Cara's Twelve

by Chantel Seabrook

  Cara nodded and allowed Finn to help her from her chair.

  Stiff and aching, she rubbed her protruding stomach and felt the child kick. Her stomach tightened painfully and then relaxed. If the midwife was correct, she had a little less than a month before it would be born. Less than a month to make the proper arrangements that Cara hoped would secure its future.

  As she walked down the corridor towards the great hall, Cara kept a slow pace, anxious to hear the news that the messenger had brought.

  Months had gone since they had heard anything. So much could have happened during that time.

  Did Drumna still stand?

  Had Helfrich and Hauk's army arrived?

  Was Tahdaon still alive?

  The mood was sober as she entered the hall. Keghan sat at the large table, his hands steepled in front of him, and his dark brows drawn down in a frown.

  Cara didn't speak as she took a seat at the far end of the table. Efy and Reyn joined them, sitting on opposite sides of her. Finn didn't sit, but stood behind her chair.

  “We have received news,” Keghan began, his gaze focused on Cara. “Drumna still stands. The walls have been damaged and the surrounding villages pillaged, but Osker still holds the city. For the time being, Edmund has retreated.”

  “Retreated?” Finn repeated.

  Keghan nodded, not taking his eyes off Cara. “It appears that his father, along with the old queen, were found assassinated. Ballack and Birkita are dead.”

  Cara sucked in her breath.

  “Tahdaon. He did it,” Cara breathed.

  Keghan nodded somberly. “It would appear so.”

  “Then he's all right? He escaped? Is he with Osker in Drumna?”

  Keghan shook his head. “Osker hasn't seen him. Not since he left Drumna with Tia and my mother. He never returned to Drumna.”

  Cara went cold inside. “Then where is he?”

  Finn placed his hand on Cara's shoulder and squeezed.

  Drawing a deep breath, Keghan answered. “We don't know for certain, but there are rumors that the man who assassinated Ballack and Birkita was captured while attempting to flee.”

  Fear tore through her. If what Keghan said was accurate, there would be no mercy for Tahdaon. Cara shuddered as images of Tahdaon being tortured assaulted her.

  Cara closed her eyes as another painful knot tightened and twisted her stomach.

  Tahdaon had gotten his revenge, but at what cost?

  There were a buzz of voices around her.

  When she opened her eyes, Keghan was still watching her, his gaze full of concern.

  “Is there any news from Drumlish or Northlew?” she heard Finn ask.

  “Not as of yet,” Keghan responded.

  “Edmund won't wait long to attack again,” Finn continued. “With his father dead, he will need to act fast in order to assert himself in Ballack's place.”

  The men continued to talk around her, but she couldn't focus on anything they said.

  Her head spinning and her heart broken, Cara pushed her chair back and stood.

  Finn held her by her elbows and turned her to face him. “We don't know anything for certain.”

  “I need to speak with Tia,” she said, pushing past him.

  “I'll come with you.”

  “No,” she shook her head and kept walking, needing to be anywhere but there.

  Weak from unshed tears, she walked blindly down the hall, oblivious to where she was going. She hadn't gone far when an unexpected pain wracked her body.

  Cara gasped and staggered forward, catching herself against the wall. Beads of sweat lined her brow and upper lip as she tried to breathe through the unmitigated agony.

  Cara heard Finn curse behind her, and his heavy footsteps as he rushed to her side.

  “I'm all right,” she panted, as the pain subsided to a dull ache.

  She saw a tremor of fear in his eyes before he masked it. “Is it the baby?”

  Cara shook her head. “It's too early.”

  A few moments later another pain tore through her.

  Finn gathered her in his arms as she crumpled over in anguish. With ease, he carried her quickly through the castle, screaming at people as he went.

  Wave after wave of pain ripped through her, until Cara thought she would lose consciousness.

  “Stay awake Cara,” Tia said beside her, as Finn placed her on a bed. “You need to stay awake for the baby to come.”

  “It's too soon,” Cara croaked, clamping her teeth against the nausea that accompanied the pain.

  There were others in the room, a chaos of voices and images.

  Time moved in short bursts.

  Someone held her, while someone else wiped a cool cloth over her brow. She heard her name, at times spoken softly, and then as a demand, pulling her away from the inner demons that tortured her.

  The physical pain began to soothe her mind, to override the agony within her heart. Tahdaon was dead, and now his child would die as well.

  Darkness came, but they wouldn't let her sleep.

  “You need to push,” a voice insisted.

  Her mind refused to obey, but her body reacted by instinct.

  Cara screamed as the child finally slipped from her body.

  Spent and exhausted, she fell back against the pillows and closed her eyes.

  Moments later, a wail sounded on the other side of the room.

  Tia knelt beside her, stroking the damp hair off her face. “Cara, open your eyes and meet your little girl.”

  Heavy lidded, she obeyed, blinking several times before she was able to focus on the infant Tia held.

  Swaddled in a clean white blanket, Cara could see a tuff of jet black hair peeking out. She was so small, and her eyes were puffy and bruised, but something in the child's features reminded her of Tahdaon.

  It pained Cara's heart to look at her.

  Nothing was as it should be, but at least the child would live.

  “Have you chosen a name for her?” Tia asked.

  “Maude,” Cara whispered, feeling the heaviness of sleep overwhelming her. “Her name is Maude.”

  Chapter 33

  Cara paced the length of Keghan's office as he read to her from Osker's most recent letter, while Finn leaned against the front of Keghan's desk, his arms locked over his chest, and watched her.

  “There are rumors spreading that you are being held hostage in the north,” Keghan said, placing the letter on his desk and leaning back in his chair.

  “Edmund's desperate. He'll do or say anything to turn the people against Dalgliesh,” Finn spat.

  Keghan nodded in agreement and added, “And justify his reason for continuing his assault against Drumna.”

  “But only the people of Hellstrom, Bere Alstern and Ashwater would believe such lies,” Cara said, stopping her restless movements to look at them.

  Keghan studied her for a moment and then sighed, “It's been almost a year since anyone south of Drumna has seen you. Edmund may be spreading the rumors to try to pull you from hiding, but whatever his motives, his rumors hold ground without proof that you aren't being kept here against your will.”

  Cara hated that people saw her as hiding from Edmund. It made her seem weak, and that was a quality that she couldn't have as queen.

  “Then it's time that I head south. Let the people see my face. Remind them what they are fighting for.”

  “You can't be serious,” Finn growled. “The child's less than a month old.”

  “I don't plan on bringing her with us. She'll stay with Tia and Wynne. Once Edmund is defeated, they will return with her to Drumna.”

  “Cara.” Finn's voice rang with frustration and fear. “A child needs its mother——“

  “And Elbia needs its Queen!” Cara snapped.

  Finn's nostrils flared as he looked down at her.

  They stared at each other, Cara's gaze stubborn and unmoving, and Finn's expression a mixture of frustration and concern.

  “I agree with
Cara,” Keghan said in a quiet, yet imposing voice, breaking the tense silence. “The child will be safe with my sister, but without Cara the people will eventually lose hope. They need something to fight for.”

  “It isn't safe,” Finn insisted, but his tone was one of defeat.

  “I can't keep holed up here. It isn't right. I will show the people that I live, that I fight against Edmund and alongside the north.”

  Finn held his temper, and Cara was thankful for that small favor.

  Turning to Keghan, she asked, “Still no word from Drumlish or Northlew?”

  Keghan shook his head, his mouth turning downwards in a frown. “Is it possible they have joined ranks with Edmund?”

  Cara shook her head adamantly.

  “I trust Helfrich completely, and Hauk hates Edmund almost as much as Tah-daon.” Cara choked over the name. “Something must be holding them back. I have no doubt that they will come.”

  She believed her words, but in the back of her mind was the fear that even with reinforcements it wouldn't be enough to beat Edmund.

  She shook her head and pushed the thought away.

  Edmund would fall.

  She would be Queen.

  Every sacrifice she had made would be worth the cost.

  It had to be.

  * * *

  With Finn by her side, Cara watched with grim determination as Muir became a speck on the horizon.

  Cara crossed her arms over her breasts that, despite being bound in linen to stop the flow of milk, continued to ache for the child's suckle.

  Without question or hesitation, Tia had taken Maude to her own breast.

  Both Wynne and Maeve had promised to watch over the child as well, and Cara knew that Maude would thrive under the women's care, and yet her heart still broke for the child she left behind.

  She prayed that one day the child would forgive her and understand why she had to leave.

  Cara had grown up without a mother, but death had been the enemy, and Cara's mother its victim. Now the enemy was a man, and the army he led.

  An enemy that could be conquered.

  Finn wrapped his arms around her shoulder and placed his chin on top of her head as the final glimmer of Muir disappeared.

  With the back of her hand she wiped away the tears that soaked her cheeks and turned in his arms, taking comfort in the warmth of his body.

  “Thank you for not fighting me on this,” she said, looking up into his familiar blue eyes.

  He pressed his forehead to hers and smiled wryly. “Is there ever any point in arguing with you?”

  “No,” she said, kissing him lightly on the mouth. “I suppose there isn't.”

  * * *

  The weather had warmed significantly by the time they reached Peat Harbor.

  Finn was anxious docking so close to Knowl, but it was the quickest route to Drumna. Knowing Edmund would have spies everywhere, they decided on riding straight through until they reached the secure walls of Drumna.

  Having sent a messenger ahead of them, Osker was waiting in the courtyard when they arrived.

  Cara winced as she dismounted. Her body was still not fully healed, and the long ride had been particularly painful.

  Osker smiled grimly as he approached. “Welcome back to Drumna.”

  “You've done well holding Edmund's men off,” Cara said formally, ignoring the look of remorse Osker gave her. “Has there been any new movement on his part?”

  Osker shook his head. “His troops are still gathered in Knowl, but my sources have informed me that they're getting ready to move soon.”

  “Have you had word from my father?” Finn asked, coming up behind her.

  Osker nodded and cleared his throat. “The southern armies are in position. It's Drumlish and Northlew we are waiting on.”

  “How much longer can we wait?” Cara asked.

  “I'm not sure I can hold off another assault, especially now that Edmund has brought all of his units under one command. If we don't initiate an attack before he reaches Drumna, I'm afraid the city will fall.”

  “Then we need to be prepared for war,” Cara replied. “With or without Drumlish and Northlew.”

  “If the city falls,” Osker said hesitantly, “I won't be able to protect you, but there are tunnels that lead outside of the city. I will show you how to navigate them if the city is attacked——”

  “I have no plan on hiding behind walls or tunnels. When your men ride against Edmund, I will be with you.”

  Cara heard Finn curse explicitly behind her.

  Osker raised an eyebrow, but was smart enough not to argue with her.

  Unfazed by Finn's grumblings, she continued, “I would also like to go to the barracks and meet your men. It's important that they see for themselves that I am not a prisoner of Dalgliesh.”

  “I agree,” Osker said, shaking his head as Finn stalked away from them.

  “If I was a man, no one would question what I do,” Cara muttered.

  Osker gave her a sympathetic smile.

  Cara followed Osker through the courtyard and listened as Osker commented on the damage that had been done to the peripheral walls of the city. He and his men had worked unceasingly through the winter to repair the damage, but there were still large portions of the wall that stood perilously close to crumbling. Another attack would surely decimate the city.

  Later in the day Osker rode with her through the large structures that housed his warriors. With the addition of the men that Keghan had sent, the barracks were overcrowded, the conditions appalling.

  “We've done our best,” Osker said, seeing her shock. “But Drumna wasn't built to hold so many.”

  “Is there enough food?”

  “For now.”

  “Then we need to act, and soon.”

  For the next week Cara spent her days visiting with the men in the barracks and infirmary.

  The mood of the city began to change. Despair turned to hope, and there was a sense of urgency in the soldiers that hadn't been there before.

  They were ready to fight.

  When news came that Edmund was beginning to move his troops north, an impassioned battle cry rang out through the city.

  A runner was sent to warn Lord Gorlos and the southern army that Edmund was on the move, and three days later, the Dalglieshan army departed Drumna.

  It was Cara, flanked by Osker and Finn, who led them.

  Their strategy was surprise. Edmund wouldn't expect the Dalglieshans to leave the city. They would force Edmund to attack along the Tor of Blood. Once the battle began, Lord Gorlos would advance from the south, crushing Edmund from behind.

  In theory it worked, but Cara knew from experience that things rarely went as planned.

  On the Tors of Blood they waited.

  Many battles had been fought in centuries past on the same spot where they stood.

  “You need to retreat to the back of the line,” Finn ordered, his brows drawn into a fierce scowl.

  Cara bit her lip as she thought about disagreeing with him, but in the end she sighed knowing he was right. She was no warrior, her only weapon a small dagger she carried sheathed at her hip.

  “All right,” she conceded. “But first let me address the men.”

  Osker nodded at her request and raised his arm, signalling the men to attention.

  Silence ensued.

  Cara took a deep breath and focused on making her voice carry over the throng of warriors. “Men of Dalgliesh. Like you I have suffered under the oppression of the monarchy for years. I have watched as my people starved, many having to flee from their homes just to survive.

  Some have tried to rise above the oppression, to fight against the persecution, but until today all have failed. Birkita is dead, but a new tyrant wants to take the throne. This man who has no rightful claim to the throne has risen against not only the Holy City and great mother Annul, but has broken every law that we hold sacred.

  The reign of despotism must end. Today you fight
not only for Dalgliesh, but for all of Elbia. Today your swords will be raised not only for the freedom of the north, but for those who cannot fight for themselves. And I swear on the name of Annul that when this war has been won, your sacrifice will not go unrewarded. In the name of Annul we shall triumph.”

  A deafening roar shattered the silence and the men began chanting as Cara made her way through the lines.

  It wasn't until she was halfway through the ranks that she understood what they were shouting.

  In one voice the men cried out, “Long live Queen Cara, Queen of Elbia and defender of the North.”

  Finn shook his head, his eyes wide with awe as he watched her.

  “What?” she asked when they had reached a point where they were away from the men, but could still watch the battle when it begun.

  “There are times when I forget that you are Annul's chosen,” he said, his eyes still bright with amazement. “It's humbling to see her power flow through you.”

  Confused, she looked at him curiously.

  “You don't even realize it do you?” he asked, laughing incredulously. “The power, the energy that flows through you. Did you not see the way the men revered you?”

  Cara didn't have time to contemplate his words, as a cry echoed across the plains.

  Turning in her saddle, Cara sucked in her breath as she saw for the first time the true numbers of Edmund's army. Even with the southern troops advancing from behind they were outnumbered ten to one.

  Cara's lips quivered as she realized what she had asked of the Dalglieshans. “I've sent them to their death.”

  Finn didn't disagree.

  “Where's Efy?” Cara asked, suddenly aware that he wasn't with them.

  “He chose to stay and fight beside Osker. Didn't he tell you?”

  Cara shook her head. No he hadn't told her, but then she hadn't given him many opportunities to speak with her since they arrived in Drumna.

  How many times had he come to her and she had brushed him aside? It was possible that he had told her, and she had been too consumed by her own thoughts to pay him heed. Now it was too late to stop him from riding into the pit of chaos.

  Cara cursed herself for not seeking him out before they left Drumna.

  The air resonated to the bitter calling of horns, as Edmund's men descended the hills towards the plains below. It was a foolish move, giving the Dalglieshans the upper hand, and Osker and his men used it to their full advantage.