Defender of Hearts

by Tanya Bird

  ‘What about you?’ Fayre asked Lyndal as they wandered to the small tables where the other women were gathered.

  ‘I play, but not well, Your Majesty. I lack the patience required. Lady Kendra, on the other hand, is quite skilled.’

  ‘My cousin exaggerates,’ Kendra said, a hand going to her chest in a gesture of modesty.

  Queen Fayre smiled at her. ‘We shall soon find out.’

  The other women looked in their direction as they approached, wearing smiles that did not match the top halves of their faces. Lyndal reminded herself to smile back as the women gleefully assessed her attire. Her mother’s words came to mind.

  ‘If you can find a way to fit in, then you will have no trouble finding a suitable husband.’

  Flashing her teeth, she offered herself up as prey.

  Astin spotted Harlan standing in the far corner of the armoury, head bent as he inspected a shield. He walked over, stepping over the weapons laid out on the ground.

  ‘Thornton thinks some extra weight in the shields will help build strength,’ Harlan said when Astin appeared beside him.

  Astin took the shield and tested the weight. It was surprisingly heavy. He flipped it over to find iron bars attached to the back. ‘Clever.’ He handed it over. ‘You heading home soon?’

  ‘The second I’m finished here.’ Harlan turned to face him. ‘You see Lyndal yet?’

  ‘I was out front when they arrived.’

  Harlan headed for the door. ‘She seem in good spirits?’

  ‘Given I was the first person she saw upon arrival, yes.’

  Harlan chuckled. ‘That was lucky timing. One might think you planned it that way.’

  ‘Don’t start. I saw the wagon. I was being nice.’

  Harlan glanced sideways at him. ‘Right place, right time. Got it.’

  ‘You can’t ask me to watch out for her, then throw shit at me when I do.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Astin bumped him into the door frame as they stepped outside. Harlan swore, righted himself, and followed him out.

  ‘I appreciate you looking out for her,’ Harlan said, catching up to him. ‘Kendra tends to look out for herself.’

  ‘Figured as much.’

  The pair headed for the mounting yard, where Harlan’s horse was saddled and waiting for him.

  ‘The king tell you he went to the farming borough this morning while you were off duty?’ Harlan asked.

  Astin squinted in the direction of the castle. ‘No. He failed to mention that. Any idea what he was doing there?’

  ‘Your stepfather came to the gate earlier. I suspect that had something to do with it.’

  Astin exhaled. ‘Probably why he didn’t bring it up.’

  Harlan chuckled.

  ‘He makes it really hard to keep him alive sometimes.’

  ‘Only sometimes?’

  When they reached Harlan’s horse, Astin waited for the groom to leave before asking, ‘Does the thought of those two men having direct dealings with one another fill you with as much fear as it does me?’

  Harlan mounted and looked down at him. ‘Safe to assume they’re not sharing strategies on how to better help the poor. Talk to Presley about it next time you see her. She did say she wanted to see you before her wedding.’

  ‘Not sure an interrogation is what she had in mind.’

  ‘But not tonight,’ Harlan said, swinging his horse around and nudging the mare forwards. ‘Tonight, enjoy the fact that someone else is keeping the king alive and get some sleep.’

  ‘That is such a married person thing to say,’ Astin called to him. ‘Perhaps I’ll go to the tavern for a few ales.’

  Harlan emitted a low laugh before kicking his horse into a canter.

  Chapter 8

  Lyndal and Kendra descended the grand staircase into the courtyard, hoods of their cloaks pulled up to protect them from the mist of rain. In the middle sat a fountain, water bubbling out of the top and spilling down three tiers of stone. All that was missing from the scene was a summer sun and ladies in short-sleeved dresses, laughing into brass goblets. Lyndal remained hopeful she would see something like it again in her lifetime.

  ‘Of course I had to let Queen Fayre win,’ Kendra whispered as they passed the fountain. ‘I cannot simply beat her at chess and expect us to be friends afterwards.’

  Lyndal looked up at the smoky black sky. How she missed the stars. ‘I think Queen Fayre is the kind of woman who would prefer to win on merit, not charity.’

  ‘I was being polite.’

  ‘I think the word you’re looking for is deceitful.’

  Kendra closed her mouth. ‘Do you think she likes me?’

  ‘What’s not to like?’

  ‘You literally just labelled me deceitful.’

  Lyndal smiled. ‘I simply want you to be yourself. It’s a long charade if you do become queen.’

  They passed the chapel and stopped at the entrance to the hall, peering inside. Guests stood in small groups in the middle of the room while others were seated at the long tables lining each wall. Trays of food sat untouched. Eggs, salted meat, roasted chicken, and colourful root vegetables. Guilt slashed through Lyndal like a knife. In the next borough, children were being put to bed with a cup of warm water, a trick to fool the stomach into thinking it had been fed.

  ‘I do hope there will be dancing,’ Kendra said. ‘Perhaps the king will ask me.’

  Lyndal’s gaze drifted to the high table where Borin was seated, picking through a plate of food. His mother sat at his side, watching the room. The chairs around them were empty. Prince Becket had departed soon after the coronation, taking the number of royal family members in Chadora to two. It was no secret Queen Fayre wished that number to grow.

  ‘Oh, there is Lady Henley,’ Kendra said, smoothing down the front of her dress. ‘We should take the seats nearest her. She is one of Queen Fayre’s closest friends.’

  Lyndal’s feet did not want to move suddenly, or rather wanted to move in the other direction—towards her bed. But as neither bed nor lingering in the doorway for the remainder of the evening were viable options, she sighed inwardly and followed her cousin.

  Warmed by ale, Astin followed the rain-soaked path around the castle, still trying to figure out why he turned down a barmaid’s advances in place of a perimeter check. After all, if the king died on someone else’s watch, it would be no reflection on him.

  As he neared the south gate, some movement farther along the wall caught his eye. His feet stilled as he peered into the dark. The guard on duty at the gate looked between him and the wall.

  ‘Something wrong, sir?’ the defender called to him.

  Astin held a hand up to silence him, then moved deeper into the shadows. He froze when he realised what he was looking at. It was a gently swinging rope, moving as if someone had not long ago released their grip on it. His heart sped up as he looked up and drew his weapon.

  ‘Breach!’ he shouted, turning away and breaking into a run towards the gate.

  The defender on duty drew his weapon also. ‘Breach!’ he echoed.

  ‘Open the gate!’ Astin roared, approaching at a run.

  It opened just wide enough to let him slip through, then clapped shut behind him. He ran along the bottom of the wall, searching for any signs of a descent. When he did not find anything, he stopped, cursing as he turned in a circle. A few more defenders had emerged from the castle to join the hunt.

  ‘Find the warden,’ Astin shouted at one. ‘Where’s the king?’

  The young defender was struck in the left side of his face with an arrow before he got a word out. A scream erupted from him. Astin jogged backwards and pressed himself against the wall, breathing hard as he searched the shadows around him.

  ‘Take cover!’ Astin called to the other defenders.

  But his warning was too late. An arrow came from the other direction, striking another defender in the side.

  ‘Multiple shooters!’ Astin shouted as he
took off at a sprint towards the castle. His job was to get to the king, and yet it was Lyndal’s face that flashed in his mind. Clever words would not save her from arrows.

  A defender circled the fountain in the courtyard, hand resting on his weapon. He stopped when he saw Astin running towards him. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Draw your sword, defender. We’re under attack. Where’s the king?’’

  ‘The hall, sir.’

  Astin slowed to a jog when he reached the chapel, carefully moving along the wall towards the music. If music was still playing, then the king was still alive. The thought buzzed in his mind as an arrow whistled overhead, bouncing off the stone wall. He was out of time. Rounding the corner, Astin headed for the hall.

  ‘Intruders!’ he called to the defender at the door.

  When the defender went to draw his sword, a figure emerged from the darkness, a blade glinting in his hand.

  ‘Behind you!’ Astin called too late.

  The defender’s throat was slashed, and he fell to his knees, clutching his throat. Astin tackled the man with the knife to the ground while driving his weapon into his stomach. He thrust it upwards before jumping to his feet.

  ‘Defenders to the doors!’ Astin shouted as he charged in. The music stopped, and all the guests, Lyndal and Kendra among them, turned to look at him. ‘I need everyone under the tables.’

  Lyndal’s eyes went to his bloodied uniform. Then she reached for Kendra, dragging her towards the closest table.

  ‘All of you,’ Astin said when no one else moved.

  Stanford, one of Borin’s other bodyguards, was already dragging the young king from his chair. ‘Is there a threat?’

  ‘You could say that.’

  Borin peered around his bodyguard. ‘What sort of threat?’

  ‘You cannot expect Chadora’s nobility to get down on their hands and knees,’ Lady Henley said, appearing outraged by the suggestion.

  Astin ignored her, stopping one of the defenders who went to pass him. ‘Cover Queen Fayre. We don’t know how many there are.’

  ‘What do you mean, you do not know how many there are?’ Borin asked.

  Queen Fayre closed her eyes. ‘Let him do his job.’

  Panic broke out as the guests realised the seriousness of the situation, trays of food and jars of wine falling to the floor as people hurried to take cover. Astin’s eyes went to Lyndal, who had reappeared to help Lady Henley.

  ‘Quickly now,’ Lyndal was saying, guiding her to the ground. Then, seeing there were still people out in the open, she returned for them.

  While Astin admired her level head in a crisis, he was about to throw her under that table himself if she did not take cover.

  The thud of an arrow hitting flesh made him turn. The defender at the door staggered backwards, and a moment later, a bow swung into view, a fresh arrow pointed right at Astin.

  Raising his sword, Astin threw it at the sliver of a man pressed against the door frame. It spun through the air, destroying the bow. In two strides he reached Lyndal, all but throwing her to the ground. She sucked in a surprised breath before crawling beneath the table. The now bowless intruder drew his sword and marched into the room, jaw set and eyes ablaze. And Astin stood in the way of what he came for.

  Just as Astin reached for the dagger strapped to his calf, another defender appeared behind their attacker, shooting him in the back. The man slowed, feet clumsy suddenly and eyes wide. Astin stepped up to him and kicked the weapon from his hand, sending it clattering to the floor. He cut the man’s throat to spare him a worse fate than if he were to survive.

  ‘Make sure no one comes through that door,’ he instructed the defender. Then, turning back to the room, he asked, ‘Is everyone all right?’

  There was no reply from the guests. Even Lady Henley seemed to have momentarily lost her tongue.

  ‘Another merchant?’ the king asked, moving out from behind Stanford.

  Astin looked down at Lyndal, who was crouched under the table holding her shaking cousin in her arms. She was completely still as she stared at the man bleeding out at his feet. ‘Looks that way.’

  Lyndal flinched at the sound of his voice, then met his eyes. He saw no fear in them, only heartbreak.

  Walking over to the table, Astin picked up one of the linen napkins and wiped it over the blade of his sword before sheathing it. ‘No one moves until the castle is secure.’

  With that, he headed for the door.

  Chapter 9

  ‘How am I supposed to sleep after witnessing such… such grotesque violence?’ Kendra asked Lyndal as she stared up at the roof. ‘Every time I close my eyes, it is all I can see.’

  Lyndal sat on the edge of the bed, having tucked her cousin in like one does a child. ‘You won’t be alone. I shall sleep at the end of your bed like a loyal dog.’

  Kendra reached out and took hold of her hand. ‘Thank you. What would I do without you here?’

  ‘I’m certain someone else would have eventually dragged you under that table.’

  Kendra pressed her eyes shut. ‘I simply froze. My legs would not work.’

  ‘That’s a common response to fear.’

  ‘Surely you must have been afraid also.’

  Lyndal tucked Kendra’s hand beneath the blanket and brushed hair back from her face. ‘I’m a merchant. It’s rarely an advantage, but living with fear is what we do best.’

  A loud knock at the door made Lyndal jump and Kendra shoot up in bed.

  ‘What if it is another intruder?’ Kendra asked, voice cracking. ‘What if they did not catch them all?’

  ‘I doubt very much that they would knock before entering.’ Lyndal rose from the bed and wandered over to the door. ‘Who is it?’ she called, hand on the door.

  ‘It’s Fletcher.’

  Relief filled Lyndal. She had not seen him since he left the hall, and her mind had imagined all kinds of terrible outcomes. Glancing over her shoulder, she said, ‘Go to sleep. I’ll be back in a moment.’

  She stepped out into the dimly lit corridor and pulled the door closed behind her, hugging herself against the cold. ‘What are you doing pounding the door down in the middle of the night? I’m trying to calm Kendra down so she sleeps.’

  Astin ran a hand down his blood-spattered face. ‘I knocked on your door, but you didn’t answer, despite clear instructions not to leave your bedchamber.’

  Lyndal scowled up at him. Then, registering the exhaustion on his face, her expression softened. ‘Well, I’m quite safe, as you can see. What about you? Are you hurt?’

  His head dipped slightly. ‘No.’

  ‘How many intruders were there in the end?’

  ‘Four.’

  ‘All merchants?’

  He nodded, went to speak, then stopped at the sound of footsteps. He had his sword drawn and his tall frame parked in front of her before the figure even came into view. Lyndal peered around him and saw the warden, Shapur Wright, come to a stop. Astin immediately sheathed his weapon and stepped aside.

  ‘Apologies, sir.’

  ‘At least you did not throw your weapon at me.’ His eyes went to Lyndal. ‘Queen Fayre wants to speak with you.’

  ‘Now?’ Astin asked before Lyndal could reply.

  Shapur nodded.

  ‘Kendra is all but asleep,’ Lyndal said, stepping out from behind Astin.

  ‘Leave her. She only asked for you.’

  Lyndal looked down at her creased dress and tucked the loose pieces of hair behind her ears. ‘Very well.’

  ‘Fletcher will escort you.’ His gaze shifted to Astin. ‘Queen Fayre wants a word with you also.’

  The bodyguard shifted. ‘Yes, sir.’

  They watched the warden turn and walk off before looking at each other.

  ‘You heard him,’ Astin said. ‘Let’s go.’

  Lyndal opened the door to check on Kendra, then quietly closed it again. She noticed Astin was glued to her side on the walk there, eyes moving over every shadow and
nook they passed.

  ‘You’re rather on edge given the castle has been secured,’ she said quietly.

  ‘I know better than to be complacent, especially given we don’t know how the intruders got into the borough.’

  Lyndal looked up at him as they walked. ‘Have you checked for tunnels?’

  He sighed. ‘I’m not really in the mood for your jokes.’

  ‘Who’s joking?’

  They arrived at the queen’s quarters, located in the east wing. The guard posted at her door disappeared inside to announce their arrival. He reappeared a moment later, nodding at Astin. The pair entered and found the queen seated on the lounge wrapped in a robe. A book lay open beside her.

  After a formal greeting, Astin asked, ‘Would you like me to wait outside?’

  Fayre rose from the lounge chair. ‘No, you should stay.’

  Astin nodded.

  The queen mother clasped her hands in front of her as she looked to Lyndal. ‘You may have heard that all our guests will be leaving in the morning. The warden has deemed the castle unsafe at this time.’

  Relief pulsed through Lyndal. In the morning, she would be going home. ‘Well, the warden does know best.’ She tried to keep the unbridled joy out of her voice.

  Fayre watched her a moment. ‘You know, I watched you closely this evening, in the hall. You did not panic. You did not make a fuss. You calmly followed Fletcher’s orders and assisted others.’

  Lyndal wondered where the conversation was going. ‘I prefer to be useful in a crisis, though that’s not to say I wasn’t falling apart on the inside.’

  ‘A woman’s strength is measured by her ability to internalise that fear, because one slip and we are labelled as hysterical.’

  Lyndal was not sure how to respond to that, so she waited for the queen to continue.

  ‘I like to surround myself with strong women. I truly believe our kind draw strength from one another. And I wonder, would you be open to staying under the circumstances?’

  Lyndal saw Astin’s weight shift in her peripheral vision. ‘Did you not just say that guests would be leaving in the morning?’