Medieval Ever After

by Kathryn Le Veque

  He would come for her. And he would be walking right into whatever trap Warren had planned for him.

  The tears came despite her efforts to contain them. Her broken sobs echoed back to her against the cold stones of her cell.

  HIGHLANDER’S RECKONING

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Daniel barely made it to his study before breaking the red wax seal on Warren’s missive. Warren’s seal was burned into his mind, for he’d seen the bastard’s coat of arms on the dead bodies in the Galloway forest and had waited four days to see the same seal on the ransom note he now held in his hand.

  Four days.

  Four long, horrible days had passed since the afternoon Rona had been taken. If it weren’t for his brothers and cousin, Daniel would have ridden to Dunbraes alone a thousand times over by now, but they kept a close eye on him, explaining over and over that they had to wait a little longer before launching their strike against Warren.

  On the first full day, they had gone to the woods and found the bloody scene Meredith had told them about. They’d given Patrick and Harold as proper a burial as they could manage, but left the English soldiers to the wild animals. Sure enough, under their chainmail they wore Warren’s coat on their tunics.

  He would have charged toward Dunbraes right then if his family hadn’t physically restrained him. They forced him to return to Loch Doon and practically locked themselves in his study with him under the pretense of working on their plan of attack.

  The next three days had passed sickeningly slowly as they waited and planned. He trained savagely with his men, barely ate, and couldn’t sleep. His brothers and cousin told him he had to keep his strength up, but food tasted like ash in his mouth.

  Jossalyn made him a sleeping draught the second night, and although he slept long and deeply, he didn’t take the potion again. He hated himself for escaping into sleep when Rona was suffering God knew what at Warren’s hands. And he didn’t want to return to the bed he shared with her until she was safely in his arms again. Her scent lingered on the sheets, haunting him.

  Robert, Garrick, and Burke trained with him when they weren’t all in his study poring over the maps Jossalyn had made for them. She’d given them more detailed sketches on the castle’s interior, not just its external defenses, which he prayed would help them if they ever got inside Dunbraes.

  When, he told himself firmly, not if they entered the castle.

  The ransom letter was finally here, which meant that they could set their plan in motion at last. It would all be over soon, one way or another.

  As he unfolded the missive, a lock of red hair fell out into his hand.

  Rona’s hair.

  His thumb rubbed the silky red lock and his throat tightened. He brought it to his nose and inhaled. It still held a faint trace of her unique, intoxicating scent, the one that lingered on the bed they shared. He couldn’t lose her. If he did…

  A knock came at the door, and Robert entered a moment later.

  “What does it say?” his older brother asked without preamble. They all knew the moment the messenger had docked against the castle’s moors that this was the letter they’d been waiting for, but blessedly, his family had given him a moment alone to open it.

  Daniel looked down at his hands. He was still clutching the missive in one hand and the lock of Rona’s hair in the other. He hadn’t even read the letter yet.

  He scanned it quickly as he tucked the lock of hair into the sporran at his waist. Then he stepped forward and handed the letter to Robert.

  “This seems standard,” Robert said after glancing at the short note inside. “It’s good that he wants to open negotiations a week from now rather than, say, tomorrow morning. That will give us time and the element of surprise.”

  Daniel nodded, hardening himself. “We should leave this afternoon.”

  Robert remained silent for a moment, eyeing him. “Or tomorrow.”

  A spike of rage surged through Daniel’s veins, cutting through the dull anxiety that had shrouded him for the last several days.

  “If we leave now, we’ll still be under the cover of night by the time we reach Dunbraes.”

  “You need more rest,” Robert said, his tone shifting slightly into the familiar authority of an older brother and Laird.

  “Like hell I need rest!” Daniel said, stepping toe to toe with his brother. “What I need is to get my wife back. What I need is to have Rona safe and sound and in my arms again. And what I need is to take the bastard Warren’s life with my own two hands!”

  “You’ll have to get in line for that last one,” Garrick said as he stepped into the study. Burke came in behind him and closed the door.

  “We are moving—now,” Daniel commanded. “Be ready in an hour.”

  He shot a glance at Robert to see if he would challenge his authority, but Robert only nodded.

  “Burke, secure us passage to the village with one of the oarsmen. We’ll get horses there,” Daniel said, feeling simultaneously calmer and more energized than he had in days. The waiting was over. They could finally act.

  Burke nodded and slipped out the study door.

  “I’ll let Alwin know,” Robert said.

  Alwin had seamlessly and silently taken over the running of the castle after Rona had been taken. Daniel would have to remember to thank her when this was all over. She had a way of keeping the castle calm and orderly, even while everything else felt like it was falling apart.

  “Are you sure you don’t want Jossalyn to come with us?” Garrick said.

  “Nay, it’s too dangerous. She’s already been an invaluable help,” Daniel replied.

  Even though Jossalyn herself had offered to come with them on their strike against Dunbraes, Garrick visibly relaxed at Daniel’s words. He couldn’t blame him, either. What they had planned was barely anything more than a fool’s errand. At every turn, they’d have to use all their skill, plus a fair bit of luck. It was no place for Jossalyn, despite the fact that she wanted to help.

  The three stood in silence for a moment in Daniel’s study. Despite the tension in the room and the nearly insurmountable task ahead of them, Daniel gave each of his brothers a little nod, a wry smile touching his mouth.

  “This is it, then.”

  “Aye, it’s time.”

  They rode through the evening and the night, cutting southeast from the village, through the Galloway woods, and toward Dunbraes. The stars and a sliver of moon were their only light. Luckily it hadn’t rained in a few days so the ground wasn’t as soft, allowing the horses to travel faster.

  They wouldn’t get a moment’s rest tonight, and Daniel had barely slept in the last four days, either. Despite that, with each stride of the horses, he grew more energized. The closer they drew to Dunbraes, the closer he was to Rona—his love, his life, his future. Somehow, she’d become a part of him, and he a part of her. If she were taken from him, he could never be whole again.

  Thoughts of Rona haunted him throughout the ride. It wasn’t until the dark, early hours of the morning, when they were only a few miles away from Dunbraes, that he forced his mind to focus on the task ahead of them.

  Finally, they slowed their horses and guided them slightly to the left so as to approach the castle from the north, as Jossalyn had advised. It was the furthest point from the main gates, which were more heavily guarded. Plus, the castle’s tower keep stood closest to the northern side of the curtain wall, meaning they’d have to cross the least amount of open space to get to the dungeon, where Jossalyn guessed her brother would keep Rona.

  About a mile from the castle, they dismounted silently and tied the horses in a densely foliated area of the surrounding forest. They moved swiftly on foot through the forest until they reached its edge, where the trees had been cleared to provide the castle with greater visibility to protect against attack.

  Daniel strained to make out any figures on the curtain wall’s battlements. The castle loomed up against the night sky, an almost indistinguis
hable shadow in the darkness.

  Slowly, the four of them crept forward into the open. Daniel, Robert, and Burke were forced to keep their swords sheathed or risk the metal glinting in what little moonlight there was. Daniel felt naked without his blade in hand, yet he willed himself forward. At least Garrick had an arrow nocked in his bow, which he held half-drawn and at the ready.

  Just as they were about to reach the rocky terrain upon which the castle was built, Robert threw up a hand. Instantly, they all dropped into a crouch and froze. The curtain wall was a mere dozen yards in front of them. They would be invisible to any guard on top of the wall once they were pressed against it. But as Daniel looked up at the wall, he made out a shadowy figure moving along the battlement.

  Even crouched and covered by the night’s darkness, the grasses and scattered rock outcroppings surrounding the castle offered little cover for them. Daniel held his breath, praying the guard on the battlement wouldn’t spot them.

  As he watched the figure move toward them at an even pace, he breathed a silent sigh of relief. The guard hadn’t seen them yet, otherwise he would have stopped to look closer or sent up a call for help.

  Daniel caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned slightly to see Garrick drawing his bowstring back ever so slowly. He had an arrow trained on the figure as it moved directly in front of them. But the figure never stopped. The guard continued around the battlement, and after several tense moments he was out of sight.

  When they’d finally closed the remaining distance to the curtain wall, Daniel let himself breathe deeply again. The first challenge was completed. But they would be even more vulnerable than before with their next task.

  Burke reached for his belt and unwound a length of rope with a large fisherman’s hook attached to one end. Daniel sent thanks to the heavens yet again for Rona’s willfulness. If she hadn’t told them the story of how she’d escaped Loch Doon using such a rope and hook, Daniel wasn’t sure how they would plan on scaling Dunbraes’ towering curtain wall.

  As Burke hefted the hook in his grasp, Daniel could make out its dull outline in the darkness. It was bigger than his spanned hand, with a sturdy fisherman’s knot through the loop at the bottom. With a quick nod to the others, Burke took a step back from the wall and threw the hook upward, aiming for one of the crenels that opened onto the wall’s battlement.

  The hook clattered onto the battlement, and all the men tensed at the noise. They remained motionless at the bottom of the wall, waiting for the dreaded sound of guards rushing toward them.

  But the castle remained quiet, and after what felt like an eternity, Burke gave a tug on the rope. The hook didn’t fall back down or scrape along the stones—blessedly, it was securely wedged against the lip of the battlement.

  Garrick silently released the tension on his bow and slipped the arrow into the quiver on his back. Then he slung the bow over his shoulder and took hold of the rope. They had agreed that he would go first in case he needed to pick off any guards at a distance, but it chafed at Daniel to have to wait for his turn. Garrick braced his feet against the wall and began to climb. In a matter of moments, he’d slipped through the crenel opening and onto the battlement running along the top of the wall.

  Daniel took up the rope next, followed by Burke and Robert. As they each reached the battlement, they crouched for fear that their dark outlines would stand out against the starry sky. Once they were all up, Burke silently eased the hook off the lip of the battlement, rewound the length of rope, and secured the hook and rope to his belt.

  If all went according to the plan, they’d be leaving the same way they came in. Daniel wouldn’t let himself think about the possibility that they would get separated and be unable to all use the rope—or worse, that they’d have to fight their way out of the castle.

  He sharpened his mind on the task ahead instead. Garrick again took his bow in hand and nocked an arrow, though the battlement remained quiet and still. Daniel tapped each one of the others on the shoulder and gestured to the left, silently pointing toward the nearest guard tower. They moved in a crouch toward the tower, pausing every few seconds to listen for movement.

  Suddenly, Garrick froze in front of Daniel. Burke and Robert, who were behind him, tensed also. Daniel eased one eye over Garrick’s shoulder, and his stomach dropped.

  Standing between them and the guard tower was a dark figure. Daniel couldn’t tell if the guard was facing toward or away from them, but if he saw them, their entire plan would be dashed, and all hope of extracting Rona stealthily would vanish.

  Daniel reached for the hilt of his sword at his hip, but Garrick shook his head silently. He slowly drew back the nocked arrow to his cheek and trained it on the dark figure a dozen yards ahead of them on the battlement.

  Garrick exhaled almost inaudibly, and the arrow flew with a faint whirring noise. A fraction of a second later, it thunked into its target. Daniel sprang to his feet and bolted past Garrick toward the guard.

  The guard jerked as the arrow sank into his neck, then made a gurgling noise and began to list to one side. Just before he would have toppled more than a dozen feet into the courtyard below with a clatter, Daniel grabbed hold of one limp arm and pulled him back onto the battlement.

  As quietly as possible, he eased the guard down onto the stone battlement, pushing his already-lifeless body into the shadows as much as possible. A moment later, Garrick, Burke, and Robert crept to his side. Exchanging a quick nod, they continued silently along the battlement toward the guard tower.

  The tower was dark and empty. Daniel frowned. They had seen one guard on the wall earlier, and another one who’d taken Garrick’s arrow. But those two guards could have actually been the same person. The rest of the battlement and the castle itself remained quiet and still.

  Something was wrong. Where were all the guards? And why was it so damned quiet? Robert poked his head out both sides of the guard tower, confirming for Daniel that he too sensed something was off.

  Daniel itched to draw his sword, but he feared that if the guards and the rest of the castle’s men-at-arms lay waiting somewhere, any glint off his blade would give their position away.

  Even more on edge than before, they made their way to the stairs leading from the tower to the inner yard. Whether or not they were walking into a trap, they had to keep going. Daniel would never turn back now, not this close to Rona. Nor would his brothers and cousin flee, trap or nay.

  The yard was quiet and empty, just as the battlements had been. Thanks to Jossalyn’s instructions to approach from the north, they only had a few paces to cover in the open before they reached the tower keep. One by one, they crossed the distance between the curtain wall and the tower, pressing themselves against the tower’s rounded stone exterior. Then they slid around to the south side where Jossalyn told them the keep’s door lay.

  When they reached the large wooden double doors leading into the keep, Garrick fully drew back the arrow he had nocked in his bow. Finally, Daniel could draw his sword. He gripped the hilt at his hip and unsheathed the blade, feeling instantly calmer with the weapon in his hand. The faint hiss of Robert’s and Burke’s swords coming from their sheaths echoed his. If a trap had been laid for them, it had to be inside the tower, for the rest of the castle appeared empty.

  With a quick nod to the others, Daniel took a deep breath. Then he sent one booted foot into the keep’s doors, kicking them open. He leveled his sword at the gaping, dark opening, bracing himself for an attack.

  The doors banged loudly against the stone walls, the noise echoing through the castle’s great hall. No sea of soldiers poured forth. No cry of attack filled the silence. The hall was empty and dark.

  “I don’t like this,” Garrick whispered as he swept his aim through the dark hall from the doorway.

  Cautiously, Burke treaded through the open doors and sidestepped toward one of the hall’s walls. Daniel could barely make out his shadowy figure as he reached for something on the wall. A mom
ent later, a spark flickered in the darkness. Burke’s crouched figure was illuminated once, then twice as he struck a flint over a candle he’d removed from an iron candleholder on the wall. With a third strike of his flint, the tallow candle’s wick caught, sending a steady glow throughout the hall.

  Sure enough, the hall was empty. The trestle tables and benches were pushed to the walls, and the hearth at the far end didn’t smolder or smoke even faintly.

  “Where’s the trap?” Robert said, stepping into the hall. Daniel and Garrick followed, though Garrick walked through the doorway backward, keeping the tip of his arrow pointed toward the yard in case they were set upon from behind.

  Daniel shook his head in confusion. Despite the eerie silence surrounding them, he felt a presence in the castle. What was Warren up to?

  “We should check the dungeon,” Daniel said, though he was beginning to fear that Rona wouldn’t be there.

  Had his impression that he was drawing closer to her been faulty? His instincts were screaming at him that something was off, but all they could do was keep looking for her and pray that they hadn’t all been horribly deceived.

  Burke led the way toward the stairs at the back of the great hall, sword in one hand and raised candle in the other. Daniel, Robert, and Garrick trailed after him, each bracing for a surprise attack from all directions.

  The stairs wound down and down, far below ground. The air, already night-cool, grew markedly colder as they descended. The stairs finally ended at a single wooden door, which stood ajar.

  Burke pushed the heavy door open with one boot, but all was still. The door squeaked loudly, revealing its infrequent use. Why would such a rarely used door be left open so carelessly?

  As they filed through the door and Burke’s candle illuminated the dungeon, Daniel caught sight of several cells stretching out. One cell door stood open.