by Jody Hedlund
“If you’re sure, my lady.”
My thoughts returned to Vilmar and the picture of him watching me ride away. He’d stood so regally, his head held high, his shoulders straight, his bearing so bold and strong. Even though I sensed his relief in my leaving, I also noticed sadness in his countenance, a sadness that pierced my heart with the knowledge we would likely never see each other again.
The truth was, even if I managed to kill Grendel before he killed me, the queen would find a way to destroy me, just as she had my father. I had no future, especially not with Vilmar.
Nevertheless, the memory of our kiss had burned within me during the many hours of riding and now filled me with fresh yearning. I hadn’t meant to brush my lips to his, but the moment I had, I knew I cared about him much more than I should. The kiss opened up longings I’d been battling—the desire to be with him and have a future together.
Once again, I couldn’t keep from hesitating in my plans to avenge my father’s death. I didn’t have to fight back and try to end the queen’s evil custom. What if I ran away—away from Grendel, away from Warwick, and away from the queen’s cruelty? After all, why must so heavy a burden befall me?
The questions tumbled through my mind, increasing in speed like an avalanche. Before the momentum could find full force, I picked up my feet and walked to the door. “Let us be on our way.” I spoke the words with an authority I didn’t feel but with the weight of the burden refusing to release me.
I was the only one who could stop the queen. Therefore, I must see the task through to completion.
Clenching my jaw to keep from contradicting myself, I exited into the night. From this point onward, I must keep my feelings for Vilmar locked away. To allow them out would only jeopardize my ability to carry forth with the sacrifice I must make.
We reached the edge of Rockland by dawn. As the glow of the rising sun skimmed the land, I breathed in the sweet scent of the bellflowers, daisies, and buttercups that bloomed in a profusion of colors, welcoming me home.
Spreading out for a league, the fertile fields teemed with the new growth of barley and oats. The hay was tall and willowy and would soon be ready for haymaking by the peasants who worked the land. Herds of sheep grazed on the gently rolling hills that surrounded the fortress that had been my home for as long as I could remember.
Built on the highest knoll and against the backdrop of the Gemstone Mountains, Rockland Castle was majestic and worthy of royalty, which was one of the reasons the queen had given the estate to the duchess after my father’s death.
The many towers were crowned with conical spires made of red clay tiles. Atop the brown sandstone bricks that made up the thick walls of the fortress, the red resembled the rubies that had once been so plentiful in the mountains.
As much as I adored everything about Rockland and had many wonderful memories of my childhood there, my fondness had never been the same once the duchess arrived with her daughters. Even now, as I peered at the fortress, a heaviness settled upon my chest at the prospect of seeing them.
I set my shoulders and nudged my mount onward. As we drew nearer, the gate rose and a retinue of knights rode out and veered in our direction.
“The duchess has been anxiously awaiting your return,” the lead knight called to Sir Lucan. “She expected you yesterday, and with the delay, commanded us to ride out and discover what had become of you.”
Sir Lucan reined in his horse. “As you can see, we are here now.”
The commander of the retinue halted, his eyes widening as he took in how ragged and worn I had become during my months in the mine. He tore his gaze away and searched the rest of our party. “Where are Lady Haleigh’s servants?”
“They were too weary to travel at the pace required of us.” I spoke before Sir Lucan could relay the truth. I didn’t want the duchess to discover I’d given Benedict and Alice their freedom. I feared she would send soldiers to capture them and hold them as ransom to ensure I did everything according to her bidding.
“Very well.” The commander dug his spurs into his mount. “Then let us report to the duchess at once.”
We crossed the remaining distance to the castle, my muscles tightening with each step closer. As we rode through the portcullis and gatehouse into the outer bailey, guards and servants alike stopped in the midst of their morning chores to stare at me.
I hadn’t looked at myself in a mirror since the day I’d left for the mine, and now with the reaction of the people upon seeing me, I dreaded what I would encounter when I viewed my reflection. Had Vilmar only been flattering me when he told me my beauty weakened him? What if I was no longer the fairest in the land? What if no amount of bathing and grooming could transform me back into a beautiful woman? If not, I wouldn’t be chosen to face Grendel.
Upon entering the inner bailey and approaching the keep, I caught sight of a well-dressed man standing in the central doorway. For an instant, I mistook him for my father, and my heart gave a wild thud of anticipation. But as we drew to a halt, the man stepped out of the shadows. Lord Query, the duchess’s steward and advisor. With a narrow face and severe expression, he didn’t resemble my handsome father in any way.
Disappointment battered against my already sore heart. My father was gone and would never return. He was, in fact, buried in the yard behind the chapel, right next to my mother. And it was the queen’s fault. All she’d done was cause suffering to my family and to many more throughout the kingdom.
Sir Lucan assisted me from my mount and led me to the keep. All the while, Lord Query assessed me carefully. I had no doubt the duchess had already discussed my offer with him and that he had, in part, been responsible for recalling me from the mine, just as he had, in part, been responsible for my going there in the first place.
“Lady Gabriella.” He bowed low. “The duchess is eager to see you. But I’m afraid were she to look upon you in your current condition, she would send you directly back to the mine.”
Perhaps she would. At least Benedict and Alice would be free.
“She has fully forgiven Lady Gabriella.” Beside me, Sir Lucan placed a hand upon the hilt of his sword, clearly intending to fight for my freedom, although I feared he would fail as he had the last time and perhaps this time find himself languishing in the mine with me.
Lord Query waved a hand as though to dismiss me. “Of course she’s fully forgiven. I was only jesting.”
Sir Lucan didn’t remove his hold from his sword. Lord Query hadn’t been jesting, and we both knew it.
“I shall retire to my chambers,” I said to Lord Query. “And when I am presentable, I shall request an audience with the duchess.”
Irritation flashed in his eyes. Before he could remind me that I was no longer lady of the manor, I swept past him, my chin high and my steps certain. I would show both him and the duchess I wasn’t sacrificing myself because I feared them. This was my choice. I was doing it for my father, for all the maidens of Warwick who had lived in fear for too long, and for all the slaves who remained behind in the mine pits.
Chapter
12
Vilmar
Upon reaching the surface, I dragged in a breath of fresh air. My head still throbbed from the wound I’d sustained in yesterday’s cave-in, but I’d labored non-stop all day anyway, especially because Ty had been too weak to meet his quota. I’d hoped by driving myself to exhaustion I could put thoughts of Gabriella out of my mind. But she stayed with me every second, making me ache for her even more than I already did.
I dropped our buckets of rocks to the ground and then straightened and arched my back, longing to hear Gabriella’s sweet voice offering encouragement to someone. But only silence met me, a silence that had haunted me all day, not only down in the mines, but now here at the surface.
From the somberness of those leaving the mine ahead of me, I guessed everyone felt Gabriella’s absence as keenly as I did. She had been a beacon in the darkness, adding joy and beauty to this desolate place. And now without her, we were
hopelessly lost.
Next to me, Curly aided Molly to the surface, hoisting her heavy load. I lent them a hand, gathered my bucket along with Ty’s, and stood in line behind them to await food rations.
“Even if she has to miss our wedding, she’s safe now,” Molly said quietly to no one in particular. But from the way she slanted a glance my way, she was probably trying to make me feel better.
Following Ty’s strange comments yesterday after Gabriella’s departure, my misgivings had only grown. And I prayed Molly was right, that Gabriella was safe.
“But what about the ball?” Curly slid the buckets forward as the line inched toward the overseers in charge of the storehouse.
“What ball?” I asked.
“The Choosing Ball on Midsummer’s Eve.”
As I remembered Ernie’s tale from the night of the dance, my pulse began to thud erratically.
“No need to worry,” Molly replied. “With how weak Alice is, they won’t be able to travel fast. Upon reaching Rockland, she’ll have no time to prepare for a ball.”
Not only was my pulse sputtering, but my breath had caught in my lungs. “But what if she goes anyway? Even with the dirt of the mine covering her, she would be the most beautiful woman there.”
Curly clamped my shoulder. “Spoken like a man in love.”
Molly tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Surely there was little chance of Gabriella going to the ball and even less that she would be chosen.
“I pray for the poor soul who’s picked.” Molly’s smile disappeared, and she shivered though the summer night was warm. “I wouldn’t want to face so fierce an enemy as Grendel. ’Twould be horrifying to stare death in the face with no weapon.”
Enemy. The word rattled through my mind and body, sending a tremor all the way to the marrow in my bones. Gabriella had spoken of killing an enemy. And now her words came back to taunt me. “I must learn how to slay my enemy, or I myself shall most certainly perish.” When I’d questioned her about it further, she’d said she would face the enemy in two months’ time. Had she been referring to Midsummer’s Eve?
I counted back the days to the time we’d started our training. Had it been two months? I couldn’t say for sure, since the monotonous days blended into each other. When she’d spoken of an enemy, I’d assumed she truly had an enemy, someone like the duchess’s steward who’d accused her of stealing. Or perhaps an enemy of her father’s who wanted her dead. But what if all along she’d intended to face Grendel and attempt to slay him?
Curly and Molly shuffled forward in line, but I couldn’t move. Horror coursed through me and froze me in place. Perhaps she’d wanted to learn to wield a knife in order to kill the duchess? What about the queen?
But even as the thoughts sifted through my mind, I shook my head. Gabriella would never kill a living soul, not even her enemy, unless she had some ulterior motive.
“What is it?” Curly watched me, his eyes suddenly alert and his body tense.
I couldn’t speak. Instead, my thoughts returned to everything Gabriella had said during the weeks I’d known her—how she’d asked me to help find a way to save Alice and Benedict with no thought to herself, how she’d so easily put aside Curly’s prompting to wed me, and how she’d claimed she was in no position to make any promises.
Then just yesterday, when the knights had blasted us out of the cave-in, she’d mentioned petitioning the duchess for her discharge. Why would the duchess agree to a release unless Gabriella had struck a deal—a deal to give herself over to Grendel as the chosen one?
“I cannot speak the name,” she’d said. She hadn’t been willing to tell me the name of her enemy because she knew I’d stop her. She knew we would all try to stop her.
From a place deep inside, a groan fought for release. The truth was, Gabriella had left the mine pits with the precise purpose of attending the Choosing Ball and attempting to kill Grendel. She was generous enough in spirit to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring an end to the terrifying custom.
“You look as though you’ve seen a wraith.” Curly shifted my buckets and pulled me with them.
I peered through the fading twilight to the hut where Ty had disappeared. Had he guessed Gabriella’s plans already? Was that why he’d acted strangely yesterday upon her leaving? If only he’d told me his suspicions much sooner, I could have done something to prevent her from going.
But would she have stayed? After all she’d revealed to me about the queen’s alchemy and the need for the heart of the fairest maiden as one of the ingredients, I understood the reasoning behind wanting to stop the madness that had gone on for too long.
Nonetheless, surely Gabriella didn’t think she could face a berserker with a simple knife and be able to kill him. I’d been a young boy when my father captured the last of the berserkers in Scania. It had taken a dozen of the strongest and fiercest knights to suppress the madman. Even then, after securing him within the confines of the stiffest chain-mail nets, several of the knights had lost their lives holding him down, and others had been wounded.
Against so fierce a foe, Gabriella wouldn’t have the slightest chance of even getting near the berserker. He’d tear her asunder before she could take one swing of any weapon she somehow managed to conceal.
“Tell me what’s wrong.” Curly spoke more adamantly. “Has something happened to Gabi?”
“Yes. I have to go.” Without wasting another second, I stepped out of line and started down the path. I didn’t know how I’d overcome the guards standing at the bridge. All I knew was that I had to escape from the mine pits and be at the Choosing Ball so I could stop Gabriella from making a deadly mistake.
The crunch of Curly’s footsteps chased me. I picked up my pace, but he yanked on my arm and wrenched it behind my back. The pain ripped through me and forced me to my knees.
“Let me go!” I struggled against Curly’s hold.
He twisted my arm tighter and then bent and spoke low near my ear. “If ye try to escape now, ye will be caught and thrown over the bridge down into the ravine. Then what good will ye be to Gabi?”
I paused in my thrashing. He was right. The tower guards were armed with bows and arrows. They’d shoot anyone who tried to cross the bridge and would let them fall to the rocks far below. Though it hadn’t happened during my time in the mine, I’d heard the stories of men who’d attempted to escape. None had ever lived to return.
Yet as far as I knew, none of them had a weapon to aid their efforts like I did. I jerked against Curly’s hold. “I can make it,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Nay, ye won’t make it.” His voice was as steely as his unwavering grip.
My desperation pulsed harder. “I have to try!”
“Ye will be dead before ye can reach a dozen slats.”
Through the panic, I forced myself to remember everything I’d ever learned about hand-to-hand combat. With a swift jab of my free elbow, I took Curly off guard. At the slight weakening in his hold, I bent and flipped him over my body.
He lost his grip on me and landed on the hard, rocky ground in front of me. In the next second, I was on my feet and ready to flee. What I hadn’t counted on was the other slaves who’d been watching our interaction and now surrounded us.
“Grab him,” Curly growled to his friends.
For the first time since arriving at the mine, I was desperate enough to reveal my true identity as a prince and command them to stop. But the men were already upon me, leaving me with no choice but to swing and kick with all the techniques I’d learned during my years of warrior training. Though I was skilled, I was outnumbered, and moments later, several men locked my arms behind my back again and held me in place.
Curly stood and wiped the blood from a gash in his cheek. I was sorry for hurting him, but he was out of line in attempting to impede me.
Our altercation had drawn the attention of several guards and overseers.
“Take him to my place.” Curly’
s whisper was urgent. As he straightened, he gave a curt nod toward the guard standing in the tower next to the bridge.
Only then did I notice the guard had trained an arrow upon us. I ceased my struggling, having no wish to bring harm upon anyone. I didn’t want them riddled with arrows on account of my disorderliness.
They dragged me to Curly’s hut. Ty had joined the throng. No doubt he’d heard the commotion and come out to observe my newest escapade. I was indeed giving him much fodder for his journal. Last night, in spite of his injuries, he’d scribbled away furiously, likely detailing the account of our time trapped in the tunnel and revealing my kiss with Gabriella. Tonight, he’d relay my desire to escape the mine and go after her.
Though I’d vowed to focus more fully on my Testing now that Gabriella was gone, I couldn’t keep from picturing her surrounded by dozens of sheep, goats, and cows as she waited for Grendel’s approach. In light of her peril, the Testing no longer mattered. I didn’t care about my future or about anything Ty might write down. All I cared about was getting to Gabriella before the berserker did.
The men forced me to the ground in front of the hearth fire but didn’t release me. Ty stood tensely close by. Someone tossed fuel onto the low flames, bringing light to the barren dwelling and illuminating Curly’s face. I expected to see anger, but his features reflected worry and determination.
When he lowered himself to the dirt floor across the fire from me, he finally gave me his full attention. “If Gabi’s in trouble, then it’s time ye be telling us all ye know.”
My body protested being held. And yet now that I was sitting, a warning in the back of my mind shouted that I couldn’t just rush off without coming up with a plan. Maybe Curly and these other slaves would even be willing to aid in my escape from the mine. Was it possible I needed them more than they needed me?
With the hazy smoke of the fire filling the hut, I told Curly everything I knew about Gabriella’s plans. He’d already seen my knife, so it was no news to him that I had one. However, he hadn’t realized I’d been using my time alone with Gabriella to train her how to wield the weapon.
