“I do not understand how a young girl could disappear right in front of the King’s men!” Wilhelm exclaimed. “It’s not as if she’s inconspicuous! She is a very distinctive looking young woman! Her hair is blue! No one else in Colonodona looks like her! Either you are all blind, or the trunk you were supposed to be transporting her in was stolen. In that case you are both blind and completely inept at your job!”
“My most sincere apology —”
“Save it,” Wilhelm snapped. He took a deep breath and crossed to his desk. He pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote furiously. “You are to take this paper to the men guarding the dungeon. There is to be an execution tomorrow morning. A hanging. First thing. The people who are rebelling against me will see that I am not a man to be trifled with. You will take this notice of sentencing to the guard. He is to ensure that the gallows are built to my specifications.”
“Yes, Sire,” Frederic said, taking the notice. He stopped at the door and turned back to Wilhelm. “May I ask who is to die?”
“No one of importance,” Wilhelm responded with a smirk.
Frederic made his way to the dungeons. He was shaking with relief that the King hadn’t suspected he’d been involved with the Princess’s escape. He approached the guard and handed over the notice.
“Do you know what’s written here?” the guard asked, after he had broken the King’s seal and read over the piece of parchment.
“The King told me it was a death sentence,” Frederic replied. “Nothing more.”
The guard sighed. “Yes. For three people.”
Frederic closed his eyes, bracing himself. “Who for?” he asked, though he already knew the answer.
“King Gerald, Queen Aud, and...you.”
“I see,” Frederic said. He removed the sword from his side and placed it on the floor, saying a quick prayer that Ipsinki had kept his word and found his family a safe place to stay. “I suppose you had better lead me to my cell. I will come quietly.”
And so, the former captain allowed himself to be led into the dark, to await his fate.
* * *
Sitnalta was woken up from her sleep by the feeling of someone gently nudging her arm. She turned and found herself looking into Ipsinki’s blue eyes. She smiled at him, but her smile quickly disappeared as she noticed the look of concern on his face.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“My contact is here with news,” he said. “I think you need to hear it.”
“Did you tell Navor?”
“I did.” He frowned. “He’s waiting outside. I have to warn you. It’s not good.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Ipsinki took a breath, steeling himself for what he had to tell the Princess. She looked at him imploringly.
“Wilhelm has announced that there is going to be a multiple execution tomorrow morning,” he said.
Sitnalta felt a cold feeling of dread wash over her. “Multiple?” she asked in a small voice. “How many people?”
“Three,” Ipsinki answered. “Frederic, the former captain of the guards is one of them. The other two are Aud and Gerald.”
Sitnalta closed her eyes, trying to hide the pain from Ipsinki. “I don’t suppose I can stop it the way I stopped your execution.”
“No,” he said. “I highly doubt running into the square telling him where you are will stop anything. In fact, he may just throw you up there with them.”
Sitnalta looked at him. “What do we do? We can’t let this happen.”
“I know. Come out and join us. We’re trying to make plans to stop it.”
Sitnalta allowed herself to be led out by Ipsinki and instantly ran to Navor’s side. Ipsinki’s contact, a young boy looked up at her in awe, her blue hair sparkling in the sunlight.
“Are you all right?” Navor asked her.
“I will be,” she said. “Do we have a plan?”
“A very general one,” he answered.
“What is it?”
“We go in and we fight,” the Prince said. “I take my men, Ipsinki calls on his friends, and we arm ourselves and go in strong.”
“What kind of a plan is that?” Sitnalta asked incredulously.
“Well, we don’t have all the details yet,” Navor protested. “I told you that it was just the general idea.”
Sitnalta sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t suppose you can break them out like you did before.”
“No,” Ipsinki said. “There isn’t time to sneak into the castle. Also, there is no guarantee that they are even being held there. If they are being kept in the lowest cells, it’s far too risky to try. It would be a suicide mission. As it was, we didn’t all make it back the last time.” Ipsinki felt a pang as he thought of Willem. He had no desire to allow that to happen to anyone else, yet he might not have a choice.
Sitnalta looked at the men that Navor had brought with him. They all stood in the clearing, their armour glinting in the sun. They looked like seasoned, well-trained soldiers. She could tell that they would do very well in a fight. But if she could tell that, so could any and all of Wilhelm’s men the instant they spotted them.
“You can’t just walk into the square and demand Aud and Gerald’s release,” she said. “You need to find a way to place yourselves throughout the crowd and get up close.”
Josiah heard the Princess speak and found himself nodding in agreement. “And how do you propose we do that?”
“You’ll be spotted and recognized as the soldiers you are the moment you show up,” she said. “Ipsinki’s men have the advantage here. They look like they belong in the crowds of Colonodona. You need to look like them. That’s how I was caught at Parven’s castle. Jess looked like he belonged.”
“But we still need to wear our armour,” Josiah argued. “I will not lead my men into a fight if they are not protected.”
“And I would never ask you to,” Sitnalta agreed. “What you need to do is cover it up.” She thought a moment before turning to Ipsinki. “Could you get us a whole bunch of cloaks?”
“I think I could,” he said. “It’s the right season, so a bunch of men wearing long cloaks wouldn’t look too out of place.”
Navor looked at the young boy at his side. “How many men do you suppose Wilhelm will have stationed around the square?”
The boy thought hard. “I shouldn’t think he’d have more than fifteen.”
“I have thirty,” Navor said. “That, coupled with whomever Ipsinki can find, will give us very good odds.”
“You have thirty-one,” Sitnalta said.
“No,” Navor countered. “I have thirty.”
“You can’t honestly expect me to sit here and wait for you while you go off and rescue my family,” she said angrily. “I won't do it!”
“That’s exactly what I expect you to do.”
“You are dreaming,” Sitnalta said. “I won’t stand for it. I’m going, and that’s final.”
“Sitnalta...” Navor groaned. “I can’t protect you and them.”
“I’m not asking you to,” she said. “I need to do this.” She turned to Ipsinki and Josiah. “One more thing.”
“Yes?” Ipsinki asked.
“We’re saving Frederic, too,” she said. “He let Ipsinki take me away from the ship. He made a choice. Let’s show him that it was the right one.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Execution
Morning dawned bright and clear. The air was crisp and cool. Aud awoke to two men at the door to her cell.
“You had better get up. We need to get going.”
Aud could hear the regret in his voice, and she squinted up at him. “Jess?”
The young man on the right looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You always were kind to me. I hope that one day the Princess can forgive me for all of this.”
Aud felt a chill pass over her. “Where are you taking me?” she asked. “Where�
��s my husband?”
“We’re going to the square,” Jess told her. “It would be best if you came willingly.”
“Why are we going there?” Aud said.
Jess pressed his lips together. He knew she had a right to know what was happening, but he was too much of a coward to tell her.
“Why, Jess?” Aud asked again. “Tell me!”
The other guard walked into the cell and grabbed Aud by the arm, roughly yanking her to her feet. He grabbed her wrists, slapping the cold iron manacles on her. She cried out, and Jess stepped forward to help her.
“I think you know why we’re going,” Jess whispered in her ear. “Please don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be.”
“More difficult for whom?” Aud spat. “You?”
Jess found it hard to look at her. “Please tell me, what choice do I have?”
“Sitnalta told Frederic that there is always a choice,” Aud said.
“Yes,” Jess answered. “And Frederic made his, and now he’s going to the exact same place as you. So tell me, if that’s what choosing gets you, why should I choose differently?”
Aud felt a pang of sadness as she heard of the captain’s troubles. “Just tell me,” she said. “Are we being taken to our deaths?”
Jess took a breath. “Yes,” he admitted.
Aud felt faint as the news registered. “All of us?”
“That’s enough talk,” the other guard said as they reached another cell.
Aud watched as he pulled the door open. He went inside and soon emerged with Gerald. Like her, his hands were manacled together. He looked weary and pale.
“Gerald,” Aud said. She ached to go to him, but Jess held her tight.
“What’s happening?” Gerald asked.
“We’re being taken to the square,” Aud said. She fought to keep her voice level and calm. “Wilhelm has scheduled us to be executed.”
Gerald looked Aud in the eye. He had faced death before, but to think that Wilhelm was intending to kill Aud destroyed him. He tried to keep a brave face for her. “What of Sitnalta?”
“I don’t know,” Aud admitted. She turned to Jess. “Is she to die as well?”
“Enough,” snapped the other guard.
“Nicholas,” Jess said. “They are about to be executed. They deserve to know.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes. “Very well,” he said.
“She is not here,” Jess said. He saw that Nicholas wasn’t watching him, and he let go of Aud. “She disappeared the day we docked.”
Aud reached out and gave Gerald a reassuring squeeze. They looked at each other with relief in their eyes.
“We need to go,” Nicholas said. He turned and grabbed Gerald, pulling him forward.
They walked out into the courtyard where a cart stood waiting. Sitting in the back, his wrists and ankles manacled together, was Frederic. He looked up and saw Aud and Gerald being loaded in to join him.
“I am so sorry for all of this,” Frederic said sadly.
“I know,” Aud said. She gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. “Was it you who helped Sitnalta escape?”
Frederic looked at Jess and Nicholas, and saw that they were busy in the front, making sure the horses were ready. He looked back at Aud and nodded.
“Thank you,” she said. “It helps knowing she’s safe.”
“At least I did something right,” he said. “Hopefully that will give my family some comfort.”
“I’m sure it will,” Aud said.
Jess climbed into the back of the cart to guard the prisoners, as Nicholas took the driver’s position in the front. Aud reached out both of her hands, taking Gerald’s hand in one, Frederic’s in the other, she held tight, both offering and taking comfort. Nicholas snapped the reins and got the horses moving. They were en route to the square. It was time.
* * *
The square was eerily silent. Already, a crowd was starting to form. Gerald watched from the back of the cart as he was driven past the people waiting for the execution to begin. While there was an air of anticipation, there was no excitement. Every face he saw was somber. He could see that some of the people had tears in their eyes. In the short time he had been King, he had loved the people of Colonodona, and he had felt their love in return. He knew that the people that were there had come to offer their love, their comfort, and their grief. He loved them all the more for it. He put on a brave face, and tried to show them that he was unafraid. He would do that for them, as his last unofficial act as their King.
Atop the scaffolding, Wilhelm stood flanked by two of his men, and the tall, brawny executioner. He watched the cart roll forward with a cruel sneer on his face. He would enjoy this. He had spent his entire life as a nobody, insignificant in everyone’s eyes. Today, with this act, he was showing them all who had the power. He was tired of people rebelling against him. He had been King in their minds for a year, and now they would truly understand what it meant to oppose him. He was the man all had to bow to, to fear, to follow.
The cart arrived at the base of the gallows. Four other men in armour joined Jess and Nicholas. They helped the three prisoners down from the back of the cart, and they were brought to the stairs that led up to the platform of the gallows. Aud got to the foot of the stairs, holding her head high. She turned back to Gerald and gave him a small smile, as if to tell him that she was unafraid. She walked up the stairs and stood under the first of three hangman’s nooses. Gerald and Frederic followed suit, each using the Queen’s bravery as an example, pretending that the manacles they wore weren’t hindering them at all. They would not give Wilhelm or his men the satisfaction of seeing their fear.
From inside the arched doorway of a nearby home, Sitnalta stood watching. She saw the look on King Wilhelm’s face and tried to suppress a shudder. She told herself to stay strong. She had seen someone so unfeeling once before, and she had stopped him. She would stop Wilhelm too. She watched as Aud, Gerald, and Frederic ascended the steps to take their place on the gallows, and clenched her fists tight at her sides. She knew that Navor’s men were already beginning to take their positions in the crowd. They had arranged to enter at different points, at different times so they would not attract attention. Even though their cloaks obscured their armour, a large gathering of hooded men would still attract attention.
Sitnalta reached up and adjusted her bonnet. She had tucked her distinctive blue hair up under it. Her amethyst eyes were hidden behind a pair of tinted spectacles. She wore no armour and carried only a small dagger tucked into the waistband of her skirt, playing the part of a young peasant girl. She had promised to stay out of the fighting, her purpose being to escort Frederic and her family to safety. Part of her was irritated at being kept out of the action, while a smaller part of her felt relief. Navor stood alongside her, keeping his eyes trained on a point across the square for his cue to enter with Sitnalta. He saw Ipsinki walk forward and take his position in the crowd. Navor reached out and took Sitnalta’s hand.
“It’s time,” he said, and they walked out into the sun.
Sitnalta blinked away tears as she made her way to the very front of the crowd with Navor. She was nauseous and sweating with fear. She prayed that no one standing on the gallows would recognize her, yet hoped that Aud and Gerald would. She wanted them to know that there was hope for them; that this didn’t have to be the end. She watched as the executioner placed the nooses around each of their throats, her own constricting with each of his movements. She felt terrified that all their planning would be for nothing; that it wouldn’t work. She saw Wilhelm step forward and needlessly hush the already silent crowd.
“You have come here to bear witness to how we deal with traitors in my kingdom,” he said. His voice boomed across the square. “Watch and learn.”
Sitnalta gritted her teeth in anger as she watched him call the executioner forward and command him to pull the lever and drop the condemned. As he did, a blade flew forward cat
ching the lever and pinning it in place. She turned to see Navor, standing, his hand outstretched from throwing the dagger. He turned and gave her a grin.
Wilhelm spun around to find whoever had thrown the knife and chaos broke out. Navor’s men threw off their cloaks and set to work fighting off Wilhelm’s men. The King’s men had been caught off guard, and were acting on the defensive. Ipsinki and his followers were trying to herd the civilians out of the square and to safety, yet several of the bystanders wanted to help and were fighting Wilhelm’s men with all they could. Walking sticks were being used against swords and being swung against helmeted heads. Sitnalta found herself surrounded by clashing swords, and the cries of men screaming in battle. Josiah was fighting two of Wilhelm’s men as Sitnalta ran past, and she said a quick prayer that he would be able to fight them off.
Wilhelm leapt off the gallows with a cry of rage, his sword drawn. Sitnalta left Navor’s side and ran for the stairs of the gallows, her dagger drawn and at the ready. She looked back at Navor and watched as he fought his way back to her. He moved with the skill of someone who had been raised by a swords master. His face was grim, and he parried and thrust with grace and ease.
Sitnalta took the steps two at a time, running to the platform atop the gallows. She saw the shock of recognition on Frederic’s face as she cut through the rope hanging from his neck.
“What are you doing?” he asked in astonishment.
“Let’s just say that I’m returning the favour,” she said with a smile. She ran and cut through Aud and Gerald’s ropes as well. She looked at the manacles on the people she hoped to save. “Where are the keys?” she asked them.
Frederic tilted his head in Jess’s direction. She turned and saw him cowering at the back of the platform. She turned and darted in his direction.
“Give me the keys,” she snarled, her dagger pointed at his throat.
The Kingdom Thief (Sitnalta Series Book 2) Page 13
