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ARCHER TAKES A STEP forward when he sees Millard slice his brother’s head clean off; time to end this now; this upset and this madness, but Ginata’s warning is still in his head. Can he trust her? If she is anything like Halfreda, if her visions are true, then yes. He must leave. He does not want to die. He is not a coward and he cannot help Everleigh if he is dead, but he may as well be dead if he cannot help her. Determined, regardless, he turns towards the carnage on the dais and as he does, he feels the crack as someone crashes something heavy into the back of his head and he collapses onto the ground. The crowd are too busy watching the spectacle on the dais to even notice as Brett drags him by his feet and tucks him next to the stable, leaving him there alone.
Millard wipes the bloody sword on his cloak, his brother’s blood dripping onto the floor, and roars at the crowd. “I will be King of the Realm and if anyone doesn’t like that idea, they are welcome to take it up with me. Right now.” He holds out his sword, a maniacal look on his face. Addyson is screaming behind him, but held so tightly by Millard’s henchman Wolf, it is a wonder she can breathe.
No one stands up or speaks out to argue against this mad man.
Halfreda is shaking, Ginata holding her hand and shaking just as much. Neither of them knows what to do.
Millard turns to face them, sword still aloft. They both shrink back as far as they can without falling off the dais, both too frightened to run away.
“Halfreda. You were saying?” Millard laughs at his own wit, though no one else joins in. The mood is strange, quiet. The entire crowd is silent. People on the front row are pushing their chairs back, as quietly and surreptitiously as they can, so he doesn’t turn his rage on them. Nobody wants to be here but no one is brave enough to leave.
Halfreda opens her mouth but no sound comes out.
“Come on Halfreda, don’t let me down.” Millard moves closer to them, places his sword at Halfreda’s throat.
“You do not need to threaten me.” Her voice is stronger than she looks.
He drops his sword, contrite. “Sorry Halfreda. The madness has gone to my head.”
Halfreda lets go of Ginata’s hand and moves closer to Millard. “What has happened to you?”
He shrugs. “Kill or be killed, Halfreda. I knew all about my brother’s scheme. His plan to kill me today. I know he got the death draught off her.” He gestures to Ginata and she turns white. She doesn’t want his focus on her. She doesn’t want to be the next one on his list.
Millard turns to the crowd again. “Don’t you want a King who will fight? Who will win?”
A few brave souls call out no, but more shout yes. Millard laughs and raises his sword to the sky. “My brother would have killed me. He killed my father. He killed my sister. I have saved myself.”
When he says it like that Halfreda almost agrees with his actions, can see the logic in what he’s done.
“Besides,” he yells to the crowd, “he saved me a job. I wanted to be King. I was trying to work out how it could be done, and then my good friend here helped me out.” He gestures at Wolf, who grins as he bows his head. “He told me of my brother’s plot and so I sat back and let my brother carry on. I let Macsen do my dirty work, put my father and my sister out of the picture. It was all too easy really.”
Halfreda shakes her head and moves back next to Ginata. This is something nobody could have foreseen and she is desperately searching the crowd for Archer, for Everleigh, for anyone who could help.
Millard walks over to his little sister. She shrinks back from him, huddles into Wolf, obviously petrified of her brother, panicking that she is next.
“I’m so sorry little Addy. You are safe. I wish you no harm, but I had to kill the others. I have to be King.”
Addyson has her eyes closed, refusing to even look at him.
“Wolf, tie her up. I want her to see this.”
Halfreda says nothing but is flooded with relief. She thought he might kill all his siblings; be done with it. She is so happy that Addyson will live and while this week, and this day especially, will have long lasting effects, Everleigh being alive to look after her should make a big difference.
Millard addresses Halfreda again. “Please, continue.”