Killing Aston would hurt her worse than any sword, any dagger, ever could.
Another curse found Talbot on the floor, his right arm bent at an odd angle, his left hand clutching his throat. He looked up at Ernst. “Thank you,” he said.
Ernst glared at the prince and spat at his feet. “Don’t thank me. Thank your knight. Thank my sister. Hell, you can even thank your father, but I didn’t do this for you,” he said. He sent one last look to Aston before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.
The knight sat on the prince’s bed, his knees weak. In all his years as a knight, he’d never been more scared than when he thought Talbot was going to die. A groan from the prince made him look at the prince, watching as he struggled to stand. Aston went to him, pulling him up and sitting him on the bed.
“You should go now, Aston. It’s after midnight. Someone will come to see if I’m dead now that the Rogue has left,” he said, sliding himself further onto the bed. Aston nodded and clapped the prince on his left shoulder before grabbing his grappling hook and tossing the rope out the window.
“Thank you, Aston. I’ll make this right,” Talbot said. The knight smiled at him before vaulting out of the window, sliding to the ground and racing into the night. Sterling was waiting for him at the main gate, just like he and Talbot had planned. He mounted and rode through the castle gates. Glancing back, he saw Talbot’s room bright with candlelight. The prince was alive, the Rogue was gone, and Aston would be free again before the sun rose.
It was a beautiful night.
“To the outside world, we all grow old.
But not to brothers and sisters. We know
each other as we always were.
We know each other’s hearts.”
- Clara Ortega -
Twenty Three
Aston stood outside for a moment when he returned to the cabin. Edward was still in the stable at the palace, but Talbot was supposed to bring him by the next day. The knight wiped his palms on his pants; though it was cold outside, confronting Jade about Ernst was making him nervous.
He’d been bluffing when he told Ernst about Jade knowing his secret, but Ernst’s reaction told Aston that he’d guessed right. Jade had known her brother was The Rogue, but she’d never told him. She knew how important it was to him to find Ernst, but she’d just gone along with him as if she were ignorant. Maybe she was even in on it…
Aston shook his head at the thought. Jade would never condone something like that. She believed in life and redemption too much. But she still should have told him what she knew.
One more sigh and Aston opened the door, jumping in surprise when Jade rushed into his arms.
“I was so worried about you!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Some of Aston’s anger dissipated, but not all of it. He returned the hug for only a moment before pushing Jade to arm’s length.
“We need to talk,” he told her, and by the look in her eyes, he knew she understood. Jade nodded and backed away. She moved around the couch and sat down, patting the spot beside her, inviting him to sit. Aston did so hesitantly, folding his hands in his lap. He’d never been so uncomfortable around Jade. Even when they’d first met, he’d been more bothered by her than uncomfortable.
“I know what you want to say, and I’m sorry,” Jade started, but Aston held a hand up to stop her.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve known all along that I wanted to catch the Rogue, and you always tried to stop me. I thought it was because you were afraid I would get hurt. Now, I know you were just trying to protect your brother.”
“No, that’s not it at all! I didn’t want you to be hurt! I still don’t! But I couldn’t turn my brother in either. He’s my family, Aston. If it were your father, or your sister, what would you do?” Jade said, wanting to reach out and grab Aston’s hand, but knowing he wouldn’t let her.
“I would do whatever I had to to protect them, but I wouldn’t lie to the people I cared about to do it,” he answered. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what he would do if the situation were reversed. If his father was a cold-hearted murderer, would he let the man roam free?
“I’m sorry about that, Aston. I really am! If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t have hid it from you,” Jade apologized.
“If I were anyone else? You lied to me because, what? Because you’re in love with me? Because my life is over anyway?” Aston asked, incredulous.
“No! Because you’re a knight! A soldier! I knew that if anyone could hunt my brother down and kill him, it would be you! I do love you, Aston Smith. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my entire life! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here, in the middle of nowhere, fretting over whether or not I was ever going to see you again!” Jade said, taking Aston’s hand in her own as tears formed in her eyes.
Aston looked at her hand, clasped perfectly around his own. He felt betrayed, but he understood Jade’s reasoning. With a sigh, he stood, pulling his hand from Jade’s grasp.
“We leave in the morning for Adion. You can take Alys and Delgrab’s bed. I’ll sleep in the other room for the night. I suggest you get some sleep. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.” Without another word, Aston left Jade sitting on the couch.
**
“Father, I must speak with you.” Talbot knelt on the plush red carpet, placing himself at his father’s feet. He hadn’t sat on his throne since the day before Aston left; something about it intimidated him now. He didn’t deserve to sit there anymore.
Donn looked down at his son, one eyebrow raised. “Go on, Talbot.”
Talbot cringed at the informality, another thing that had changed in Aston’s absence. “It’s about Aston Smith.” Where his father has only been halfway listening before, now his interest was piqued.
“What about Aston?”
“He was here last night, when the Rogue attacked.”
“No wonder Duke Aeron died…Who would have guessed, a knight from my court!? Aston is The Rogue Royal…”
“No, Father! Aston isn’t the Rogue! Aston saved me from him!” Talbot interrupted. His father had looked a bit too proud, imagining Aston as a murderer. Nothing he had ever done had made his father as proud as imaging Aston as the Rogue had.
“Oh…and you didn’t apprehend him, Talbot!”
Leave it to his father to be a proud man one minute and angry at him the next. Talbot looked down at himself. His arm was in a sling and his neck was wrapped in a thick bandage. His father really wondered why he hadn’t been able to stop Aston?
“I’m sorry,” he said, instead of voicing his thoughts.
Donn sighed. “Is that all?”
Talbot had almost forgotten the real reason he’d come to see his father. “No, actually.”
“Well, hurry up, Talbot. I have important things to do,” the king said.
Talbot sighed. He knew his father had nothing to do; he was just tired of talking to Talbot and wanted the prince to disappear. “Aston is innocent. That night in Adion, I was the one who stayed behind while Aston went after the Rogue.”
King Donn didn’t say anything at first. He stared at Talbot as though he were a stranger, his eyes unblinking. “It was you?” he finally said. Talbot nodded. “You’re the reason my best knight is gone.” This time, it wasn’t a question, but Talbot nodded anyway.
“I was afraid of what you would say to me if you knew that I went to make sure Lady du Halen was okay instead of chasing the Rouge. I made up the story about Aston so I wouldn’t be the one you were disappointed in, but I didn’t realize how far this would go. I knew Aston would lose his position, but I didn’t know he’d be sentenced to die. I’m sorry, Father.”
Donn stared at Talbot again, his mind whirling. Talbot squirmed at his feet, bowing his head again so he wouldn’t have to look in his father’s eyes.
“Where is Aston now?”
“What are you going to do, Father?”
“If you tell me where Aston is
? Or if you don’t?”
Talbot swallowed, the threat in his father’s words making him shiver. “He’s going with Princess Jade to Adion. We are to meet them there.”
**
The ride to Adion was silent. Jade knew Aston hadn’t completely forgiven her, but she’d hoped he would at least be civil. It was a day’s ride to Adion, and the silence was starting to bother her. Talbot had brought Edward to them early that morning, claiming he had spoken with his father and that they would meet up in Adion. Aston had spoken to Talbot while Jade packed and then Talbot had left. Aston hadn’t said a word to her since the night before.
Sighing, she brought Edward up beside Sterling and turned to Aston. His lip twitched, but otherwise he didn’t move.
“Aston, I’m sorry! I know I shouldn’t have kept secrets from you and I never will again, just please, speak to me!” she pleaded. Aston turned to look at her but didn’t speak. “Ernst is my brother, Aston. I love him. I always will love him, no matter what he does, because I know that, deep down, he’s still the brother I grew up with. He’s still the boy that would pick me up when I fell and set me back on my feet. He’s still the boy who always gave me flowers for my birthday and kissed my bruises when I hurt myself. He may not be on his path now, but I know he will find it again someday, and when he does, I want him to have the chance to fix what he’s doing now.”
“Jade...”
“He’s no different than Talbot! How many people has Talbot hurt, and yet you still protect him? How many pointless wars has King Donn started? How many men have you killed to please your king? How is Ernst any different? The men he killed were all corrupt. The men you killed were just doing what they were ordered, just like you.”
“Jade! I forgive you! I’m sorry. I understand what it means to care about your family. I know what it’s like to care about someone so much that you would do anything to protect them, and I understand that you want to think your brother can change.”
“He will change.”
“Right. Let’s just go to Adion, talk to your father, and pray that Talbot holds up his end of the deal.”
“What happens if Talbot lied about telling King Donn the truth?” Jade asked, unsure of whether or not she actually wanted to hear the answer.
“If he didn’t, then I am walking to my noose.”
**
Adion came into view early the next morning. Aston hadn’t made love to Jade the night before, claiming nerves. He’d held her through the night, though, and he hoped that had comforted her enough. He hoped she knew how he felt about her.
There was an uneasy feeling settling over him. His stomach was twisted into knots, his hands shaking on Sterling’s reins. The grey stone palace looming before him only worsened his nerves and he prayed Talbot and Donn wouldn’t be there yet. He wanted to talk to King Aric himself before Prince Talbot and his father arrived.
Jade reached her hand out across the space between their horses, settling it on top of one of his own. Aston clung to it tightly for a moment before letting it go, watching it drop back to Edward’s reins.
“Home,” Jade sighed, staring at the palace. Aston could tell she’d missed the beautiful palace, even if she had left willingly.
“We should find your father as soon as we arrive,” Aston told her, and Jade nodded her agreement. They were let through the palace gates without a problem; Jade directed Aston toward the stables.
“Princess Jade! You’re back!” Sebastian said, striding over to her.
“Yes, Sebastian, I’m sorry. I hope you didn’t get into trouble.”
“Not at all, Princess, not at all. King Aric is a kind man.” Jade smiled at the old stable hand before taking Aston’s hand and leading him toward the palace.
Aston took in everything around him. Fridel had been his home his entire life and he’d only been to Adion on missions. He’d never actually had time to notice the details around the grand palace. A rose garden passed on his right, full of tall trellises, climbing vines, and small fountains. Right now, the vines were brown, the winter having been harsh on the flowers. He could imagine how they would look in the spring, all the white, yellow, red and pink, mixing together into a symphony of colors and scents.
The idea striking him suddenly, Aston pulled Jade into the dying garden, into the labyrinth of crispy leaves and delicate thorns. She laughed as he led her through the maze, slapping stray vines out of her way.
“Where are we going?” she asked him. Aston finally stopped at a stone bench a little ways into the garden. Though everything was dead, he’d still managed to find a place where they couldn’t be seen from the palace.
“I forgot to give you your Christmas gift,” he said, guiding her to the bench. Jade sat down, folding her hands in her lap.
“When did you get me a gift?” she asked, her eyes widening.
“Do you remember when I went into town, right after we returned from Northsbury?” Jade nodded. “That’s when,” he answered. He reached into his satchel, which he had hanging on his shoulder, and pulled out a small, wooden box. On the top was a pair of hearts, twisting and spiraling and joining in the middle. Aston handed it to Jade.
“Aston! It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, turning the little box over in her hands.
Aston chuckled. “Well, thank you, but the real gift is inside,” he told her.
“Oh.” Looking down, Jade slowly lifted the lid. Her eyes widened when she saw the little silver bracelet sitting inside, her face breaking into a grin. The bracelet was nestled on a small square of black velvet. Hanging from the chain were two charms; one was a silver heart with a small ruby in the top, right corner. The other was a small, thin silver sword, emeralds set into the hilt. It was perfect.
“Aston… it’s amazing,” she said. Aston smiled at her and lifted the bracelet from the box, clasping it around her wrist. “How did you… I mean... it must have cost so much,” she said, meeting his gaze.
“You don’t need to worry about that, Jade.”
“Thank you, Aston. I love it.” Jade stood and wrapped her arms around Aston, smiling as she felt his arms close around her. He took her chin in his hand and lifted her face, giving her a light kiss.
“Now, no matter where you are, I will always be with you. I love you, Jade,” Aston whispered. It was the first time he’d told her, but the time felt right. Though everything seemed to be fine and worked out, he couldn’t help but feel that their biggest trials lay ahead.
“I love you, too,” she replied. Jade released Aston from her arms and grabbed his hand, leading him back out of the maze. They needed to get to her father. They’d wasted enough time.
Past the garden, Aston could see the entrance to the palace. A cobblestone path, wide enough for a carriage, wove its way through the grounds and to the stairs before making a wide circle and then creating a path back out again. In the center of the circle was a large, marble fountain. The statue on the fountain was a beautiful woman, clad in only a shawl that wrapped around her ample frame before trailing off behind her and into the water. Water ran from a book she was holding, out over the pages and into the waiting trough below. Aston raised an eyebrow and turned to Jade, who shrugged.
“My family loves books. You should see our library,” she said. Aston laughed at her, but he cut the sound short. Today was not a day for laughter. Today was the day his fate was decided. If he was still alive the next morning, he would laugh as much as his heart desired. For today, he promised to be subdued.
Jade practically pulled Aston up the stone steps. His feet weren’t working right anymore. As they entered the palace, Aston found himself staring straight ahead, paying no attention to the various doors they passed or the paintings on the walls. A few turns later, he found himself looking into the throne room.
Tall white doors had been left open and Aston watched Jade walk through them and start down the green carpet. The color fit, as all members of the du Halen line were born with emerald eyes. It was a trait passed down from K
ing Aric’s grandfather and it had never been broken. Jade turned to stare at him and motioned for him to follow her, which he did, reluctantly. His feet sank into the soft carpet and the feeling relaxed him. His steps became less tense and more determined as he made his way down the carpet, staring at the man he had always considered a friend.
When he reached the foot of the thrones, Aston bowed. “Your Majesty,” he said, lifting his head to look into King Aric’s shining eyes.
“You received my message, Aston Smith. You’ve brought my daughter back to me,” Aric said, standing and pulling Jade into a hug.
“I’m sorry, Father. I hope you understand why I left.”
“Why you left, yes, but not why you have returned. Surely one knight couldn’t drag my daughter back. Even Jacob, who has been looking for you for over a month, could not find you. He arrived back just yesterday! He will be overjoyed knowing you have returned!” Aric said, a laugh in his voice.
Jade frowned. “No, Father. Aston didn’t have to drag me back. I came willingly. There is something we must discuss,” Jade told him, leading her father back to his seat and settling him. She returned to her spot at Aston’s side once her father was comfortable, ignoring his comment about Jacob. That was a conversation best saved for later, once Aston was free and she could tell her father who she really wanted to marry.
“Well then, dear child, do tell me. What is so important that you would come back when you wanted to leave so badly?”
“Aston Smith.”
“I know who he is, daughter.”
“That’s why I came back. I need to talk to you about Aston, Father.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, daughter.” The king furrowed his brow, his eyes wandering back and forth between Jade and Aston.
“What she means, your Majesty,” Aston interrupted, “is that I never received an order to bring her back to you.”
“I sent King Donn the letter almost two months ago. Surely he received it by now?”
“Yes, sire, he did, but he never told me those orders because I wasn’t at the palace at the time.”
Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) Page 17