She smiled and nodded. Before she moved away her gaze saddened. “You have my deepest sympathies for your loss. Your father was a great man. A healthy man. His death has affected us all keenly.” With that, she walked away.
Her words played through my mind over the next few hours as I sat against the tree. My father had been a great man in his own way. Fair to everyone he met. A voice for the farmers. He had achieved more for the farmers than any other man. When their well dried, it was my father who petitioned the king for assistance. When the harvest was at its worst, my father was the one who gained fresh food.
Thinking over Marta’s words, my mind stuck on one truth. My father had been healthy. I had found no wound upon his body, but there were more ways to kill a man than stabbing or shooting.
Pulling the note from my pocket, I inspected the slant of the letters. It was written by a heavy hand, but a careless one. Only one name came to mind, and that truth set my feet moving.
Luther was responsible for my father’s death. I did not know how, but I was certain that it was he. Even if he did not do the deed himself, he was the one responsible.
When I finally reached the palace it was after the morning meal, and I was met with the information that Eric and the others had all gone to escort Lady Elisabeth’s family to their ship.
Moving past the other guards, I ran up the stairs toward Luther’s wing of the palace. There were no guards outside his door, and I did not halt when I reached it. Throwing it open, I stomped into his chamber. It was empty.
Leaving his chamber, I moved throughout the wing of the palace, searching for someone who could tell me where to find Luther.
No one knew where he had gone. One of the maids was the one to suggest that perhaps he had gone with the royal family. Something about that stuck in my mind.
It drove me to leave the palace and order my horse to be saddled. Riding neck or nothing from the palace, I reached the harbor village within five minutes.
Lady Elisabeth and the queen were waving farewell to Elisabeth’s family as the king and Eric stood with them. My eyes settled upon Eleanora standing behind Elisabeth.
Something was said, and the family turned toward the large carriages. Luther was not with them.
Marching forward, Eleanora was the first to see me, but she said nothing as I marched past her toward Eric.
“Willem, what brings you here?” Eric asked.
Drawing him aside, I asked him where Luther was to be found.
“What has occurred?” Eric questioned, with a dark note to his voice.
“Nothing that Luther and I cannot resolve between us.”
Eric placed a hand on my shoulder. “You are in no fit state to be speaking with my brother.”
“There will be very little speech between us.”
“Yes, that is what I fear. You will murder my brother and then I will have to watch you be hanged. No, I thank you. You will accompany my family back to the palace and I will find my wayward brother.”
I began to protest, but Eric halted me with a look. “It is not a request.”
Nodding, I pointed out my horse and told him that he could use him to return to the palace.
“Did you have to lame him, Will?” Eric huffed his annoyance, but moved away to tell his family of the change of events.
The queen decided that she would ride with Lady Elisabeth and Eleanora while the king rode in his own carriage. The queen wanted Elisabeth to see the flowers newly blooming.
When I made to sit with the coachman, Eric stalled me, asking me to ride inside with his mother and wife. Doing as asked, I sat beside Eleanora inside the carriage. The carriage moved away from the harbor and the queen addressed me directly.
“You have our sympathies, Willem. His majesty says that your father was the best of all of the tenant farmers.”
“I thank you, your majesty, for the high praise.”
She nodded her head once and then turned to Elisabeth and the two began to speak. Eleanora said nothing, but when I looked at her, she smiled sadly.
I began to smile in return, when the carriage lurched, and then guns began to fire. The coachman was shouting, and then went silent. The carriage hit the bank at the right and the women screamed as the window glass shattered. The carriage was still moving as more guns fired outside. The carriage ran up the side of the bank, tilting precariously. The queen and Elisabeth were screaming as they each reached for one of the leather straps hanging at the sides of the carriage. I gripped the one above me, but Eleanora did not move. She was clutching her arm, and as I looked down there was blood on her sleeve.
The carriage slid down the bank with a hard thump.
The gunfire had ceased.
My gut was churning as I pulled my pistols from my belt and loaded them. The queen and Elisabeth were clutching each other and crying. Eleanora was my best choice for assistance.
“Do you know how to use one of these?”
“Of course,” she replied, though faintly.
“If anyone but I or the king should come to this door, you shoot them. Do you understand?”
She nodded, and I pushed open the carriage door. A little way ahead of our carriage was the king’s, and seeing it on its side had me running forward.
Two men came around the king’s carriage, black masks covering the upper half of their faces. They each raised pistols and I leapt to my left toward the bank. Landing on my side, I quickly pushed myself up and crawled forward. As the first moved around the carriage, I fired my pistol. The ball struck his chest and his mate shouted.
I heard boots running and leapt up. Running around the king’s carriage, four horsemen were riding away through the forest. Raising my pistol, I fired again, but my shot went wide.
Screams behind me caused my body to stiffen. Twisting around, there was a masked man standing at the open door to the ladies’ carriage. He was fighting someone inside.
My boots pounded upon the ground as I ran forward. I reached the front of the carriage as a gun went off. The sound caused the horses to stamp and want to bolt, but one of the leaders had what looked to be a broken leg.
The man at the carriage stumbled backward, gripping his shoulder. Grabbing the back of his coat, I threw him away from the carriage. He struck the ground and made to get up. Moving forward, I gave a swift kick and sent him sprawling. His head struck the ground and his eyes rolled back.
Moving quickly to the carriage, Elisabeth was holding the queen while Eleanora was holding a shaking pistol.
Pulling the pistol from Eleanora’s hand, I dropped it onto the floor of the carriage. When her wide gaze met mine, I tried to smile. Taking my father’s knife from my belt, I placed the hilt against her hand.
“I must see to the king,” I whispered to her as Elisabeth tried to soothe the queen’s crying. “I will return in a moment.”
She nodded shakily, and I closed the carriage door.
Hunching low, I moved toward the king’s carriage. There was no way to get the door open, with the carriage on its side, except to climb. Moving up the bank, I followed it along until I was at the king’s carriage. The sight before me caused my stomach to roil.
The six guards who had been escorting the king, as well as the coachman and footman, were all dead.
Climbing onto the side of the carriage, I lifted the carriage door open. The king was laying against the other door. Gripping the edges of the carriage, I lowered myself inside, being careful not to land on his majesty.
My boots crunched broken glass. Dropping down to my knee, I spoke his majesty’s name, but he did not respond. Feeling around the front of his coat, searching for the place over his heart, my hand touched something wet. Pulling my hand away, there was blood. So much blood.
Turning his majesty over so that I could better see his wounds, my heart nearly stopped when I caught sight of his chest. Three holes were torn through his vest, which was covered with blood.
I knew without searching that the king was dead.
> “Fader!”
It was Eric’s scream that had me climbing out of the carriage.
“Willem! Is he all right?”
“Was it bandits?” Luther asked as he rode up behind Eric. They both quickly dismounted and came toward the carriage as I jumped down.
Eric was making for the carriage, but I stepped in his path, gripping his shoulders. Whatever was in my eyes must have told him the truth.
“No! Fader!” Eric shoved me out of his way as he scrambled up the side of the carriage.
His cries as soon as he saw his father nearly broke me. Turning away, I found Luther hunched down and rocking himself. His grief was so great that I could not look at him. When the door to the other carriage opened, I remembered the queen.
God grant me strength, I prayed, for I had to tell her. Moving toward the carriage, the queen was out and running toward her husband’s carriage. I tried to halt her, but she sidestepped me. Elisabeth and Eleanora were the next out, but I did halt them.
“I am afraid that he is gone, your highness,” I told Elisabeth.
She sucked in a sob before running forward, shouting Eric’s name.
Eleanora and I stood together in silence, for there was nothing that either of us could do. The king had been murdered.
Trying to search for some emotion, any feelings at all, I found that I was still numb.
When a small hand touched the back of my arm and then slid down until her palm touched mine, our fingers laced together, but neither of us spoke.
Eleanora had tears falling down her cheeks and it was her grief that had me feeling the first tremors of grief.
Our hands remained locked until I heard horses approaching from down the road. The rest of the guards appeared and I released Eleanora’s hand. Moving to meet with my captain, I told him everything that had transpired.
The guards were nonplussed to say the least. Lord Adamsen sent five of the guards back to the harbor to search the newest arrivals. Our country was an island. A boat was the only way on our off.
He moved toward the royal family and spoke with Luther and Eric. The family was escorted to the second carriage. When Lord Adamsen joined me, he told me to drive the carriage to the palace.
He had another guard sit beside me, while four more were to ride sentry.
When we arrived at the palace, the family went inside with Eleanora following her lady.
I retold what had happened to at least two dozen people during that terrible day. By that night, all of the palace—all of Lutania—had heard what had happened to the king, and all were in mourning.
The bandits were never apprehended, and the one that we had captured ended up dead before anyone could question him. That only guards were allowed near the prisoner did not go unnoticed to me. I knew without a doubt in my being that it was not simple bandits who had murdered my king. There was a larger game afoot, one which I was destined to unmask.
CHAPTER 8
The Coronation of Eric to become king took place a month after the death of his father. He had wanted to wait a year at the least, but the council was adamant that he take his place as the new king. They did not want the people to see the king’s death as a reason to revolt. That they did not know the people well enough to know that they had adored the king filled me with anger. Eric knew, though, and that gave me great hope for his reign.
The coronation was held at the cathedral where Eric and Elisabeth had taken their marriage vows. Four generations of Eric’s family had been crowned in that cathedral, and seeing my friend take his place amongst them sent an unfamiliar wave of pride through me. I had always been proud of the kind man that my friend had become, but seeing him speak his vows to protect our country sent a sense of power through me. As if I had somehow helped him to achieve his position.
All that I had truly done was spent hours talking with him, or simply sitting with him in silence. Whatever he needed, I was there for him. As he had been for me so many times in the past.
During the days leading up to the coronation, I had seen little of Eleanora. Eric needed me. I was still keeping a watch over Luther when I could, and I had assigned double guards to watch over the ladies.
Luther had done nothing but mope about the palace during the day and drown his sorrow in wine and women at the tavern at night. I had lessened my time following him, for he truly appeared to be mourning his father. Appearances were often deceiving. I had heard of such things happening. The wayward son repenting when tragedy struck. Eric hoped that proved true with Luther. I held no such hopes.
Banners with the crest of blue and gold were blowing in the breeze as I stood outside the cathedral doors with all of the other soldiers. Eric had wanted me inside, but all of the guards were to surround the cathedral. I was placed at the doors, where I could watch him being crowned, with his lady at his side. When they took their places on their thrones, I caught a glimpse of Eleanora and for the rest of the procession I could look nowhere else. She was radiant in her court dress of gold and ivory with ribbons flowing over the skirt. She and the other lady’s maid had carried Lady Elisabeth’s long train for her.
Luther stood beside his mother through the proceedings, the picture of serenity and elegance.
When the king and queen were announced, the cathedral bells began to toll.
The streets from the cathedral up the hill to the palace were filled with well-wishers carrying sticks with gold and blue streamers. They flapped them in the air as the golden carriage was brought around to the door. The red carpet was rolled out, and then Eric and his queen emerged from the cathedral to the cheers of their people.
I rode behind the carriage, in a place of honor. Eric had made a request of me only a week past, one which would have made my father burst with pride. He wanted me to be the captain of his guards, as Lord Adamsen was being promoted to a seat upon the council. My agreement had been at once. It was the highest honor in the military, to be the head of the king’s guards, and I would not prove a disappointment.
****
A month after the coronation, a different ceremony took place, one which had humbled me. I was knighted.
It was due to my protection of their majesties, as well as Eleanora, when the bandits attacked. That I had not kept the king from harm had made me not want to accept a knighthood, but Eric was adamant. He said that I would be knighted and that I would accept my new position with a good grace, or he would have me publicly flogged. That last part he said with a teasing grin.
As the sword came down upon my shoulders, I felt a sense of unworthiness. Who was I? The son of a farmer. I did not deserve so much greatness to come upon me.
After the ceremony, I found Eleanora in the library, waiting for me.
“Do you feel like a great man? Lord Nielsen.” She had asked it with a smile, but to her I would speak the truth.
“I feel neither great nor worthy. The king bestows upon me more than I deserve.”
Walking around the large library, I heard her following me. “I was there, Willem. I saw how you tried to save the king. You saved us from that bandit who tried to pull the queen from the carriage.”
Smiling a little, for her speaking my name had not gone unnoticed, I turned to face her. “That was you, Eleanora.”
She shuddered. “Do not remind me, I pray.”
Moving forward, I rested my hand against her cheek. “Eleanora,” I said softly.
Her gaze flew up to mine. She did not move as I lowered my head toward hers. I could no longer deny that she consumed me. From the moment that she pressed her hand into mine, I had known. I would move mountains for her if she was to ask.
Becoming a knight had given me one thing that I did not before possess. Equality in rank with Eleanora. When I had been a guard, I could not speak, but now … now I could tell her what was in my heart and know that if she denied me it would not be due to rank.
Our lips were about to touch when the door opened. Eleanora gulped in a breath as she backed away from me.
> “There you are, my dear,” Luther said as he came into the library. He had to have seen me hovering over her, for I was so much taller than she. “I was hoping that we could take that stroll. The hyacinth is in bloom.”
“Of course,” Eleanora whispered. She cleared her voice. “Allow me but moments to fetch my parasol and I shall join you.”
She walked out of the library without a glance toward me.
The moment she was out of the room, Luther rounded on me. “You presume to touch my lady? I should have you flogged for your daring.”
His lady? “Eleanora belongs to no man.” There was enough venom in my voice to assure Luther that where Eleanora was concerned, Luther would never enact his vile actions.
Luther’s thin lips turned up, a victorious smile upon his face. “Eleanora is it? Unfortunately for you, lowly guard, the lady Eleanora does belong to me. Permission granted by the king himself. She is to be my bride, and there is nothing that you can do to change that.” Luther looked at me from my boots to my gray court suit. “Why would she want you, when she can have a prince?”
My hands fisted at my sides but I did not move, even as his words burrowed into me.
“Yes,” he said, drawing the word out. “I can see how that makes you feel. The truth of your humble origins. That you will never be good enough for the woman of your heart, the woman who belongs to me.”
Breathing in and out through my nose, I stomped around Luther and out of the library, slamming the door behind me. Moving down the corridor, I kept my gaze on my boots, my mind fighting a battle. I wanted to go back and destroy Luther, but I could not. He was Eric’s brother and, no matter how much Eric cared for me, he could not stop the outcome that would befall me should I take his brother’s life.
Bumping into a body was what drew me from my thoughts. Hands pressed against my arms as my own hands shot out and surrounded the waist of the person. Looking up, my gaze met Marta’s startled one.
“Saints above, Willem, you were charging as if to war.”
When I released a sigh, Marta captured my hands. “Tell me what is bothering you.” She pulled me toward an alcove that had a bench. Tugging me down beside her, she held my hands in a firm clasp as she urged me to unburden my troubles.
phantom knights 04 - deceit in delaware Page 36
