by Jude Marquez
“And I understand that this is my life, our lives, as Princes, but I can't do it without my brother. I have no wish to win this war without you by my side,” Gael finished.
“You spoiled brat,” Evander said and wrapped his brother up in a hug.
Gael laughed and it sounded wet. “That is your fault.”
Evander couldn't deny the truth of that. He had raised his brothers and sister more than their father ever had. “We'll send a convoy to Cade. You know how he hates to be left out.”
“I already did,” Gael said.
∞∞∞
Alyx woke to soft voices in his room. When he sat up, he saw Aldous leaning over Josette's bed, a knife to her throat.
“Please don't kill the woman who saved your life and rode you into safety,” Alyx requested.
“She worked for Thomas.”
“I'm aware,” Alyx said and sat up. He reached for his belt and blades, slide them into place and put his buckle on. He reached for his boots. “But don't you think she would have tried something already, when I was asleep?”
“If I were an assassin or kidnapper, my best opportunity would have been when Alyx was asleep,” Josette agreed. “Or any of a half dozen times as we rode in and his only protection was an unconscious knight, two ladies, and a young girl. Or when Alyx was trapped underneath a man twice his size and defenseless,” her words had their desired effect and she pushed Aldous away. The sun was barely pink over the horizon.
“Any word?” He asked Aldous and went for the bowl in the corner of the room to splash water on his face. Jeanna came in, coffee in hand. He took a cup from her hand.
“None,” Aldous muttered.
“Not true. Anne and Bea have returned from Franco's keep. Or rather, Alyx's,” Jeanna said. “Everyone has arrived, in various states, but alive.”
“Auelina?” Alyx asked.
“Untouched, though not for trying. Come downstairs, both women wait to speak to you,” Jeanna instructed.
The three did as she asked, trailing after her.
A blonde and brunette sat at the bar, bread in hand, coffee nearby.
“Anne,” Jeanna said and the blonde waved her coffee in their direction. “And Bea,” Bea tipped her head in their direction. “As soon as you arrived, I sent them to the keep. They spoke to Gia and Auelina.”
Auelina was the first to arrive with Geoffrey who had a crossbow bolt through his shoulder. He lost blood but not enough to be a mortal injury. Franco's physician patched him together and they waited only on Alyx and Aldous to arrive. According to Auelina, they fought their way through more groups of men than she cared to count. According to Franco, when they arrived, she was soaked in so much blood that he was sure she was dying and a redhead.
Gia was the next to arrive with Elyes. Possibly because Geoffrey and Auelina had killed everyone, they arrived without any trouble. Franco immediately handed over control of the keep to Gia. She had armed everyone and left only scant volunteers in the nearby villages to look out for the others they left in their wake. Everyone else was armed and pulled into the keep. The villagers were instructed to help Alyx and whoever he arrived with, by royal decree. Now that they had arrived, they were to make for safety. Word was spreading through the villages and those few that remained started for the keep the night previous.
Aldous and Alyx shared a look after Anne and Bea finished telling them what they knew.
“We need to go,” Aldous said.
“Now,” Alyx agreed.
Annabelle, Verna, and Lisa met them at the stables and they mounted their horses. They were only a short ride from the keep. Aldous took the lead and the others surrounded Alyx as they made for their destination.
When they broke the treeline, the keep rose in the distance. The bridge was drawn but there was plenty of time-
“Faster!” Josette yelled from behind him.
Alyx turned and saw a group of men break from the treeline as well, flanking them. Their cloaks were the deep purple of Thomas's men.
Alyx urged the horse beneath him faster. Anne drew up next to him and urged him on. Annabelle was clinging to her. He ducked when he heard an arrow fly by his head.
“Go! Go!” Alyx yelled. Anne leaned in close to her horse and urged it faster. Bea fell into place by her, then Verna and Lisa.
Alyx could hear the men behind him, the snap of their cloaks, their voices urging their own horses on. Verna and Lisa glanced behind, with Verna's hands on the reins. Lisa had a sword in one hand and swung at any man who came too close.
And they were very close.
Alyx could feel his horse growing weary beneath him. He didn't blame him. It had been a very long few days. He urged him on anyway when he looked down and realized that there was a bolt through his horse's left flank. He looked up in time to see Josette pass him, her eyes wide on him.
Then another bolt brought his horse down and threw Alyx into the air.
Chapter Fifteen
Gael and Evander were seated and eating when Valentine arrived, Hubert and Percy close behind, but not too close. Evander gestured to the seat across from him and Valentine sat. He plucked a piece of roasted meat and poured himself a cup of wine without asking and began to eat with the princes. Hubert and Percy sat at Titus’s table and each only took a cup of water.
After a moment, Evander sat back, wiped his mouth and finished his wine.
Valentine did the same but reached for a piece of bread.
“We found the traitor,” Evander said.
“So I saw. Your men gave him a proper greeting. And then you called me,” Valentine said.
“Yes.”
“I'm honored.”
Evander rolled his eyes. Gael continued to eat.
“I want to know what he knows,” Evander said.
“And you will,” Valentine said. “What methods am I allowed?”
Evander looked to Gael and Gael chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “At your discretion,” Gael finally said.
“Is this immediate or might I finish?” Valentine asked and gestured to the food.
“When you finish,” Evander said. He sat back and let his eyes drift across the map that was pinned on the wall of his tent.
“Something troubling you, Your Highness?” Valentine asked and poured them both some more wine.
“Only the war,” Evander said, his mind still drifting over the fact that Thomas was destroying the land he wanted to rule. He picked up his cup and took a drink. “Why would he burn everything to the ground? Destroy the crops?”
“Because he's... mad?” Gael guessed. Valentine pushed over the cheese and bread to Evander. Percy and Hubert stood and drifted closer, despite the fact that they were terrified of Valentine.
“That's not reason enough. He knows that he cannot take this place by force,” Evander said.
“That's why he sent so many of his best after the Princess,” Valentine said. “A sad underestimation of her character that she and her ladies will soon rectify, I hope.”
Evander hummed.
“The Prince would prefer the men not be so near our sister,” Gael said pointedly.
“He has been rising in power,” Hubert said suddenly. “Every word that we receive tells us that he gathers his power by conquering the lands near him and that our country is the only one large enough and organized enough to make a stand against him.”
Evander had heard the same thing.
“He would be most assured the throne, with no threat, if he married and had a child with the Princess. He could rule much the way the Queen has,” Percy said.
“As regent,” Gael said.
“Unless-” Valentine said and everyone turned to him. “The child were to die and the next child of the Princess would be next in line to rule and Thomas kept that power until the child came to age. And so on and so forth. You get the picture,” he said, glancing between the two princes.
“It's an old law,” Gael muttered.
“He would kill his own children only to keep that po
wer,” Evander muttered, feeling ill.
“But Thomas would have to kill all three Princes before he could have claim to the throne,” Titus pointed out.
“I don't believe he would have an issue with that, darling,” Valentine said and wiped his mouth. He stood and nodded to Evander. “Will you be joining me?”
“Soon,” Evander muttered and looked around. “Percy and Hubert will go with you to-”
“Supervise?” Valentine asked.
“Take notes. I can only ask you to do so much,” Evander said, a grim smile on his face. “Titus, I need you to get Ralph for me. Quickly,” he said.
Titus left the tent and Valentine picked up a case that he had near his feet, nodded at the princes and left. Hubert and Percy exchanged a flat look and followed him out.
When Titus returned with Ralph in tow, Evander pulled him into the tent and over the table where Gael was still seated.
“Go to Cade. Make sure that he received Gael's message and bring him back with you personally,” Evander whispered.
Ralph bowed his head. “Alone?”
“Take only a small contingent,” Evander muttered. “Only those that you know you can trust. No volunteers.”
“Sire,” Ralph said and bowed before he left.
“You don't think-” Gael said.
“If you had a mole in your soldiers, why couldn't he have more, among my own? What if Brady got word out?” Evander wondered out loud. “I imagine your message was sent urgently enough and Cade is not one to dawdle. Not when it comes to you, anyway,” Evander said and spun a knife in his hand. “It would be easiest to pick Cade off first. He hasn't been in charge of a march before. Less experience without us there.”
“Thomas divided his forces?” Gael said. “That seems-”
“Unwise,” Evander said. “Unless he was sure that he could get what he wanted.”
“What if-” Gael said and stood.
“What if we weren't the bait? What if the three of us on the field didn't matter?” Evander said and stood.
Gael and Evander stared at each other.
“Kill Brady,” Evander ordered. “He was merely a distraction. Order all the troops to pull back. Kill if they must be we are no longer marching north. Turn them around and have them march south, to the Reimund keep.”
Gael stood and left the tent.
Evander looked around his tent and pulled on his cloak, set his crown on his head. He gathered Eros who was grazing nearby and headed for the main part of the camp where most of the soldiers were gathered, waiting orders from the Prince.
They were turning from the main contingent of Thomas’s army in the north. Evander shouted his orders to pull camp, to ready themselves for the march south.
∞∞∞
Alyx thought that maybe he would like flying were it not for the landing. He landed hard on his back and stared up at the sky. It was a comforting blue and he wondered if Evander was looking up-
Alyx, you were written in the stars for me, Evander's voice whispered.
Alyx jerked and sucked in a huge breath. His horse was down and all his companions were galloping away. When he turned in the direction that they came, he saw a group of at least forty mean galloping towards him.
Alyx scrambled to his feet, his body protesting and turned to the keep. High walls surrounded it and even as the others approached it, the drawbridge remained up.
A horn sounded, the bridge began to lower, and Alyx ran.
He was no match; not for forty men, not to outrun their horses. His companions, exhausted, sick, wounded, beaten, were too far away to help.
But he ran.
He ran for fear of never seeing Evander again, for never hearing a sweet word from Auelina, for never getting to teach again. He ran because he had a life now, a purpose to serve, and a reason to pursue a bright life. He did as he asked Evander to do; he fought, he tried, even if the odds were against him. It wouldn't be the first time he stared death in the face.
Then he saw a flash of red, a scream of anger and the gallop of more horses than he could think possible.
The horn sounded once more and arrows flew and Alyx ducked. One cut across his arm, laying open his skin. He stumbled but forged on, despite the pounding of hooves headed towards him in all directions.
∞∞∞
“Mother,” Auelina whispered when she saw Alyx stumble when an arrow sliced open his arm. “Mother, he isn't going to make it.” The crossbow in her hands trembled as she sucked in a deep breath.
“Have faith, my love,” Gia whispered and let an arrow go, aimed at a man who was too close to Alyx.
Franco and Langdon were still too far off and the men were gaining on Alyx.
Franco's horn sounded again and the men finally appeared, Franco and Langdon at the front, their armor glinting in the sunlight. Aldous turned, to look to Alyx as they neared the gate. Seeing him gone, he jerked his horse round, bellowed something and a rider with red hair did the same. They were closer than Franco and Langdon and if Alyx kept running, he could make it to safety of one of them.
“Run, Alyx,” Verna whispered.
Alyx stopped.
∞∞∞
He felt like there was a furnace in his chest and his legs were lead. His arm was bleeding freely and even though Aldous and Josette were running for him, there was no way they could beat the men on Alyx’s heels.
Alyx stopped.
He planted his feet, slid the blades out, and waited for Thomas’s men to descend upon him. They were not going to kidnap him, they would have to kill him where he stood. He would not be bait for a war such as this.
Evander would not only forgive him, but he would understand. He would know that Alyx would rather be dead than to live a life like he had with his stepmother.
Alyx slashed at the first man to reach him and he felt the warm droplets of blood on his neck and face. He didn’t get to see where he injured the man before the next was on him and Alyx was forced to jump out of the way. He swung at anyone in his way, anyone that got too close and soon they realized to stay out of his reach.
“What idiot said that he was helpless?” One man demanded, as they circled Alyx. He was bleeding from his thigh.
Before anyone could answer, there was a scream and an arrow appeared in his chest. Alyx glimpsed Josette, beautiful, faithful Josette aiming her crossbow at the men and Aldous running full speed at a clump of men. His stallion slammed into a much smaller horse and Aldous punched whoever was closest as Josette circled, pushed a few in too close to Alyx as he swung with his blades once more.
“Fight, you fools!” Another man yelled.
Aldous knocked him from his horse. Aldous' stallion reared, screamed, scared a few other horses, breaking the group that Alyx was trapped in. Another horse fell, Josette screamed something indecipherable and Aldous was pulled from his horse. Another man’s horse danced behind him nervously and even as Alyx’s brain told him to move, a hand was under his arms, lifting him away and with dread in his throat, Alyx realized it was one of Thomas's men.
And once more, he was flying, one body on top of him, another below him.
He looked up to light brown eyes, heard a laugh, and the man below him screamed.
The man on top of him helped him up, handed him a blade he hadn’t realized he dropped and spun him round so that they were back to back and evenly protected.
“Alyx,” the man said and swung at a horse that came too close. “I’m Franco.”
“Thank you,” Alyx gasped.
“Don’t forget to thank Langdon too,” Franco said.
“Who?” Alyx gasped.
Men in flashing armor circled them and then parted, a man with dark hair galloped through, and Alyx was in the air once more, then seated behind a dark haired man as they charged for the gates.
“I’m Langdon,” the man shouted and the joy was clear in his voice.
Alyx tightened his hold on the man’s waist and saw with some relief that Aldous and Josette were on th
e backs of other horses.
“Thank you,” Alyx choked out.
Langdon laughed.
Chapter Sixteen
“They should be back by now,” Evander said to Titus.
Titus didn’t answer. He merely wiped at the blood on his arms and neck in slow sweeping motions until the rag was a lost cause and picked up another, the third rag he had gone through already.
Valentine had seen that Brady’s death was not easy.
Evander’s initial cause for concern proved to be true. Their messengers and scouts, usually protected by the rules of war, had been returned to them on spikes.
Gael was out, readying the troops, supervising the soldiers, working on keeping his mind clear.
“I don’t mean to be out of line, Your Majesty,” Valentine said from the corner. He had already visited a nearby stream and washed the blood from himself.
“When has that ever stopped you?” Evander asked.
Valentine seemed to think about it before forging ahead, “But would it be remiss to find what is keeping Ralph and the others yourself before heading south?”
Evander blinked and looked at Valentine for a long time, his sprawl, his arrogance. His dark eyes betrayed no emotion and Evander, once again, tried to guess his age. They had a complicated relationship, built on antagonizing one another and a strange amount of respect.
“You are suggesting splitting forces, the Crown Prince leaving his soldiers, probably taking the other prince, and what?” Titus sputtered. “Hoping the rest of the army catches up?”
Valentine lifted a shoulder and kept his eyes on Evander. “It took us three days here. A day to figure out that our heads are up our asses. It’s a six day ride to Franco’s keep from here. If they left, split their forces and avoided our troops, they could be as close as a day away from the rest of the royal family. Or already there if their groups are small enough to travel quickly.”
Evander could see the reason of the plan. Should he take his brothers, Ralph, Tobey, Gabrien, Regan maybe-
Evander turned to the map on his table, wondered if he could cut the ride down any-
The leather flap of his tent was practically torn off its pole when Cade stumbled in, half carrying a soldier on his shoulder, his armor torn, Ralph close behind, another soldier with his head rolling on Ralph’s shoulder sickeningly.