The Dothan Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy

by Charissa Dufour

  “Is the oil hot?”

  “Lit the fire an hour ago, sir. It’s just starting to bubble.”

  “Good. Where is the queen?”

  “The queen, sir?” asked the soldier, glancing up at the keep itself.

  “Yes, Queen Bethany.”

  “Surely the queen is safely in the keep, sir.”

  Erin felt his breath catch in his throat. “No,” he choked. “She joined us on the battlements. It was her who lit the catapults on fire.”

  Though the soldier’s expression showed just how impressed he was with his warrior queen, Erin couldn’t take pride in the actions of his protégé. Fear turned his stomach inside out as he glanced around the bailey.

  “Has she not come through the gatehouse?” he asked as a few stragglers ran up the hill and passed through the gatehouse.

  “No, sir,” said the soldier, the truth of their conversation finally settling. “Should we go looking for her?”

  “What’s the problem?” panted Brom as he reached the gatehouse.

  “Bethany hasn’t returned. She was on the southern wall when I called the retreat,” explained Erin as he slipped an arm under Brom’s shoulder and helped the older man into the bailey. “I’m going out to look for her.”

  Brom’s hand snaked out and caught Erin’s tabard, stopping the knight in his tracks.

  “Erin, don’t think I don’t know what it is you’re feeling right now, but you can’t go looking for her.”

  “What do you mean? She’s the queen!”

  “And I’ve known her all my life, Erin. Do not think for a second that I feel nothing for her, but she went into battle against your advice and against her better judgement. She knew what she was getting into. Your duty is to protect the citizens of Dothan from the tyranny of Wolfric. You cannot waste your life or your energy on searching for her. As our general, your place is here.”

  Erin glared down at the older man, ready to cut his hand off if he did not remove it from his arm.

  “I love her,” he said, sharing his feelings with a conscious person for the first time.

  “I know, Erin. I know. I’m old, I’m not blind. Bethany knows that city better than anyone else. If she is alive, she will sneak back to the castle as fast as she can, and she will do it better with us distracting the enemy. If she isn’t alive, then you waste your life searching for her. Honor her, alive or dead, by defending her people.”

  Erin let out a stuttering breath as he dropped his gaze. Finally, he nodded his agreement.

  “What about the civilians in the city?” asked a nearby soldier in between long drinks from a girl’s water bucket.

  “Wolfric isn’t here to destroy the city. He’s here to take it, and that includes the people. If they stay in their homes and don’t fight back, they’ll be left untouched.”

  “You sure?” asked Brom.

  “Yes. Now get every man to the battlements. We must defend it to the very end. Those in the castle, those with noble blood or high positions will not be as lucky as the layman in the city.”

  A girl stepped over to Erin and he took a few long gulps of water from her enormous spoon before nodding her on to the next man. He noticed others girls were doing the same thing.

  “They approach,” shouted a voice from the heights of the gatehouse.

  Erin glanced at the wide opening. Two more men were stumbling through its gap. Behind them charged the band of thirty or so men who had magically appeared within the city.

  “Get them in and close the portcullis,” he called, pushing himself to his feet.

  The last two men fell through the opening and the soldiers began working the gears. Long before the mob could reach the gatehouse, the iron grid-work was in place, its long teeth sunk into holes in the earth. Erin took another long breath, willing himself to forget about Bethany and focus on defending the castle.

  Despite his effort to forget, the first thing he did once he reached the battlements was to scan the visible streets for Bethany. She was nowhere to be seen.

  Bethany’s chest strained as her breathing accelerated into a state of panic. From where she stood she could hear the sound of male voices grumbling about the layout of the city. Bethany ducked into the nearest dark alley and hunched down behind a rain barrel.

  The queen strained to hear the rest of her enemies conversation as they walked past her hiding place, but all she could hear was the sound of her blood rushing through her ears. She willed herself to calm down. Panic wouldn’t help her reach the castle in safety. The fact was she knew the city and they didn’t. All she had to do was stay out of sight.

  Bethany ignored the trembling in her limbs and inched away from her hiding spot. She prowled to the intersection and glanced in each direction. The street was clear. She needed to head northeast to get to the gatehouse. That didn’t mean the occasional back tracking wasn’t in order.

  With that in mind, Bethany headed away from the most traditional route to the gatehouse. There were narrower streets that headed northward a short distance away.

  Bethany skidded to stop at the sound of approaching steps. Glancing around, Bethany found herself completely exposed, without any hope of finding a hiding place on the wide, empty thoroughfare.

  “Psst,” came a soft whisper. “My lady!”

  Bethany turned to see a woman poking her head through her door. The strange woman waved at her. Bethany didn’t stop to consider the possibility of a trap, but dove for the doorway. She stumbled inside, collapsing in a heap just beyond the door. The stranger closed it and lowered the locking bar.

  “Are you all right, my lady?”

  Bethany nodded, still gasping for breath.

  “You recognize me?” she asked once her breathing had settled down.

  “Yes. What are you doing out here?”

  “I was at the battlements when we had to fall back. I got disconnected from my group.”

  Bethany crawled to the window and peered through a knot hole in the shutter. The men sauntered past, as though they were more interested in catching stragglers than in reaching the castle gatehouse.

  “Thank you for hiding me,” she began as she climbed back to her feet and moved to the door. “I will not forget your kindness.”

  “Surely you’re not leaving, my lady.”

  “I have to get back to the castle. I’m needed there.”

  “But what if something happens to you? You’re all we’ve got left.”

  Bethany felt pressure building behind her eyes. The woman’s words felt like a not-so-subtle reminder of Erin’s caution. He hadn’t wanted her to fight for the exact same reason.

  And now look at the mess you’ve gotten yourself into, she thought grimly.

  “I have to go back. Stay inside. They’re not interested in civilians so long as you don’t get in their way. And thank you.”

  Bethany gripped the woman’s hand tightly before cracking the door open. She checked the street one last time and dashed westward, putting still more distance between herself and her goal. At the first alleyway, she turned right and broke out into a steady jog. This alleyway housed the back entrances to the cities less reputable brothels. Bethany only knew this from her brothers’ big mouths.

  The narrow passage lay in shadow, with only the faintest glimmer of sunlight making it past the laundry hanging from the ropes strung between the second story windows. Bethany glanced up at the laundry, feeling a drop or two plop against her head.

  She kept up a steady pace, using the infamous alleyway as long as she could. The alley took her to just a few short blocks away from the castle walls. Bethany stopped at the next street, hiding behind a crate. She was so close to safety she could almost taste it.

  Just a few more blocks, she told herself as she turned her face toward the shadows and waited for another group of men to pass along the main street.

  “You go on and meet up with the others,” a recognizable voice said. “I’ll check this alley.”

  The other voice argued, t
hough Bethany couldn’t make out their words.

  “Just do as you’re damn well told!” snapped the prince of Tolad.

  Bethany cringed, barely allowing herself to breathe as she held perfectly still. She knew from Erin’s training that stillness could be just as good as a disguise. She felt more than heard Féderic saunter down the alleyway.

  “What do we have here?” he asked.

  Knowing she had been found, Bethany climbed to her feet, fixing her face into her darkest glare.

  Fed’s face melted into a look of complete shock. “Bethany,” he whispered, almost as though he were looking at a ghost.

  “Prince Féderic,” she growled in return, her fingers already playing with the hilt of her sword.

  “I never thought… what are you doing out here?”

  “My duty.”

  “Bethany, we need to talk,” he said, still whispering.

  “I recall the last time you wanted to ‘talk’.”

  “About that. I’m so, so sorry.”

  Bethany blanched at his words. In all her nightmares, she had never imagined the pompous man apologizing for raping her.

  “I was overcome with passion for you, because I love you…”

  Bethany didn’t wait for him to finish his declaration of love. She shifted onto her right foot, meanwhile slamming her left into his chest. Fed stumbled backward, his words turning into a guttural grunt. Bethany drew her blade and jumped forward to complete what Erin had stared.

  The prince had his sword out just in time to block her downward swing. The look in his eye suggested just how surprised he was by her swift attack. Using his greater strength, Fed pushed her away until she bumped against the opposite wall of the alley.

  Narrow quarters, Bethany thought as she adjusted her stance. She needed to get him fumbled in the debris littering the alley. Bethany had expected the prince to try and talk her out of fighting, but, to her surprise, he attacked her with vicious strength and anger brightening his eyes.

  Bethany was hard pressed to keep his blade from her flesh. The narrow space kept her from using her speed to her advantage. Bethany stayed on the defensive, allowing Fed to push her down the alleyway and into the main street. With the width of the street, Bethany began to shift on her feet, using her famous speed to her advantage once again.

  With her freedom, Bethany went on the offensive, pushing Féderic back until he bumped into an empty barrel. His impact nocked the barrel over, sending him rolling over it. Bethany didn’t hesitate as she lunged forward, driving her sword downward into his gut.

  The prince grunted with the agony. Bethany stared down at him, watching the light begin to fade in his eyes and his lifeblood seeped into the dirt, knowing full well she could get caught out in the main thoroughfare. But she wasn’t going to make the same mistake as Erin. She wouldn’t leave until she knew he was dead.

  “How’s the king?” Fed murmured, blood appearing on his pale lips.

  Bethany’s glare darkened. He knew about Gilead? He knew the king was dead?

  “Your father sent the assassin?” she asked, though she knew the answer.

  Fed nodded feebly.

  “You’re other brother running this show now? You could have been queen, Bethany. My queen.”

  Bethany knelt beside him, her sword tip still lost in his stomach. “I am the queen,” she said. “My whole family is dead. I am the one running this show!”

  And with her last words, she gave her sword a twist, enjoying the way her enemy grimaced with the pain. Bethany pulled her sword free before running it across the prince’s neck. The man gurgled as he worked to breathe past the blood flowing into his windpipe. Bethany knew she needed to get moving, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away from his face as his efforts to breathe diminished. Finally, the last light faded from his eyes and he went limp.

  Bethany pressed her fingers against his bloody throat, feeling for a pulse. There wasn’t one. The prince was dead. Her rapist was dead. The cause of all her nightmares…

  Get yourself together, her mind screamed. Bethany jumped to her feet, her sword still in hand, and ran back down the alley toward the castle. Back at the intersection where she had first encountered Féderic she turned down the street, cutting toward the castle gatehouse.

  After a few more twists and turns she stumbled to a stop behind a low hanging piece of laundry and peered up at the distant gatehouse. Wolfric’s forces were already in full attack, the portcullis safely in place.

  Before she let herself panic, Bethany ducked back down the street and hid herself in a deserted alcove, hidden by a barrel of waste. She lowered herself into a squat, determined to think of another way into the castle.

  Slowly, she recalled the secrete passageway she had used just a few short weeks ago. Surely her mother or brother had had the gap filled.

  But it was her only hope.

  Bethany jumped to her feet and took off at a run. She dodged and weaved her way up to the tunnel, making sure no one was following her. It would be catastrophic if her enemy learned about this passageway.

  Though she wanted nothing more than to be within the safety of her walls, Bethany forced herself to take up a hiding position and wait. If there was someone following her, they would attack her while she waited. After an agonizing fifteen minutes, she crawled forward, checking in every direction before pulling the fake stone free.

  Bethany let out a gasp of relief as she looked down the clear tunnel.

  She entered the tunnel feet first to make sure she could pull the fake stone back into place. It was awkward, and much more difficult, but she finally scooted backwards until she tumbled feet first into the bailey. Bethany flopped onto her back, gazing at the up-side-down bailey.

  Even at this angle, she spotted Erin barking orders as a few young boys raced between a fire and the castle well. A few healers weaved through the herd of boys, carrying the wounded into the keep. Slowly, Bethany rolled onto her stomach and climbed to her feet.

  “Erin!” she called, stumbling toward him.

  The knight turned, shock and relief visible on his face as he raced to her, catching her as she tripped over a discarded shield.

  Bethany thought she had never felt anything as wonderful as his strong arms wrapping around her and lowering her to the ground. Bethany clung to the scarred knight, taking in his power and strength.

  “Where have you been? We looked everywhere for you.”

  “I got disconnected from my group. I was in the city.”

  “But how’d you get in?” asked Erin as he glanced at the embattled gatehouse.

  “There’s a secret passage through that wall,” she said nodding in the direction she had come from.

  “Did anyone follow you?”

  Bethany shook her head against his chest.

  “You’re sure?”

  She nodded.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Again, Bethany shook her head, her throat too tight with unshed tears to speak. Finally she pulled away enough to look up at him. Without thinking, she grabbed his head and pulled him down, smashing her lips against his. Erin reciprocated, pulling her up until her chest pressed against his. Finally, as if by mutual consent, they parted.

  “I love you,” they said together.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Had there not been a war raging around them, Bethany and Erin would have gladly stayed in the dirt, clinging to each other, but a wayward arrow sprouting in the dirt by Erin’s knee reminded them of the real world. They both flinched, naturally pulling away from each other.

  “You there,” called Erin as he helped Bethany out of the dirt. “Queen Bethany is going to show you a gap in the wall. I want you to fill it.”

  “With what, sir?” asked the youthful lad.

  “Whatever you can find.”

  “We’ll think of something,” Bethany said, giving the boy an encouraging smile.

  The poor child looked frightened enough to weep, despite his queen and general’s watchful gaz
e. Bethany took him by the shoulder and guided him to the tunnel she had used to get in. The lad drop to his knees and peered into the narrow hole.

  “You crawled through that, my lady?”

  Bethany nodded. “But now we need to get it blocked. I doubt they’ll find it, but just in case…”

  “Why don’t we start with some manure from the stables, my lady?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

  Bethany smiled despite the sound of battle ringing around them. “Excellent. You go get the manure, while I search out some stones or wood.”

  It took them nearly an hour, even with the help of a few more boys, to get the tunnel filled and a large heap of trash piled up against the interior entrance. Bethany sent the children back to their tasks of fighting fires, carrying the wounded, and providing water for the fighters.

  Bethany ran up to the battlements, her overused legs cramping halfway up the stone steps. With one quick glance, Bethany realized just how critical their situation was. Most of Wolfric’s forces had made it into the city and were working to attack the castle walls within the confines of the city streets. Bethany spotted a few distant buildings that had caught fire, her people valiantly fighting the blaze while enemy soldiers ran by.

  Another sweeping glance brought her attention to a white head near the back of the enemy troops. The white head turned, looking up at the gatehouse, and, to her astonishment, stopped to stare at her. Though she couldn’t make out his features, she knew it was Wolfric himself.

  Suddenly, the king pulled back his troops, giving her men a chance to collect themselves. Immediately, men and women from within the castle appeared with large pots of steaming soup. Her archers huddled near the protection of the wall, eating directly from the pots.

  “Is that you Bethany?” called the old king.

  “It is,” she called back.

  Erin skidded to a stop next to her.