The long ride through the night was over, and James was perched atop Landres Hill, waiting for Katherine’s carriage to come into view. His men had scoped the area and felt confident that everything was secure despite rumors that there were caves and hidden caverns in the area. A few hours after the sun had risen, clouds of dust became visible on the horizon. “That has to be her,” he muttered. As the riders came into view, he could clearly see a carriage surrounded by several mounted guards.
“The princess approaches,” Henton said with a confident smile. James nodded, excited to see Katherine but still apprehensive. Until they were safely back at Meadington, he wouldn’t let his guard down.
Only a half mile out, James began to wind his way down the hill to meet her. As the party approached the last bend in the road, they would pass through a ravine where he would lose sight of them for a few moments. James wanted to be at the foot of the hill when Katherine arrived.
He reached the bottom of Landres, thinking he should see her by now. Impatiently, James gave his horse its head for a moment, doing his best to wait. A few moments passed and still nothing. “Henton?” he said, wondering if he was the only one who thought it had been too long.
“Give it a moment, Sir,” his advisor concluded, but shouts from the top of the mountain had his attention.
“Prince James!” another of his men who’d stayed behind shouted. “The carriage is under attack!”
James’s eyes enlarged. Torn between riding back up the mountain to see and hurrying to his sister’s side, James found his reins in Henton’s hand. “It’s too dangerous, Your Majesty.”
“Dammit!” James spat, yanking the reins away and riding off in the direction his sister should be coming from. His horse flew down the road, into the ravine. He pulled up as the sight in front of him caught him off-guard.
The bodies of the Arterian guards littered the road on both sides, their horses cut down as well. Blood and spent arrows were everywhere. Whatever forces had taken them out, they must’ve launched hundreds of arrows all at once to have this sort of outcome. The carriage was nowhere to be seen, but there was only one way it could’ve gone. “We need to find Katherine!” James shouted as his men checked the guardsmen for any signs of life.
“Prince James, it’s too dangerous!” Henton shouted. “We are perfect targets here. Let us go back to Nadoria and alert the army.”
He knew Henton was right. Attempting to track down whoever had taken Katherine would only result in his own demise, and he’d be of no use to his sister dead. Frustrated, he banged his hand against the saddle horn. “Send word back to Eleanora,” he shouted. “But we do not travel back to Meadington. Caleb created this situation, and he will help us solve it. Or I’ll have his head!”
Katherine awoke to find an empty bed and sighed in disappointment. She couldn’t blame Caleb for leaving, though. He had much to do, and she’d slept late again.
She couldn’t remember ever having slept so well in all of her life. A few times during the night, she had awoken briefly, and feeling Caleb’s arms around her, she immediately fell back to sleep. She felt no shame or remorse for what they’d done. Even if she were to return to Nadoria and spend the rest of her life alone, sharing that experience with him had been worth it. Thoughts of how he may feel when he discovered the truth had her stomach turning. He deserved to know who she was, and she was resolved to find a way to let him know her true identity, even if it meant he never wanted to speak to her again. It was clear to her now that she loved him, and she prayed he’d find a way to forgive her the way she’d forgiven him. She couldn’t imagine a life without him.
Katherine dressed in her kitchen servants’ clothes and went to the kitchen. When she entered the room, Caroline greeted her with a smile and a hug. “How are you dear? Well rested?”
Katherine nodded, wondering if Caroline had any inclination what had happened between her and Caleb. If she knew, she didn’t let on. The other girls were bustling about, preparing food for later in the day. Only Val acknowledged her, and Katherine returned her smile, glad to have a potential friend. She got to work chopping some vegetables, which was difficult with her injury but not impossible.
When the other girls left to run various errands, Caroline giggled under her breath. Katherine glanced over at her, not sure what to think. “I saw the king earlier,” she said, a joyous lilt to her voice. “He looked more refreshed than I’ve seen him in years. Happy even.”
Katherine felt her cheeks turn red. So she did know after all. She imagined Caroline must be more aware of what went on in the castle than anyone else. She couldn’t comment if she wanted to, so she continued to chop her vegetables as Caroline laughed again. At least she seemed to approve of the situation.
“All done, dearie,” Caroline said as Katherine finished the last carrot. “Why don’t you go take a rest now? You have to be tired. Do you need any more salve?”
Her hand didn’t hurt much anymore, so Katherine shook her head. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. She really wanted to meet with Rose, to get her ring back. Being with Caleb had made Katherine feel alive in a way she never had before, and she felt as if it was time to start standing up for herself. Rose had taken something that belonged to her, and she needed to get it back. It was time for her to be heard, whether she had a voice or not.
Katherine made a sign to Caroline, hoping she could help her find the alleged princess. She tried to make the shape of a crown on her head, but with the bandage on her hand, it was difficult.
“What is it you’re trying to say, dear?” she asked, tipping her head to the side in confusion.
Katherine raised her arms to signify she was asking a question. She looked around the room, hoping she would understand that the question was “where?” Then, she tried the crown sign again, though neither she nor the fake Katherine had actually worn a crown the entire time she had been there.
Caroline was confused, but she took a guess. “Are you asking where the king is, love?” she asked.
Though Katherine would also like to know the answer to that question, she shook her head no and tried again. This time, she showed the crown sign again and then curtseyed, indicating that she was looking for a woman with a crown.
Caroline’s forehead wrinkled. “You’re looking for a woman who wears a crown? Hmmm. Queen Margaret?”
Katherine grabbed a lock of her own red hair and pointed at it. She saw the realization on Caroline’s face. “Oh! The princess! You’re looking for Princess Katherine!”
Katherine smiled and nodded, glad she understood at last. She was looking for “Katherine.” Where was she?
“’Fraid I can’t help you with that, love. Caleb packed her up and sent her back to Nadoria yesterday morning. She’s halfway back to her family by now.”
Katherine’s eyes widened. What could Rose have been thinking? Surely, the woman didn’t think her family would fall for her lies! She shook her head and fought off tears, wondering how she would ever get her ring back. Without it, how would she let Caleb know who she was?
“I’m sorry, dearie,” Caroline said, patting her back. “I know you thought of her as a friend, though I can’t say why. She wasn’t exactly nice to you, love. I’m sure you’ll make other friends here at Castle Caine.” She smiled and moved back to the fire, stirring the pot that boiled there.
Katherine swallowed hard, wondering what might happen next. While Rose would have her own set of problems associated with her lies, Katherine hoped that Eleanora didn’t blame Caleb before Katherine had the opportunity to communicate with her sister and let her know the true story. If she could explain the situation, Eleanora shouldn’t take her anger out on Arteria, but if she assumed Caleb had done this on purpose, there would be hell to pay. Either way, she would hate to be the real Rose.
The table in the war room was covered in maps and various pawns symbolizing troops. Other indicators covered the areas that David had sent word back to Castle Caine about, letting the king know they had been scoured for Matthew with no result. Even after he’d sent the rest of the officers off on various tasks, Caleb continued to stare at the map, wondering how it was that so many thousand men were unable to find the missing king.
Footsteps behind him had Caleb turning around. Dale dipped his head. “Pardon the interruption. I just spoke to the quartermaster. The next load of supplies will be heading out shortly.”
Caleb nodded. “Thank you.” Dale looked as if he had more to say, but when he didn’t Caleb turned back around.
“Your Majesty, if you don’t mind me saying so, you look as if you slept well last night.” Caleb faced his subordinate, his eyebrows arched. “I am certain your brother’s disappearance continues to weigh heavily on your shoulders, but it’s nice to see you more jovial this morning, more... like your former self.” He gave a small smile and then turned to exit.
Caleb stared after him for a moment before returning his eyes to the table, the grin he’d been wearing most of the morning pulling up the corners of his mouth slightly. He had hoped no one would notice. It wasn’t as if he no longer cared that his brother had vanished. On the contrary, the burden increased with each passing day he was not found. But his night with Rose had done him more good than the king could explain, and the fact that the others had noticed was telling.
Thinking of her now, alone, his smile widened. He had never expected what had unfolded to take place, but the fact that it had, that she had so freely shown her true feelings for him, despite his terrible treatment of her the day before, had been a beam of sunshine in an otherwise dark existence.
Rose was amazing—beautiful, caring, intelligent. He’d never seen anyone give so freely of herself, and he didn’t just mean as a lover. She had done so much to assist Matthew, and her work in the kitchen had Caroline singing her praises within hours of Rose’s arrival at the castle. Her station was a problem, of course, but Caleb would have to find a way to work around that. He couldn’t imagine sending her back to Clovington now, unless she truly wanted to go.
He was puzzled about Princess Katherine’s description of the girl, though. When Rose had first let him know she wanted him, he’d chalked it up to her past, assuming Katherine had been accurate when she’d said Rose had worked as a harlot in Philip’s castle. But when he’d entered her... there was no evidence that was the case. Caleb had been with many women, both experienced and those who’d never been with another man, and Rose seemed to be one of the latter. He couldn’t explain it, and he wished he could ask her, but any time he brought up her past, she seemed unwilling to open up to him. Perhaps now that they’d become more intimate, she’d be willing to share more.
Sleeping with her in his arms had been the comfort he needed to regain his energy and forge ahead in his quest to find his brother. Leaving her that morning had been difficult, but the beauty had been curled up asleep, her red locks framing her face like rose petals. With the sun barely peeking over the horizon, he’d kissed her lightly and headed out. He’d gotten more accomplished that day than he had in the weeks before, and thinking of her put a spring in his step and a song in his heart. As long as he had Rose, how could he possibly go wrong? Matthew would be found, soon, and he, too, would rejoice at seeing his Angel safe at Castle Caine.
“Sir, you’re needed at the stables,” one of his other officers called from the doorway. “There’s a question regarding the transports.”
Caleb normally would’ve been reluctant to have to walk all the way out to the barns to handle a situation his subordinates should’ve been capable of, but today, he nodded and went along, hoping he could find a few moments to pay Rose a visit soon. He imagined she was working hard in the kitchen just now, but with any luck, she was also thinking of him.
It was a nine hour ride from Landres Hill to Castle Graden. Philip had instructed his courier he must do it in seven. A harsh wind stirred his hair and chilled his cheeks as the former king waited, pacing back and forth atop a battlement with a clear view of the road leading to the castle. It should be any moment.
As far as he could tell, Leopold couldn’t care less what he was up to and hadn’t noticed when Philip sent the detail out. They were his troops after all, and he should be able to use them however he wished. Still, he was hoping Katherine’s carriage, which would take considerable more time to arrive than the courier, would not cause a lot of fanfare. If Leopold new exactly what he’d done, he might be a little agitated. Using his own cavalry and his own horses was one thing; swiping sixty Gradenian Cavalry uniforms from the barracks could potentially anger his cousin, but he wanted both Arteria and Nadoria to know, if they chose to enter the fray, they’d be facing Gradenian forces. And then there was the matter that he didn’t want to be held personally responsible for the princess’s kidnapping....
She was his to take, however, and Eleanora needed to remember that. Just because his kingdom had crumbled, that didn’t mean Philip was no longer a king, that his wife could be taken from him. No, Katherine was one possession he intended to keep hold of, whether Nadoria liked it or not.
Alone, he paced to keep himself warm from the brisk breeze, his eyes glued on the road. In the distance, a stirring caught his attention, and a lone white horse came into focus, its head down from exertion. Philip dared to smile, hoping the news would be good for once. He hurried to the stairs, planning to meet the courier at the stables to receive the news as quickly as possible. King Philip of Clovington had an opportunity to get back into the game, as long as his men hadn’t found another way to mess it all up. He was confident he’d made himself clear, that failure was not an option, and that Katherine was in his possession again at last.
Sending an advanced courier might’ve made more sense, but James pressed his own horse to continue at top speed as he flew along the murky, heavily forested roads of Clovington swampland on his way to confront Caleb himself. How this had happened was beyond him, but he wanted to look into Caleb’s eyes himself and tell him he’d just witnessed his sister being snatched away by Gradenian Cavalry, that the lone archer his men had been able to track down had refused to tell them anything, and that, when the courier he’d sent to Nadoria told Queen Eleanora what had transpired, Caleb would have another enemy to face. Furious at what had gone on, James pushed his horse to the breaking point, ignoring warnings from the others that he was bound to run into Arterian forces who may shoot arrows first and ask questions later. If he moved quickly enough, he’d be a difficult target.
He swiped at his forehead with the back of his hand, beads of sweat blurring his vision. Though there was a chill in the air, exertion and emotion had him boiling over. Deep inside, he knew he shouldn’t blame Caleb for this. It appeared as if the transport should’ve been sufficient to pass Katherine off safely. And if anyone knew what it was like to have a sibling taken against their will by enemy forces, it was the Arterian King. Still, anger boiled inside of James as he rode, full-force, toward Castle Caine, needing answers and someone to shout at for Katherine’s abduction. He’d worry about the one who actually took her later. When he did, Leopold would have hell to pay.
Briars, thorns, thickets, and rolling terrain made the pace slow going for Matthew, and rations were hard to come by. After leaving Rebecca’s cottage the morning before, he had stuck with his initial idea that he should head due south for almost the entire day. However, after discovering large forces of Gradenian Cavalry off in the distance, he’d had to change course once more. Almost everywhere he turned, he ran into enemy troops. Frustration began to build inside of him as he seemed to wander aimlessly, not understanding how Caleb’s men had failed to find him.
The water he’d taken from Rebecca’s well had run out late the day before. Now, despite the cooler temperatures, the sun bore down on him, and his thirst bordered on desperation. Much of the ground he had been covering was rocky and did not lend itself to the proposition of water. His tongue was thick in his mouth, and at this point, he’d take even a puddle of rainwater.
Late in the afternoon, he noticed some trees off in the distance and a patch of green unlike the other areas he’d been traveling through. Matthew caught his breath, hoping the greenery was a sign that he might find a brook or a stream nearby. With a hasty look around, he moved in that direction.
He’d have to traverse out into an open space for some distance before he reached the cover of the trees. With his cloak pulled up over his head, he took off as quickly as possible, hoping to reach the woods before another group of Gradenians spotted him.
After several minutes of trekking through the clearing, he was relieved to finally reach the shelter of the trees. He took a moment to lean on a broad trunk, sucking in air and trying to calm his racing heart. When he was ready, he carefully picked his way through the overgrowth, listening for the sound of running water and horses’ hooves.
Following along the path of green for what seemed like an hour, Matthew eventually heard the babbling of a brook in the distance. His energy renewed at the possibility of finally quenching his thirst, he hurried his pace until he spotted the source of the sound. A meandering little brook broke through the tree line and wound its way through the thin grove of trees, disappearing in the distance.
Matthew sighed with relief, happy to finally be able to quench his parched throat. Now wasn’t the time to throw caution to the wind, however. He’d seen enough enemy cavalry the last two days to know they were everywhere. Crouching down, he studied the bank on the other side, glancing up and down in both directions and then rechecking the area around him. The king listened intently for any sound that might give away the presence of troops. Hearing nothing, he took a few deliberate steps out into the exposed area along the bed. Still only the sound of the forest around him, Matthew kneeled down and cupped his hands, drinking deeply. The water was cool and sweet, lifting the burning from his throat with each swallow. Satisfied that he could drink no more, he splashed his face, thankful for an end to his suffering.
The sound of twigs breaking across the bank caught his attention. Matthew’s head darted up, and his heart fell when he realized what he was looking at. Three crossbows were trained on him; Gradenian Cavalrymen, their horses apparently anchored somewhere out of earshot.
Matthew contemplated his options. Leopold’s men weren’t likely to miss, especially at such close range and there being at least three of them. Part of him wanted to take his chances, to dart back to the safety of the trees and let the arrows fly. The idea that his brother had gone to such great lengths to free him, that Angel was likely waiting for him at Castle Caine, deterred him. He stayed still, hoping they’d make a mistake.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Bloody King of Zurconia,” one of the men shouted, his lips forming a snarl and a jagged scar visible on his face despite the distance. “We’ve been looking for you!” Even with his thick accent, the message was loud and clear.
More footsteps behind him dissolved any ideas that he might outrun them. He had escaped once, perhaps he could find a way to do so again. He tried to stay positive, thinking there was a chance Angel was with Philip, and he would get a chance to see her once more. At any rate, it didn’t matter. The footsteps behind him closed in, and even though these men had likely been ordered not to kill him, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t hurt him severely if he tried to run.
Without a word of warning, a mind numbing pain splintered through his head as what he imagined was the butt of a crossbow had his eyes crossing and then rolling back in his head. The last thing he saw before he passed out was a rapidly enlarging steal gauntlet headed directly for his face.