Harley
Sitting on her bedroll, Harley picked at her bread, not really hungry. She’d spent the entire afternoon riding her horse, all the while thinking about Ackley. Not once did she question his trustworthiness. He’d proven himself time and time again. Last night still consumed her thoughts. The way his lips felt on hers, how his hands explored her body, and the way he made her feel. She sighed, wishing he were here with her right now.
“Do you mind if I sleep for a couple hours?” Ledger asked.
“No,” she answered. “Go right ahead.” After all, he’d been on watch half of last night while she’d been asleep.
“Wake me when you’re tired.”
She nodded.
He stretched out on his bedroll, facing away from her. He’d been curt and distant all afternoon, but she didn’t mind. It afforded her some much needed alone time.
As she stared into the fire, she remembered the letters Ackley had given her. Once Ledger’s breathing evened out, she withdrew them, curious. She traced the words on the top piece of paper. The handwriting wasn’t familiar. Ackley had entrusted her to deliver these to Owen. He hadn’t said she couldn’t read them.
She untied the string holding them together. Unfolding the first letter, she discovered it was from Commander Beck. It talked about the need for change. He said that too many of the cities were starting to see uprisings. He informed Lyle that the villages were revolting, and the military was being sent in to regain control. Commander Beck wished the king would allow more representation among the people.
Harley sat there stunned. While she’d known about the occasional uprising, she hadn’t realized there were so many or that the military had to get involved. There were a few scuffles in Penlar, but they had been easily dealt with. Her father never spoke about unrest throughout the kingdom.
Setting that letter aside, she opened the next one and read it. Again, it was from Beck to his son. This one discussed the lack of leadership from the king. Beck claimed the king was more concerned with gaining wealth and throwing elaborate parties than he was in making sure the commoners had food on their plates and roofs over their heads. He said the rampant poverty seen in Melenia was not the case in other kingdoms.
Harley’s hands shook, furious that Beck had the nerve to accuse her uncle of being negligent. Her uncle cared about his subjects; of that she was certain. As far as the poverty suffered throughout the kingdom, she was aware of that issue. She saw it firsthand in Penlar. However, if there was a way to feed and shelter everyone, surely her uncle would have done something about it.
Looking at the rest of the letters, she debated whether she should continue reading them. Obviously, Ackley wanted Owen to see them for a reason. Maybe to establish why Commander Beck committed treason when he tried to kill Owen in Marsden. However, there could be more to it than that. A sick feeling took root in her stomach.
With a shaking hand, she picked up the next letter and read it.
Lyle,
You won’t believe what I discovered. The king has a dirty little secret. We can use this information to our advantage. Break off your engagement with Naia, I have someone else for you. Someone that will give us everything we want.
I’ll tell you about it the next time I see you. Stay safe. I know training under Captain Murgis is hard. Hang in there, for I’m certain your status is about to change.
Sincerely,
Your father
Setting it aside, Harley pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, contemplating what the king’s dirty little secret could be. No gossip hinting at something scandalous had ever reached her ears. And as for Lyle, he must have broken off his engagement with Naia to marry Harley instead. A queasy feeling overcame her. Beck could have used whatever information he discovered to blackmail Harley’s parents into accepting Lyle’s proposal to elevate Lyle’s position. Which led her to believe that her parents had to somehow be involved with the king’s secret. Her mother had said there were things Harley didn’t know. And she’d never understood why her parents had signed the marriage contract with Lyle in the first place. Since she was headed to Penlar, she could confront her mother, demanding to know the truth.
Little thoughts started to surface, scaring Harley. Things like why she spent every summer at the royal castle without her parents. Her mother had told her the king wished it to be that way. She’d never thought to ask why. How stupid and naive she’d been to not question things.
Glancing at the letters, she decided to scan through them to see if any mentioned her uncle’s secret.
Lyle,
Do not argue with me. See that it’s done. If we plan this right, she’ll be the only one left. Then we can reveal the secret. I got him to write a letter admitting to it all. I have it safely hidden. When I return, I will see you elevated to the position you deserve. Together, we can right the wrongs and make Melenia a better place.
Sincerely,
Your father
Nausea rolled through Harley. She was going to be ill if this letter meant what she thought it did. There was no way possible for her to be the king’s daughter, in line to the throne. Her mother loved her father and was the queen’s sister. It couldn’t be true.
However, deep down, she knew it was. It all made sense. The summers she’d spent at the royal castle, her mother’s refusal to visit the place, the way the king treated her with an almost fatherly love similar to Princess Oriana. Regardless, she wanted to be sure she wasn't reading too much into it. Perhaps there was a reasonable explanation.
The following day, Harley and Ledger set out early. Since she’d barely slept, exhaustion racked her body. She couldn’t stop thinking about the letters and what it all meant.
“Do you have the letters Ackley gave you in a safe place?” Ledger asked when they stopped around midday to rest the horses and take a quick break.
“How do you know about those?”
“Ackley told me.”
“They’re safe.” She lifted her arm to pat the inside of her cloak where she had the letters tucked into a pocket. However, she refrained from doing so, not wanting to give away their location. Maybe she’d spent too much time around Ackley and was being paranoid. However, she figured better safe than sorry. An idea came to her. She patted her horse’s saddlebag.
As she feared, Ledger’s focus went right to her bag. She pretended not to notice as she led her horse to a stream so it could drink.
“I don’t know why Ackley bothered going to Penlar in the first place,” Ledger said, leaning against a tree.
She didn’t want to discuss her mission with Ackley. Owen had asked him to go. He’d wanted to know if her parents were alive—which they were. They’d also discovered Penlar was untouched. “I keep wondering if our soldiers hadn’t been in Marsden, if they’d been here for the invasion, if we would have been able to fight off Russek.”
“I don’t know. With a vast majority of the soldiers stationed at the castle gone, security was sparse the night of the takeover.”
“You were at the castle,” she said, thinking out loud. “But not on duty.”
“Correct. I was sleeping. My watch didn’t start until much later that night.”
Lyle had been needed because they were short on men. And he’d already been on duty all day. Why hadn’t they used Ledger and his unit? Funny she’d never thought to question it before now.
Once the horses were rested, they continued on. Ledger insisted he lead the way in case they encountered any danger. Harley obliged.
The day wore on and the temperature dropped, the clouds moving in. She hoped it didn’t rain. As Harley rode, she thought about some of the things Ackley had taught her. Like to always trust her instincts. And right now, she didn’t trust Ledger. Once she reached Owen, she would express her concerns to him.
When they came to one of the main roads that led to the castle, Ledger took it. “Which way are we going to Penlar?” she asked.
“The fastest way,” h
e replied, glancing over his shoulder at her. “You don’t have to worry about getting lost, I’ll lead the way. I know where I am.”
He must truly think her daft to assume she wouldn’t know where she was. She’d traveled from Penlar to the castle dozens of times. Granted, it had been in a carriage and not on horseback, but regardless, she knew where they were and where they were going. Unable to fathom why he was deviating from the plan, she followed him trying to figure out why he was lying to her.
Ackley told her to never make a rash decision because that was how mistakes were made. So while she wanted to turn her horse around and run far away from Ledger, she couldn’t. He’d simply chase after her. If she wanted to get away, she needed to be sneaky about it. She considered what Ackley would do in her place. Well, he’d probably just kill Ledger and be done with it. While she’d originally asked the question to try and figure out how to get away from Ledger, this new idea about killing him wasn’t necessarily a bad one. Last night, she took the first watch for a few hours while he slept. If they did that again, all she’d have to do was use the short sword Ackley had given her.
But first, she needed to decide if she could stomach killing Ledger. When that man had held her at knifepoint, she had no trouble ramming the dagger into his stomach, though she didn’t think she killed him. That was why Ackley had pushed the weapon farther in. She glanced at her shaking hands.
To be honest with herself, she didn’t know for certain that Ledger deserved to die. Since taking a life couldn’t be undone, she couldn’t kill him. Which left her with trying to get away. Leaving now would only mean a chase. She was certain Ledger was the better horseman, and he’d overtake her in no time. It would have to be tonight then. When she went on watch and Ledger slept, she’d sneak away. She could lead the horse about a half mile away and then mount, riding all night to put as much distance between herself and Ledger as possible. She had enough provisions to reach Penlar.
That night, Harley offered to take the first watch. Ledger readily agreed and stretched out on his bedroll. Once his breathing became heavier, she got to work. She slowly stood, trying not to make a sound. The fire they’d used to cook their supper had almost died. Under the cover of the trees, it was easy to hide in the shadows.
She slunk to the next tree, then waited to see if Ledger moved. If he woke and questioned her, she would say she was either going to relieve herself or just standing while keeping watch. When he didn’t stir, she moved to the next one. As she neared the horses, she hoped they didn’t make a noise and wake him. Horses could be so finicky.
At her horse, she untied the reins from the branch. As she did so, sharp shooting pains exploded across her hands. A cry escaped her, and she fell to her knees, the pain intensifying as it slowly crawled its way up her arms. She didn’t think anything had stung her. Having no idea what was going on, fear took over.
“Harley?” Ledger said as he ran toward her. “What’s the matter?”
“My hands…”
He stood, hovering over her. “Did you touch the horse’s reins?”
“Yes,” she ground out, the pain now up to her shoulders. It was unlike anything she’d experienced before.
“I always put a little something on the horses’ reins at night so they’re not stolen.” He squatted next to her. “What were you planning to do?”
She didn’t bother answering. There was nothing she could say to explain why she’d been trying to untie the horse. The pain strengthened, tears streaming down her cheeks. “What is it?” She prayed it would go away and she wouldn’t lose the ability to use her hands.
“It’s not harmful,” he said as he scooped her up. “But it lasts a few hours.”
Thankfully, the pain hadn’t gone past her arms. Still, it was enough to prevent her from being able to walk. She curled into herself, trying to take slow, steadying breaths.
“Go to sleep, Harley. In the morning, you’ll feel better.”
She wanted to tell him sleep was impossible in this much pain and near someone she didn’t trust. However, she didn’t want to accuse him of anything. The more compliant and naive she appeared, the better. Once the pain subsided, she would run away.
“This will help.” Ledger reached forward. She was about to question him when he pinched her nose. Furious her arms wouldn’t do as she wished and smack his hands away, she finally sucked in a breath. When she did, he put something in her mouth that tasted tangy. She tried spitting it out, but he clamped her jaw closed. He released her nose so she could breathe. Whatever he put in her mouth started to melt.
A deep heaviness overcame her. She couldn’t keep her eyelids open.
Ackley
“Are you okay?” Gytha asked, eyeing Ackley’s bloody hands.
“I’m fine.” He wanted to find a stream so he could wash up, but there was no time.
“What did you learn?”
Ackley cracked his neck, then looked up at the sky, trying to think through everything. First, he had a duty to his kingdom. “I need you to go south.” He folded his arms, mentally going over the various plans he’d been considering and which one was most likely to succeed. “Meet up with the Marsden soldiers. You will command the army until I get there.”
Gytha pursed her lips. “Okay.”
He could tell she wanted to say something but refrained from doing so. “I’m going west. Another unit of Melenia soldiers went after Owen and Idina. I need to find my sister before she stumbles into a trap like this.” He waved toward the ravine.
“She’s with Owen and six soldiers. She’ll be fine.”
While Ackley knew Owen was a capable fighter who could protect Idina, he couldn’t leave the fate of his sister in the hands of others. Not when there was something he could do to help. “Once my sister is safe, I’ll come and find you.”
“I’ll be in Kricok waiting.”
“The king knew we were heading south to meet up with our army. We have to assume he also knows we’re going to Kricok.”
“Where shall I lead the army then? Back to the shore where we first disembarked?”
“No, you need to get out of Melenia as quickly as possible.” He’d been in Landania and hadn’t seen anything of concern. “Take the army to Landania. Then get a letter to Empress Rema of Emperion.” He withdrew his map of the kingdom, handing it to her. “Show me where you parted ways with Owen and Idina. I also want to know how many days ago that was.”
Gytha studied the map. “Here.” She pointed to a location west and slightly south of the castle. “Five days ago.”
“Keep the map. You’ll need it.”
Gytha nodded. “Very well. Anything else?”
“Be careful.” He didn’t like the idea of her traveling alone; however, it couldn’t be helped. “I’m placing my army in your hands. I trust you.”
Clasping her right hand on his shoulder she said, “Please be careful as well.”
“I will.”
She bowed and then went over to her horse, mounting it. “Don’t take too long.”
“I won’t. As soon as I know my sister is safe, I’ll join you.” Not wanting to waste any more time, he mounted his horse. Looking at Gytha, he nodded and then was off.
He urged his horse to run as fast as it could. Thankfully, he’d studied the map of Melenia and knew the way he needed to go. Owen and Idina would be backtracking to Penlar. Guessing the route they’d most likely take, he just had to figure out where an ambush would take place and then intercept Owen and Idina before they reached that spot.
If he didn’t make it in time, his sister would be slaughtered.
The mere thought made him furious. He would not let anyone kill Idina. Sweat coated his forehead. His stomach rolled with nausea. Faster—he had to go faster.
He wouldn’t stop until he reached his sister, even if it meant he had to travel all day and night.
He’d gone over it in his head a hundred times. The soldiers should have arrived at Penlar first. Owen and Idina would be walki
ng, taking them longer to reach the city. If Ackley headed a little farther north, he should be able to cut them off before they reached Penlar.
Riding low on his horse, he kept his focus reined in and sharp. A little voice in the back of his head kept reminding him about Harley. He’d read the letters between Beck and Lyle. It seemed Harley was the old king’s illegitimate child—putting her in line for the throne. If that was the case…he shook his head. He needed to save his sister first. Once Idina was safe, he’d deal with Harley. If everything was as he thought, no harm would come to her.
His horse started to tire. He should be reaching the road Owen and Idina were traveling on. He wouldn’t put it past Owen to have the group hiking just off the road for safety reasons.
When he came to the road, he steered his horse north, knowing his sister would be close. The map he’d taken from Lyle’s house had been exceedingly accurate. Without it, he wouldn’t know where he was going now, and he wouldn’t have been able to determine which way Owen was traveling either.
Ackley had estimated he’d overtake his sister right around here. So where was she? He cursed. His nerves were on edge, causing his heart to beat frantically. He needed to calm down and think rationally. He’d saved his sister once before, he’d save her again. Or so help whoever touched her—he would slaughter them all.
The horse trudged on. Each minute brought more anxiety and unease. What if the soldiers decided to spring a trap somewhere else? What if his sister was being attacked right now?
Something caught his attention. Slowing the horse, he glanced back, not seeing anything. He dismounted, leaving the horse in the middle of the road as he slunk into the forest, listening. Even though he didn’t see anyone, he knew someone was there. Not only could he feel it in his bones, but he didn’t hear any of the normal wildlife that was expected in the forest.
Sword of Rage: Reigning Kingdoms, Book 1 Page 25
