“What is this place?” she asked Odis in a whisper.
“Servants’ tunnels,” he replied. “They were built many years ago before King Alvert and Queen Alaura, may the heavens bless both their souls, were even in power. These tunnels were built to help servants move throughout the castle quickly making it easy to take care of the royal family's most important guests. They were also used as secret ways through the castle if there were any attacks.”
“That's wonderful! Then there's an easy way out of the castle,” Ressa said.
“No, my lady,” Odis said, hanging his head. “Sadly, after the Battle of the Delway, King Alvert had all entrances to the outside locked off with stone.”
“Why was that?”
Odis took a look at another portrait of the king and queen before hanging his head.
Ressa couldn't help but stare at the portrait of Cavel’s parents with tears welling up in her eyes. She understood what had happened.
“Come, my lady, we haven't gotten much time,” Odis said.
He led her down to the servants’ quarters that sat just outside the great hall. “Here, child, we don't have much time,” he said, pushing a large wooden crate in front of Ressa. It was large enough for her to hide in and covered in soft straw.
A bang on the door startled the two of them. Ressa jumped in immediately and Odis put the lid back in place. He hurried away from that particular crate, dancing around the other crates in the room until the guards kicked the door open.
“You!” the guard snarled. “Why did you not open the door?”
“I was just coming to do it,” Odis told him.
The guard walked into the room and another followed after him. “Who else is in this station with you?”
“Only me, my lord,” Odis said.
The guards moved around the room knocking things around, opening up cupboard doors, and pantries. They cracked open crates but found nothing.
“Enough!” a voice yelled from the doorway. “I will not have you acting like barbarians.”
“Lord Ezra,” Odis said, loud enough for Ressa to hear. Ressa sat as quiet as a mouse being hunted by a large cat and waited for Ezra to speak.
Odis bowed low to Ezra, but Ezra held him by the shoulder and forced him to straighten up. “Good sir, we seek the prince's ex-fiancée, Lady Rose,” he said. “Please, have you seen her here tonight?”
Ressa could have sworn there was an undercurrent of fury in that voice. Yet she couldn’t deny that it also held a note of sadness.
“No, my lord,” Odis said. “May I asked what she's done?”
Ezra's stance began to wilt and he stumbled a bit at Odis's words. His eyes were red and he tossed out a hand to one of the tables to hold himself up. “Murder,” was the only word he was able to utter.
“Murder of the king,” one of his guards said.
“My Lord in heaven,” Odis gasped, tossing a hand over his stomach as if he were about to be sick. “Are you sure it was her?”
“We are sure,” Ezra said. “One of my best men, Wort Folly, found evidence to prove her guilt.”
Ressa had to bite her tongue to keep from cursing in anger and giving away her position. That devil Wort. He had been in on the murder of the king.
“No,” Odis said, “that’s not the Lady Rose we all know. She was always kind to the king as well as the staff. She even stopped by to play with our little ones here when she had time. That can't be so. Why, when the king fell ill five moons ago, it was Miss Ressa who made his tea and sat by his side reading stories of old to him till he fell asleep. You tell me she murdered the king; to that I say no. That is not the Lady Rose we all know.”
Odis's words hit Ezra in the heart. With this new information, Ezra couldn't help but second-guess Ressa's guilt. There were many times he had witnessed her kindness firsthand.
She loved my father the way he loved me, with unwavering devotion. It can’t be her, he couldn't help but think. He straightened up. It was time to look into this matter and find the real killer. “Men, have you searched every part of this room?”
“Almost every part. All have been checked except for the crate he's hanging on to, captain,” one guard said, pointing towards Odis.
“I am sorry, my friend,” Ezra said to Odis. “Please step aside.”
Odis hesitated for a moment but moved aside. Ezra pulled out his dagger and stabbed it into the box. Slowly he pried the top away from the crate. With one swift movement, he ripped the lid off exposing the inside of the crate. He reached his hand in and pulled out rotted fruit. The crate was filled with it. The smell from the rotting bananas alone was enough to send the guards rushing towards the entrance.
Ezra tossed his arm over his nose. “Thank you for your time,” he said. He gave the signal to his men who marched out the door leaving Odis alone.
Ezra took one last look at Odis before turning to shut the door.
When all was calm, Odis returned the lid of the crate full of rotted fruit and rushed towards another. He pried its top off and exposed the barrel of fresh berries inside. Gently he removed them until the last one was gone; then with his blade he peeled back another wooden floor exposing Ressa underneath. Ressa rose to gulp in the air like she had been starved of it. It had been stuffy and pitch-black in there.
“My lady, I hope that wasn't too horrible,” he said.
“No, being crushed by some of my favorite fruit is fine,” she told him with a brave smile. “It was Ezra's words that crushed my heart.”
Her eyes watered and tears began to roll down her face. It hurt that Ezra thought she had done this. Knowing that he believed she was capable of murdering his father left her heartbroken. If she wanted to look good for anyone, it had to be him and the late king. She couldn’t stand the thought that he considered her a murderer and a criminal now.
“Well, now that you know how he feels, do you still wish to send him your letter, my lady?” Odis asked her.
Ressa stood silent for a few moments; then she nodded. “Yes. Though he believes me to be a murderer, my conscience wouldn't be clear if I didn't warn him that he might be next.”
“Well then, it's time to go,” Odis told her.
Getting Ressa out of the palace was going to be hard. By now guards would have been posted everywhere. Ezra would want to make the security watertight to ensure that no one could come in or leave without his knowledge.
“Well?” Ressa said.
“Hold on,” Odis said.
He stared hard at the crate from which she had just emerged. An idea began to form in his head. He would use the crate to sneak her out of the servants’ quarters. From there he would get her closer to the garden wall and her freedom by way of a crate. There was a problem, however. They would need to pass through the great hall to get to their destination.
“Here, my lady, help me lift the crate onto this pushcart, and I will roll you through the hall without being spotted.”
Ressa did exactly as he said, and when he was ready, he beckoned her to climb into the crate again. She took a deep breath and climbed in.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He put the lid in place. “May the saints be with us.”
Chapter Twenty
Today, the distance from the servants’ quarters to the entrance of the great hall seemed much longer than it had any right to be. Odis had to walk casually like he was delivering goods so as not to draw anybody’s suspicions.
There were guards everywhere, hawk-eyed and looking at everything closely. They moved about with their swords out. The sight of the naked blades gave Odis the chills. Fortunately, nobody looked closely at him. He was just another servant doing his duty diligently.
His heart pounded as he rolled the crate down to the great hall without incident. Now the garden wall was a mere thirty feet away. Seeing the end in sight pushed him to move faster. Everything had to be done quickly now.
Odis quickened his pace. Now he was much quicker tha
n before—just a servant in hurry—but not quick enough to draw attention to himself when he and Ressa heard Alabaster howl. The two-headed white-horned wolf began growling and snarling.
“Now child!” Odis said, popping the lid of the crate. Ressa jumped out and rushed through the double doors. Odis did his best to shut them before Alabaster could make it through, but the wolf barreled through the double doors practically knocking them off their hinges.
Ressa's life flashed before her eyes as she ran from Alabaster, willing herself to go faster as she ran towards the garden entrance to the wall that held her freedom. The only obstacles in her way now were all the guests who were too stunned by the commotion to even blink. Shoving as many guests as she could out of her way Ressa made her way to the food. She vaulted over the dining tables as guards charged towards her.
Alabaster was too close to her now. She could feel the heat of his muzzle nipping at the back of her gown. She caught sight of the table with sugar-fruits and ran towards it. In one fluid motion she grabbed a tray, turned, and smacked it in Alabaster’s face. While Alabaster struggled to remove the sugared fruit from off his face, Ressa flung her shoes off her feet then keeled the ten-foot-tall wedding cake, along with the table it sat on, over Alabaster. The wolf was trapped, if only for a moment.
Ressa ran out into the garden and scurried up the closest statue towards the wall. The guards charged in behind her with their swords out. Ressa kicked a candelabra against a row of fruit trees, sparking a fire. By the time the guards had made it through to the garden the fire was spreading and Ressa had already made it to the top.
“Stop, murderer!” the guards screamed, but Ressa refused to listen. She jumped down to freedom.
She had dropped into a cart filled with hay placed there by Odis.
“Stop! You have nowhere to go,” a familiar voice said. Ressa turned slowly towards the voice. Her breath caught in her chest at the sight of her Golden Boy.
“Please, Ezra. I wasn't the one who murdered your stepfather.”
“Silence,” he yelled.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand you killed my father to steal his treasure!”
“I'll admit I stole the Red Diamond, but it wasn't me. I could never kill your father. I loved him.”
“If you loved him then why did you steal his treasure? Why risk hurting a man who loved you like his own daughter for a diamond?”
“For my father … I did it to save my father. Your beloved Prince Cavel arrested him and placed him in his dungeons, and when that wasn't enough for him, he sold him as a slave. Now my father sits rotting aboard a mad pirate’s ship and his only key to freedom is the Red Diamond by the night's end. If I'm not there soon my father's a dead man. It's the diamond for my father's freedom.”
Ezra was hit hard in the chest by her statement. It was because of him a woman he loved had lost her father, just as he had lost both of his.
“Please Ezra, I have to go.”
Sadly, Ezra knew she was telling the truth and that once Ressa was gone she would be gone forever. He found the thought of never seeing her again difficult to take in.
He met her eyes, and they realized in that momentary contact that this might very well be the last time they would see each other. Sadness welled in their eyes.
Without a word, Ressa jumped out of the cart and ran straight into Ezra's arms. Tenderly she ran her fingers through his golden hair. Then, without warning, she bestowed a kiss on his soft lips, gently parting them. No longer able to resist, Ezra gave into her charm and slipped his hands around her waist one last time. For just a few moments underneath the blue spring moon life stood still and it was only the two of them.
As if he’d just woken from a trance, Ezra's eyes snapped open the moment he heard the howls of the wolves. His men were coming. They had put out the fire and made it around the castle wall. Realizing this was her last chance, Ressa dropped Ezra's hands.
“Please Ezra. I must go.” The words caught in her throat.
Ressa froze for a second to memorize Ezra's face but took off when she heard the howl of wolves from a distance.
They’re coming around the castle wall, she thought.
Her heart pounded frantically as little tremors shook her entire body, but she could not bring herself to leave him.
“My lady, run!” Ezra said, realizing it was time to let her go. Reflexively Ressa jumped back into the cart.
Wort Folly and the rest of the Royal Guard were in clear view. Wort with his crossbow strapped to his back aimed it toward Ressa's cart, which was now moving at amazing speed. He pulled his crossbow and shot.
Without realizing it, Ezra shouted, “Stop!” and jumped in front of Wort but was soon pushed away by another.
There was a grunt and a thud as Odis fell to the ground. Ezra ran to his side. There was an arrow sticking out of his shoulder and blood spreading from the entry point. Tears shimmered in his eyes from the pain.
“I’m sorry, my friend,” Ezra said. “That wasn’t meant for you. You hold on, I’ll go get a doctor.”
“No. I will be okay, but Lady Rose … you must save her,” Odis commanded, his hand grasping the shaft of the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. Ezra was standing to leave when Odis grabbed him by the hand. He dug a hand into his trouser pockets and handed Ressa’s note to Ezra.
“Delivered as promised,” Odis said before his eyes rolled up to his forehead and he passed out.
As Wort loaded his crossbow to take another shot, Ezra screamed and jumped to his feet blocking Wort's shot.
“Have you lost your mind, man? I had a clear shot,” Wort said.
“You will not take another life today,” Ezra said, looking at Odis.
“Shall we chase after the girl?” Wesley asked.
“No. We must tend to our wounded,” Ezra said before kneeling by Odis's side.
Chapter Twenty-One
The wind had found a worthy rival in Ressa that night. She ran with speed even she was not aware she had. She was propelled by the little time she had to get to Storm’s ship before it left the port. As she ran towards the docks, she was assailed by guilt. She’d left her footman in a pool of his blood, and now she was uncertain about what fate he would meet. His words to her in her chambers kept ringing in her ears: “It’s a shame you won’t be our queen.”
Ressa thought that perhaps, if she had stayed behind, she could have tamed Cavel. But then she thought, Who could ever tame someone like Cavel?
Her mind traveled to thoughts of Ezra, and she wondered if he would get her note.
Does he feel betrayed? she asked herself. Will he be the one sent to capture me?
The brush from the sides of the road slashed and nipped at her legs, but she refused to give in to the pain.
I’ve endured a lot till this moment, she thought. I’m not about to let a little pain stop me from getting to Storm’s ship.
Soon, she began to see the flickering tongues of torches through the trees. The search party—they were already after her. Ressa ran out from the cover of trees into the open.
The Lady of the Storm, captained by Slade Storm, was already about to leave when they were delayed by shouts from the docks. Ressa willed more strength to her legs as her goal was now within sight. She ran past two men at the foot of the gangplank and aboard the ship. There she was met by a tall man in a leather vest. He had raven-black hair and black eyes like onyx. His silhouette against the glow of the blue spring moon was daunting.
The man lifted his hand into the air and snapped his fingers. A few moments later, two men came up to the deck dragging a man from under his arms. The man was weak and frail. He was, by visual perception, near death.
“Father!” Ressa screamed and began to run towards him when two more members of the black-eyed man’s crew intercepted her.
“Do you have my payment?” the black-eyed man asked in a gruff voice.
“Yes,” Ressa replied, pulling her hands away from the men’s grasp.
She reached into her bodice but stopped when the men in the ship quickly trained their crossbows on her. Very slowly, to avoid setting off any of the men, Ressa lifted the Red Diamond from her chest.
Cheers and hoots broke out among the men onboard. However, with one swift thrust of his arm into the air, the black-eyed man silenced them.
He made it to Ressa in three powerful strides. Then he yanked the diamond from her hand. As he lifted it into the air, it caught the moonlight and shone like fire. Its dark red glow fell on the men onboard, giving them a devilish glow.
Within a short time, the Lady of the Storm was away from the docks, away from the kingdom of Markenia, and into the La Bruja—renowned for sirens and multiple crops of jagged rocks.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ezra came into the throne room to see his cousin nestled comfortably in the king’s throne. His father not even dead twenty-four hours and already Cavel was making himself comfortable. Wort Folly and Alabaster stood by Cavel's side. Ezra was caught between the feelings of anger, revulsion, and surprise.
“Your father’s only been dead for a few hours and you’re already in his throne, cousin,” Ezra said.
With a satisfactory smile on his face, Cavel waved for Ezra to come over. As he neared the throne, Alabaster growled. Ezra threw an angry look, instead, at the wolf’s owner. With Ezra standing before him, Cavel stretched forth his hand.
Ezra looked at him with confusion dancing in his eyes.
“You king wishes you to pay your respects,” Wort said.
“You may kiss the ring of your new king,” Cavel said in an admonishing tone.
Ezra went from shock to anger and finally to hesitant acceptance. He didn’t want to anger his cousin, especially as he had bad news. Taking Cavel’s hand, Ezra stooped so his lips could touch the cold body of the ring that was once King Alvert’s.
“Now,” Cavel said, his voicing morphing into an authoritative one, “what news have you brought to me about the girl, cousin?”
The girl, Cavel thought. How quick he is to throw Ressa away.
Rose and Thorn: Possession of The King (Book 1) (A Collection of Roses) Page 11
