The next morning dawned overcast and cool, matching Anna’s dismal mood. Matilda wasted no time in rising from her bed, urging her ladies to do the same with as much haste as possible. The men had already left at the first light of day, and Matilda did not want to miss a single piece of the action. They left the chambers shortly before nine, to find Cameleus waiting in the hall.
“Ah, there you are.” He walked towards Matilda, hands outstretched to take hers. “Did you have a good night’s rest, my dear?”
“Thank you, Cameleus, I most certainly did.”
“Excellent!” He gestured towards the door. “A carriage has been placed at your disposal and awaits you outside the door. And a basket of food has been placed within.”
Matilda smiled. “You are too kind. Will you be joining us today?”
He waved his hand. “No, no, battle scenes are not my thing. I will stay here and await word of Roderick’s victory!”
They stepped outside, and in the distance Anna could see trails of smoke rising into the air. The early morning mist had cleared, revealing a clear, blue sky. There was a boom, distant and muffled but still clearly the sound of a cannon, and she saw Kathleen flinch slightly. She took her hand and squeezed gently.
“We’ll be perfectly safe,” she whispered.
“I know,” Kathleen whispered back, “But I don’t really want to watch men dying!”
Anna nodded. She was in complete sympathy with Kathleen’s sentiments.
As they drew close to the scene of the battle, Anna could see thousands of men ranging the field, arrayed in every direction, swinging swords, axes, maces and spears. Anna wondered where Garrick was, but knew it would be impossible to find him in the melee. The battle seemed to be fiercest on the east side of the battlefield, and towards the back, Anna saw Terran’s standard, held aloft on a tall pole. She looked for Roderick’s, and saw it at the base of a small hillock, to the west. On the top of the hill were two men on horseback – Roderick and Alfred, Anna supposed.
Matilda pointed out a small mound and the carriage pulled to a stop with one side facing the scene below. Frank and Tobias rode behind the carriage, and they dismounted as the carriage drew to a halt, a sword in each hand. Despite Roderick’s confidence that nothing would befall Matilda and her ladies as they observed the unfolding drama, Alfred had ordered the guards to be especially vigilant, wary of a scheming attack against the queen. They stalked around the carriage, swinging their swords through bushes and shrubs, before finally nodding that it was safe for Matilda to alight. The coachman hopped down from his perch, and going to the stowage at the back, pulled out four small stools and a large basket and placed them on the ground. Opening the door of the carriage, he helped Matilda onto a stool as her ladies stepped down beside her. Frank and Tobias stood on either side of the carriage, their bodies at attention as they held their swords at the ready.
A loud boom made Anna turn around in fright, her ears ringing as she saw the smoke rising from the other side of the plain. The thunderous cannon had shaken the ground they stood on, and the carriage rocked slightly. Men dropped to the ground where they stood, injured, or dead, although Anna couldn’t tell if they were Alfred’s or Terran’s. The men carried shields that distinguished the two sides, and brightly painted helmets, but from this distance, it was impossible to tell who was who.
Matilda settled herself on her stool, and patted the one beside her. “Join me, ladies,” she said with a smile, as though she were about to watch one of Denton’s plays. Blanche took a seat, but Anna stepped back.
“If you’ll excuse me, my lady,” she said, “I think I would prefer to take a little walk.”
There was a loud crack near them, and Matilda turned to seek out the source of the sound. “Do what you will,” she said with a wave of her hand. Frank turned to her in protest, but when another cannon boomed across the plain, making the carriage rock once more, he nodded.
“I have to see you at all times,” he warned Anna. She gave an exaggerated sigh.
“I’ll just be on the other side of the hill,” she said.
“I’ll come with you,” Kathleen said, linking her arm into Anna’s as she turned away from the battle and headed down the gentle slope of the little hill. The greenery here had been trampled down by marching feet, the little field flowers crushed and broken. A few small rocks had protected a little spray of blooms, and Anna knelt down to look at them.
“Everything is destroyed,” Kathleen said with a moan.
“No, look.” Anna beckoned Kathleen to where she knelt. “Not everything.” She looked at Kathleen with a smile. “There is always hope!”
There was a rustling behind her, and Anna scrambled to her feet, stumbling slightly, as she felt a wave of heat wash over her. She turned to see Max striding towards them.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. His eyebrows were gathered in a frown, and fear curled through Anna’s stomach as she remembered how he had looked at her the previous evening. Max’s nostrils flared slightly, and when he took a step towards her, his voice held a note of seductive challenge. “You aren’t scared of me, are you, darling?”
She lifted her chin and met his look. “Most certainly not!”
She shivered when he laughed. “Good girl! But I still want to know what you are doing here.”
“Matilda wanted to watch the battle. She hopes to see Terran defeated.”
“And she brought her ladies?”
Anna shrugged. “As you can see, Kathleen and I are not watching.” Max glanced at Kathleen, who was staring at him uneasily, and his expression softened slightly.
“Apologies for my rude interruption, my lady,” he said. He turned back to Anna. “Matilda underestimates Terran’s strength,” he said. “Roderick will not win today’s battle. Already he has lost hundreds of men.”
Anna felt the blood drain from her face. “Garrick?” she whispered.
Max quickly covered the remaining distance between them, and his hands wrapped gently around her arms, pulling her close. “He was fine the last time I saw him,” he said. “I will watch over him as much as I’m able, but,” he dropped his voice low, “I cannot take my natural form with so many men here.”
“I know,” she whispered. Max’s hands were warm on her arms. His eyes held hers for a moment, and then he stepped back.
“I’ll be back with news,” he said. He nodded at Kathleen, looked once more at Anna, then turned and walked away.
Chapter 40
The hours wore on, the clanging, booming and shouting becoming a deafening monotone that made Anna’s ears ache. Black powder burned through the air, and smoke made the air hazy.
Anna and Kathleen sat on the hill away from the fighting, blocking out the sounds behind them as much as they were able. They checked on Matilda once, but she was so engrossed in the battle below her, she barely noticed their presence. From time to time, Frank walked past, glaring at Anna as he did so, but not pausing to watch their actions.
A few hours after Max had been by, Anna saw another man striding up the hill. She turned to Kathleen. “Is that Lord Giles?” she asked her friend.
Kathleen looked up too, then quickly looked away with a blush, nervously pushing a strand of hair from her face. Lord Giles was of medium height and build, and Anna guessed he was in his early thirties. His face was red from exertion, and a sheen of sweat covered the bald patch that stretched from his forehead across his crown. He walked with a pronounced limp, but it did not appear to slow him down as he marched towards them.
“Lady Kathleen,” he said as he drew closer, and Kathleen looked up with a shy smile. “I saw the queen’s carriage and wondered whether you were here as well. I’m glad to see you have taken yourself out of direct sight of the battlefield.” He glanced at Anna. “Please introduce me to your friend,” he said.
“Uh, er –”
“Anna Carver,” Anna intervened, nodding at him with a smile. “Have you been injured?”
Lord Giles lo
oked startled for a moment, then glanced down at his leg. “Oh, no, nothing of the sort. A childhood mishap left my leg a little twisted, but I never let it worry me.” He patted his thigh. “Lady Kathleen made a balm to soothe it when the weather makes it play up.” He smiled at Kathleen, whose blush spread down her neck. “I’d better be off. Have a battle to fight, and all.” He stared for a moment at Kathleen, who looked down at the ground; then with a nod at Anna he turned and walked down the hill.
The sun had passed the noon hour when Anna felt Max return. She turned around to see him running towards her, his face etched with concern. She sprang to her feet.
“What is it?” she said. “What’s happened?”
“Garrick,” he said. He grabbed her by the arm and almost lifting her off her feet, dragged her down the hill. “He’s been injured.”
She gasped. “What happened?”
“Rupert placed him at the front line in a charge.”
“No!” Max pulled her against his side, practically carrying her, as her knees suddenly gave way. “But he’s an archer.” Archers were always placed at the back of the lines, where they would send their arrows over the field to their enemy targets.
“I know.” Max’s face was grim. “Rupert knew very well this could cost Garrick his life.”
“But why would he do that? Why would he place Garrick in the frontline?”
Max had reached the far side of the plain where the battle was being fought. He skirted around the edges, dragging her around the fallen bodies of dead and dying men. He glanced down at her. “Rupert asked Garrick about his interest in you, but clearly his answer did not satisfy the prince.”
“He told him we are betrothed.”
“No, he didn’t, actually. But Blanche had already told Rupert that Garrick meant more to you than a friend.”
Anna closed her eyes in an effort to control the nausea that rose up. “No,” she whispered. She gulped in a breath of air, then coughed when sulfur and saltpeter burned the back of her throat. “How badly is he hurt?”
Max came to a stop and slipped his arm from her waist. She turned around to see Garrick lying on the ground, blood covering almost his entire body. The skin around his abdomen hung in ribbons from one side to the other, with black, cloying liquid oozing from the deep gash, and Anna almost gagged at the smell that rose from the wound.
“A flail wound,” Max said. “He was hit from the side. He still managed to drag himself away from the fighting, but he has lost too much blood. He does not have long to live.”
Anna dropped to her knees beside Garrick, and his eyes fluttered open. “Anna,” he breathed. His eyes widened as a spasm gripped him, then fell closed.
“No,” Anna whispered, “this cannot be happening.” She turned to Max. “You have to give him some of your blood.”
“No!”
Anna glanced down at Garrick – his voice had been soft, but no less strident than Max’s louder objection. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and another spasm of pain crossed his face. His hand was groping the ground, and Anna wrapped her own around it.
“I will not take the dragon’s blood,” he finally said. “I have no desire to be bound to a dragon – especially not that one!”
“But you must,” she said. “It will save your life.” Max was standing a few feet away, watching in silence, and Anna turned to face him. “You have to give him your blood!” she said. “He’s going to die.” Her voice was rising. “Are you going to let him die?”
“Anna,” Max said, “Even if I wanted to give Garrick some of my blood, I cannot force it on him.”
“No,” she shouted. “No! You have to! You cannot let him die!”
“Anna.” Garrick’s voice was barely a whisper. He wrapped his fingers around her hand, and she looked at him. He coughed, and blood splattered from his mouth across his chin. Ripping the hem of her gown, Anna wiped his mouth with the fabric. He smiled faintly. “I’m dying, my love. You have given me such joy and happiness, but I knew that we would not be married.”
“What? What are you saying, Garrick? Of course we would have been married.”
“Oh, Anna, I know you would have married me.” He coughed again, and Anna wiped his face once more. He lay silent for a moment, and when he spoke, Anna had to lean close to his mouth to hear his words. “My dear love, I would not have married you.” Anna pulled back, unsure that she had heard correctly.
“You would not have … not have married me?”
Garrick’s nod was barely discernible. “It is Max you love,” he whispered. “And Max loves you.”
“No, I love you.” The tears were spilling down Anna’s cheeks. “Please, Garrick, you have to live so we can be married.” A ghost of a smile flitted over Garrick’s features before quickly turning to a grimace. His skin was pasty, and his hand was cold to Anna’s touch, despite the heat of the sun. She leaned forward and kissed his lips. “Please Garrick,” she whispered.
“You … have …” Garrick drew in a breath, and when he coughed, a stream of blood flew from his mouth, splattering drops over her cheek. He lay, panting for a moment, his eyes closed, his hand clenching hers. He opened his eyes again, but they were unfocused and blood seeped from the corners. His lips moved and Anna placed her ear next to them to catch his last word. “… blessing,” he said. His eyes closed, and his hand slipped from hers.
“Garrick,” she cried. She lay her ear against his chest and heard the faint fluttering of his heart, as weak as the wings of a butterfly ensnared in a web, and then it fell still. She lay there, her head on his chest, as the tears spilled from her eyes, drenching the shredded remains of the shirt beneath his jerkin. The blood from his wound slowed, then stopped, congealing around the torn edges in a black mass. A fly landed on his open injury, and with a flash of anger she shooed it away.
The battle continued to surge across the plain, with shouts and booms ringing out across the field, but she heard none of them. A man yelled when he tripped over her, then glancing down, muttered an apology, but she neither saw nor heard him. She stared unseeing at the seething mass around her, her mind blank, devoid of thought. If Max had crossed her mind, she would have known he was close by, watching her as she grieved, but she did not think of him, and he made no move to approach her or comfort her. Instead, he sat on the ground and covered her in a cocoon of warmth.
After a time – was it minutes or hours? – she began to take in the scene around her. She was lying on the ground, her arms around Garrick’s lifeless body. All that was left was an empty shell – the spirit that had made this body laugh and love and fight was gone. She pushed herself up and glanced around, seeing Max for the first time since Garrick’s life had slipped away.
“This is all your fault,” she said. Her voice was flat and dull. “You could have saved him.”
“He didn’t want to be saved,” he said.
“You should have saved him for me.”
Max rose to his feet and walked over to her, his hand outstretched. “Come,” he said, “let’s get you away from here.”
She moved away from his reaching hand, and pushed herself to her feet. “Don’t touch me,” she said. “You killed Garrick.” Max’s hand fell to his side as she turned around and walked away. She didn’t need to look around to know he was following her, but she didn’t care. She just had to get away from this battle, this scene of death and despair.
She walked without thinking, stepping over abandoned weapons and pieces of armor, and around the bodies of men whom someone, somewhere, loved. She headed for a small copse of trees, then walked away from them when she heard birds twittering in the branches. Did they not know today was a day of mourning, not joy and celebration? She saw Matilda’s carriage perched on its hill, and she turned away from it. The thought of seeing the queen who had been pleased to watch the slaughter was distressing. She longed for Keira, but such thoughts were useless.
She eventually did make her way back to the carriage, when practicality fi
nally overcame sensibility. Already the shadows were growing longer, and soon it would be dusk. The battle was still raging, but Anna could see that both sides were flagging. Bodies littered the ground, and despite Anna’s inexperience with war, she could see that neither side would be victorious this day. When she climbed the small hill to the carriage, she saw Matilda watching her curiously, but she made no mention of her absence. Kathleen came running towards her.
“What happened?” she said. “Master Brant took you away and you never returned.”
“Garrick is dead.”
“Oh, Anna,” Kathleen took Anna’s hands in her own. “I’m so sorry.” Anna felt the tears gathering in her eyes, and looked away.
“I must write …” the words choked in her throat, and her chest starting heaving. She fell to the ground on her knees as Kathleen knelt down next to her and wrapped her arms around Anna’s shoulders, rocking her gently.
“Shh,” she crooned. “It’s all right.”
“He’s dead,” Anna whispered. “How can he be dead? We were supposed to be married.”
“Married?” Kathleen glanced down at her in surprise, then tightened her arms once more. “It’s all right,” she said.
She lay in Kathleen’s arms until the tears finally stopped and her body went limp. Another set of arms landed next to Kathleen’s, and Anna looked up to see Matilda kneeling down beside her.
“Come,” she said, “let’s get away from this place.” Anna nodded and allowed Matilda and Kathleen to help her to her feet. They led her to the carriage, and she collapsed into the corner of the bench. Blanche stepped behind Kathleen and glanced at Anna, and for once, remained silent.
Chapter 41
When Cameleus heard that a friend of Anna’s had been killed in the battle, he thoughtfully arranged for separate chambers to be prepared, to allow her some privacy in her sorrow. She slept little the first night, the horror and grief of the manner of Garrick’s death haunting her dreams, but when the dawn finally lightened the sky, she fell asleep. It wasn’t until early evening that she finally opened her eyes to see Kathleen sitting on a stool near the bed.
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