.
Rowan looked to Allegra and mouthed the words, “I love you.” Silently, she repeated his words.
“To the death!” Arnou cried, brandishing his sword.
“No! First one to draw blood,” Rowan replied. “I didn’t make this journey to your country to kill you.”
“Hah! You are a coward.”
Tired of refuting the insult, he ignored the king’s remark and drew his sword from its scabbard.
They each moved back ten steps, then faced and saluted each other.
“Montague,” the king instructed the steward, “drop a coin and we shall begin. It won’t take me long to kill this weakling.” He glared at Rowan. “And this duel will be to the death.”
First blood. But Rowan kept silent.
At the drop of a coin, the duel began. The king lunged at him, but Rowan quickly parried and followed with a riposte. Keeping a firm grip on his sword, he attacked and parried, all the while watching the king’s foot movements.
Ah, this king is a skilled fencer, Rowan thought, but perhaps too perfect, too predictable. The duel continued for long moments, he parrying the king’s attacks and attacking whenever he saw an opening. Despite the coolness in the great hall, sweat drenched his clothes and soaked his hair. He feinted an attack; the king lunged forward while he stepped back.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the servants who had gathered outside the hall. Yet he continually kept his gaze on the king, on his arm movements and footsteps. He thought he saw a pattern in the king’s method, but he wasn’t sure.
Each time Arnou attacked, Rowan parried, hoping to wear down the king. He launched his own attack, but the king swayed back. Yet it seemed to him that the king was tiring.
The king leaped and lunged, the sword barely missing his arm. That was close, too close. “Almost got you there,” Arnou boasted. “Why not give up now?”
“Because I’m not done with you.”
The duel stretched on for long moments as time lost all meaning. Through it all, he tried to anticipate the king’s movements. The swords clashed and hissed, he and the king deftly moving throughout the hall.
Finally, he saw a pattern. The king stomped his foot once when he feinted at attack and twice when he followed through. He launched his own attack, which Arnou frantically parried. Rowan grinned with confidence. He had him now. He attacked, drawing blood from the king’s arm.
“Enough!” Rowan cried. “Let’s end this now.”
“No! I said to the death!”
“To the death!” Knife in hand, a strange man rushed from the crowd. He headed for the king and plunged the knife through the king’s chest.
A stunned look captured the king’s face, then he toppled to the floor.
And a shocked silence fell over the great hall.
Chapter Twenty-one
Throughout the duel, Allegra prayed as she had never prayed before. Keep Rowan safe. Oh, please keep him safe. Just once, her gaze strayed to the servants who gawked outside the great hall. Who was that man among them–the former steward? No, that couldn’t be. Surely she was imagining things. Why would he return to the castle, where he would be recaptured and suffer punishment? Certainly he must be miles away.
She was thankful Elsa was away from the castle, visiting a friend for a few days. The dear woman wouldn’t have been able to bear this drama.
The hiss and clang of weapons drew her attention back to the duel. She realized all that was at stake. If Rowan won, the king would live but endure humiliation from the people and be furious because of his shame. What would he do then? Take his anger out on her? Vow revenge against Rowan?
And if Arnou won? Ah, that possibility didn’t bear consideration. How can I live without the man I love?
Then it happened! Rowan’s sword struck Arnou’s arm, drawing blood. Oh, thank you, thank you! Now the duel would end.
“Surrender!” Rowan cried. “We will fight no more.”
But Arnou wouldn’t concede. “To the death!”
Then everything happened so quickly, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“To the death!” Knife in hand, a man broke through the crowd–yes, he was the former steward–and rushed toward the king. He plunged the knife through Arnou’s chest. Looking stunned, the king stared at his assailant, then fell to the floor. Blood poured from his chest and trickled onto the floor.
And a shocked silence fell over the great hall.
She looked at Rowan, his face revealing his bewilderment. “Why did you do that?” he cried. “You murdered him in cold blood.” He knelt by the fallen king and felt his pulse, then looked up at her and shook his head.
Why? Why had the former steward returned to the castle and committed such a foolish but deadly act?
“I’ll explain shortly,” he said as he dropped the knife to the floor.
A hubbub of noises erupted in the hall, shouts, cries and moans from the servants. The assailant remained, looking supremely satisfied.
The shock behind her, Allegra shuddered. She had never before seen a man killed, and certainly not with a stab to the heart. Her skin turned hot, then cold. Swallowing convulsively, she feared she’d be sick, but she fought for control. She couldn’t show weakness in front of the servants.
Mixed feelings churned inside her. She caught Rowan’s eye and shrugged, silently indicating she had no idea of the murderer’s motives. She had wanted to be free of Arnou, but not like this, never like this. She raised her arms for attention. “Quiet! Quiet, everyone!” She addressed two burly male servants who stood in front of the crowd. “Royce and Philip, remove the king’s body and take him to one of the empty apartments. He can be prepared for burial later. And you, Marguerite,” she said to one of the maids. “Clean up the blood here and return the knife to the kitchen.”
“Yes, madam.”
She glared at the assassin. “You stay here. I need a few answers from you.” She caught Rowan’s attention. “Make sure this man stays.”
“Don’t worry, madam. I’m not going anywhere.”
After the king’s body was removed, she gestured to Rowan and the assassin. “Let’s move away from here.” She led them to the end of the hall, away from any servants who lingered. Complete darkness had fallen, the rushlights giving little illumination. She focused her attention on the steward, but he spoke first.
“You, madam, you’re the lady who–“
”Yes, who freed you from the dungeon. What a mistake! Should have kept you there. And, by the way, I am Princess Allegra.,” she said, ignoring his look of surprise. “Now, sir, tell me your name. You have much explaining to do.” She glanced Rowan’s way. “He served as steward under my father. This was after I was taken hostage.”
“So you’ve never met him before?” asked Rowan.
“Earlier, but I’ll tell you about that another time. You still haven’t told me your name,” she said to the man.
“Oliver, madam.”
“What is the meaning of this assassination? How could you so such a thing, especially after your escape from prison? I thought you surely would have left, far from the castle.”
“Madam, that man I killed was an imposter. Most assuredly he was not Prince Arnou,”
“What? What are you saying?”
“Madam, most likely he bribed his retainers to support him. Together, they raised an army around him to defeat the war faction.”
She exchanged glances with Rowan and saw a puzzled expression on his face, a look that surely mirrored hers. “How do you know this?”
“Because I had met the real Prince Arnou, who lived not far from me in the south of the country. He had dark hair and was short, nothing like the man I just killed.”
“We have only your word for this,” Rowan said.
“I assure you I speak the truth. You see, the real Prince Arnou was a recluse, since he had a club foot. I had occasion to meet him once when I visited him at his castle to ask a small favor of him, which he granted.” Oliver’s gaze covered the great hall, his gesture indicating its immensity. “He resided in a small castle, nothing as grand as this, with but a few servants.”
“He lived alone,” she asked, “aside from the servants?”
“Yes, his parents had died of a fever years before I met him. And he had very few servants.”
More confused than ever, countless questions rampaged through her mind, so many she didn’t know what to ask next. “How could he fool everyone, make them believe he was Prince Arnou? And what was his name?”
“Madam, I don’t know his real name. I suspect the imposter murdered the prince and stole his identity.”
“How in the world did he get away with that?” Rowan asked. “I find this all difficult to believe.”
“As do I,” she remarked.
“As I told you, Prince Arnou stayed in his castle. No one from the village ever saw him. I suspect the imposter bribed his servants to ensure their silence, or else murdered them,” he said under his breath.
“But surely other people would learn of this,” Rowan protested.
“Sir, how would they know? Look how isolated the people of Fomoria are. The rich reside in their castles and the poor live in their huts. The villages are far apart.”
“You said nothing about all of this when I came to the dungeon,” she stated.
“Madam, what would have been the use? Would you have believed me? And you can see by the questions you’ve asked, the explanations are long in the telling.”
“You speak the truth there,” she concurred. “And the leading families? Why would they accept him as the prince?”
“He and his retainers defeated the war faction and brought peace to the country, preventing, we hope, any future wars with Elegia. But was the price worth it? In the short time since he gained the throne, he has ruled ruthlessly, torturing and killing those who questioned his rule. But as long as he brought peace–which he did–very few questioned his right to the throne.”
She shook her head. “Peace or not, that still doesn’t explain why the leading families accepted him without question.”
“The man who posed as the prince was obviously quite wealthy. He entered the capital clad like a prince in splendid clothes, riding an equally splendid horse. His retainers rode with him. And here’s another suspicion of mine: I believe he stole certain objects from Arnou’s castle, such as his signet ring, any other objects that would prove his identity. And of course, he must have bribed his retainers to accept him. “Money talks,” he said, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together. “Money will get you anything.”
“Except integrity.” Allegra breathed deeply, trying to absorb all this information. It was just too much. And yet it all made sense. She caught Rowan’s sympathetic gaze on her and felt certain he sensed her disquiet. She addressed Oliver again. “And you–I thought you would be miles away by now. You took a great chance in returning to the castle.”
He smiled. “Madam, it’s odd how things work out, when everything falls into place. After you freed me, I hid out in the woods. I had intended to sneak into the castle this evening and find the imposter to murder him. At the time I arrived here, the imposter king was dueling with this gentleman,” he said, nodding at Rowan. “This presented a problem, with so many people about. But none of the servants noticed me. They were all too intent on watching the duel. When the imposter said ‘To the death!’ I knew my moment had come. And you see how it all worked out.”
“Yes, I see,” she said, still too puzzled to think clearly. “How did you get the knife?”
“I sneaked into the kitchen. It was empty, all the servants watching the duel. Had it been otherwise, I meant to visit the room where the weapons are kept. Like I said before, I know this castle like I know my name, madam.” He sent her a look of entreaty. “So what will you do with me now, arrest me, return me to the dungeon?”
“It’s the fate you deserve, whether or not the murder was justified.” She sighed deeply. “I think it best if you go far away from here. Later, once I am crowned queen, I will declare amnesty for all the fugitives.”
She noted Rowan’s face set in sorrow and realized he must think that she, as queen of Fomoria, would be gone from his life. Ah, no, my love, never! She must assure him of her plans, but later.
She addressed Oliver again. “Now, you told me I have a half-brother whom King Corvell intended to name as his heir. Have you any idea where he is?”
“No, madam. He disappeared right after the assassination of the king and queen, your father and mother,” he said quietly.
“Very well. As soon as possible, I’ll send out word that it’s safe for him to return.” She nodded his way. “You are free to go, but go far away from the city. Later, after I declare amnesty, you may return if you wish.”
“Thank you, madam. And may I say I look forward to your coronation.”
Whenever it takes place.
As he walked from the great hall, she let her shoulders sag. Yet so much remained to be done.
Now all she wanted was for Rowan to take her in his arms and kiss her to drive them both out of their minds. Weak from wanting him, she needed to tell him all that was in her heart. She took his arm. “Come, let’s go to one of the apartments.” A few steps took them to one of the royal apartments. Upon closing the door, she found that the room lay in complete darkness, so she left it partway open.
“Rowan!” Kiss me now, tell me how much you love me!
He surprised her with a question. “What’s this about you freeing the prisoners?”
As quickly as possible, she related the circumstances and why she had freed the captives. “My darling, did you really want to hear about the filthy dungeon? Is that why we came in here?”
“You tell me, because I must admit I’m in a state of utter confusion.” He shook his head, his face set in sorrow. “So I suppose it’s goodbye, my lady, for soon you will be queen–“
”Oh, stop calling me ‘my lady’ and no, it’s not goodbye.” Mental fatigue and all the problems she faced were dragging her down. She couldn’t think clearly ,was becoming snappish.
She placed her hands on his shoulders, saw the passion in his eyes. “Just kiss me, darling, and tell me you love me as I love you.”
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