by Jody Hedlund
Through the sliver of moonlight, I strained to see whether anyone was coming my way. But the town was eerily still, the overseers slumbering and the night guards finishing their watch.
At the crunch of gravel behind me, I spun. A cloaked man stood close enough that he could have grabbed and muffled me if he’d been so inclined. But from the way he held himself slightly aloof, I guessed this was Vilmar even before he lowered his hood.
“My lady,” he whispered, leaving me no doubt he’d guessed my nobility. ’Twas no secret anyway. Soon after I’d arrived at the mine pits, everyone had learned the story about my fall from the duchess’s favor.
“My lord.” I let him know he couldn’t hide his nobility from me any more than I could mine from him.
I thought I detected his lips quirking up into the semblance of a smile, even as he peered past the shadows of my hood as though curious to discern more about my reason for requesting the meeting.
I pushed the hood away, letting it drop to my back and giving him full view of my countenance—or at least as much of it as was possible to see in the darkness.
I was still struck by the beauty of his eyes, so intense and yet tender. They were the kind of eyes that spoke of both pain and joy, of tribulation and laughter, of past sorrows yet promises for tomorrow.
At this close range, his strength and his power were more imposing. And yet, somehow I sensed I was as safe with him as I was with Curly.
Though he was nobility, I’d never met him in any of the social circles I was a part of when my father was alive. Of course, I’d still been too young at that time to participate fully in court life, and I’d been content to remain at home.
After Father died and the Duchess of Burgundy took over managing Rockland, I’d attended a few social events until I garnered more attention than her daughters and the duchess insisted on my absence. Even at those rare opportunities, I’d never seen him. Of that I was certain. He had a face a person would never forget.
“So, my lady.” His gaze roamed languidly, making me suddenly forget about the cold. “Ty said your request was urgent.”
As I’d climbed to the surface yesterday with our heavy loads of rocks, I managed to fall into step next to Ty during one wider stretch. I whispered to him that I needed to meet with Vilmar outside the infirmary right before the break of day. But now, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember the request.
“Well?” His voice hinted at a smile. From his tone and the ease with which he spoke, he was clearly practiced around women.
I scrambled to come up with something. “I have not had the opportunity to thank you yet.”
“Yes, that is very urgent. I can see why you needed to meet so secretly for it.”
“It is urgent. Especially since you have chosen to ignore me at every turn.”
“I’ve chosen to keep my fingers and hands from being severed by your lover.”
“Lover?” The word came out on a note of horror.
“Curly.”
“Curly is not my lover,” I hissed. “He has gallantly taken it upon himself to act as my protector. That is all.”
“He fancies himself in love with you.”
“He is no more than a friend and brother. He cares about Molly.”
“I haven’t seen him with any other woman but you.”
“Molly is still in the infirmary.”
At the rumble of voices nearby, he stiffened.
I sensed we had little time remaining, and I forced my thoughts into a semblance of coherency. “In addition to thanking you for saving me on the bridge as well as rushing to aid us yesterday, I would be grateful if you would instruct me how to . . . kill with a knife.”
His lips stalled around his response, and his eyes widened.
“I need to begin training immediately.” I swallowed the bile that formed at the thought of taking a life and forced myself to focus on the plan I’d formulated before falling asleep last night. “Today when you see me leave the main drift, you must wait two minutes and then follow.”
He shook his head, his jaw tightening.
His protest matched the protest my father would have offered if he’d been alive. In fact, my father’s voice rebuked me as it had been for the past hour: “If you give way to violence and hatred, you will only breed bitterness.” But there was no other way to eliminate Grendel. “We shall not have long to train, but every little bit will help—”
“No.” His whisper was harsh. “I refuse to train anyone to kill—”
“Would you have me remain defenseless?”
My question gave him pause. As I’d anticipated, he was an empathetic man who could be moved by plight and pity. Although I had no intention of sharing my true plans, I needed to reveal enough to convince him. “I must learn how to slay my enemy, or I myself shall most certainly perish.”
“What enemy?”
“I cannot speak the name. Nonetheless, ’tis an enemy I must face in less than two months’ time, and if I do not know how to kill him, I shall die at his hands.”
“I don’t understand.” His forehead wrinkled. “I have been in the mine but a fortnight, and already ’tis evident everyone here loves you. No one would dare harm a hair on your head, much less kill you.”
“I have not spoken of this enemy to anyone else. But when I saw your knife yesterday, I knew you were the one who could help train me.”
He glanced around again. “Then you are at risk even now?”
“No. I have two months.”
His attention came to rest upon me, and he studied my face as though seeking answers there. I couldn’t share the truth of my plans, lest anyone attempt to stop me.
“If someone sees you with the knife, you could be flogged.” He threw out what seemed to be a last weak protest.
“Likewise, for you.”
“I am willing to take the risk.”
“So am I.”
He pursed his lips.
“Please.” I infused my voice with as much pleading as I could muster. “You are my only hope.”
Seconds ticked by, and the town began to awaken around us—the clank of a cooking pot, ragged coughing, and low murmuring voices.
Finally, Vilmar released a short, tense breath. “The only way we can spend time together without rousing suspicion is if we pretend to be”—he paused as though searching for the right words—“enamored with each other.”
A strange flush rose into my cheeks. I knew exactly what he was referring to. Down in the mine pits, couples who wanted time alone would sneak off for short periods. Of course, they never wandered beyond the glimmer of torchlight and never stayed away for long. But no one questioned the need for the couple to have a few moments to themselves once in a while.
Even so, I hesitated at using such a ruse. It was one thing to sneak away undetected. It was another thing entirely to flaunt our leaving and allow people to believe we were courting.
In the world I’d come from, noble young ladies did not court without the benefit of a chaperone. I had no doubt Alice or Benedict would insist on accompanying me, and then they would know of my training and ask me all sorts of unwanted questions.
“I cannot lie to Alice or Benedict.”
“Then you shall have to work hastily at becoming enamored with me to prevent a lie.”
“One cannot force oneself to become enamored.”
His smile broke free. “No woman has ever had to force herself to like me.”
I could only imagine how true his statement was. He was not only good-looking, but he exuded a blatantly masculine aura that had drawn me in during our brief interaction, making me like him more, not less.
The truth was, his plan would allow for more training time. In fact, we would have much more freedom to be together if everyone assumed we were a couple.
“I must confess, I shall not find it disagreeable to become enamored with you.” His low whisper contained a note of intimacy that made my stomach flutter. “But first, you must inform Curly y
ou are attracted to me and wish to spend time with me.”
“You expect me to deceive Curly as well?” My tone rose, and I quickly dropped it to a whisper. “You ask too much, my lord.” I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin, needing to prove both to him and myself I had no attraction whatsoever. I simply admired him for his good and brave deeds. That was all.
He raised a hand as though to caress my cheek, but then apparently thought better of it and crossed his arms over his chest. “My lady, if what you say is true, that you really are in such peril, then allowing yourself to become enamored with me is the least of your problems.”
Without waiting for my response, he spun and disappeared as quietly as he came.
I could only stand and watch the early dawn mist swallow him. What harm could come of allowing some innocent attraction to develop between us? As he boasted, he would be an easy man to like. Even if I had to fabricate some of the feelings, surely God would forgive me for my deception, especially because as a result, I would finally be able to put an end to the most dreaded custom in the land.
Chapter
5
Vilmar
Curly knelt next to a young woman in the infirmary and spoke to her as he smoothed her hair away from her forehead. She must be Molly, the woman Lady Gabriella had mentioned, the one Curly cared about.
By the glow of the hearth, I watched from outside the doorway. I couldn’t deny I was more than a little relieved to discover Curly already had a woman and that Lady Gabriella wasn’t a pawn in the redheaded leader’s hands.
My relief had nothing to do with desiring the beautiful noblewoman for myself. Because I most certainly didn’t want her, and I couldn’t mislead her in thinking we had a future together or allow myself to become distracted from my Testing. I’d been hesitant to meet with her this morn for that very reason and had almost skipped.
My gaze touched on Lady Gabriella’s bent head as she finished bandaging the stump at Molly’s elbow. The golden red of her hair never failed to draw my attention, just as it had yesterday after she started working in the drift with the rest of us. She wore it plaited in a single braid that fell to her waist, but that gave full view of her delicate features, her smooth skin, and her graceful figure.
The other slaves claimed the lady had once been lauded as the fairest maiden in the land, and I could see why. Apparently, she’d also been one of the wealthiest, until her father died and Queen Margery pilfered the lands and wealth away from Lady Gabriella.
From the first moment I’d risked my life pulling her and Farthing off the bridge, I sensed she would upend my life. After resisting her since then, I should have continued keeping my distance. But I hadn’t been able to stay away from the clandestine meeting, no matter how loudly my internal warning had clanged.
When she’d pleaded with me to teach her how to kill her enemy, the anxiety in her eyes and the desperation etched into her face made it impossible to say no. And I still couldn’t, not when I imagined what danger awaited her.
Though she hadn’t wanted to reveal her enemy, I guessed she feared her accuser coming to silence her, probably the duchess’s steward who had blamed her for stealing. Of course, I’d easily learned about Lady Gabriella’s crime. The other slaves spoke freely and had been all too willing to tell me everything I wanted to know about the comely noblewoman.
Now here I was, waiting to begin our charade. But first, I wanted to make sure she followed through in telling Curly about us. Even if I had earned more of his approval after yesterday’s rescue, I couldn’t jeopardize our tentative peace and risk his wrath.
As Curly started to rise, his attention snagged on me, and he shot a glare my way before he bent to say something in Lady Gabriella’s ear. Her head snapped up, and l found myself looking into her expressive blue eyes, which were filled with an anticipation that made my stomach do a strange flip.
I gave her a curt nod, hoping she understood that if she hadn’t yet spoken to Curly of our relationship, she needed to do so now. If Curly didn’t approve of me for Lady Gabriella, then I wasn’t sure what we would do.
With a new rosy hue painting her cheeks, Lady Gabriella said something to the redhead. His brow wrinkled, and the two argued in hushed tones back and forth for at least a full minute.
Several other patients lying on pallets slumbered through the commotion. Finally, Molly raised her uninjured arm and pressed her hand against Curly’s face. At the touch, the frustration disappeared and was replaced with a tenderness that made me like Curly better than I did already.
Molly craned her neck to look at me, and I caught a glimpse of her face, thin and pale but kind. She said something more, and it must have been enough, for when Curly rose, he crossed to the door and passed by me without even a glance.
Regardless, I sensed I hadn’t heard the last from him. He still didn’t trust me, and I had no doubt he’d find a way to threaten me again. In the meantime, it was clear he was attempting to respect both Molly’s and Lady Gabriella’s wishes.
A moment later, Molly peeked at me again and then whispered something to Lady Gabriella that embarrassed her. Or at least from the way the beautiful noblewoman smiled before ducking her head, I assumed it was something more personal.
Outside, the first pinkish orange of the rising sun tinged the eastern edge of the Gemstone Mountain Range. Low clouds hovered below the tips of the peaks, reminding me of the home I’d left behind over three weeks ago.
Thankfully, the sea voyage to the Great Isle had been uneventful. When the longship had reached a secluded cove along Warwick’s central coast, Ty and I had waded ashore and begun our journey by foot to the mountain range at the heart of the country. We’d avoided roads and rivers, opting instead for secluded trails until we’d reached our contact, Lord Kennard, a longtime friend of my father’s who’d once been an ambassador to Scania. He’d then made arrangements for his guards to escort us the rest of the distance to the mine.
Since arriving, I’d been too concerned with surviving to pay much attention to the surroundings or to think about home. But now, with the beauty of the dawn sky, I felt at peace with my Testing. I’d survived the beginning difficult days, the uncertainty of the work, the danger of everything that lurked in the depths of the mountains. I’d made friends with the other new slaves. And I hadn’t made an enemy of the leader—or at least I prayed Curly wouldn’t slit my throat tonight in my sleep. Things were going better than I could have predicted.
“You need not wait for me,” Lady Gabriella murmured as she exited the infirmary.
I guessed she would have ignored me as Curly had, except Molly was watching. Instead, she paused, allowing me enough time to offer half the roll I’d saved from breaking my fast.
She glanced away from the roll, but not before I caught sight of the hunger in her eyes. She had fed the last of her rations to Molly, leaving none for herself. It wasn’t the first time I’d noticed her giving her food to others. Whenever anyone failed to make their quota, Lady Gabriella was always the first to share with those in need, eating something only at Benedict’s insistence.
Of course, I could do nothing to change the system of exchange that kept the slaves digging and thus too exhausted and weak to revolt. I hadn’t come to the mine pits to try to right the wrongs or eradicate slavery. All I could do was ensure I was learning to serve others and live out my challenge to be the slave of all.
“Take it, my lady.” I thrust the roll into her hand.
With Molly’s gaze still upon us, Lady Gabriella was left with no choice but to accept it.
“You could try smiling at me,” I whispered. “A smile might convince our audience that you like me more than the glare will.”
Forthwith, her lips lifted into a smile, one that nearly rendered me speechless with its beauty. Had I yet seen her smile? Surely, I would have remembered it if she had. For someone who brought so much joy to others, she deserved to be happy every day and all throughout each day. What could I do to give her mo
re to smile about?
From the sad slant of her eyes, she obviously hadn’t had much happiness here or before she’d arrived. What had her life been like?
As we made our way to the hatch, she nibbled on her roll. “You need not spend every moment with me,” she said when we were out of earshot of others.
“We must put forth some effort at being seen as a couple.” I leaned closer so our arms brushed. “Or people may suspect other motives for our being together.”
She chewed and seemed to contemplate my words. “What do you suggest we do to convince everyone?”
At her naïve question, I stumbled. Was Lady Gabriella so innocent that she didn’t know how to pretend to fancy a man? Hadn’t she witnessed other women flirting, even if she’d never done so herself?
I was tempted to tease her by encouraging her to express lavish compliments or use other such feminine wiles. But I wasn’t at court, and this was certainly no game we were playing.
“Perhaps,” I replied, “if we work near each other and engage in conversation, that will suffice.”
She angled her head at me. “Very well. I shall endeavor to do so.”
“Endeavor? Let us hope my company isn’t overly distasteful.”
Standing at the ladder protruding from the top of the hatch, she smiled, then bit off another piece of roll, effectively hiding all traces of humor. She tucked the leftover wedge into her pocket before she descended into the shaft.
I watched her climb down, and for the first time since arriving, I found myself eager for the long day of work ahead.
Though Gabriella was impatient to begin her weapons training, I convinced her to delay a week until the other slaves had the chance to see us together and conclude we harbored mutual fondness.
Most of the time we worked side by side, close enough to converse above the pinging and tapping of hammers and chisels. The first day, she was reticent to share much about herself. But as the hours and days passed, she opened up and divulged more.
