| |
CERYN HEADS DOWN TO the kitchen to ask for their food to be brought to Everleigh’s room. “Are you alright?”
Cook snorts. “Nobody here is daft enough to bite the hand that feeds them, let me tell you.” She lifts a copper-bottomed pan. “I’ll hit them with this if they try anything. How’s Everleigh and little Addyson?”
“Both fine. We’re going to crown Everleigh on Saturday. We’ll need a feast.”
“I can do a feast for you. No problem.”
Cook seems excited at the prospect and Ceryn helps the little maids carry food and wine to Everleigh’s room.
“I told Cook about the coronation. She’ll sort out the food.”
“It feels strange planning my coronation while Millard is missing.”
“If he wasn’t missing, we wouldn’t be planning it.”
“But still...I just wish it was all resolved, I suppose.”
“The coronation is the ideal time for him to cause trouble. Best hope he stays missing.”
“Do you think he will cause trouble?”
“If he can, he will. Absolutely.”
They eat in silence, thinking about the coronation and Millard. Ginata pushes her food away. “I’m just not hungry.”
Ceryn catches her eye and refuses to look away. Ginata lowers her eyes.
“Boys, you’ll sleep in Macsen’s rooms tonight and us girls will stay here. It’ll be more comfortable. And I know Ceryn will keep us safe.”
“I might go to my room-” Ginata pushes her chair back, ready to stand.
Everleigh cuts her off. “No, Ginata, you can’t. We have to stick together. We cannot risk it, it’s just two days.”
Ginata nods, sits back down, smiles and picks at her food.
“Weaver will be back by then and so we’ll have plenty of reinforcements. If Millard tries anything, we’ll be ready.”
An almighty crash from outside in the courtyard has them all on their feet. Ceryn and Archer grab their swords and rush to the window to see what’s going on. Everleigh grabs hold of Addyson. “What is it?”
“I can’t see anything.”
“What was that noise?”
“I can’t see.”
They all gather at the windows, trying to see what the noise was, when there’s a huge bang as the door into Everleigh’s room slams open. They whip around, Addyson screaming in fear, Archer and Ceryn raising their swords.
Three hooded men stand completely still in the doorway, it’s a petrifying sight.
They take one step forward, so do Ceryn and Archer.
Archer keeps his voice low and calm, “Everleigh. Remember when Will was in your bed...”
He says nothing further but both Everleigh and Will move quickly. When Macsen came to Everleigh’s room to kill her, she escaped through a grate in the wall, Will taking her place, willing to sacrifice his life for hers.
Everleigh drags the trunk away from the wall, Will ushers Addyson forwards. Everleigh pulls the grate away and pushes Addyson through, Della follows her and then Ginata, followed by the teacher and Finn.
“In the name of the King!” Seeing Everleigh make her escape, the hooded men take up the cry and launch themselves at Ceryn and Archer.
“Go Everleigh! Go!”
Everleigh hesitates for a second and Will pushes her into the gap, jumping in after her.
They can hear the clash of swords as they hurry along the hidden corridor.