Realm of Knights

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  Technically, her loyalty was to the kingdom. Granted, Ackley was a prince, so she was devoted to him. However, she didn’t like the way he implied he owned her.

  Once he left, she turned to her friends. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” Something they didn’t want to say in front of the prince?

  Knox rubbed his face. “Your father is beside himself worrying about you.”

  “I’ll leave tomorrow to let the duke know you’re here and you’re safe,” Royce said.

  “What’s going on?” Knox asked, pointing at her dress.

  She plopped on the chair next to the sofa. “It’s a long story.”

  “I’d like to hear it,” Harlan said.

  Leaning forward, Reid grabbed a plate and piled it with food. She was starving from having spent the day working with Ackley. While she ate, she explained to her friends she’d been presented at court as Lady Reid. Thankfully, she was able to distract them by asking questions about their journey.

  When she started to nod off from exhaustion, she bid her friends goodnight. After changing into pants and a tunic, she headed to Idina’s bedchamber, where she found the princess reading in bed.

  “Apparently we’re staying in a guest suite,” Reid said.

  “Figured. Let me put my book away.”

  Idina wrapped a blanket around her body, and the two women headed to the guest wing. They picked a room at random and entered. Reid instructed Idina not to light any candles. The princess agreed before crawling into bed.

  Reid hurried to the first-floor kitchen, gathering a handful of silverware and some string. When she returned to the guest suite, she hung the silverware on the door handle and along the top of the door. If anyone tried to come in, the silverware would clink together and wake her. Since she still had a few spoons left over, she scattered them on the floor in front of the door.

  Satisfied no one would be able to sneak in, she grabbed a pillow from the bed and laid on the floor.

  “You can come up here with me,” Idina mumbled, half asleep.

  “I’d rather be on the floor.” That way, Reid wouldn’t get too comfortable and fall into a deep sleep.

  Reid awoke with a start. Blinking, she tried to focus her eyes. The room was still dark, making it difficult to see. The sound of Idina’s soft breathing came from the bed. Rolling over, Reid slowly pushed to her hands and knees, crawling toward the door. She carefully moved the spoons out of the way so she wouldn’t hit them. Then she leaned down and peered under the door. No light shone. It had to be well past midnight if the hallway candles were out.

  Sitting next to the door, Reid leaned against the wall to listen. What had woken her? No sounds came from the hallway. Regardless, she withdrew the dagger from her pants. Gripping it in her hand, she waited.

  A creek in the floorboards followed by a slight shuffling noise came from outside the room. As quietly as possible, Reid stood. Her priority was to keep Idina safe—not take on an assassin by herself. Not only that, but the footsteps could be from a sentry or even Ackley. She couldn’t burst into the hallway, ready to fight, when she didn’t know who was out there.

  She crept over to the bed, then placed a hand on Idina’s arm to rouse her. When the princess opened her eyes, Reid shook her head and put her finger to her lips. Idina nodded.

  There were a limited number of places to hide in the guest suite. Their choices were under the bed, in the closet, or behind the curtains. The rumpled bed made it obvious someone had been in there. Reid held up her hand, indicating Idina should wait. She then went to the other side of the bed, motioning for the princess to stand. Reid slowly pulled the covers up, tucking them into place. Idina caught on, doing the same to the other side. Now that they’d made the bed, they needed to hide. If there was an assassin out there, he would most likely just peek in the room. The easiest place to hide was beneath the bed.

  Reid crawled under, and Idina joined her. They laid on their stomachs, not saying a word. Thankfully, no one in the castle knew which room they were in. Soft footsteps came from the hallway again.

  It suddenly dawned on Reid that while she’d picked up the spoons that had been on the floor, she hadn’t removed the silverware attached to the door. If someone came in, the noise would alert the intruder to the fact someone was in the room. Cursing herself, she motioned for Idina to wait while she crawled out from under the bed. Her hands shook as she tiptoed across the room, trying not to make a sound. If she stepped on a creaky floorboard, whoever was in the hallway would realize someone was in here.

  Knowing time was of the essence, she quickly made it to the door. As carefully as possible, she removed the silverware. As she deposited the last fork in her pocket, the handle started to move. Not having enough time to run and hide under the bed, Reid stepped to the back side of the door. It opened a couple of inches. Someone was there. Reid remained pushed against the wall behind the door, hoping the person didn’t come any farther into the room. She held her breath.

  It felt like time slowed. The door remained open about six inches as steady breathing came from someone mere feet away. A ringing sound reverberated through Reid’s ears, and her hands shook as fear coursed through her body.

  Then the door slowly closed.

  Reid didn’t dare move from her place against the wall.

  A loud thump came from down the hallway, followed by the sounds of several men grunting. The sounds of steel clashing against steel reverberated. Neither Reid nor Idina moved from their hiding spots. Even though Reid wanted to help, even though she hated not knowing what was going on, she held her position next to the door, the dagger still clutched in her hand. If anyone came in, she would stab them in the back.

  “All clear,” someone shouted from the other side of the door. Several more people also yelled the same thing.

  “The royal family?” someone called.

  “Prince Ackley here.” His voice rang with authority. “The king and queen are accounted for.”

  “The princess?”

  Reid opened the door. “Princess Idina is safe,” she announced. In the dim hallway, it was hard to see anything beyond the dozen men standing about twenty feet to her left. A sliver of moonlight shone through the windows, glinting off their swords.

  One man came toward Reid. “My sister is with you?” Ackley asked.

  Reid nodded.

  He stopped a few feet away. The metallic smell of blood hung heavily in the air, making Reid gag. Examining Ackley closely, she saw blood dripping from his hands.

  “Are you all right?” she whispered, trying to discern if he had any injuries.

  He tilted his head just enough that the moonlight shone across his face. His right cheek had blood spattered on it. “I’ve never been better,” he replied. “Keep my sister in there with you until morning.” He went back to his men. “Get those bodies out of here.”

  Two men grabbed hold of something on the ground and pulled. When they got closer, Reid saw they each held an arm as they dragged a heavyset man along the hallway. The man’s chest had been slashed open, and bright red blood soaked through his shirt. When she glanced at his face, Reid recognized him from the inn. More men moved past her, dragging a second body. Not wanting to see the mangled corpses, Reid closed the door, leaning against it. Her breathing was too fast, too labored.

  Idina crawled out from under the bed. “Is everyone all right?” she asked, her voice firm and unwavering.

  “Yes.” Reid dropped her dagger to the floor, then clenched her shaking hands together.

  “You saved me,” the princess said. “If it weren’t for your actions tonight, I’d be dead.”

  Instead, four men—assassins—were dead. Ackley had set a trap, and the Axian men had walked right into it. As to why he hadn’t arrested the men instead of slaughtering them, Reid didn’t know.

  “Are you all right?” Idina asked, her brows pinched with worry. “You look like you’re about to vomit.”

  Reid shook her head, not sure sh
e could form a coherent sentence. All she could see was Ackley dressed in solid black, standing before her in the hallway, his eyes alight with frenzy.

  Chapter Eleven

  Staring out the window of the sitting room, Reid noticed a lone rider swiftly approaching the castle. He was leaning forward in the saddle, his wide shoulders pulling his cape taut. She knew without seeing the rider’s face that it was Gordon. And he was furious.

  “Is there anything you want me to tell Duke Ellington when I see him?” Royce asked from the sofa.

  “No,” Reid replied, veering away from the window. “Everything I want him to know is in the letter I gave you.”

  He stood, hitching his traveling bag on his shoulder. “Then I’ll be on my way.” Royce bid farewell to Harlan and Knox before taking his leave.

  Now that he was safely out of the way, Reid sat on the sofa across from her two friends and looked at their dear faces, hoping they’d understand what she was about to say. “I need both of you to leave the castle.”

  “Your father sent us here for your protection,” Knox said, leaning his elbows on his knees. “We can’t ignore a direct order from the duke.”

  “I understand.” The problem was that when Knox learned Reid was a woman, there had been a subtle shift in power—she no longer had any authority with him. Instead of lording over him, he insisted on lording over her. It was infuriating. “I’m not asking you to leave the city, just the castle. I want you to stay at a nearby inn.”

  “Is everything all right?” Harlan asked, moving to sit beside her.

  “I’m not certain. That’s why I want you at an inn. We can talk freely once you’re there.”

  Harlan nodded. “We can do that.”

  “Thank you.” She stood, hoping they took the hint and got out of there before Gordon saw them. She had a feeling if the prince found her friends in the castle, he would be furious and demand they return to Ellington. While they couldn’t disobey a direct order from the duke, as a prince, Gordon outranked the duke and could override his orders. “I’ll come find you later tonight. We’ll talk then.”

  That seemed to appease them. Knox and Harlan stood, bid her goodbye, and left. With her friends safely out of the castle, Reid headed back toward her bedchamber. When she reached the hallway outside her room, she ran into Idina.

  “There you are,” the princess said. “Come, Gordon has returned. He is in the great hall.”

  They made their way downstairs. As they neared the great hall, Reid heard an angry voice.

  “It sounds like my brother is in one of his moods,” Idina murmured. “This should be fun.”

  “Does Prince Gordon get angry often?” Reid didn’t recall him losing his temper while they’d traveled together. Then again, she hadn’t known him that long.

  “He loves to shout when things aren’t going his way. But don’t let that deter you. It’s not his temper that concerns me. If anything, he’s the predictable one.”

  There was more shouting. Reid wondered who was in there with Gordon since she only heard one voice. They entered the great hall, and Reid belatedly realized she hadn’t asked Idina which brother to be worried about if Gordon wasn’t the one who concerned her.

  Off to the side where the sofas were situated, Gordon stood with his shoulders heaving up and down, his hair stuck up in several directions, and sweat beading on his forehead. A servant was behind him, untying his leather armor. Once she finished, Gordon removed his breastplate, tossing it to the floor.

  Reid’s eyes locked with his, and an odd feeling stirred within her. She forced herself to look away.

  Ackley chuckled as he lounged on the sofa, his feet propped on the low table before him. “I already told you, brother, everything is under control. You didn’t need to come rushing back here like you did.”

  Reid was glad to see Ackley had changed and washed the blood from his face and hands.

  The servant picked up the breastplate, curtseyed, and hurried from the room.

  Gordon ran a hand through his messy hair before joining his brother on the sofa. Idina and Reid sat across from them.

  “When a messenger arrived and told me a group of enemy soldiers managed to infiltrate the castle and attempted to assassinate the royal family, what was I supposed to do? Say thank you and send him on his way?” He raked a hand through his hair again. “How could this happen?”

  “Henrick is determined to get us out of the way,” Idina said in a placating tone.

  Reid wanted to point out if Henrick intended to rule Marsden, he needed to kill the king. The first group of assassins from the forest had said they’d been sent to kill Gordon, Ackley, and Idina—not Eldon. And the group of assassins from last night had notes in the journal mentioning the same three siblings, once again leaving Eldon out of it. Did they have something else planned for him? Or was his assassination implied?

  “We would have been caught unaware if Reid hadn’t discovered their plan,” Ackley said, spreading his arms along the back of the sofa. “We were able to set a trap in the hallway. We killed all four Axians before they even knew what happened.”

  Gordon rubbed his face. “You said Reid would be an asset.”

  “Yes. And she has proven to be even more useful than I imagined.” He smiled at Reid, his eyes gleaming.

  She shifted on the sofa, uncomfortable with the attention.

  “I’m going to double the number of sentries on duty,” Gordon announced.

  “Eldon won’t allow it,” Idina said. “You know he hates having men watching his every move.”

  “I don’t care,” Gordon mumbled. “Until this threat is over, I need to know my family is safe.”

  “How are things going at Lake Folme?” the princess asked. “Were you able to see soldiers gathering in Axian?”

  “There hasn’t been any movement. I suspect the Axian soldiers are stationed somewhere less visible.” Gordon drummed his hands on his thighs. “I have my men situated in small tent cities along the lake and border. No one will be able to get past us.”

  “Hopefully, the soldiers in Cartr, Bridger, and Ellington are equally competent. Something tells me they’re not.” Ackley leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

  While Reid didn’t care for that snide remark, she let it slide. The prince hadn’t slept the past two nights, and a mantle of exhaustion covered him.

  Queen Harlow entered the room, and everyone stood. “I need a moment of Lady Reid’s time,” she said, her soft and delicate voice matching the pale blue dress she wore.

  Having no idea what the queen could possibly want with her, Reid agreed and silently followed her from the great hall.

  The queen led her up two flights of stairs. She turned left and headed to the end of a long hallway, pausing outside a door. “The king wishes to speak with you alone,” she explained while pushing the door open. “I will wait out here to escort you downstairs when you’re done.”

  Perhaps the king wanted to personally thank Reid for uncovering the assassination plot so it could be thwarted. She stepped through the doorway to enter the royal sitting room. The door clicked shut behind her.

  The room was tastefully decorated in deep reds. Four sofas were situated around a low table. Off to one side of the room was a writing desk. One entire wall was floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake in the distance. Since it was still early in the morning, a low fog hung above the water, concealing the sun.

  The king entered the room wearing loose-fitting black pants and a simple black tunic. No crown, no regalia, nothing to indicate his royal status. His hair looked recently washed, the curled ends wet. “Welcome, Lady Reid. Please have a seat.”

  Reid sat so she could see outside.

  “Would you care for something to eat or drink?”

  She shook her head, suddenly aware they were alone. Not a single sentry stood guard over the king.

  Eldon sat on the sofa next to Reid. “I need to speak with you about a delicate matter.” His voice remained soft a
nd kind. “But first, I must ask you a question.”

  She folded her hands together, wishing she could run from the room. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  “Are you loyal to me?”

  Why would he ask such a thing? “Yes, I am devoted to the crown.”

  “Good, because what I am about to reveal is private. You are not to repeat a word of it to anyone—not my wife, siblings, or even my mother. Understood?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you do, I’ll have you killed.” He stated it so simply it was as if he were telling her what he had for breakfast instead of threatening her life.

  Reid swallowed, not really wanting to hear what he had to say. “You have my sworn silence.” A bird flew past the window. She wished she could be like the bird and fly away. Being here, inside this castle, was starting to feel stifling.

  “Good. Because I need your help.” He took a deep breath before saying, “King Hudson is not my father.”

  She must have heard him wrong. “Excuse me?”

  “Leigh is my birth mother, but Hudson is not my father.”

  Which meant Leigh had slept with someone other than her husband. “King Hudson didn’t know, did he?” If he’d known, he wouldn’t have declared Eldon the heir since Gordon was his firstborn son.

  “No, he didn’t.” Eldon shifted on the sofa. “My mother didn’t want to hurt him.”

  If Leigh didn’t want to hurt him, she shouldn’t have had an affair. “Do you know who your father is?”

  He nodded. “Twenty-five years ago, two royal twin brothers had a falling out.” Eldon was talking about his father and uncle, Hudson and Henrick. This was a story Reid knew nothing about.

  “My grandfather, King Broc, named Hudson his heir. Henrick was furious because he studied harder than his brother, worked alongside his father, and believed he deserved the crown more. However, my grandfather had made up his mind and couldn’t be swayed.” Eldon pushed his sleeves up, then leaned back on the couch. “My grandfather also arranged for Hudson to marry Lady Leigh, one of the most sought-after ladies at court. Henrick felt like he’d lost everything.”