by Sara Gaines
“Surea is right. I only intend to actually speak with my company. I consider it a better alternative than sitting in silence for the length of another day.”
“Forgive me, Duchess. I just did not know what to say.” Myria finally brought her gaze up to meet my own before her next words rushed forth. “But I must thank you a thousand times for hiring me. My husband and I need the money.”
I briefly thought to myself how young she was for a wife, but then I realized she must be within a year of my own age, and there I was, on my way to my own wedding.
“Your thanks should be sent to Captain Dalric. I’m afraid I had no knowledge of any recent hiring.” My gap in knowledge was bothersome—a true queen should know everything.
Myria offered a more genuine smile. “Then I shall ask my husband to do so for me.”
As soon as she spoke, it was as if a distant memory snapped into her consciousness. Her gaze quickly fell to the floorboards once more, and a heavy silence surrounded us. Reminded of the camp’s mood this morning, I felt a chill creep along my skin. I forced more conversation, hoping to rid myself of the feeling that had settled in my chest. Met only with Myria’s once again quiet demeanor, I quickly gave up. Still feeling as if something wasn’t exactly right, I shut my eyes, hoping a nap would remove the cause of my discontent.
MY head cracked into the side of the carriage as it jerked roughly, forcibly waking me from my small nap. I felt my forehead and winced as my fingers pressed into the now tender flesh. As the fog of sleep and pain subsided, I finally realized the carriage was no longer moving. Hearing shouts coming from outside, I immediately moved to draw the curtain, only to feel Surea’s shockingly strong grip clasp around my wrist. Seeing the look of terror on the faces of both my traveling companions, the harsh rebuke for Surea’s actions died in my throat.
The panic immediately rose, bubbling through me as though my blood were water ready to boil. There was only one reason for our convoy to stop in such a manner: we were under attack. I strained to hear what was happening outside, but I could not calm my nerves enough to focus on the plethora of voices. A sword rasped as it was drawn from its sheath. The distinctive sound ignited the charged atmosphere, and the singing of freed blades echoed all around the carriage.
The ring of steel striking against steel shattered whatever silent hopes I had that there would not be bloodshed. I caught Myria’s eye, finding a look that was not entirely fear, but her trembling was painfully apparent. I reached out to grab her hand, hoping mine was steady enough to offer her some comfort while I tried to give a name to the emotion spread across her face. She squeezed my hand in response to the sickening thud of a blade entering flesh. I looked to Surea, who had placed her hand on my knee, a gesture I had not even noticed. My free hand reached out to cover the old maid’s, more to comfort myself than her.
The carriage lurched to the side as a man’s body was thrown into it. Despite how hard I was trying to swallow the lump in my throat, I felt tears pricking my eyes. The door was ripped open—blinding sunlight filled the cabin. I heard a scream, and I could not be sure it wasn’t mine. My eyes adjusted and saw the crest of Dakmor on the attacking man’s chest, sending my heart to my throat. The man reached for me, a blade stained with crimson in his other hand. I scrambled to avoid his grasp. Surea threw herself at him in an attempt to defend me, but the Dakmoran turned her aside and sent her crashing to the ground. He grabbed the bottom of my dress as I felt the door behind me open. Before I could react, an arm wrapped around me, pulling me from the carriage.
I struggled against my captor’s grasp, watching as Surea climbed to her feet and latched herself onto the Dakmoran yet again. The man finally turned his attention from me, and completely ignoring the sobbing Myria, his fist swung around to connect with Surea. I tried to cry out, but a hand pressed against my mouth. I could see Surea through the open doors of my carriage, trying to climb to her feet. The Dakmoran saw Surea’s effort as well. I wanted to call out to her. I wanted to beg her to stay down, to avoid drawing attention to herself. But no, like she always had, she tried to protect me, launching herself at the armed man with renewed anger. The man was ready, though, and hot tears blurred my vision as I watched him thrust his blade into the old woman’s abdomen.
Surea slowly fell to the ground and in a vain attempt to save her, I fought once more for my freedom. As I struggled to tear myself loose from the man’s grasp, his arm tightened, crushing the air from my lungs. His hand was still pressed to my mouth as he pulled me farther away from the carriage, dragging me into the thick brush lining the road. I dug my heels into the soft ground. I knew it was useless, but I would not just resign myself to this man’s will. As he struggled to pull me away, through vision still blurred from the tears pouring down my face, I watched the scene unfolding before me. In spite of my intent, the fight left my body, and I went limp. Not only were Dakmor’s troops attacking my guards, but men dressed in my own colors raised their swords against their comrades.
Traitors. My people had turned against me—they had turned against my family.
I was soon swallowed by the clawing branches of the forest. Somehow, no one had seen me being dragged into the brush. And yet, even if someone had seen me, I would not know if they were friend or foe. The desire to fight had drained entirely from my body. I waited for whatever fate had in store for me next, not caring at the moment what exactly would ensue. When the searing pain of a knife entering my flesh never came, and no hands were ripping at my dress, I finally noticed a murmur at my ear.
“Milady, please.” The man’s breath brushed past my ear yet again. “We have to get you out of here.”
My senses began to register the sights around me. My body slowly responding to my commands once more, my legs held my weight. Looking around, I realized the man must have pulled me a mere fifty paces from the main road.
“Duchess, nod if you understand what I am saying to you.” I looked down at the gloved hand still lightly pressed to my mouth and saw the familiar beige color of my soldiers’ issued gear. “I mean you no harm, and I need you to listen to me.”
I nodded slightly and felt the man’s grip around me loosen.
“You know I will not hurt you?”
Fully aware I should not trust anyone, I nodded only so I could turn to look at the man who had captured me.
The soldier carefully removed his hands. As soon as I felt the pressure around my body cease, I spun to look at the man, stepping back out of his reach lest he decide to drag me farther. He made no move toward me, only dropped his arms to his side, letting one hand rest instinctively on the pommel of his sword. His hazel eyes held obvious worry as they flicked from me back toward the road every few seconds.
The soldier, with blond hair peeking out from under his mail hood, bowed slightly before he spoke. “I will explain all in due time, but please, we must get you away from here.”
Hearing shouts from the direction of the road, I nodded. I knew following him could be just as dangerous as staying, but at least with him, there was a chance I could keep my life. He urged me deeper into the maze of trees, and trying to ignore every horror that was happening, I obliged.
Chapter 3
GRASPING claws of branches shredded my dress as I stumbled through the forest. More tears were pricking my eyes as my lungs burned, but I knew I couldn’t stop. My breaths were coming in great gasps, hindered by the stifling fabric of my dress. I had no idea how long we had been running, but I was silently begging the guard to stop, only to be met with the continued crunch of the man’s feet on the forest floor. Mercifully, just when I thought my legs would not be able to take another step, the soldier stopped running as we broke into a small clearing still shaded by overhanging branches.
I sank to the ground, my strength gone. The guard turned to look at me, and I noticed his breathing was also labored. I was still trying to process everything that had happened, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not focus my thoughts.
“
We should be safe enough here, Your Grace. At least for now.” The guard dropped to a knee in front of me. “Forgive me, though, I must go back and mask our tracks. I will only be gone shortly. Here, take this.”
The guard handed his canteen to me before returning to his feet. I eagerly poured the water past my parched lips. Returning the canteen to the man, I realized how foolish it had been to accept something so easy to poison when it was all too possible he was just another traitor. The knot that had formed in my chest quickly loosened as he tipped the canteen to quench his own thirst. Deciding the water was safe to drink, I reached up to take the canteen once more, my muscles straining as I did so. My thirst and breathing calmed as the exhaustion finally registered with my entire body.
Still suspicious of the man standing before me, I found my voice.
“What is your name?”
The man removed all his supplies and left them next to me, bowing slightly before he spoke. “Forgive my manners, milady. My name is Ori, in the service of your guard for almost five years now.”
“What….” I could hear how weak I sounded, and I fought to stand, hoping to regain a fraction of my usual bearing.
The guard rushed forward to aid me as my legs collapsed before I found the leverage to hoist myself up. I brushed him off, refusing to appear more helpless. Swallowing in an attempt to diminish the dry lump in my throat, I tried speaking once more. Thankfully, my voice held some power with my renewed efforts.
“Tell me why my own men just tried to kill me.”
“I promise you I will explain, but there is no time right now. I have to mask our tracks. Those men will follow you until they have you or think you are dead.” Ori began walking back toward the thick cover of trees, but stopped right before he disappeared, “We’ll camp here for the night, milady. You will find a small dagger in my bag; I don’t believe you will need it, but it is there just in case. I will return as soon as I can. You have my word I will do my best to keep you safe.”
Before I could respond, Ori had disappeared into the trees. I heard him moving back the way we had come, but those sounds soon gave way to the gentle rustling of trees and the chirps of birds. I saw the man’s pack and fought my body’s protests in order to retrieve it. Ori had not lied; there was a dagger. I immediately grabbed the sheathed blade. I knew there was little I could actually do with it, but I still took comfort in the sharpened metal.
When a few minutes had passed with nothing disturbing the usual chatter of the forest, I willed myself to stand once more. Surprisingly, I was able to climb to my feet, albeit stiffly. Grabbing the guard’s supply bag, I hobbled toward a tree farther in the shade. Resting my back against its rough bark, I made sure I was facing what I hoped was the direction of the road. My muscles began to relax, the anxious tension slowly unwinding, leaving me with a dull ache throughout my body. I reached up, feeling the small bump that had grown in response to my head hitting the side of the carriage, but I was thankful for the lack of pain that arose from my probing. However, as I sat there, the pain in my body began to settle into my feet. I tried to ignore it, but the discomfort quickly turned from dull to a sharp burning sensation.
I peeled the decorated leather shoes off when the pain grew worse. Wincing at the sight of the exposed skin caused by my shoes biting into my feet as I ran across the twigs and pine needles of the forest floor, I reached for the canteen. Shaking it, I hoped there would be enough water to spare. I took as little as I could in order to rinse out my small wounds, which were reaching almost unbearable levels of pain. The burning eased slightly as the water flowed over my feet, but I knew it was just temporary relief.
Trying to ignore the pain in my feet, I sat the canteen aside and examined the damage done to my dress. I felt tears rising as I looked over the various rips littering the elegant fabric. It was as if the forest’s branches had tallied everything I had lost, each rip a reminder of what I would never get back. My entire dowry was now in the hands of the Dakmorans. They had taken Surea from me. My own men had fought alongside their enemies in an attempt to take my life. They had failed at killing me, but now I had nothing. My anger amplified the pain in my feet. I unscrewed the cap and doused the burning with the last of our water.
While the pain in my feet was once again tamed, I mulled over the traitors who had made their way into the ranks of my family’s personal guard. They wanted to kill me. There was no doubt about that; they hadn’t even considered taking me captive for ransom later. The only reason they would act so boldly was if Dakmor were trying to spark another war. Suddenly, I realized the traitors might also exist among the men left to guard my castle. I took almost sadistic pleasure in the idea of what would happen to them when they tried to face Dalric—if they were even that foolish. One thing I could at least satisfy myself with was the knowledge that whatever the Dakmorans had planned, they’d failed.
Lost in thought, it took me a moment to register the rustling in the foliage on the other side of the clearing. I immediately reached for the dagger, afraid I had been wrong in thinking I was safe. I climbed to my feet as the noise grew louder, wincing as the pain rushed through my body. My heart was thudding against my ribcage, sounding as if it would escape at any moment. When I thought I was on the verge of losing consciousness from the rush of dread, the movement in the trees stopped, exposing Ori as he stepped into the clearing. As he walked toward me, I noticed the sun was beginning to reach the horizon. The guard had been gone longer than I had realized.
“We won’t be able to light a fire tonight, Your Grace, but they shouldn’t be able to track us here.” I tightened my grip on the small dagger as Ori continued to walk closer.
“Why did you help me?” I watched Ori’s every move.
“I see you found my dagger.” The obviously exhausted guard flashed a smile at me. “Duchess, if I were planning on harming you, I would not be willing to run myself to the point of collapsing and tell you where to find a blade to use against me.”
In different circumstances, he would have been punished for the inflection of his comment. Still, deciding he had made a valid point and knowing I would not make it back to my castle alone, I loosened my grip on the dagger.
“Why was I attacked?”
“I fear I do not know much, Your Grace, but I will tell you what I overheard.” Ori removed his gambeson and chainmail as he spoke. “Last night, while I was on watch, there was a group of your soldiers talking around a fire a little away from the main group. I heard them speaking of Dakmor and tried to creep closer to better hear what they were saying.”
Ori fell into silence and began rifling through his bag. Not willing to wait, I demanded that he continue.
“I beg your mercy, milady. It is just a difficult story to retell.” His voice sounded troubled, and he was obviously exhausted. “I overheard men, the same men who fought alongside the Dakmorans, speaking of their worries that the northern lands were being forgotten by royalty. Crops have failed the past two harvests, and families are starving.”
“I do not need lessons as to what is happening within my own land. I am quite aware things have been hard for some of my people. Now, unless you would like to point out other things about the land my family has managed for many generations, tell me why I was almost killed today. Tell me why those men let Surea die!” I was faintly aware of my nails digging into my palm.
“Duchess, I did not mean to offend.” Ori bowed slightly, keeping his eyes down.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. This guard was only trying to help. I just needed to remind myself of that fact.
“Ori.” I clenched my jaw against the unfamiliar words forming in my mouth. “I should not have snapped, but please, you must tell me what you heard.”
I had never apologized to a guard, and from the way Ori’s eyes shot up to connect with mine, it was a fact he was well aware of.
Ori’s voice briefly betrayed the shock at realizing what had just transpired between us. “I meant only to highlight t
hat these men were of the few experiencing the hardships to such a great extent. The men seemed to believe a great sum of money, enough to care for their families for years, would come their way if their orders were followed.”
I felt my brow crease. “Did you learn who these orders came from? If we have the name of a Dakmoran noble, it might be possible to avoid war if I can give Tallak all the information possible.”
Something akin to pain flashed across Ori’s face as he tore his gaze from mine, refusing to look at me while he spoke. “I do not believe it was a Dakmoran these men were rallying behind.”
The guard met my expression with one of pity. Several moments passed, and just when I believed I would have to command him to speak once more, he offered his final piece of information.
“Your Grace, these men were following orders issued by our very own Captain Dalric.”
Chapter 4
I COULDN’T speak. The thought of Dalric betraying the trust my family placed in him left me numb.
“Duchess?” Ori hesitantly reached out a hand to place it on my shoulder.
“No, it couldn’t—” I stood still, ignoring the attempt at comfort. “How could it be Dalric?”
The guard was silent for a moment, obviously struggling with the information as well. Eventually, his voice broke the heavy silence that had settled in the clearing.
“Milady, I tried to think of every possibility, that maybe someone was issuing orders and only attaching Dalric’s name. But the guard was only informed of the definitive travel route a week ago.”
I focused my attention on the tall man before me. “Not enough time for someone to deliver a message to Dakmor and plan an ambush, which means the ambush was planned first. Dalric just routed us where the Dakmorans wanted. He’s working with them; he’s working with Princess Zoriah. Her father tried to invade Halvaria, and it looks like she has the same goal.”