“Michael!”
She tried to calm the panic swelling up in her, threatening to engulf her. “We can’t be hasty. What about the plan? Did they say when?”
Edwin continued to shake and looked at the ground. Katherine threw herself at him, grabbing the front of his cloak with her bound hands. “Tell me what they said!” she shouted.
Her shouting woke up the men sleeping around the fire. They ran to Edwin’s aid, pulling her off of him and dragging Edwin away. He shoved off their hands and shouted in the strange language. Then he shouted at the men holding Katherine as she struggled on the ground. They instantly let go.
With strength she didn’t know he had, Edwin grabbed her and pulled her off the ground. He shouted in her face, his tone sounding angry but his words giving instruction.
“I think they were waiting to give you one more chance. Be ready to go at anytime, I’ll warn the others. They’re keeping your husband in isolation, so I won’t be able to warn him. Keep safe, I’ll keep up the act.”
With that he dropped her roughly on the ground and stomped away. Katherine sat staring at him as the men laughed. Just exactly who was this young man she’d befriended?
Another day marched slowly by. Katherine’s feet ached and she shivered from the slight chill in the breeze. Leaves cluttered the path, and the sky hinted at rain. Her day was made worse by the fact that she didn’t know what would happen to her. Would he really kill Michael? What would happen to her if he did? What would happen to the baby?
The chief glanced down at her. “You aren’t walking fast enough!” He tugged at her rope and dragged her forward. The motion made her wrists bleed, and she fell to the ground. She couldn’t take much more of this. Katherine dusted herself off and trudged onward. The wind played with the leaves on the path making them dance as they reminded her of the oncoming winter.
Night came quickly for all. The moon rose steadily upward as the night grew chill. Katherine felt she had only been lying down for a few moments before someone roughly shook her awake. Her vision was fuzzy as she tried to concentrate. “Michael?”
“No, it’s me…Edwin. It’s time.”
Realization grasped hold of her. She tried to stand but was too tired. She collapsed back to the ground in defeat. Edwin grabbed her gently by the arm and stood her to her feet. The sword in his hand cut neatly through the rope. He thrust it into her hands. “You might want this.”
She gazed down, and her eyes filled with tears. The fine script and interwoven designs were those of her own sword. “Thank you, Edwin.”
“We must leave soon, Your Majesty.”
Cautiously they crept across the camp. The leaves crunched as they walked, and the sound seemed to echo around the emptiness. Edwin touched her shoulder to direct her.
“I will get Adam and the others. Your husband is behind that tent over there.” He pointed off to her left. Katherine nodded and moved off in that direction. The darkness of the night surrounded her, making the stars above twinkle like tiny candles. The leaves swirled around her feet, and the branches of nearby trees swept down in front of her path. When she finally reached the place Edwin had indicated, she gasped in horror.
Michael lay on the ground, slumped over as if he was dead. His hands were bound, and his wrists were caked with blood. In his beard were remains of dried blood and bits of leaves. His hair was mussed and tangled; his clothes were ragged and torn. Katherine gently set her sword on the ground and knelt beside him. Her hands ran over his face, which was more black-and-blue than anything else. His eyes were swollen shut, so she softly rubbed them to reawaken the muscles. He moaned slightly and tried to sit up.
“Sshh, Michael.” He turned his face towards her and struggled to open his eyes. When he did, his eyes filled with tears.
“Katherine…”
“It’s okay. I’m here.”
He sat up and let out a groan.
Katherine put her finger to his lips. “We’re getting out of here. Edwin is getting the others, just follow me.”
“Who?”
She grabbed her sword and cut the ropes around his wrist. “Don’t worry, he’s a friend.” Quickly, she pulled him to his feet. They started out across the clearing, with Michael supported on one arm and her sword in her other. Edwin met them in the middle of the camp, surrounded by Adam and the others. They looked only slightly better than their king, who was struggling to stand next to Katherine.
Edwin grabbed Michael’s other arm and helped to support him, while Katherine readjusted her sword hand. She turned to the others and opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly a cry sounded out in the night and the alarm was raised.
“Move!” Katherine cried and dragged Michael forward with Edwin following behind. Adam and the other men trailed behind, struggling to keep up. The whole enemy camp seemed to come alive. The fire was lit to light the way, and the men poured out of their tents. They stormed the woods, with the shouts of their chief in the background.
Suddenly, Katherine stopped running. Edwin fell forward, bringing Michael down with him. “Your Majesty! What are you doing?” Edwin gasped, as he lay panting on the ground.
“Just keep going. I’ll stop them.” She reached out her hand to help them up.
Adam stepped forward. “You can’t do it yourself. I’ll stay to help you.”
The sounds of the enemy were coming closer, almost upon them. There was no more time to argue. Katherine whirled around, with her dress spinning around as the wind picked up. Her sword was pointed out in front of her as the warriors pressed in before her. Her eyes burned with anger, and the sword felt hot in her hand.
Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, fire burned from the sky to the sword in her hand. The light filled the night, almost as if it were day. Men fell before her as though they had been struck down. Katherine was blinded for a moment, but when her sight cleared, the enemy lay on the ground, alive but set back. The sword went slack in her hand as she stared at it.
Edwin was the first to recover. He cried, “We must go!” Adam grabbed Katherine and pulled her along as the party sped off into the night.
Hours later, they were far away from the camp. Everyone collapsed on the ground, thoroughly exhausted. Katherine lay back against a tree trunk with her eyes struggling to remain open as she tried to concentrate. She focused her attention on the sword in her hand. The words twisting around it, the moonlight glinting off the metal. It mystified her.
Fatigue swept over her. The mystery was too daunting to solve tonight. The men were lying around on the ground, sleeping where they fell. She walked slowly over to Michael, laid her sword on the grass beside her, and went to sleep.
The sun rose later than usual. The wind rustled the leaves that brushed through the sleeping men. Slowly, one by one, they awoke to the sudden realization that they were very lost. For weeks, they’d been wandering, following someone else’s roadmap. Now, they knew where they needed to go, but not where they were.
Adam immediately took charge of the situation. “We must gather everyone together. Perhaps someone will have an idea of where we are.”
Edwin nodded. “None of us knew where we were going. We were simply following orders; maybe someone was tracking our location better than I.”
Michael sat up. He was the weakest one of all. Being forced to go behind meant he dealt with keeping up the ragged pace and walking in ruts left by the others. The enemy warriors had also been the cruelest to him, and the chief had given specific instructions for torture. The quiet king refused to talk about it, but it was clear he had grown stronger in the last few weeks. His eyes were quick and alert. He stroked his scraggly beard and thought. “Katherine, I don’t suppose you know where we are?”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t paying enough attention. I’m afraid I’ve never been very far from the castle in any case.”
The group was quiet for a moment. Katherine found it hard to think about their current problem with last night’s still unsolved. She ran the scene
s through her head over and over but without luck. The puzzle was too great for her to solve alone.
“Adam. Edwin. Gather the men. I’ll speak to them in a moment.” Michael’s voice was firm and unwavering. The two men quickly left to their tasks. Katherine walked to where her husband was sitting and sat beside him.
“You aren’t thinking about our problem, are you?” His voice was kind and concerned, and the reminder of what she almost lost shattered her concentration completely and broke her heart.
“I’d almost forgotten what your voice sounded like.” Her speech was inhibited by the tears filling her eyes.
He pulled her closer to him. His hand gently touched her face as he turned it to face him. Katherine leaned her head on his shoulder to avoid looking at him. “I’ve missed you.”
Michael let his hand drop. His eyes looked out across the woods and the trees. They studied the sky and the clouds drifting past. The leaves whistling through the trees danced lightly upon his vision. Short blasts of icy wind hit him, causing him to shiver. When he had sufficiently studied the surroundings, he gently moved Katherine off him.
“You can’t stand up!” she protested. Her hand shot out to catch him as he stumbled. “You’re still weak.”
“No weaker than any other man. We’ve all been through the same. I must speak to them and find out where they think we are.”
“Michael…” Katherine’s voice trailed off as she watched him fully stand and take a few steps. His steps weren’t sturdy enough to convince her, but she did not object. Slowly, he walked past her; and she trailed along behind him. Her stomach felt like it was tied in knots.
The men stood in as close a semicircle as they could, considering they were in the middle of a forest. Michael and Katherine stood in the opening, waiting patiently for quiet. When the noise finally died down, Michael spoke up.
“Men, we are glad to be alive and free today.” Cheers erupted. Katherine gestured for quiet. “Many thanks to this young man, Edwin, who has rescued us.” Edwin blushed. More cheers. “And to God, for saving us.” This time the cheering lasted for a lengthy amount of time before Katherine was able to calm them. “But winter is fast approaching, and so is the enemy. Even now, they are probably searching for us on their way to the castle. The man in charge has an agenda. He wants to destroy all of us and especially Queen Katherine.” She noted the use of her title. “We must move quickly if we are to save her and all of Adven. However, for the last few weeks we have been wandering aimlessly according to the will of a lunatic.” The men began to murmur among themselves. “And now we have lost our way. But, with God’s help, I pray we will find our way again.” Cheers. “I must ask. Does anyone have any ideas as to the direction we should go?” There was silence. The men looked at each other and the ground and anywhere but Michael. Katherine felt all was lost.
Night fell again. The stars glittered above as it grew chill. The men wrapped themselves in whatever they could find to keep warm. Luckily, no snow fell. Katherine drew close to Michael and whispered in his ear. “Your speech was wonderful.”
He sighed and rolled over. “No one knew anything. Now what do we do? Those men are probably on your doorstep by now.”
She tried to comfort him. “We’ll figure it out. There must be some way.”
He turned to face her. “Isn’t there anything you remember? Anything that looks slightly familiar?”
Tears filled her eyes. Michael was desperate and frustrated, and it was all her fault. “No. I wish I did.” She paused. “Please don’t be mad at me, Michael.”
His eyes softened. “Why would I be mad at you?”
Her stomach rumbled.
“I don’t know where we are.”
“No more than any of the rest of us.”
“But I should. I’m the queen, aren’t I?”
He laughed. “And I’m the king.”
She frowned in the darkness. She could feel his smile laughing at her. “Of these men, yes. But I’m supposed to be queen of all of Adven…and…and…” Her anger dissolved into silent tears.
Michael was instantly serious. “Katherine, there’s nothing to be upset about. Many nobles have never been beyond the four walls of their castles. It’s not your fault we’re lost.”
She sniffed. “But it is. If I hadn’t been with you, we wouldn’t have been kidnapped. Actually, if I hadn’t been with you, you wouldn’t have been heading for the castle at all. And…”
He stopped her. His finger pressed gently on her lips. She felt his emotions overwhelm him, and her heart beat faster as he spoke. “If you hadn’t been with us, I would have never met you. And if I had never met you, I wouldn’t have been the luckiest man alive.” She opened her mouth to object. “No, don’t say anything else. Just go to sleep. God will work it out for the best.”
With that, he lay down and fell asleep. Katherine wrestled with sleep for a bit longer before giving in.
Chapter Nine
The sun broke through the doubts of the night before with its bright sunshine. The little warmth it brought awakened the sleeping knights, along with their king and queen. The brightness brought hope and refreshment to the tired men. As they packed up what little they had, they laughed and talked. The sunshine brought more than the day; it brought the promise of a new start. And so, they started off through the forest, hoping and praying they were going the right direction.
Katherine’s feet hurt. The past few weeks of walking had made callous upon callous, but that still did not prepare her for those next few days of constant walking. Her wrists were still healing, and her dress was so thin it did no good against the cold. Michael walked beside her, helping her in rough parts. He stood straight and tall, seemingly unaffected by the chill in the air. The men followed behind, with Adam and Edwin in the front, directly behind the king and queen. The sun lacked all hint of sunshine; it was as ice cold as the wind. Still there was no snow. That was the only good news.
“Can we stop for a moment, Michael?”
“We need to keep moving. I want to cover more ground today.”
“But…”
All it took was a look from him to silence her argument. But in a moment, she had recovered her courage. “I’m tired, Michael. Can’t we rest for just a moment?”
“No, we don’t have much time before it starts to get too cold to walk. The snow will stop our progress, and we won’t reach the castle in time.”
She had had enough; so she stopped walking and crossed her arms angrily. “It is my choice whether we stop or not. It is my castle we are trying so desperately to reach, and it is my kingdom we are trying so desperately to save. I say we stop.”
He turned to face her frustration evident on his face. “Then let’s give up all together because if we stop now there’s no point in going on.”
“I don’t want to stop for the day, just a moment.”
“Then you’ll want to stop for the rest of the day, then the next day, and the day after, and before you know it, winter will be upon us. All is lost after that.”
Katherine stomped her foot. “You’re overreacting. None of us have eaten properly for weeks. We’re dirty, tired, and thirsty. Just because you can keep walking for days on end does not mean the rest of us can. If you would just…”
“Your Majesties!”
The couple stopped fighting long enough to face Adam.
He spoke quickly and quietly to avoid his voice carrying. “It seems we all need a rest. Edwin, find a good spot for us to stop.” Edwin bowed shortly and led the men off to a clearing a little way away.
“We must keep moving, Adam. It’s like I said…”
“Enough,” Adam said sternly.
The king stopped. Katherine glared at them both. “If he would just listen…”
Adam raised his hand to silence her. “I said enough.” She stopped.
“No matter what the situation; it is never appropriate for kings and queens to argue with one another in front of their subjects.”
&nb
sp; “It’s his fault…”
“She contradicted me…”
“Stop!” The talking ceased.
“Now, what is the matter with you two? You’ve barely spoken. If I didn’t know you, I would say you were two complete strangers.”
Edwin entered the circle of conversation. “Everyone is settled. Is there anything else I can do?”
Michael’s countenance stiffened. “This doesn’t concern you.”
Katherine snapped back. “Don’t talk to him that way!”
“I can talk to him any way I want to.”
“He’s my friend!”
“I’m your husband!”
“Maybe I wish you weren’t!”
“Well, I’m sorry you can’t change it!”
“Katherine! Michael!”
The two stopped and looked at Adam.
“You are being ridiculous. Stop this fighting immediately! There are more important matters to worry about. After all, you are the king and queen.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want to be queen after all!” And with that, Katherine stomped off.
Michael huffed into his beard and marched off in the other direction.
Adam and Edwin stood looking at each other. Several moments passed in silent contemplation. “We ought to go after them.”
Edwin sighed. “I suppose. What do you think got into them?”
“I wish I knew, Edwin. I wish I knew.”
Katherine laid back and tried to relax; the ground felt cold against her back. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her whole body shook with shivers and sobs. She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in the leaves. The dirt was wetted by her tears as they splashed onto the ground.
Crunching leaves coming from behind startled her. She sat up and struggled to draw her sword. Edwin raised his hands in surrender.
“You shouldn’t…sniff…sneak up behind someone.”
He sat on the ground beside her. “I’m sorry if I made the situation worse. That wasn’t what I intended.”
To Love in Peace: 10th Anniversary Edition Page 6
