Deck of Cards

by Johnson, ID

  “I believe you,” he said softly. “Can you tell me, then, is it true that Noel found you in a compromising situation, in Philip’s bedchamber?”

  She nodded. “Yes, it’s true. If your army had been a few minutes later upon arrival, I would have been his wife. But, you rescued me, just in time.”

  She could tell by relieved expression that he believed her. He leaned down and kissed her hugging her body close to his. “Thank you for your honesty,” he said upon releasing her. “I guess I just have one other question,” he added. He scooted forward toward the edge of the chair and turned to face her. “I know that I cannot dissuade you from going, though I’ve tried a thousand times this last day and a half. If you must go, however, please allow me to send you with one more small piece of protection.”

  He was holding her hands in his, watching her expression increase in curiosity as he spoke. “You know how I love you,” he paused and she nodded her head, “I love you so very, very much. More than I could ever possibly imagine loving anyone. “ She smiled, wanting to tell him how much she returned his love but not wanting to interrupt. He continued, “Perhaps, there is a possibility that, if Philip knows that you are my wife, the Queen of Arteria, he will not harm you. Perhaps, he will respect the sanctity of our marriage and not force his hand.”

  Again, the confusion on her face grew. He slid from the chair, down on one knee then, still holding her left hand in his. “Katey, will you please, officially, become my wife, and recite the wedding vows with me this evening, before you go?”

  She was both elated and stunned. She leaned forward, kissing him, as tears began to flow down her face. She had been nodding her head vigorously, perhaps out of habit, but now, she recovered her ability to speak and said, “Yes, yes of course. I love you, too. More than you will ever know.” His lips found hers again and all of the fear of the journey that lay ahead was momentarily lifted, as the joy of the moment embraced them. No matter what Philip had in store for her, he could not marry her if she was already another man’s wife. He could rape and torture her, he could hold her in the lowest prison cell, he could even kill her but he could not ever terminate their marriage or their love. Nothing could ever do that.

  ***

  All he had truly been aware of for the last few days was the excruciating pain and the whimpers of a woman crying in one of the torture chambers nearby. He had not eaten the entire time he had been held captive here and the water he had received was from a sponge that smelled distinctly of urine and sweat. He knew he would never escape alive and so he had been begging for the release only death could give him, begging God, never his captures. They would never need to know just how badly he had been broken.

  When the guards came this morning, he was startled to find they were actually removing his shackles. He was too week to stand and they knew that so they were prepared to drag him out of the dungeon and back to the blindingly bright halls of Castle Graden. They didn’t stop there, however. As they approached the main entrance to the castle and pulled open the heavy oak door, the light of the morning sun, hovering just above the horizon, was overwhelming and he had to burry his eyes in the cloak of one of the guards who had him by the arm.

  He was certain that leaving the castle meant his request had been granted by the All-Mighty and that his suffering would soon be ended, either by hanging or beheading. Either way, he was relieved. As much as he had wanted to see Caleb again, he knew he would meet his brother again someday on the other side and could explain to him how he had wondered in the woods for days, farther north than he had realized, looking for a way back to the Arterian army, but only running into enemy forces. He longed to look into Angel’s eyes one last time and to thank her for all of her help. She was truly an Angel. He had been sure they could live a life of great joy and happiness together, if only they had been give a chance. But it was not in the cards. Now, as he approached his impending death, there was only one person he wished to see, his one and only true love, and he knew he would be back in her arms where he belonged shortly.

  And yet, as he was dragged outside, the sockets in his arms screaming with each step of the guards, he began to realize, they were not taking him to be executed at all. He saw before him a waiting carriage, surrounded by at least twenty armed guards. It was Leopold himself who pulled open the door, Philip nearby.

  Dressed all in black with feathered plumes surrounding the cape at his shoulders, Leopold certainly looked the part of the domineering king. “Good morning, Matthew,” he said, as he hoisted the door of the carriage open. The guards stopped in front of their commander so that he could address the captive. “I hope you are doing well.”

  Matthew said nothing, his eyes were swollen and his throat was dry. He knew he could not bear his own weight on his dislocated hip joints. He continued to attempt to block the painful sun from his eyes, waiting for Leopold to continue.

  “Get him some water,” he said to one of the servants standing nearby. “We don’t want you going home thirsty,” Leopold said, a jolly smile on his face, as if he had been nothing but hospitable.

  That last sentence certainly gained Matthew’s attention and he looked up in surprise. The boy returned with a bucket of water and a ladle. Though he could barely get the water to his mouth in his condition, Matthew managed to find a way to swallow several ladles full while Leopold continued to speak. “That’s right, my friend, you are on your way back to Arteria. Your brother and I have come to an agreement. So, when you get over there, you be sure to thank him. And tell him I said, ‘Good morrow,’ Though, I’m fairly certain we’ll be seeing each other really soon.”

  Matthew continued to gulp down the water until Leopold made the signal for the servant boy to take it away. Then, Matthew was placed in to the carriage, sharp pains shooting up and down his legs as he made contact with the hard wooden bench. His hands were tied in front of him, “Just a precaution,” Leo explained. The carriage was locked from the outside.

  Just as Leopold was about to give the order for the horsemen to proceed, Philip leaned against the bars in the doors and said, “Tell your brother I always find a way to win.” He snickered, shaking the iron bar before stepping back behind his cousin, who looked a bit annoyed. Leopold slammed his hand into the carriage twice and the processional took off.

  Matthew wasn’t sure what might lie on the other side of this journey but he was eternally grateful to be leaving Castle Graden. He prayed that neither himself nor anyone he cared about would ever have to step foot in that building again.

  ***

  Katey’s dress was white but, much to Cook’s chagrin, it truly wasn’t that fancy. It would certainly do for a princess, but the train was short and the veil was simple tulle fastened to her tiara. Still, when she entered the room, Caleb gasped at her beauty. Everyone else may have as well, but she didn’t notice. She was completely transfixed with him.

  The ceremony was small and it was held inside the chapel at the back of the castle. Only James, Noel, Cook, and Val were present as witnesses. Inviting Maggie would have meant answering questions they were not willing or able to answer at that time. The priest was the same one who had baptized Caleb and Matthew as children and he was elated to have the opportunity to preside over the royal wedding. It was an extremely short ceremony, a quick exchange of vows, with the kiss at the finality being, perhaps, the longest part of the entire proceeding.

  And then, Caleb had carried her directly to his bedchamber, officially making her his bride in every way imaginable. As the priest had said, “Let no man separate what God has joined together,” so, too, they were hopeful that neither Leopold nor Philip could dissolve this marriage. As they lay in each other’s arms, the minutes hastening by before Katey would be on her journey, neither of them dare close their eyes for fear of missing one precious moment together. Caleb showered her with kisses, enough, he hoped, to last her the few days he thought they might be apart. She knew that he would also be in grave danger soon and the thought of something
happening to him in the battle ahead was too much for her to bear. She held on to him tightly, whispering, “I love you,” hundreds of times, praying that, even in his darkest moments, he would hear her voice and come back to her, no matter where she may be.

  With the break of dawn came a knock at the door. One last longing glance, once last lingering kiss, one last slow embrace, and they arose, sure of nothing but that their love would endure no matter the fate that lie waiting down the road ahead.

  ***

  Caleb had insisted on riding along side of the carriage the entire distance to the exchange, which was nearly a day’s ride. Though Noel and the rest of his advisors declared it was not safe, he wanted to be as close to Katey as possible to ensure that she was as comfortable as could be and that nothing would harm her along the treacherous journey. James was riding with her in the carriage until they neared the agreed upon spot. Caleb had declined riding inside, knowing it would be too difficult to be so near his beloved wife and maintain his composure in front of his troops. He was also fairly certain he would not be able to keep his hands off of her.

  The journey was a long one and no one was looking forward to reaching the destination. James spent several hours attempting to dissuade his sister, even this close to the appointed hour. But she would hear none of it. Her plan was in place. It would work. She was certain of it.

  As they approached the meeting point, a valley in Clovington, near the Zurconia border, known as Ryder’s Point, Leopold’s troops came in to view at the top of a small hill, as if they had stopped in observation, assuring Caleb was not attempting to collect his brother and make off with the princess. Of course, this is precisely what Caleb had wanted to do but Katey had convinced him it was far too dangerous. He would have his day on the battlefield with Leopold and Philip shortly, and when he did, they would certainly wish they had never taken his brother in the first place.

  It seemed to Matthew that they had been traveling for days, though it had only been about twelve hours. With every bump and jostle of the carriage, his limbs reeled in agony. Finally, he began to see what appeared to be another processional ahead of him in the distance. As the two parties drew nearer, a horseman from each group rode out ahead, negotiating what appeared to be an exchange. He peered at the other carriage, wondering whom his brother could possibly have that Leopold would want to exchange for him but he could not see the person inside and he could think of no one of any value to Leopold.

  Caleb could see his brother’s carriage growing closer and closer. Though his anticipation at seeing Matthew increased with each passing second, he could not contain the overwhelming urge to pull Katey from the carriage and fight to the death to defend her. It was Noel who refused to allow him to do so. In fact, he and another soldier grabbed ahold of Hendrix’s reigns pulling Caleb back to what they considered to be a safe distance as Gordon rode forward to negotiate with the messenger from the other side.

  After a few moments, Gordon rode back. “They want Katey first,” he explained. “I refused but, he said they have orders from Leopold to get Katey first before releasing Matthew and that he could care less what happens to either prisoner.”

  Caleb mulled that over. It made sense that Leopold would give instructions to kill them both if necessary, considering he had no true interest in retrieving Katey, she was Philip’s concern, not his. Yet, he could not bring himself to give any orders. He listened, his mouth clamped shut tightly, as Noel began to give orders. “Alright,” he began, “James will need to exit the carriage. Take it forward but have those four guards stay with her until Matthew reaches us safely. “ Then, he turned to Caleb and said, “You cannot approach her to say good-bye. It’s too dangerous.”

  Caleb said nothing. He had to put himself in an entirely different place mentally just to keep from bolting and rescuing his bride. He watched as James exited the carriage, lunged back towards it, and was caught by his own men, who dragged him back to safety. As the carriage turned to pull forward, he caught a glimpse of long red hair and ocean blue eyes. She was smiling, for his sake he knew, as she blew him a quick kiss. And then, the carriage began to move away from him and he felt his entire world crumbling around him.

  As Katey’s carriage pulled even with Matthew’s, there was an exchange of guards and drivers, which blocked Matthew’s view for just a moment. As they stepped out of the way, he was able to see who was in the other carriage. Shocked, he reached for the bars on his carriage door. “Angel!” he screamed. She looked up, meeting his gaze for a brief second before her carriage began to pull away. He couldn’t believe what was happening. How was Caleb allowing this? “Angel!” he yelled again, though his arms could barely stand the strain of pulling him forward to press his face against the bars. “No! Don’t take her! Please!” he begged. He would give anything not to have her take his place.

  Matthew’s carriage began to pull forward now and he was surrounded by Arterian guards. They moved off quickly, attempting to put as much distance between themselves and the Gradenians as possible. Once they were out of eye sight and far beyond several hills, they pulled the carriage to a stop in order to assess Matthew’s health and so that the two brothers could be reunited at last.

  As Caleb approached the carriage, he could hear Matthew protesting. Russell had ridden along with them so that he could personally attend to any injuries Matthew may have and, he quickly noted, there were several. As he began to work on his wily patient, Caleb began to understand what it was Matthew was yelling. “You can’t let them take her, don’t you understand! How could you do this?”

  “Matthew!” Caleb exclaimed, climbing into the carriage beside his brother. “My God! You’re safe at last! I hope you know how adamantly we’ve been searching for you.”

  Matthew was overjoyed to see his brother but still impossibly angry at the circumstances. “Do you know who that was?” he asked, as the doctor began to work his shoulders back into their sockets. His left one was completely out and the only thing that distracted him from the unbearable pain of having it reset was the verbal assault he was unleashing on his rescuers. “We have to go get her back. We have to help her!”

  Caleb completely agreed but he didn’t know how to explain everything to Matthew with his brother in this current state of shock and misery. “I know,” Caleb assured him. “We will get her back. I promise you, if it’s the last thing I do, we’ll get her back.”

  Matthew seemed to hear part of what Caleb was saying but his impatience won out. “No, now! We have to go now!”

  Just then, Russell popped his arm back into it’s socket, causing Matthew to shriek in pain, his body convulsing. Caleb did everything he could to steady his brother. Clearly, Matthew’s state was deplorable. He knew finding out exactly what had been done to him would be enough to fuel him in battle and he desperately wanted to know but now was not the time. “Listen, Matthew, you are in no shape currently to be riding off in to battle. We are going to get you home and then we will go get Katey back.”

  Struggling against the pain in his arms, and with Russell moving to his hip joints, which were not in quite as bad of shape as his arms but still needed some incredibly painful repairs, Matthew was having trouble paying attention to every word that Caleb said. He stared at him in confusion, “What did you say?” he asked, quite certain he had said “Katey.”

  “I said we’ll get Katey back,” Caleb clarified. “I know she helped you escape and she’s almost as important to you as she is to me. We will get her back. I promise you that.”

  Matthew’s confusion grew and Caleb could see him struggling to put the pieces together. “Princess Katherine?” he asked.

  Caleb wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. Formerly, yes, but now she was a queen, his queen. Taking a move from Katey’s playbook, he simply nodded his head. That would do for now.

  “But,” Matthew began to settle down a bit. Russell was just about done doing everything that he could to relieve the pain, short of putting him in a trance. �
��She never told me. I thought, she was a servant girl, or something.”

  Caleb nodded. “I know. And she didn’t speak so, how were you to know. But I assure you, that was Katherine of Placidia who just took your place in Leopold’s grasp. And we will get her back.”

  “Good,” Matthew said, the pain from Russell’s work starting to make him very sleepy. “Because I love her.”

  Russell stopped his work and looked up at Caleb, who met his gaze at once. “What?” Caleb asked, alarmed.

  Matthew was beginning to sound a bit delirious now but he was able to repeat himself. “I love her. She’s my angel.”

  Suddenly, Caleb realized that, the entire time he had been gone, Matthew had had no idea about Maggie. “Matthew,” he began, “Maggie’s alive. She’s waiting for you at Castle Caine.”

  At first, he thought he had not heard correctly. His eyes almost as heavy as his heart, he was certain he had only imagined Caleb had said it, had said his Maggie was alive. “What?” he asked turning to look his brother fully in the eyes.

  “She’s alive. Russell saved her. She’s well. And she’s waiting for you.”

  As the full realization of what Caleb was saying set in, tears were began to roll down Matthew’s face. Though it hurt to do so, he clasped his brother’s shoulder. “She’s alive?” he repeated. Caleb nodded his head, smiling. “Maggie? She’s alive?” This time, he looked at Russell, who was also smiling and nodding. He clasped the good doctor on the shoulder as well. “My Maggie is alive?” Now he was sobbing uncontrollably. Caleb cradled his brother against his shoulder, as he had done when they were small boys. He gave the command for the carriage to leave, so very happy to have his brother home safe, soon to be reunited with his one true love. The dark clouds of battle hung in the distance. There was only one thing left for Caleb to do to end this game once and for all. He had to get Katey back at all costs.

  ***

  Katey’s journey to Castle Graden was unceremonious and uncomfortable. She had spent the entire time deep in prayer. She prayed for Matthew’s quick recovery from his obvious injuries. She prayed for a joyful reunion between husband and wife. She prayed for the strength to carry out her plan. She prayed that God would be with her husband as he prepared for battle and she prayed for a fast and furious defeat of Leopold and Philip’s forces.