Even in the late-morning sun, Castle Graden was dark and dreary, jutting out of a mountain top like a jagged tooth. Riding in, Katherine noticed much of the area around the castle was steep, rocky terrain. Caleb’s troops would be forced to fight their way uphill in full view of the castle. While the road made Graden slightly more accessible than the fortress would’ve otherwise been, defending a narrow strip of ground would be nothing for an army such as Leopold’s. Katherine’s stomach twisted as she thought, for the hundredth time, she’d gotten herself into a difficult situation. She had to put those thoughts aside, though. Caleb would find a way to reach her, and she would trust in him.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the main entryway. A blast of cold air greeted her as she stepped out of the coach, shivering. Only a few soldiers were there to oversee her arrival, which she thought quite odd. It wasn’t even noontime yet; where were the kings who had so adamantly requested her presence? Pulling her cloak tightly around her arms, she followed a man she assumed was an officer into the castle and down a long corridor. He never spoke, not until they turned down another hall. Then, he stopped in front of a door halfway down the dark passage. “This will be your chamber, Princess.”
She nodded, not wanting them to know she could speak.
“I will attend to the delivery of your trunks. King Leopold will see you when he is available.”
Without further explanation, he strolled past her, back the way they’d come. Katherine took a look around before she entered. Graden was somehow even darker and eerier than Blackthorn had been, a possibility she would’ve thought unimaginable. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
“Princess Katherine?”
The sound of Joan’s voice brought a smile to her face despite the circumstances. When her former lady flew around the corner of the four-post bed and wrapped her arms around her, Katherine burst into tears, hugging her tightly. “Thank the Good Lord,” Joan whispered into her hair. “I have prayed that you were spared, that you were safe. But they would tell me nothing.” She pushed Katherine back to arms’ length. “You look well. Where have you been? Have you been taken care of?”
Katherine nodded, knowing she’d have to let Joan in on many secrets but not wanting to alarm her. She looked over her shoulder at the door and decided they’d likely hear the sound of the one trunk she’d packed arriving. She wasn’t planning on staying long, so why bring all of her things? Katherine looped her arm through Joan’s and stepped over to the bed, setting down. It was covered in dark brown furs. Bear, she imagined, and Katherine noted even with the fire blazing across the room, there was nothing warm about the chamber. At least it had a window, though the light that came in was filtered through mountain mist and not the bright sunshine she was used to in Nadoria or Arteria.
“Did you stay in Clovington?” Joan asked, sitting beside her, not releasing her arm but sliding her hand down to take Katherine’s hand. “I’ve been so worried.”
Katherine held a finger to her lips and made the signal Joan knew mean to stay calm. With a deep breath, she whispered, “Stay quiet.”
Joan’s eyes bugged out of her head. “Did you speak?” she shouted. Katherine placed a hand over her friend’s mouth and shook her head as the lady continued to squeal in glee.
“Joan! Get hold of yourself, please,” Katherine said, looking past her at the door. “I can’t let Philip or Leopold know.”
Taking a few deep breaths around Katherine’s hand, Joan managed to calm herself enough for Katherine to release her. “Beg pardon, my princess. I didn’t mean to become overexcited. It’s just... I’ve waited too long to hear words from your mouth. And now, here you are, arrived from a distant land, speaking, with a glow about you I can’t quite comprehend. Tell me, what’s happened in these weeks since we’ve parted?”
How long had it been since she’d seen Joan? Counted as days, the number was few, but the moments seemed to reach the hundreds or thousands. “I have much to tell you, but you have to remain calm. I am here on a mission, my sweet Joan, and as I have counted on you to help me in the past, so must you do all you can for me now. It will not be easy, but it is imperative, or else I will fall victim to Philip once more, and many lives will be lost.”
Joan’s eyes were wide, but her head bobbed up and down. “You know you may rely on me for anything, my Princess. Serving you is my life’s duty, and I am honored to have the opportunity to do so once more.”
Katherine thought it more than a little unfair that Joan had resigned herself to such a station but put that out of her mind for the time being. Should she escape, she could go about finding her dear friend a proper suitor. “First off, love, you should know. I am no longer a princess.” Katherine lifted her hand to show Joan her ring. “I am a queen.”
The lady began to sputter again, gasping and giggling with delight. “Arteria?” she asked, a look of shock mixing with her happy smile. “However did that come about?”
Without going into all of the details, Katherine told her how she’d arrived in Arteria, how Rose had lied about her identity, how she’d attempted to help Caleb find Matthew, and that they’d fallen in love. She left out the part about the dungeon, as she had when she’d told the story to James. It seemed inconsequential now. She also failed to mention that they’d consummated their relationship before they took their vows as the order seemed unimportant. Eventually, she mentioned that Leopold had arranged this trade and that she’d decided it was something she must do. “I couldn’t allow Matthew to languish here any longer.”
Joan took it all in and then shook her head slowly. “Oh, Princess—Queen—I fear Leopold must want you for himself. I’ve heard whispers throughout the castle that Philip is to be banished for his disloyalty to Leopold. However will Caleb win you back?”
Her hand on the secret pocket in her skirt, Katherine replied, “We have a plan. It won’t be easy, and you will not like it, but you must help me carry it out, or else all will be lost.”
Joan’s lips began to tremble with fear. “What is it, my Lady?”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Katherine replied, “If Leopold thinks me dead, he cannot harm me, and I will be safe until Caleb can find me.”
“Dead?” Joan echoed. “However will you trick him into thinking you’re dead?”
“I won’t,” Katherine said simply. “You will.”
Her head was shaking before Joan even replied. “Me? What? How will I do that?”
With another deep breath, Katherine explained to Joan how the elixir worked and her plan for putting it into place. Joan protested at every turn, but Katherine knew she could rely on her lady to do exactly as she asked. When she concluded, she looked her friend directly in the eyes. “It is time for us to take back some of our power, Joan. I am tired of simply being a pawn for men to bargain with.” Tightening her grip on Joan’s hands, she said, “We can do this.”
Slowly, Joan’s head tipped back and forth. “Yes, my Queen, whatever you wish, I will do it. I dread it—but I will do it.”
“Your part is simple, my friend. All you must do is react as if you think I’m truly dead.”
“Don’t you worry, my sweet. When I see you collapsed on the floor, I will have no trouble fooling anyone—not even myself.”
A small laugh escaped Katherine’s throat as she knew that was true. Thankful that Caleb had been able to persuade Leopold into letting her have her Joan back, Katherine wrapped her arms around the lady’s shoulders. “I have missed you.”
“I have missed you, too, though I’m not quite sure you’re the person I let go.”
Katherine rested her head on Joan’s shoulder. “I’m not. I’m better.”
Arriving back at Castle Caine just in front of the hospital wagon that carried Matthew and the physician, Caleb dismounted and rushed to make sure all of the preparations were ready. He hadn’t even made it into the castle before Caroline stepped out and gave him a nod. “She is waiting,” the cook called. Caleb nodded, thankful she had taken care of everything, and hurried off to oversee Matthew’s transport.
They had taken their time moving Matthew, despite Caleb’s rush to get on with rescuing Katherine. It was evident the moment he saw his brother how much pain he was in. Jarring him senseless on the bumpy roads would’ve been a fresh round of torture, so Caleb had done his best to stay patient. Thoughts of abandoning his brother and getting on with it never lasted long; he needed to see Matthew safely inside Castle Caine’s walls, and Katherine had made him promise he would witness the reunion between Matthew and Margaret so that Caleb could recount it to her later.
Four of his men carefully lifted the litter out of the back of the hospital wagon, taking extra precaution to keep the king still. Matthew was awake, though his eyes were glazed, and Caleb took that as a good sign that Russell was aware of how much of his concoction was needed to reach a specific level of sleep. The physician approached him as Caleb watched the litter make its way up the steps. “His pain has been minimized, but there is much work to be done.” Russell shook his head, looking at the ground. “If even the smallest degree of pressure had been added to the strain on the tendons in his shoulders, his arms would’ve been displaced. It will take a great deal of time to heal. His legs are better, but as I said earlier, he may have a limp. Riding may also be difficult for him.”
The last part was disappointing to Caleb because he knew how much Matthew loved to ride, but he had to focus on the positive. “Thank God he is alive,” he said, clapping Russell on the back and following the others up the stairs.
He entered just in time to see Margaret’s face as Matthew was carried into a room near the entryway where his queen lie on a bed that Caroline had prepared for her. There was room next to her, and the soldiers moved Matthew to her side, setting the entire litter down on top of the bed before propping him up on pillows. Margaret covered her mouth with her hands, tears rolling down her cheeks. Matthew reached for her hand. His voice was hoarse when he spoke, but Caleb could make out his words from the doorway. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”
His queen leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips before she said, “I will never leave you.”
“Oh, how I have missed those emerald green eyes,” he said, attempting to sit up. She gently calmed him with a touch of her hand and moved in close to him, her mouth near his ear as the couple continued to whisper to each other, Matthew’s face morphing into the fond smile Caleb was used to seeing from his brother.
Seeing the two of them together made his heart sing, but the fight wasn’t over yet, and now that Caleb was certain his brother was safe and in the loving arms of his bride, he needed to find his own wife and reclaim her so that both brothers got their happy ending.
A knock on the chamber door interrupted Katherine’s sleep. She hadn’t meant to dose off, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar bed, a fur blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It only took a second for her to recall where she should be, and the sound of Joan’s voice was both a comfort that at least she was not alone and a reminder of the task she had to do.
Joan finished speaking to whomever was at the door and returned to the bedside. “King Leopold is requesting to see you, my Lady.”
Reluctantly, Katherine nodded and slid from beneath the warm covers, the chill of the room seeming to penetrate into her soul. Pushing her feet into the slippers by the bed, she rose, straightening the skirt of the red gown she’d changed into earlier when her trunk arrived. She gave Joan a moment to straighten her hair and then wrapped a cloak around her shoulders so that the cold of Graden couldn’t seep into her bones.
A male servant, older than her and apparently annoyed at the few moments it took for her to prepare herself to see the king, was waiting at the door. He walked briskly down the hall, and the queen fought to keep up. As she went, she checked her pocket that she had the letter for the king. Feeling it inside, she folded her hands in front of her and fidgeted nervously with her ring, wondering if Rose was here somewhere and she might be able to get her signet ring back.
The servant opened a thick mahogany door but did not enter. Hesitantly, Katherine walked through. Thick burgundy curtains hung over the windows, leaving only a few candles and the fireplace to light what appeared to be a study. In a large chair near the fire, she saw him sitting, waiting for her. He did not stir as she entered, holding her breath.
He wasn’t as tall as she’d expected, not that it was easy to tell while he was seated. He was wiry, not solid muscle like Caleb, or even Philip. His hair and mustache were not the same color, which was almost amusing—except for the scowl he wore and the blackness of his outfit, including the furs draped around his shoulders—which cast a foreboding look around him that seemed to radiate out of his very soul. He was evil. She could smell it on him and in everything he touched, everything associated with him. The quicker she could remove herself from his presence and his home, the better.
“Forgive me,” Leopold said as she stood near an empty chair across from him. “Where are my manners?” He took a step toward her and reached for her hand. Katherine lifted hers, praying he couldn’t tell how badly she was shaking. When he pressed it to his lips, the coldness she’d felt earlier in her room seeped into her hand and up her arm before he finally released her and offered her the chair.
Katherine perched on the edge of the seat, not trusting him enough to get comfortable. Leopold reclaimed his own chair. “An interesting color of gown you’ve chosen,” he muttered, crossing one ankle on top of his knee. “Have you grown fond of the Arterians while you were their prisoner, then?”
He’d purposely asked the question in such a way she couldn’t honestly answer both parts with only a nod or a shake of the head, so she did neither, only waited.
Leopold chuckled, lifting a goblet from the table next to him and sipping what she assumed was wine. “Would you care for a drink?”
She shook her head. Something told her to eat and drink as little as possible while she was in the castle. Leopold seemed like the sort of person who’d poison his own mother.
“Water then? Anything? You must be tired from your journey?”
Katherine shrugged. She had brought food and water with her and taken care of any other needs she had while he’d kept her waiting in her chambers. Not that she was complaining that it had taken him so long to send for her. Her eyes wandered the room. They were alone, and she found it odd that Philip wasn’t there, unless Leopold’s letter hadn’t been completely honest and he had something else in mind for her.
“If you’re looking for Philip, I regret to inform you he’s under the weather. He hasn’t quite been himself since he arrived.” Leopold shook his head as if it was lamentable, but the expression passed quickly as he met her eyes again. “You’re strikingly lovely.” He ran a fingertip along the brim of his glass. “I had been told of your beauty before you arrived, but I wasn’t expecting you to be so radiant. I was so taken aback with you when you entered, I forgot my manners.”
Again, she said nothing, only stared at him, wishing he’d get on with whatever he want and send her back to her room so she could pretend to kill herself and get on with it.
Leopold shifted slightly in his chair. “How was your journey? Did my men take good care of you?”
Folding her arms across her chest, Katherine looked at him sharply. What a preposterous question. How comfortable could a kidnapping be?
“If you found them inhospitable, I’d like to know. I told them to take the utmost care in returning you to your husband.”
With that, Katherine’s eyes widened. Whether Leopold believed Philip’s story that they had consummated the marriage or not, he couldn’t possibly think she’d wanted to come back. With a sigh, Katherine reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter Caleb had given her, holding it out for Leopold to take.
“What’s this?” He looked from the rolled up parchment to her face and then back again. “A letter from your former captive?” Katherine shook it at him, angered by his accusations. “All right then—I’ll read it.” He leaned forward and stretched his arm to take it from her and then sat back in his chair. Katherine had no idea how he could read anything in such dim light, but then, his eyes likely glowed when he wanted them to.
Leopold untied the letter, broke the seal, and read aloud:
King Leopold,
Be aware that the only reason Katherine is in your custody is because she has chosen to replace Matthew as your captive in order to save his life. Katherine is confident in your ability to see what must be done in this situation. She believes that you will take the right and just action and return her safely to me. You see, Leopold, Katherine is now my wife, Queen of Arteria. Any claims that Philip may have made regarding the consummation of their relationship are untrue. He has purposely deceived you in order to drag you into a conflict you had no prior interest in. Now, in order to resolve this divergence without further loss of life or resources, simply arrange to send my wife back to me safely, and we shall go on as if these unfortunate events have never taken place.
I look forward to your prompt reply.
Caleb, King of Arteria
Katherine expected Leopold to crumple the paper in anger or to toss it in the fire. She watched, stunned and confused, when an evil cackle split his face into a wicked smile. As the sound grew louder, she almost covered her ears at it seemed to echo around in her mind. It sent chills up her arms and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
Catching control of himself, Leopold stroked his mustache with one hand and read back over the letter. “His wife? He gave me his wife? What a fool!” He stood up and walked around the back of his chair, staring at the parchment, one hand propped against the fireplace.
Anger boiling up inside of her, Katherine stormed over next to him, stomping her foot to get his attention. Leopold pulled his eyes away from the message and gazed down at her. Thrusting her hand in his face, she pointed at her ring with her other hand. Leopold’s eyes bore into the jewelry, any hint of amusement gone now. “Yes, I know. I saw it the moment you walked in, though I didn’t understand until now what it was. I get it, Katherine.”
In a flash of black, Leopold’s hands were on her shoulders, and Katherine found herself moving backward toward her chair. His fingers cut into her flesh, but she didn’t grimace, only stared at him wide eyed until he pushed her down into the seat. He kept his hands on her as he leaned forward so that his nose was only millimeters from her own. “Listen, Katherine,” he began, his breath hot and stinking of wine and garlic, “there’s something you need to recognize. I am not frightened of Caleb of Arteria. If he is idiotic enough to attack me, uphill, in these mountains, in order to get you back, he may do so. He can’t defeat me. My army is more powerful than his, but beyond that, I have the high ground. As skilled as your beloved is in the art of war, he should recognize the impossible task he has in front of him. And despite your wishes or his, I assure you, he will have to kill me in order to get you back. Do you understand?”
Katherine narrowed her eyes, glaring at him, wishing she was brave enough to spit in his face. He pulled back slightly, but the cackle started up again, grating on her nerves. “Don’t you see? I finally have something he wants--his precious wife!” Katherine leaned as far back in the chair as she could. “After all of these years, my dear Charlotte will have vengeance. Isn’t that wonderful?” He ran a finger across her cheek, but Katherine turned away. His laughter increased as she felt her heartbeat begin to stutter in disgust.
“As for this,” he said, holding up the letter, “I have something I think you should read.”
She held her breath as he crossed back to the table next to the chair. He took another swallow out of the goblet and opened a small, wooden box sitting next to the carafe of wine. In a moment, he returned with a different letter in his hand. “This arrived shortly before you did and is the reason I was unable to meet you. I apologize for not being there when you arrived.” He waved the parchment in front of her face. “Read it. I think it will make the situation clearer.”
With her eyes fixed on his face, Katherine swept the letter out of his hand. Leopold leaned back, his eyes widening at her gumption, but then he laughed at her, and she glared at him a moment before she unfolded the document, leaning closer to the fire so that she might make it out.
It was immediately obvious to her who had penned it. She’d recognize her sister’s handwriting anywhere.
“Dear Leopold,
I have just received word from my brother, Prince James, that our sister, Princess Katherine, is on her way to you via the Arterian forces. Upon her arrival, please keep her safely in your possession until I can reach Gradenia. While it is true I was angered at the idea you intended to steal her away from me, knowing that Caleb was so willing to trade her for his own brother is infuriating, a betrayal I shall not forgive.
It seems we now share a common enemy. My forces are moving in from your western border. If your army will give us safe passage through the mountains, we can reach Castle Graden quickly enough to be in position before the Arterians arrive. I am willing to seal our alliance upon my arrival with the gift of my sister’s hand to you, revoking any claim Caleb may have through whatever means necessary, including his death upon the battlefield. If you are in agreement, send word, and open the mountain roads. Otherwise, I will be forced to travel all the way around the mountains and cannot possibly be there in time to assist you in defeating Arteria. While you may certainly defeat them on your own, I would relish the opportunity to raise my sword against him.
Please tell my sister that I understand she may be wounded at my decision, but as I have always told her, he who would betray the one he loves for riches gains nothing, but he who lies in a bed of thieves and rises an honest man gains prosperity.
Her sister’s signature and seal were at the bottom of the letter. Katherine read back over the part Eleanora had instructed Leopold to tell her and then handed him back the letter, trying not to show how puzzled she was by the message.
“So you see,” Leopold said, taking the parchment and walking around his chair to place it back in the box, “your sister no longer recognizes Caleb as your husband.” He shrugged and moved around to the front of the chair. “I’m certain you’re upset, Princess, but I assure you, once the conflict is over, and you and I can start our life together, you will soon forget about him.” He smiled at her in a way that almost made Katherine think, perhaps, he could be kind if he wanted to. But it didn’t fool her. She wanted to go—to run away from him, back to her room, to discuss Eleanora’s letter with Joan, and determine whether or not she should carry on with her plan. She’d been relying on James’s ability to convince Eleanora to come in on Caleb’s side so that the castle could be breached quickly, but if her sister truly intended to fight against her husband, Katherine may find herself alone in the catacombs far too long should she continue with what they had discussed.
Leopold rang a bell from the table, and the man who’d shown her in appeared at the door. Katherine turned back to look at the king, still confused, but thankful he seemed to be releasing her. “Katherine, darling, I shall call for you soon. If you wish to keep that ring, I do not want to see it again. In time, you’ll be throwing it in the fire, I have no doubt. For now, should you need anything at all, do not hesitate to ask. I want you to consider Castle Graden your home.”
Swallowing the disdain that bubbled up her throat like bile, Katherine rose, Leopold doing the same. He reached for her hand again, but she did not give it to him. Instead, she spun toward the door, listening to him cackle at her as if it was all a bit of merriment. She walked past the servant, aware of which direction to go, and didn’t stop until her chamber door was closed and locked behind her.
Joan stared at her intently, waiting for an explanation, but all Katherine could do was cry.
The battle plan Caleb and his officers had drawn up was a sound one. David had already sent word to the men he’d left in charge in Clovington regarding how the forces should be organized so that the attack on Gradenia would move swiftly. The main forces were positioned to drive through the Gradenian border so that his strongest numbers could march directly to the castle, and his numbers were impressive, though he had no idea how many men Leopold would have to confront him. Scouting reports told him most of Leopold’s forces were nearer Graden, which meant Caleb could cover the majority of the ground between him and Katherine quickly. While the terrain was mountainous, it was not bog land, like the area of Clovington they’d had to march through, so they should be able to move at a steady pace. It would be the last part that would be the most difficult.
He’d already dispatched his horsemen to hunt down the Gradenian Cavalry and drive them out of Clovington, destroying as many of them as possible. Caleb knew Leopold’s riders were his strongest fighters, and while he also had skilled archers and artillery men, taking out as much of the cavalry as possible before they even reached the castle would be beneficial.
The Zurconian forces, led by Margaret’s cousin, Prince Hans, were already advancing into Gradenia. Caleb received word before he reached his own front. They would not only serve as a distraction, but with the resources and training he had provided them these past several months, he thought they might be able to exact a bit of the revenge all Zurconians felt was in order, if not from Philip, then his cousin would do just as well.
Finally, Eleanora would be moving in from the west. If she had to fight her way up the mountain passes, it could take days, possibly weeks, for her to gain the high ground behind Graden and be of any use, but James seemed confident they would close in on Graden at nearly the same time. How that was possible, Caleb didn’t know, but he remained hopeful.
Taking Graden itself would be nearly impossible if he had to rely on an assault from the front. Even with his cannon, catapults, and other heavy artillery, claiming the fortress would take weeks, possibly longer, especially considering the terrain. It had taken him months to fight his way through the swamps of Clovington. It would take even longer for him to crumble a castle on a hill if Leopold’s forces were even half what he claimed them to be.
He couldn’t think about that, however. If need be, he’d find a way to sneak a small party into the catacombs and find Katherine then defeat Leopold. He only had three more days until the promise he’d made to her would be broken; desperation would have to be the mother of solutions in this instance.
In the distance, Caleb could see the Arterian colors fluttering in the wind. His forces held considerable ground already, and he was relieved to see they were off to such a good start. He sought out David, hoping they could perfect their plan while on the move.
The caissons shook the ground as they rattled over rock. Hendrix shot past them, toward the front and a group Caleb recognized as his commanders, Gordon, Dale, and the others he’d brought along struggling to keep up. It had been a long ride, and he’d need to switch horses soon if Hendrix was to be fresh for the battle, but all he could think about now was reaching his friend and seeing if he’d worked anything else out in the few hours he’d been back at the front in Caleb’s absence.
David greeted him with a smile. “How’s Matthew?”
Caleb slowed his pace and reached for his canteen. “Happy to be back with Margaret.”
“Good.” The smile didn’t dissipate, and Caleb began to think he was missing something. As if reading his mind, David handed him a letter.
Caleb glanced at the handwriting and recognized it as Eleanora’s. He read through the dispatch quickly, and then his face morphed into a smile as well. “There’s a fox in the hen house.”
“Indeed,” David agreed. “And, thanks to a few disgruntled former-Gradenian soldiers we picked up along the way, we know there is a route on the north side of the mountain, not far from the castle, that joins up with the paths that zigzag up the west side.”
Rubbing his chin as he considered David’s words, Caleb asked, “Are you saying it will be possible for some of us to join up with Eleanora?”
“A small group, yes. Our understanding is that the paths cross in an area undetectable from Graden itself, one mostly buried by an avalanche a few years ago. So long as we can take out any Gradenians who may be guarding the path, we should be able to come in alongside her and infiltrate Castle Graden that way.”
Taking a deep breath, Caleb let that set in. It almost seemed too easy, and while he assumed something would have to go wrong, he let himself consider the possibility of the plan working. “Very well, then. Let us move forward as planned, with this modification.”
David nodded, and Caleb rode along beside him, silently pondering how many men he would need to break into Graden while the castle was bombarded from both sides and who he should take. Whomever he brought along would have to understand how dangerous the mission was and be prepared to lose everything. He wouldn’t take anyone who wasn’t willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their queen. Several names and faces came to mind, and while he’d hate to lose any of them, this was possibly the most important task he’d ever asked them to complete, and these warriors were born to do battle. He knew they would not fail him when he needed them most.
The clock on the wall in the war room continued to march on almost as quickly as the Arterian Army’s approach. Reports had begun to pour in hours ago, before they even crossed into his territory, all of them reporting high casualties on his side. Leopold had already ordered the withdrawal of all of his forces from Clovington, but some of his cavalry details couldn’t be located, or his messengers never reported back, and he had an idea that might be because they were all wiped out.
He’d charted out Caleb’s course on the map in front of him, and by his calculations, the Arterians would be at the base of the mountain sometime tomorrow afternoon. He hoped that gave Eleanora enough time to get up the mountain, but he’d already pulled back what men he could from his other defenses, thinking it best to attempt to hold the castle since the terrain would make it nearly impenetrable, particularly if he had all of the Nadorian forces behind him. Still, the ease in which Caleb had crossed over his line at the border was unsettling.
And then there was the Zurconians. He hadn’t been prepared at all for an attack on that front. In fact, the skeleton crew of soldiers he’d left manning the lookout towers on the east had crumbled quickly, and the Zurconian’s were making good time as well, clearly letting their hate of his dead cousin drive them forward.
His chief advisors, Etsil, a former military man himself, moved one of the pieces representing Arteria forward on the map. “Caleb’s lead forces are traveling much more quickly than the army proper. Why might that be?”
“I do not know,” Leopold admitted. “But we should seek them out and destroy them. How many are there?”
Etsil sifted through the collection of parchment on the table, dispatches from his commanders. “Less than a hundred.”
Leopold stroked his mustache, intending to say they should get a detail together to seek the contention out and destroy it, when he became aware of screaming in the hall. His eyebrows knit together, as he intended to make out what the woman was saying. “What the bloody hell?” he muttered. A knock on the door and the hasty entrance of a servant he didn’t recognize answered his question.
“Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty,” the breathless man said, bowing low. “It’s the queen.”
“The queen?” Leopold repeated, not sure who he was speaking of since he’d already sent Philip’s mother to the dungeon, along with his revolting Uncle Edward. “What queen?”
“Katherine, sir. Her lady reports....” He looked up, his face a bright crimson, “The queen is dead, Your Majesty.”
It took a moment for the words to register. By the time Leopold’s feet began to move, his advisors were already running, some in the direction of Katherine’s room, others shouting for the royal physician. Once he’d regained the ability, he shot down the corridor toward the sound of weeping and shouting.
Several servants were gathered near Katherine’s door, not just the peculiar lady-in-waiting she’d insisted on keeping, but she was by far the loudest, lying on the floor in the entryway, her hand covering her mouth as she blubbered and sobbed. Leopold flew past her toward the bed but he stopped when he saw Katherine.
She was sprawled on the bed, wearing an elegant golden gown, her hair down and framing her face, though the way she had fallen, her head was turned to the side, one arm hanging over the side of the bed. She looked as if she’d prepared herself for her own funeral. A vial lay on the floor near her hand, the lid on the nightstand next to the bed, along with a piece of parchment, an open inkwell, and a quill.
He approached slowly, certain the woman had already checked to make sure she had expired and not sure he wanted to touch her either way. He’d encountered many dead bodies in his day, most recently his own cousin who had been moved to the catacombs late the day before. This was different. He didn’t want this one to be dead.
Her chest was still, and when he finally gathered the courage to touch her arm, it was cold. With a deep breath, he leaned in and placed his ear to her nose. Katherine wasn’t breathing. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered, standing and taking a step back.
The physician was there now, but once he entered the room, the man was no longer in a hurry. Leopold plucked the paper off of the table and moved aside. The physician’s examination was brief. “I’m afraid the reports are true, Your Majesty. She is gone.”
“Damnit all to hell,” Leopold muttered, wondering what he would do now. If Eleanora discovered what had happened, he’d have an opposing force behind him, with even higher ground than he held; he’d be completely at her disposal. Leopold had to make sure news of this didn’t reach the Nadorians before the Arterians were defeated and he could find a way to place his army between himself and Eleanora. Even then, it seemed impossible. And he’d let her in his back door!
“King Leopold?” Etsil called from the doorway. “I am so very sorry for your loss. We have much to discuss.”
“Will you give me one bleeding minute?” Leopold demanded, slamming his fist into the wall beside him. Etsil’s eyebrows shot up, and he disappeared out the door.
“What shall we do with her, Sir?” the physician asked. “She looks as if she prepared herself for entombment.”
“I can see that,” Leopold said, not sure what to do with the body. He looked at the woman weeping on the floor. “Where were you when this happened?”
“Asleep, Your Majesty,” she replied. “In the adjoining room.”
Leopold glanced behind him at the servant’s quarters, looking at the bed through the doorway. She may not have heard anything with the door shut. “When did you speak to her last?”
“She retired early, just after eating her evening meal. Said she didn’t feel well. I couldn’t blame her. Poor soul....” The woman broke into another fit of tears and became unintelligible.
Swearing again, Leopold told the physician, “I don’t know what to do with her. We can’t give her back to her sister, not like this. Take her somewhere. She’s no use to me now.” He began to storm out of the room but remembered the paper in his hand and glanced down at it.
Dear Leopold,
I will never be yours.
Katherine, Queen of Arteria
Shrieking in disgust, Leopold crumbled the paper into a ball and threw it at the weeping woman, pushing a few of the servants out of his way as he headed back to his map. Waging a war over a dead queen and taking the risk he may soon lose everything was not the way he’d intended to spend his morning. He had to find a way to blame this on Caleb so that, when Eleanora found out her sister was dead, she would take it out on the Arterians and leave him alone. He should’ve known better than to get involved in his cousin’s folly. Now, it might just be too late for him to get out alive, with his kingdom intact. “Damn you, Philip,” he mumbled. “I wish you were still alive so I could kill you again.” He pushed into the war room, hoping someone else would have a solution because, for once, Leopold was out of ideas.