Lorcan caught hold of her waist, pulling her back before she fell in. “Stop this madness, Milady,” he growled through clenched teeth. “I’m only trying to protect you. I’ve fallen in love with you. Can you not see that?”
Gwyn stared up at him through angry tears. “If you truly love me, prove it. Return Isla to me and release us from this horrid place.”
He studied her for a few long moments, as though considering her words. Then he frowned. “I’m sorry, Milady. That is one thing I cannot do.” He motioned for a few soldiers to come. “Prepare the lady’s cell.”
Gwyn looked around, bewildered at his command. “What cell do you speak of. I do not see any bars.” He didn’t respond and she watched as the suspended bridge was turned ninety degrees and lowered with a pulley system high above them.
The second two soldiers grabbed her by the arms and started pulling her toward the bridge. Gwyn realized what was happening. She struggled against them, but it was no use. They were too strong and dragged her across the wooden structure, like she weighed nothing. They didn’t release her until reaching a flat ledge on the other side, about four feet long and six feet wide. After depositing her there, the soldiers walked back across, leaving Lorcan standing on the bridge.
“You know the right thing to do!” she cried. “Don’t let Fergus manipulate you any longer.”
Lorcan stared straight ahead with a face of stone, not meeting her eyes. “You will remain here until King Fergus arrives. Then we will be united in marriage. It saddens me to leave you here like this, but I hope the isolation will give you time to reflect on where your decisions have led you, Milady. Quarrels like this in the future will make a marriage miserable for both of us. I do hope you’ll learn to obey my wishes.”
Gwyn continued pleading with him as he turned and crossed the bridge again. Then he motioned for his men to move it back into its original position. Her breathing came in shallow gasps while watching the pulley system lift it away from her reach. Then there was no barrier between her and the rushing white water below, except an invisible wall of air.
She watched as Lorcan and his men left the cavern. It created a sickening feeling in her stomach, knowing she could remain confined on the ledge forever with no one knowing where she was.
Exhausted and alone, with only a small torch on the cavern wall for light, Gwyn laid down on the cold stone floor of her prison cell without bars or walls. She stared at the dark ceiling high above her, heart aching at the loss of Isla. As tears rolled down her face, she could only pray for help.
Heavenly Father, I know you’re there. Save me from my enemies. Strengthen me and show me the plan you have for my life. No matter what tomorrow brings, I still trust in you. They can take everything I love in this world, but they’ll never take away my hope…the hope I have in You to use all these hardships for good.
Tristan and his men weighed the options on safely traversing the water to reach the secret passage on the other side. Taking the current into account, they decided to scale the ledge back a few yards so there would be enough time to swim to the other side without being swept further down the waterway.
They had the best swimmer of the group go first. He started across, the water only coming to his waist. “Look at that,” he called. “We can walk right across.”
Tristan grinned and turned to the rest of his men. “Well, all that time, we could have saved our energy from scaling the wall.”
“Better to be safe than sorry, Your Majesty.”
They made it across together, still cautious about keeping their footing in the current. Then Tristan led the way into the secret passage. They were cold, wet and still had a way to go according to his map, but he was happy to be standing on solid ground. They journeyed on, hoping the torch would hold out long enough for them to find the entrance within the castle grounds.
About half an hour later, they came to a dead end in the passage. They felt along the wall and then Tristan looked up. There was a round seal above them with the face of a lion, like on the map. Tristan smiled and turned to one of his men. “Can I stand on your shoulders? I think I’d be able to reach then.”
“Aye, Your Majesty,” the man agreed and once securely on the man’s shoulders he could reach the seal. He pushed hard, until the seal popped open. Then he moved it aside and quietly peeked out the circular opening. It emerged into the early daylight in an empty alley. Tristan smiled to himself as he crawled out and helped the rest of his men up. Then they went in search of shelter.
It was imperative to discover where Gwyneth and Isla were being held, but for now, his men were soaking wet from their journey, shivering and in desperate need of a safe place to rest. Tristan spotted the steeple from the chapel in the distance. “Follow me. Perhaps the priest will offer us shelter.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Longest Night
Gwyneth squinted as torches were lit along the walls of the cavern, providing more light than she’d seen all day. The only way she’d kept track of the day was by the servants and soldiers coming in and out. She had been given meals, drink and blankets. There was even a maid who had come earlier to help her change into a clean gown and arrange her hair.
Soon after the torches were lit, she saw shadows dancing along the wall. Then Lorcan appeared, accompanied by several of his men. There were more people in the cavern as well, but she could not see them from her position on the ledge. The bridge was lowered into position again and Lorcan crossed it to meet her. “Good evening, Milady. Come, there is someone I would like you to meet.”
She slowly took his hand, although it was the last thing she wanted to do. Then Lorcan led her across the bridge. When they were fully in the light, Gwyn saw a red-haired stout man wearing a crown on his head with a tall and regal blonde lady by his side. Her jade eyes were beautiful, but sharp as a razor, sending chills down Gwyn’s spine.
“Lady Gwyneth, ‘tis my honor to present King Fergus and his new queen, Lady Kyna.”
She curtsied while struggling to steady her trembling knees. The fact that Fergus had arrived was not a good sign. “‘Tis a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties.”
“Aye,” Fergus replied. “I have heard much about you from my commander. This marriage agreement was not what I had planned, but Lorcan assured me you would offer an alliance between myself and Daireann.”
Gwyn looked over at Lorcan with confusion and then back at Fergus. “And what will this alliance entail, Your Majesty?”
Fergus pursed his lips before going on. “I will keep control of the Blathnaid Isles, along with the farmlands to the south on the mainland of Daireann, using them as I please. In exchange, Queen Airell will still be allowed to rule as she sees fit and my men will not attack your lands. We shall have peace between us”
Gwyneth’s eyes narrowed at him. “You would be in control of over half of our supply of food. Forgive me, Milord, but I fail to see how this alliance will benefit my people when many of them may starve.”
“I assure you, Milady, we will have open trading and your people will still be able to purchase food.”
“But who will be regulating the prices?”
Fergus waved away her concerns. “I will be discussing these matters with Queen Airell. You are simply my bargaining piece.”
Gwyneth scoffed at his words. “I am no such thing. You are speaking to the chosen Regent of Daireann.”
“Again, that is a matter I will be speaking with your queen about. Even if you will remain regent, all decisions must go through your husband.”
She turned to face Lorcan with angry tears stinging her eyes. “Did you know of this?”
“Not all of it, Milady, but regardless, the king wishes it. Therefore, it must be so.”
A grin snaked across Fergus’ lips. “Well said. Now, since all is settled, we will send someone to fetch a priest. You both must be wed at once.”
Lorcan’s mouth parted in surprise. “But Milord, shall we be married here in the cavern? I thought
the chapel would be more fitting.”
The king lifted his chin in a stubborn manner. “No, I believe this is best. There will be less chances for the lady to cause mischief.”
Lorcan nodded, but Gwyn could tell from the spark in his brown eyes he was not pleased. Then Fergus walked away with a flourish of his purple robe and started discussing the matter of finding a priest with Lorcan’s soldiers.
Gwyn took the opportunity to grasp Lorcan’s arm and lead him out of ear shot from Fergus. “Is this what you imagined for us?” she asked him, trying to keep the tears from dripping down her face. “I will not be your wife this way, but a slave instead.”
Lorcan looked away from her and clenched his jaw. “No, ‘tis not, but we do not have a choice.”
“Yes, we do. The men on the isle are under your command. Most of them are your people. If you opposed Fergus, they would follow you.”
Lorcan turned to look at her. “You do not realize the extent of his power. They could defy me and follow Fergus instead.”
“It is a risk, yes, but you must realize Fergus will not keep his word to you. You saw how he immediately rejected your request for us to marry in the chapel. What makes you think he will not deny other things from you. Fergus wants to rule absolutely, Lorcan. He will not share it with you…not even Blathnaid Isles.”
Lorcan’s jaw dropped. “Why are you saying these things? I already have possession of the isles. Fergus promised to make me a duke after arriving here.”
Gwyn’s eyebrow raised. “And has he yet?”
He shook his head. “No, he insisted the marriage was more important to take care of first.”
She moved closer to him, eyes pleading for him to believe her. “Mark my words. He is deceiving you. Once he has what he wants, he will send you elsewhere—off to conquer other lands, but none of them will ever be yours.”
An array of emotions played over Lorcan’s face as her words marinated. Then he stumbled back from her, rubbing his eyes as if she’d had him in a trance. “No, you are the one who is trying to deceive, as you have done before. I will not yield…not when everything I desire is within my grasp.”
Gwyn wiped her cheek as a tear escaped her eye. “Lorcan, your greed could be your downfall. Everything could be lost in an instant, including me, if you’re not careful. I implore you to do what is right.”
Lorcan shook his head and walked away from her, his shoulders tense and fists clenched. She could sense he was fighting a battle within himself to do good, but darkness kept pulling him back.
God, please help, Gwyn started to pray. He’s so close to believing your truth. Allow it to change his heart and convince him to do what is right.
“I trust you and your men were able to get some rest,” the priest said as he came into the cellar beneath the chapel, holding a cloth covered basket in his hand and a pile of clothing in the other.
Tristan put aside the blade he had been sharpening and smiled. “Aye, thank you for offering us shelter. We are indebted to you.”
The priest shrugged. “I consider it God’s work. He does not approve of these heathens who have overtaken our land. By helping you, I am helping restore this land to be ruled by the rightful God-anointed queen.” He placed the basket at his feet and the clothing in his hands. “My wife prepared this good food for you and your men. I pray it strengthens you for the difficult task to come. Also, you and your men can wear these robes as a disguise. The guards are less likely to stop you if they think you are monks. There is a monastery on the isle, so it is not uncommon to see monks in the area doing God’s work. It should make you almost invisible to them.”
“Thank you. We appreciate your kindness.”
The priest nodded. “Of course. Please, if there is anything else you need, do not hesitate to ask.”
After he left, Tristan shared the meal of bread, cheese and fruit with his men. Then they began to prepare for the next task at hand. Under the cover of darkness, they would first signal Leland and open the gate when he arrived. Then they would go in search of the princesses.
The priest had done some of his own scouting during the day. While he knew nothing about Isla’s location, he did know the location of Gwyneth’s guest chambers. However, he had also revealed troubling news. She had not been seen all day and no servants or maids had been visiting her chambers. Tristan knew that meant she had been moved to another location, but there were no clues as to where. It would make things more difficult, but he refused to give up hope.
They had barely finished eating what the priest had brought when loud knocking sounded from the chapel doors above them. The knocking was so forceful, it caused dust to rain down on them from the rafters. When he heard the doors open, Tristan moved to the cellar stairs to listen in on the conversation.
“You must come with us, priest,” a loud voice said.
“Why? Have I done something wrong?”
“King Fergus has arrived. He requested your presence to perform a wedding ceremony.”
Tristan’s mind raced as he quietly made his way back down to his men. “King Fergus is here. I believe it is his intention to marry Princess Gwyneth. We must follow the priest and Fergus’ men. They will lead us to her.”
“But, Your Majesty,” one of the men argued. “If we follow, how will we signal for King Leland and open the gates for him?”
“I’ll take two of you with me and leave the others to carry out our original plan.”
The men reluctantly agreed. Then Tristan waited to hear the chapel doors shut before leading the way up the stairs. After donning the priest’s extra robes, they headed out the back door leading to the alley. Once there, they came around the side of the building and pulled the hoods over their heads, watching which direction the soldiers took the priest. The setting sun and the fog that had gathered allowed them enough coverage to follow without being seen.
They trailed them from the shadows of buildings and through a side entrance to the castle. A few guards eyed them, but like the priest said, they didn’t take any notice.
Within a few minutes, they were navigating a spiral staircase that seemed never ending. When they finally reached the bottom, they walked a little longer before the passage opened up into a large cavern lit with torches.
After the men they followed were out of sight, Tristan grabbed a nearby torch to look for a better vantage point and possible escape routes. While they had moved past the guards near the castle entrance without any trouble, showing up when Fergus had only summoned one priest would draw suspicion.
As Tristan looked upward, he noticed a rope ladder leading to a hole in the top of the passage. Once at the top, he and his men journeyed across a thin ledge. When they made it halfway across, it gave him a much better view of the events going on in the cavern below. They hid under the shadow of an overhanging boulder and watched.
Gwyneth stood next to a tall nobleman with dark hair. Tristan’s heart lurched when he realized both the identity of the man and what was happening at the same time. It wasn’t Fergus who was marrying Gwyneth, but Lorcan.
Observing so many of Fergus’ and Lorcan’s men present in the cavern, Tristan realized he could not win a fight with only the two men he’d brought along. They could only watch the wedding take place and hope to follow them afterwards. Once he knew where Gwyneth had been taken, he could defeat the guards with the help of Leland and his men.
Gwyneth would have to go through the ordeal of being married to Lorcan for a little while, but if things went well, she would be a widow by daybreak and free of her captors. He hated the thought of watching the woman he loved marry another. Part of him wanted to rush into battle, regardless of the few men he had with him, but Tristan knew he would be of no help to her if he died in the process. At the moment, the best plan of action was to do nothing and be patient.
Leland and his men traveled over the rugged terrain all night and through the next afternoon. They had finally stopped to rest for the rest of the day in a small cave where th
ey wouldn’t be seen.
By evening, the isle was enveloped in a thick layer of fog, providing good cover for them to enter the gates. All they needed to see was Tristan’s signal. They made their way closer to the gates and waited for half an hour until seeing three torches thrown over the wall. Then they knew it was safe to approach the gates.
After they were opened and all of them were a safe distance away from the entrance, Leland turned to the two men who had met them there. “Where is Tristan?”
Their worried expressions told him something had gone amiss right away. “He followed a priest to where Lady Gwyneth is being held, but has yet to return. He left us behind to open the gates.”
Leland’s heart sunk, fearing the worst. Unfortunately, there was no way to know where he had gone. However, knowing he still had to follow through with the plan, he tried to push his worried thoughts aside and focus on the original plan.
Leland led his company close to the courtyard to have a look over the walls at the harbor below. As they waited, there was no activity at first. Then after about five minutes, he heard a faint scream. Somehow, he knew without a doubt the scream had come from his sister.
He saw men carrying torches and one had hold of Isla’s arm, leading her to a nearby ship. It only took a moment for Leland to make the decision. The ship was likely full of Fergus’ men and they would be outnumbered, but he had to rescue his sister.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Falling
No! I love Tristan. I cannot marry another. Gwyneth’s heart screamed the words so loudly she feared Lorcan would hear it as he joined his hands with hers.
She had believed with all her heart her true love would come to save her, but now her mind filled with doubt. Why hadn’t he come?
Lady Gwyneth's Hope (Ladies of Ardena Book 4) Page 12
