Deck of Cards

by Johnson, ID

  Leo grinned, “Hurts, doesn’t it?” he asked, the sarcasm dripping from his serpentine tongue. “Let’ just hope your brother understands that I am not one to be trifled with. Otherwise, I’m afraid we will be forced to bring this game of cat-and-mouse to its finality.” He leaned in closely, Matthew feeling his hot, stale breath next to his face, “But, before it’s over, you can be sure, you will be begging for me to bring your sorry, wasted life to an end.”

  His maniacal laughter resounded off of the walls, filling the small chamber with echoes of madness. As he headed toward the door, he turned the crank at the bottom of the contraption just far enough to make Matthew scream in pain, the ligaments in his legs stretching and tearing as they were pulled away from his joints. This time, the pain was enough to cause him to lose consciousness and, as the room grew dark, he was thankful for the numbness brought on by his twilight state of mind.

  Leo had not been sure exactly what his plan would be for Matthew when he had initially arrived at the castle. He only knew that he would be a valuable pawn when it came to negotiating with Arteria. However, upon learning that Philip was not in possession of the beautiful and prized Princess Katherine, his next action became quite clear. He was not sure what it was about this princess that forced king’s to fight for her but if she was this highly sought after, he knew he must have her, particularly if it also meant Placidia would come in on his side against the Arterians who, clearly had attempted to fool Queen Nichole. He hoped to capitalize on the idiotic mistakes of both his numbskull cousin Philip, of whom he was growing quickly tired, and Caleb who must be equally cognitively impaired if he thought Nichole would not recognize her own sister. Either way, he knew he would come out ahead in all of this, if he played his cards correctly, and he always played his cards correctly.

  ***

  Katey knew something was different. She heard the sound of chirping birds, fluttering around in the trees outside of the window. A cool morning breeze caressed her face and as she slowly opened her eyes, she realized that, yesterday, her life had changed forever. Caleb knew her true identity and that she loved him. He had professed his love for her as well. She knew that, no matter what the future may hold, she would never have to worry about the likes of Philip again. Caleb would always protect her.

  She couldn’t feel Caleb’s arms around her so she assumed he had gone, off to check on the state of the army, Matthew’s whereabouts, all of the never ending tasks that consumed so much of his day. But when she rolled over, he was there, gazing at her, his head propped on his hand, an impish smile on his handsome face.

  “Good morning, my love,” he said quietly.

  She smiled up at him, her eyes only half-open, glad that he had not left just yet. She laid her hand softly against his chest, contemplating jus how to let him know how happy she was to see him. But, then she remembered. She had found her voice. From now on, she would be able to express herself completely. “Good morning,” she said quietly. She knew it may take some time for the full use of her vocal chords to return but the real reason she had not spoken in so long, the mental block that would not allow her to take a chance at causing someone pain again because of her impulsivity, that block was gone. Now, it was just a matter of time before she would be able to speak out again with all her might, just as she had done as a small child.

  Caleb smiled at the sound of her voice. “I’m so glad you decided to speak,” he said as he gently tugged on the loose red curls that framed her face. “I can’t believe I almost let you go.”

  Katey paused to reflect on the events of the night before. She wasn’t sure why Caleb was welling to send her back to Nichole, perhaps it was because he felt he had done something wrong in consummating their relationship with no agreement between Placidia and Arteria. But, now that they were together, none of that mattered. She lay there looking up into those intense blue eyes, wondering what the rest of their lives together might be like.

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Caleb looked up over her head at the source of the noise. “Damn,” he muttered, climbing over her and grabbing his robe. Katey took every opportunity to see her beloved fully naked in the brightly lit room and couldn’t help but smile at her good fortune.

  Caleb crossed out of the sleeping quarters, closing the door behind him for Katey’s sake, and entered into the office area where the knocking on the main door to his chamber was coming from. As he pulled the belt around his robe tightly, he opened the door. He gasped to see who it was. “Noel!” he exclaimed. “What in the world are you doing here?”

  Noel held a piece of parchment in his hand. He offered it to Caleb but as the king read the message, Noel relayed its contents. “Leo has Matthew,” he began. “We received word yesterday. And it’s worse. We have two days to trade Princess Katherine for Matthew or else he will be executed and you will receive his head in a box.”

  Caleb was reading the same information in the official form, signed in sprawling jet-black ink by King Leopold himself. He crumbled the paper, unable to believe what the message had read. How could Matthew have possibly been re-captured without his men finding him? And how could he possibly choose between his brother and Katey?

  “Do you know where the princess is?” Noel asked.

  Caleb nodded his head and opened the door to his chamber, allowing Noel inside.

  Chapter 12

  Though most kings participated in battle, most queens did not. Yet, Nichole insisted on overseeing the movement of her armies as they began their advance against Gradenia. She knew a bit about the act of war, though she listened intently to her advisors. She also continued her correspondence with her brother, who had several ideas as to when and where to attack. She was in a private meeting with her generals when she received yet another correspondence from Leopold. The courier brought it into the war tent and awaited her command.

  Nichole took the parchment, signaling General Hallsworth, one of her top commanders to hold on for a moment while she read it over. The men in the room, including her husband, watched and waited for her to relay the information, wondering what Leo could possibly be attempting this time.

  My Dearest Queen Nichole,

  I have word that your armies are assembling on my eastern border. I am not sure what it is that I have done to offend you. I hope that, by now, you have learned that I do not have possession of your dear sister, Princess Katherine, and that, in fact, His Majesty King Caleb of Arteria has, indeed, attempted an act of trickery in keeping your sister for himself, despite her wish to return to Philip. Certainly, you know that she is being held against her will. To our good fortune, you should be aware that I have King Matthew of Zurconia in my possession. I am willing to negotiate a trade for your beloved sister. My only request is that you will allow her to stay safely in my kingdom, once she has arrived, until which time her marriage has been fully sanctified by the church. I hope that we will remain, as always, allies and friends.

  Most sincerely,

  King Leopold II

  It was almost snicker worthy. It was entirely possible that Caleb may try to deceive her but she was certain that James would not. Though it did concern her that Caleb, under normal circumstances, might be willing to trade her sister for his brother, according to James’s last correspondence, that would not happen. She had already officially consented to James’s request to allow Katherine’s hand be given to Caleb in marriage, an act that would both seal their alliance and, according to James, “make our little sister perfectly happy for the rest of her life.” With all that Katey had been through with the failed alliance with Clovington, Nichole believed she owed it to her sister to do all that she could to assure her happiness. This was a situation that would benefit both of their kingdoms.

  Unfortunately, someone would have to suffer, and it looked like, in this case, that someone would be Matthew. But, sometimes bad things happened to innocent people. Not everyone’s dream could come true. This wasn’t a fairy tale after all.

  Nichole looked
up to see all eyes on her, and she liked it. “Continue,” she ordered to Hallsworth, crumbling the message in her hand. “This is just a bit of rubbish.”

  ***

  Katey had been asked to dress quickly and meet Caleb in the adjoining room. She threw on one of the informal gowns he had acquired for her a few days previously, bracing herself for whatever might be of such high priority. She feared it had something to do with Matthew and that it couldn’t be good news.

  Once again, she was startled upon entering a room and finding a familiar face. Noel looked at her inquisitively as well, remembering exactly where he had last seen her. Caleb was standing by the window over-looking the courtyard. Noel was seated on a chair near the settee in the middle of the room. As she entered, Caleb began to walk towards her, “Katey,” he said mustering a smile, “This is my most trusted advisor, Noel, who also happens to be leading my army in the search for my brother.”

  Noel stood and bowed, taking the hand that Katey offered and kissing it with a, “How do you do m’Lady?”

  Katey also curtseyed before taking the seat that Caleb offered her next to him on the settee. “It’s very nice to meet you,” she said politely, “I have heard such wonderful things about you.” Her voice was still raspy but the words were coming out more easily now.

  Again, Noel nodded, not sure what to think, considering the situation he had previously met her in.

  Caleb, ignorant of the entire affair, began to explain the situation to Katey. He was certainly not considering Leo’s offer but he wanted her to be aware and he also wanted her invaluable input. He knew that she would think about the situation differently and he was hopeful that she might come up with an alternative that had not occurred to him. “Matthew has been located,” he began. He saw her raise her eyebrows, judging by his tone that the next sentence was not going to be as joyful as the last. “However, Leopold has him, at least he says he does. He wants to negotiate a trade, however, we are not considering his proposal and we need to come up with an alternative.”

  Katey listened intently, contemplating everything that Caleb had said, glancing at Noel from time to time to see that he was agreeing. “What,” she began, clearing her voice, “what is his proposal?”

  The two men exchanged nervous glances. Caleb began to explain but couldn’t get much out except for a deep sigh so Noel took over, “M’Lady, Leopold has requested an exchange. He will return Matthew to us, if we are willing to hand you over to him.”

  Before Noel even completed the sentence, Caleb interjected, “Absolutely not an option.”

  Noel continued, “We don’t feel that we can consider this proposal. We plan to meet with the other commanding officers soon to come up with an alternative, one that allows Matthew to return and keeps you safe.”

  Katey’s eyes stayed on Noel as he finished the sentence. Then, she turned her attention to Caleb who was resting his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. He appeared to be just as grief stricken as he ever had been before. She knew how much he loved his brother, how he blamed himself for Matthew’s first capture, and no doubt for this one as well. She thought of Maggie, how she longed for her husband’s safe return. And she thought of Matthew, likely in a prison cell once again—tortured and beaten, his life in jeopardy. She had only one question, “What happens if I don’t go?” she asked quietly.

  She could tell by the exchange of glances what the true answer would be. But she also knew they would both hesitate to tell her. “It doesn’t matter,” Caleb finally said. “We have to have an alternative solution. Because you’re simply not going.”

  Katey slowly shook her head in understanding. “They’ll kill him?”

  It was Noel who nodded this time.

  She knew Leopold’s type, knew he would do it, too. He was not bluffing. “How long?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Caleb said, standing this time. “It’s not happening.”

  But Noel could see the glimmer in her eyes, knew she was thinking of something. He had just met this woman, he had known Matthew his entire life. He was willing to listen. “Two days,” he said, holding her gaze for just a moment.

  Caleb was pacing between the sitting area and his desk. “There’s got to be something we can do. What does he want? Money? Land? More power?”

  Katey wasn’t listening at this point, however, she could hear they were talking but her mind was back to all that had transpired, Maggie’s poisoning and near-death experience, Matthew’s capture, how he had longed to be dead, too. His bravery in escaping. How she had come here, gotten her voice back, all in time for this crucial moment. “I’ll do it,” she said quietly.

  At first Caleb wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly, or if she had even spoken. He had been listening to Noel, explaining that he could not come up with an alternative plan. The second time she said it, however, was much more forceful and he certainly heard her then. “What?” he asked, both men freezing and giving her their full attention.

  Katey stood and faced Caleb. “I said, ‘I’ll do it.’ I’ll go.”

  Caleb was puzzled and staring intently at her with disbelieve. The king glanced in Noel’s direction. Noel said nothing. “What are you talking about, Katey? Are you crazy? There’s no way that I could ever let you do that.”

  Katey was growing a little irritated but she was inclined to keep her cool. “Listen, you heard what Noel said. You read the letter yourself, didn’t you? If I don’t go, Matthew will die. I, for one, am not willing to have his blood on my hands and I don’t think that you are either.”

  “Of course I’m not,” Caleb said, stepping around to the front of the settee so that he was just inches from her, “But I’m not willing to sacrifice you to get him back either. There has to be another way.”

  “No, there’s no other way. If I don’t go he dies, and, it’s my understanding that this particular condition is irreversible. Now, getting out of Castle Graden may be difficult but it can be done. Getting out of the catacombs beneath it if one is a corpse, on the other hand, is not such an easy task.”

  Caleb turned away from her, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t understand you,” he said turning back around. “I thought, I was under the impression that, perhaps, you and I were going to be together, forever, and now, you’re telling me you’re willing to go back to Philip? Even if it’s just a short time, you know what he wants with you. You know that he isn’t about to let you escape this time, don’t you?”

  It was then that all of the pieces of the puzzle fell together for Katey. “I’ve got it!” she said grabbing him by the arms. “I need to talk to Russell. You’ll see, it will all work out. We will be together forever. And Matthew will be reunited with Maggie. Just trust me, please, I can do this. We will all have our happy ending.”

  ***

  As difficult as it had been to convince Caleb that her plan would work, it had been even more impossible to convince her brother. But Katey had left little room for debate. She was going and there was nothing either of them could do about it. They sent a courier to arrange the meeting location with Leopold and Philip. No one dare tell Maggie, just in case something was to go wrong. Likewise, James refused to let Nichole know until Katey was retrieved safe and sound.

  Russell was able to help Katey with the other components necessary for her plan to work. It would take some luck, some allies on the inside of Castle Graden, and the will of God, but Katey was certain she would be able to complete her plan. With her newfound voice had come a sense of confidence she had never had before. She felt invigorated, like she could do anything. There was little room for error however, she had to act with precision and without hesitation, something she had never done before. With Matthew’s life on the line, she was certain of her success.

  The next afternoon, once all of the plans were in place, she and Caleb finally had a few moments alone. “You’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning,” he explained as he held her in his arms in a large chair, next to the fireplace in his bedchamber.
“Are you sure you don’t want to take one of the ladies-in-waiting with you?”

  “No, I don’t want to risk anyone else,” she explained, her hand resting on his. Even a lady-in-waiting was another life to worry about and she did not want that kind of responsibility. Caleb, in his letter to Leopold, had requested that Joan be returned to her service, if she were at Castle Graden, so that Katey would be more comfortable. She was hopeful that she would be reunited with her friend so that she could carry out her plan, but she was also anxious that something might happen to her life-long companion.

  “Katey,” Caleb said softly, his head resting on top of her head, “I need to ask you something. For my own peace of mind. I promise not to be angry at you, if , if the answer isn’t what I want to hear, but I need to know.”

  She looked up at him through her eyelashes, her hand still stroking his. She knew what he was about to say. “You’ve been talking to Noel?” she asked.

  He nodded, squeezing her hand. “I remember thinking, when we were first, intimate together, it didn’t quite add up. At the time, I thought you were, let’s say more experienced, but that’s not the impression I got from you at all.”

  She could feel the color rising up in her cheeks, thinking back to that night. He had thought she was one of Philip’s whores and yet he had cared enough about her to throw that aside and make love to her anyway.

  “When I found out you were actually a princess, it made much more sense,” he continued. “I knew there were rumors that Philip was saying you were his wife because you had consummated the relationship, but it seemed to me that, well, it just didn’t seem possible.”

  “We didn’t,” she said quietly, trying not to think about what had actually taken place with Philip that night, the night she was both captured and set free.