Defender of Hearts

by Tanya Bird

  Of course he had. His need to be in favour with the king outweighed her inferior birth.

  They fell silent when Astin emerged from the turret, out of breath. He looked around, then stilled when he spotted Lyndal.

  ‘You will thank me one day,’ Fayre said. ‘Do not keep the king waiting too long.’ With that, she followed Borin, acknowledging Astin with a nod as she passed him.

  Lyndal took in his stormy expression as he stared at her. ‘Where were you?’

  He came at her, then pulled up six feet away, as though he did not trust himself to come any closer. Roul looked between the pair before wandering farther away to give them some privacy.

  ‘What the hell is this?’ Astin said, his eyes like two storms.

  ‘I’ve been trying to find you.’

  He linked his hands atop his head. ‘To tell me the happy news? Sorry I missed the big announcement.’

  A sob rose in her throat. ‘I didn’t know.’

  His hands fell to his sides. ‘You didn’t know what?’

  ‘The king just announced it. No one asked me.’

  He blinked. ‘What didn’t you know? You didn’t know that the most powerful family in Chadora can do whatever the hell they want? You stayed in their home. You joined in their games. What the hell did you think was going to happen?’

  Her hands went over her face.

  ‘You can cry until there’s nothing left inside you,’ he said, tone venomous. ‘The only thing these people care about is that you do it in the privacy of your quarters.’ Shaking his head, he walked off.

  ‘Wait!’

  He turned abruptly. ‘Whatever you’re about to say, I don’t want to hear it.’

  She closed the distance between them and lowered her voice. ‘Queen Fayre told me it’s acceptable for a queen to take a lover after having children.’

  The disgust and disappointment on Astin’s face made her immediately regret her words.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I don’t know why I said that.’ It was the panic talking, her fear of abandonment. Astin was a man with principles. He would never settle for such an arrangement, nor would she if the roles were reversed.

  ‘Go,’ he said, his tone defeated. ‘You don’t want to keep the king waiting.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘Are you not coming?’

  ‘No.’

  She searched his eyes, confused.

  ‘Seems we both missed some important news. You see, as of today, I’m no longer your bodyguard.’

  Her stomach fell. ‘What?’

  Astin did not stick around to explain. He marched away, disappearing into the turret. She listened with her heart in her throat as his footsteps descended the stairs.

  Chapter 28

  Shapur Wright was staring at Astin with fatherly disappointment. In many ways, the warden was the closest thing he had to a father, which was tragic.

  ‘I’ll go anywhere,’ Astin said. ‘You can stick me on the wall for night duty if you like.’

  They were standing outside the armoury. Harlan was inside fiddling with a shield, pretending he was not listening.

  Shapur cursed under his breath. ‘I cannot banish you to the wall without the king wondering why. I can hardly tell him that you do not trust yourself around his future wife.’

  Astin recoiled from the term. ‘You wanted to know if I can do the job, and I can’t. Tell him whatever you need to, so long as Lyndal’s reputation is preserved.’

  ‘Noble of you,’ Shapur replied, sounding far from impressed. He turned to Harlan. ‘Is Thornton up to the job?’

  Harlan turned to them. ‘Yes, sir.’

  Shapur exhaled, looking Astin up and down. ‘You will train for the rest of the afternoon. In fact, you can do the cliff climb and swim out to flat rock. Then you can do it again. Maybe by the time you are done I will have this mess sorted.’

  Astin nodded. ‘Yes, sir.’

  With a shake of his head, Shapur strode off in the direction of the castle.

  Harlan walked to the door, leaning on the frame. ‘Is there anything I can say or do that will be of any help?’

  ‘I think the less said in this instance the better.’

  A young defender approached them at a jog. ‘Commander, there’s a woman waiting for you at the nobility gate.’

  Harlan pushed off the door frame. ‘My wife?’

  ‘No, sir.’

  Harlan grew impatient. ‘What’s her name, defender?’

  ‘That’s the thing. I don’t know. She refuses to speak, but she handed me a piece of parchment with your name written on it.’ He gave it to Harlan.

  ‘Eda,’ Astin said, his feet already moving in the direction of the gate.

  Harlan followed. ‘That’s her handwriting all right.’

  When Astin arrived at the gate, he saw Eda had been detained by a visibly annoyed defender on the other side. At her feet was a canvas bag with items of clothing spilled out.

  ‘She pulled a knife on me,’ the defender told Harlan through the latticed wood. ‘Any other borough and I would have taken her hand off.’

  Astin laughed through his nose. ‘Good luck with that. Commander Wright trained her.’

  The defender looked between them, confused.

  ‘Let her go,’ Harlan said.

  The defender released her with a shove, and Eda turned to glare at him as she snatched up her bag and stuffed the spilled contents back into it.

  ‘Does Blake know you’re here?’ Harlan asked her.

  Eda shook her head as she approached the gate, signing something Astin could not interpret. Harlan seemed to understand though, because he replied with ‘Even if I was to let you in, they’ll never let you stay.’

  More signing.

  Harlan took a step back. ‘If you want to help Lyndal, go home.’

  Eda pounded on the gate with her fist, prompting the defender on the other side to come for her again.

  ‘For God’s sake,’ Harlan said. ‘I’ll lock you in the tower myself if you make a scene.’

  She signed something before the defender detained her once more.

  ‘What did she say?’ Astin asked.

  Harlan rested his hands on his hips, replying quietly, ‘She said, “Open the gate, or he dies, and then I open it myself.”’

  Astin’s eyebrows rose. ‘Right.’ Harlan was looking at him like he had the solution. Lyndal needed somebody right now—he knew that much. ‘Take her to Queen Fayre. Explain who she is. Be ready to translate.’

  Harlan nodded slowly and cast a warning glance at Eda. ‘Open the gate.’

  A knock at the door forced Lyndal to drag herself from her oversized bed. She had not long returned from the farming wall, and she just wanted a few minutes to process everything before she had to face the nobility.

  There stood Roul with his usual serious expression. Every defender was the same.

  ‘Queen Fayre wants to see you in her quarters,’ he told her.

  Lyndal wanted to cry. ‘I literally just left her side. What does she want?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’m just following orders.’

  She closed her eyes and took a moment to collect herself. ‘Fine.’ Stepping out into the corridor, she said, ‘Let’s go.’

  When they arrived at the queen mother’s solar, they were let straight in. Lyndal sucked in a breath when she spotted Harlan and Eda standing there. She ran to her sister, all propriety gone. She hugged her so tightly she might have busted ribs if Eda had not been covered in a healthy layer of muscle. ‘What are you doing here?’

  Eda pulled away and signed, We were in the square earlier, for the announcement. I figured you needed me.

  ‘And Mother and Blake let you come?’

  She shrugged. Mother said she would handle Blake.

  Candace might have disagreed with Lyndal’s decision, but that did not stop her from being a mother. Now she had two daughters in the wolf’s den and another who was going to be very unhappy when she found out.
r />   The queen mother watched Eda with fascination. ‘What is remarkable is not that you can speak with your hands but that both Lady Lyndal and Commander Wright understand you.’

  ‘You learn it like any other new language,’ Lyndal said. ‘Though we hope not to need it forever.’

  ‘It seems your sister is keen to stay here at Eldon Castle,’ Queen Fayre said, amusement in her voice. ‘Perhaps even insistent, though Commander Wright chose not to translate that part.’

  Harlan glanced at her. ‘Some parts were not appropriate for present company, Your Majesty.’

  Fayre studied Eda for a long moment. ‘The muteness poses a problem. The king will certainly have no tolerance for it. However, if the company will be helpful to you, she can stay until the wedding.’

  Lyndal turned back to Eda and signed, You will be miserable here.

  Eda shrugged. We can be miserable together.

  A smile spread across Lyndal’s face.

  ‘You are free to return to the barracks, Commander,’ Fayre said. ‘Lady Eda will be remaining with us for now. I shall have a maid prepare the adjoining room.’

  ‘Your Majesty.’ He bowed, winking at the girls as he passed.

  After he had exited the room, Lyndal thought she would use the opportunity to bring up Astin’s dismissal. ‘While I’m very appreciative, I did want to discuss you removing Fletcher from my service without speaking to me first. If I’m to be queen, I should have a say.’ She felt braver with Eda at her side.

  Fayre blinked and straightened. ‘My dear, I removed no one. Fletcher requested the reassignment. I only learned of it myself before you walked in.’

  A cold sensation crawled up Lyndal’s spine. ‘Oh.’ He had abandoned her, and she did not blame him one bit.

  ‘Now, you have a feast to ready for,’ Fayre said. ‘Lady Eda can assist you in getting ready before she retires. I am afraid we cannot have a mute girl wandering among the nobility. She will remain in her quarters for the evening. Tonight is very important for the king, so we must all do our part.’

  Lyndal nodded absently, knowing Eda would much prefer not to attend. ‘Fletcher truly requested a change in assignment?’

  Fayre reached up and ran the back of her finger down Lyndal’s cheek. ‘Eyes on the prize, dear. Your focus should be on making sure every guest tonight leaves in absolute awe of you.’ Her hand fell away. ‘And be on time.’

  She was being dismissed, so she had no choice but to exit the solar. Curtsying, she headed out into the corridor, Eda on her heel. She stopped in front of Roul. ‘Thornton. I can’t recall if you’ve met my sister, Eda?’

  ‘Not formally.’ He nodded a greeting at her.

  ‘She’ll be staying here at Eldon Castle for a while.’ She began walking, then cleared her throat. ‘Do you happen to know where Fletcher is at present?’

  ‘I believe he’s in the water, my lady. The warden assigned him some extra training.’

  Of course he had. Shapur Wright would make him pay for showing signs of weakness. She had two choices at that point: she could allow herself to fall apart, be distracted and draw negative attention, or she could return to her bedchamber and prepare for the most dazzling display of queenship she could muster.

  Should we go find him? Eda signed.

  Lyndal shook her head. ‘No. I have a feast to prepare for.’ She took her sister’s arm. ‘I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you came.’

  Blake wanted to come but—

  ‘Harlan.’

  He wasn’t even going to let me through. I had to threaten to kill a man to get inside.

  Lyndal winced. ‘You’ll need to be on your best behaviour while you’re here. The king has a very short fuse right now.’

  I can’t believe you’re actually going through with this.

  Nor could she.

  Are you going to tell me why Astin’s no longer your guard?

  Lyndal brought her sister’s hand to her mouth and kissed it. ‘So many questions, but this is not the time or place for that conversation.’

  Eda glanced over her shoulder at Roul. Is he the famous recruit the warden found living on the streets?

  Lyndal looked back at Roul. ‘She’s asking if you’re Commander Wright’s famous recruit.’

  Roul eyed Eda. ‘I was going to ask the same question of her.’

  Lyndal smiled as she faced forwards again. ‘You better watch yourself, Thornton. You were trained by the same commander.’

  This was better. Her sister would fill the gaping hole Astin had left. Lyndal was sure of it. Eda would be safe company. Trustworthy. Funny. She would be that person to lie beside and spill her secrets to.

  Eda was what was missing.

  These were the lies she fed herself as she prepared for the biggest lie of all.

  Chapter 29

  Astin pulled himself from the icy water, shivering so violently it made the short walk to the cliff face difficult. He glanced down at his knee, which was bloodied and purple. The current had been strong and the sharp rocks below the surface devious. He paused at the bottom of the vertical climb, mapping out his path before starting. He had done it enough times to know the areas to avoid.

  It took him twenty minutes to reach the top, then another five minutes to get up the wall.

  ‘Get yourself cleaned up,’ the warden said the second his feet hit the wall walk. ‘The king wants to see you.’

  He held his knees, catching his breath. ‘About?’

  ‘About returning as his personal bodyguard.’

  Astin licked his lips, tasting blood. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

  ‘It is not a request, defender. It is an order.’

  Astin bit his tongue, knowing he would be in a better position to help his family if he kept in favour with the king. ‘Yes, sir.’

  Shapur looked around. ‘King Borin was expecting you to grow restless in the role, so I suggest you play along with his narrative.’

  He nodded, wiped a hand down his face, then watched Shapur walk away.

  After a wash and a visit to the infirmary to have his knee bandaged, Astin went to see the king.

  ‘Well timed,’ Borin said. ‘You can escort me for the evening.’

  Astin stepped aside as the king exited the room, then followed him out.

  ‘You should have come to me directly,’ Borin said, slowing to walk beside him. ‘I know her to be tedious.’

  It took Astin a moment to realise he was referring to Lyndal. ‘I thought it best to think about a more permanent arrangement for Lady Lyndal since she’ll be remaining at Eldon Castle long term.’

  ‘She is a handful, no doubt about it,’ the king said. ‘From what the warden has told me, however, Thornton can handle her.’

  Astin kept his eyes trained ahead, teeth pressing hard together.

  ‘Fear not,’ the king went on. ‘You are back at my side now.’ He paused. ‘Though you will not be escorting me to the farming borough for business. I cannot have your family squabbles interfering with the important work we are doing.’

  Astin’s eyes went to him. ‘Business with Cooper Brooke?’

  A nod. ‘I know you two have history.’

  ‘I wouldn’t trust that man as far as I can throw him. You should watch your back.’

  Borin tutted. ‘I find him to be a very progressive sort of man.’

  That spoke volumes.

  ‘Tonight’s guests are not thrilled at the recent news of my engagement,’ Borin continued. ‘And who can blame them? We are breaking with tradition. However, the merchants like her, and anything that gets them off my back is a good thing.’ He stopped when they reached the entrance to the hall and looked at Astin. ‘Goodness gracious. You look positively miserable. It is a feast, for heaven’s sake. It seems you returned to me just in time.’ He tugged his tunic straight, then stepped inside.

  Borin strode in with his chin jutted out and one arm tucked behind his back. He was under the illusion that certain poses made him appea
r more mature than his twenty years, when in fact they only made him look like an even bigger fool.

  ‘His Majesty King Borin of Chadora’ came the announcement. The room fell silent to watch the king enter.

  Astin walked over to Thatchere, another bodyguard who was already inside. ‘Make sure everything is tasted before it comes into this room. And I want eyes on every door.’

  Thatchere nodded.

  Then Astin did what he did best: he made himself invisible for the evening. He took note of the guests in attendance, any weapons displayed or concealed, and made a mental note of anything or anyone the slightest bit suspicious. He watched carefully as the king moved about the room, greeting guests and accepting their lukewarm congratulations. Lord Thomas Welche was, of course, in attendance with his wife and daughter. Astin noticed that the guests offered their congratulations to him also, as if Lyndal’s achievement was somehow his doing. The lord accepted the sentiments, all the while presenting his daughter at every opportunity. With her cousin betrothed to the king, Lady Kendra was now prime picking for eligible lords.

  When Lyndal appeared at the door, the room fell silent again, guests casting both curious and judgemental glances in her direction. Astin could hear them quietly scrutinising everything from her gown to her gait as she went to greet the man she was to marry. She did not seem concerned by the negative attention, her face calm and always a smile upon it. But he expected nothing less from her.

  Astin did not let his eyes linger on her for long. The memories from that morning were too fresh for that. He could still feel the weight of her on his lap, recall the exact temperature of her mouth, and hear her exhale when his hand had climbed her thigh. Her hair had been loose, soft golden waves falling down her shoulders. Now it was pulled tightly back, so she was all painted lips and coloured cheeks. A pearl necklace hung around that pretty neck of hers. Even without the crown, she was a true queen.

  Astin tried very hard to focus on other things, but his eyes kept returning to her. When her gaze drifted in his direction, he saw all the confidence drain from her face. He hated being the reason for her deflation, so he looked away.