Sevar continued as if she hadn’t heard Bethany’s offer. “My pa said I had to stay silent. I did. I guess I did too good of a job.”
“You obeyed your pa,” Bethany said. “No harm in that.”
Sevar nodded, finally wiping away the tears. She climbed to her feet and shook out the dress she was forced to wear. Like Bethany, Sevar preferred trousers.
“Don’t forget what I said, Princess. Sir Caldry really does miss you. He’s very sad.”
“He doesn’t love me,” Bethany said, grimacing at her loose tongue.
“Oh?”
Sevar wouldn’t say anything else. She left the room, ignoring Bethany’s continued inquiries.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Bethany savored the spicy, exotic taste on her lips. Slowly he moved his attention away from her mouth and worked his way down her neck until he stopped at her breasts. His tongue did something that made her stomach jump with excitement. Bethany began to squirm under his attention, her desire growing to such a pitch…
The princess jerked awake to the sound of a hard knock on her door. It took her a moment to adjust to the emptiness of her bed. The dream had felt so real. The desires she had felt during her dream were slower to leave her than the details.
“Y-yes,” she called out, realizing she had never responded to the knock.
The door opened and Cilia, wrapped in a dressing gown, poked her head in. “You’re needed downstairs.”
“Already?” Bethany asked, glancing at the pre-dawn glow coming from her tiny window.
“Yes, my lady.”
“I’ll be down as soon as I can.”
“Need help dressing?”
“No, I can manage.”
Her lady-in-waiting gave her a little half-seen bow and closed the door. Bethany dragged herself out of bed, throwing on the simplest gown she could find. With practiced strokes, Bethany plaited her long hair and wound it up around her head like a crown. Whatever was going on downstairs, she expected a long day of work.
Bethany didn’t know what to expect when she reached the great hall, but it surely wasn’t this. She stood in the doorway, staring wide eyed at the masses filling the enormous room. White-haired, tan faced individuals milled about the room, their lithe bodies flowing with an elegance and grace Bethany had only seen once before. She noticed a few of them were injured, but not receiving any medical attention.
As she scanned the room, she spotted Gilead, Erin, and the king’s advisors standing on the dais at the head of the room, eyeing the foreigners. Slowly, the Lurran masses took notice of Bethany standing in the doorway. As they became aware of her, they lowered themselves to their knees, as was their custom. Bethany felt her heart take a leap into her throat. They were honoring her. Even those wounded were stumbling to their knees.
The room grew silent as Bethany blushed.
“Where is the Grand Mother?” she asked, using the loud voice she had gained from fighting with two older brothers.
“She passed on to the next world,” replied one of the nearest women.
Bethany turned to Gilead. “Why are they not receiving medical aid? Has the kitchen been notified?”
Gilead motioned for her to join him on the dais. Bethany stuffed her annoyance down where it wouldn’t show on her face and crossed the room.
“They just showed up in the middle of the night,” Gilead grumbled. “They claim to know you.”
“Yes. I stayed with them on my journey home. They came to my aid. They saved me. Why are they not receiving any aid?”
“They’re Lurran,” stated one of the advisors.
“Thank you for your observations,” replied Bethany. “They saved me. It is time we return the favor.”
“They also claim to know Sir Caldry,” said Gilead.
Bethany glanced at the scarred knight. He was staring intently at the boards of the dais.
“That… that is because Sir Caldry is the one who saved me in Tolad and led me home. If it were not for him, I would be dead.”
Bethany watched as Gilead chewed on his lower lip, the wheels turning in his head visible through his expressive eyes.
“You’ve been lying to me?”
“Withholding the truth. Yes. I’m sorry.”
Gilead glanced at Erin. “It seems I owe you thanks, again,” said the king as he reached out to shake the knight’s hand.
“I am glad to serve,” stated Erin.
Bethany felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Their secret was out, or at least most of it was. No one knew that they were each harboring some level of attraction for the other.
“Now, if you will excuse me, Brother, I will see to their needs.”
“Fine,” grumbled the king.
It was another hour before Bethany saw the Lurrans sitting at the long tables, eating soup, and receiving the medical attention they needed. Bethany took a seat next to one of the older women, her own bowl of soup steaming up to her tired eyes.
“What happened?” Bethany asked to those nearest her.
“Wolfric’s forces found us,” stated the older woman.
“It was only a matter of time,” added one of the men.
The others nodded.
“We didn’t know what to do, Princess,” said the older woman.
“You were right to come to me. How many of your people survived?” asked Bethany; she was beginning to assume this woman was the new Grand Mother.
“Seventy-eight. But five of our people, a family, decided to journey to Nava. Their daughter had once been a slave in Wolfric’s lands. Seems she met the lord of Nava during her travels and chose to return to him. It seems there was some feelings between them. Her family joined her.”
Bethany smiled. The lord of Nava was Lyolf. It pleased her to know the bastard of the queen was happy with a beautiful woman.
“I wish them the very best,” she replied.
Some of those around her nodded, though she spotted a few unhappy faces. Evidently the idea of a Lurran marrying outside of their community was distasteful to some of them. Bethany set that fact aside. She would worry about that later.
“Are you wishing to stay in Dothan?” Bethany asked.
“It would be difficult for us to integrate ourselves into your society.”
“Difficult, but not impossible.”
The Grand Mother nodded slowly. “I suppose that is true. Our village was destroyed. Completely. There is nothing to go back to.”
“Destroyed?”
“Yes. Somehow they managed to build your war machines in the hilly terrain. They lobbed great stones at us, tearing down our buildings as if they had been constructed by a child.”
Bethany squeezed her eyes shut. If Wolfric’s men were that far into the Whitecap Mountains they could be at their own doorstep within just a few days.
“Many of our warriors died without ever seeing the enemy,” added the Grand Mother.
“Will your able-bodied warriors fight alongside us?”
“They will defend the helpless wherever they are.”
“Good. I’ll speak with the king.”
Bethany rose, her soup untouched. She found Gilead in his office with Erin. From what little she caught of their conversation upon her entrance, she derived that Erin was recounting their journey.
“Ah, Bethany. How are our… guests?”
“They’re eating now. Those that made it this far are only minimally wounded. They should all recover in time.”
“They say Wolfric attacked them?” asked Gilead.
His tone suggested he didn’t believe them. Bethany squirmed in her seat.
“Yes,” she said. “And based on their description I would agree. Having been to their village, I know how difficult it would be to destroy it unless those attacking were a well-trained army.”
“What do you know about such things?”
Bethany sighed, willing herself to stay on topic. “If you don’t believe me, ask Erin.”
Gilead turned his attention to the knight.
/> Erin nodded. “Their village is difficult to get to in the best of times. I agree with Beth-the princess’ summation. It is likely Wolfric is on our very doorstep.”
“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that. We would have received word from Garrul or at least Carthind. You can’t move an army through the Whitecaps without someone noticing.”
“Wolfric is very devious. If anyone could find a way, it would be him.”
“Especially if he has Pelor’s help,” Bethany added.
“What do you mean?” demanded the king.
“We met Pelor on the road home. He was working for Wolfric as a bounty hunter. If he’s told Wolfric of his previous allegiance, then he might be feeding them information about the mountains and our defenses.”
“Shit!” exclaimed Gilead, pounding his fist against the enormous table. “What’s going to go wrong next?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Once again, Bethany woke with a start, her dreams coming back to her as she remembered the feeling of Erin’s touch. Almost every night was filled with images of him loving her. Unlike her fears, his weight as he laid on top of her wasn’t suffocating. Rather she felt anchored by his strength. Despite her embarrassment, and her determination not to think about him during the day, her dreams were progressing. If she didn’t get her subconscious mind under control she was going to embarrass herself.
Bethany brushed her sweat dampened hair out of her eyes, trying her best to forget what dream-Erin had just been doing. She hiked her knees up, resting her elbows on them, and supporting her aching head with her hands. Sweat dribbled from her neck down her spine.
Though she continued to doubt her mother’s last words about Erin loving her, she knew there was an attraction. Bethany felt a chuckle bubble up from her gut. Had she been able to talk with her younger self, and tell her about Erin, her younger self would never believe Bethany could ever feel attracted to a scarred man like Erin, much less a man who had once beaten her.
But Erin was not that man anymore.
Bethany began to wonder what had changed him. Was it just his separation from Wolfric, or had she played some small part in his transformation?
Before she could wrap her mind around her thoughts and feelings, she heard a loud, incessant pounding on her door.
Now what? she wondered as she pushed another strand of damp hair out of her face.
“Yes?”
Erin poked his head in. “Come with me,” he ordered gruffly.
“What’s going on?”
“Just come,” he repeated.
Bethany climbed from her bed, forcing herself not to think about Erin’s touch or how little fabric she currently wore. Erin had seen her naked already.
There’s nothing to be embarrassed by, she told herself sternly as a blush climbed up her neck and into her cheeks.
Bethany grabbed her dressing gown and wrapped it around her body before following Erin into the corridor. Had it been anyone else she would have demanded an explanation. Erin led her down the hallway to her brother’s large chambers. A crowd of people hovered around his doorway, their faces somber.
The princess felt her stomach clench, some part of her knowing what she would find in her brother’s room. The crowd parted for her, allowing her clear passage into the chamber. As Bethany turned the corner, she took in the sight before her in one swift glance.
Her brother, the king, lay on his bed, one arm and one leg dangling off the edge. A large bone-handle dagger protruded from his chest. Blood coated the bed and dribbled down to the floor. His many pillows had toppled to the ground, as though there had been a struggle between him and his attacker.
“Have we caught the killer?” she asked, forcing her voice to sound authoritative.
Without thinking through all the ramifications of her brother’s unexpected death, Bethany knew that she was suddenly in charge.
One of his advisors bowed low before speaking. “No, my lady. He may still be at large in the castle.”
“What the devil is going on?” came a recognizable voice from the hallway.
Bethany turned to watch Miach stomp into the room. The old man took in the scene, his eyes widening at the sight of his king dead.
“Get the pyre ready,” the lord ordered, glaring down at the other people massing in the doorway. “And get this mess cleaned up. I want double guards…”
“Lord Miach,” snapped Bethany, a smile pulling on her lips as she realized one important implication of her new position: She didn’t have to marry Miach. “You forget yourself.”
The old man stared at her.
“I am the only living member of the Kavadh family,” she said, stating something that should have been obvious.
Evidently Miach was not the only one to realize what Bethany had just become.
“My queen,” said one of the advisors as he bowed, followed closely by everyone else in the room.
Miach glared at the stooped figures.
“You can’t be serious? She’s a child, not to mention a woman.”
Bethany smirked at him. “I am either a woman or a child, Lord Miach. I can’t be both.”
“Either one isn’t suited to rule! You really think Dothan will follow you?”
“I don’t think it. I know it.”
“Well, as your husband I will be taking control,” countered Miach.
“Lord Miach, our union was my brother’s wish. Not mine. I will not be your wife.”
“Then you won’t have my army.”
“I will have your army,” she said. “Because you are a lord who serves your queen faithfully. I would hate to have to execute you for treason.”
Miach blanched at her threat. “What do you mean treason?”
Bethany glanced at the dead body. “A king was just assassinated, Lord Miach. We must find the man responsible. I would hate for suspicion to fall to you.”
The queen kept her chin elevated, waiting for Miach’s response. The old man grumbled to himself, his eyes flashing from the body to Bethany and back again. Bethany could almost see the wheels turning as he worked through her threat. Slowly, the lord nodded.
“Excellent,” replied Bethany. “I expect your troops to be here in no less than a week.”
“I still doubt you will find the Dothan people ready to follow a woman.”
“I think you might be surprised, Lord Miach.”
Bethany glanced around the room, happy to see the royal advisors nodding their heads. The servants still crowding the doorway were smiling at her. Bethany had taken a gamble assuming her people were willing to follow a woman. It appeared to have paid off.
“I know you have a long road ahead of you. You are dismissed, Lord Miach.”
The older man gave her one last glare before storming out of the room, shoving servants out of his path as he marched away.
“Sir Caldry,” Bethany said, forcing herself to speak formally to him. “With the threat of an assassin in the castle, I am putting you in charge of my security detail. I want guards posted throughout the castle and two guards with me at all times. Please coordinate with Brom, the captain of the guards.”
Erin gave her a deep, respectful bow, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. “I’ll send two guards up immediately,” he said.
“Thank you.”
Bethany turned to the servants.
“Jen, please send word to the bailey to have them begin the pyre. Sir Bindor, please begin preparations for a celebration to honor the king to begin at sundown. Sir Franks, please have notice sent out throughout the nation, informing them of the king’s death. Beth, notify the kitchen of tonight’s celebration. Elijah, send for the healers to prepare the body. Sir Mentha, have my counselors ready to meet in one hour. Ben, please have the castle flags lowered…again. Lila, please send for hot water to be sent to my room and find Cilia. That is all.”
The crowd dispersed in record time.
Bethany turned to the few advisors still remaining. “Sir Heath, will you sit vigil until
the healers arrive?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Just as Bethany was preparing to leave, Erin returned with two guards. Bethany wanted to speak to him alone, but she didn’t have time. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Gilead had things in motion that she knew nothing about. She needed to meet with his counselors and learn everything she could before Wolfric’s army arrived.
Gilead might have doubted the potential threat, but Bethany knew in her heart that an army approached her gates.
Bethany climbed out of the scalding bath and into her undergarments. Cilia helped her finish dressing in one of her more elegant gowns and plaited her hair, wrapping the braid around her head. Without being ask, Cilia produced Bethany’s delicate crown and nestled it into her hair. Bethany didn’t argue with her lady-in-waiting.
A painful realization was beginning to settle into her heart. She couldn’t be the secretive princess, hiding in servants stairwells and slipping through secret passages to enjoy a taste of freedom. She was the queen now, or would be once a coronation could be arranged. The weight of new responsibility sat heavily on her shoulders as she watched Cilia’s capable hands work through her dark blonde hair.
“There, my lady.”
“Thank you, Celia.”
“My lady?”
“Yes?” Bethany replied, glancing up when the younger girl didn’t continue immediately.
“Umm… I feel I should tell you… your mother—may she rest in peace—had me report to her, about you.”
“I know, Celia.”
“You do?”
Bethany forced a little smile to her lips. “Or, at least, I suspected.”
“You should know, my lady, your mother asked me because she was so worried about you. After… you know. She just wanted to make sure you were okay. Nothing else. I just told her…”
“It’s okay, Cilia. I’m not angry with you. And I hope you will show me the same loyalty as you showed mother.”
“Oh yes, my lady. You’re my queen, and I’m privileged to serve you.”
Bethany blinked, tears suddenly pressing against her eyes. She reached out and gripped Cilia’s little fingers.
“Thank you, Celia,” she said, just as a knock on her door interrupted their private conversation. “Enter.”
The Dothan Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy Page 78
