Elea grabbed the imp by the collar of his shirt. “You will hide, and no matter what happens, do not come out!”
She let him go and he stumbled backward, looking up at her in horror. “Run and hide, Brently. If they catch you, they will kill you.”
This time the boy didn’t hesitate. He ran into the dark shadows. She waited until she could no longer hear his light footfalls, then she drew her dagger.
15
MATTEO
They met with no resistance in Bourgoy, though the province had not been a part of Sania since his grandfather’s reign. Instead, they were met with cheers, as if they were some military parade prancing through the streets. City after city, the cheers and crowds only grew. The weight of the invisible crown he wore pressed down on him. Matteo had come for Nora. Not for these people. Yet they were his people. They trusted him. They believed that he, their king, would make their lives better. That he would save them from the aggression of the Kaulish king and his endless taxations.
As he waved to a little girl, he made a promise to himself that he would be that king.Afterhe saved Nora.
The entire army moved a snail’s pace until dusk, when General de Flores gave the order to make camp near a small river. Matteo was glad to get out of the saddle. He led his horse to the water and allowed him to drink. Then he tied the reins to a tree and washed his own face. Cupping his hands, he swallowed the cool river water.
By the time he came back to the encampment, his tent had already been erected. Xavier stood beside it, with a rolled letter in his hands. The bird who delivered it perched on his shoulder. It took all of Matteo’s control not to wrest it from him. “What news from our informant in the palace?”
“It is confirmed that the Urkan princess is Nora and that she has refused to marry the dauphin. King Pierre has locked her up in the dungeons and threatened to kill her in the next day or two if she doesn’t marry the dauphin. We won’t reach her in time.”
Matteo gritted his teeth, his stomach roiling. Nora would choose death over betrayal. “How long until we can arrive at the palace?”
His friend sighed and shook his head. “Six or seven days, and that is if we don’t encounter any resistance.”
She would be dead at the rate the entire army was traveling. He needed to go faster.
“Tell the Thirteenth and the Thirty-Second Cavalry units to saddle up,” Matteo said, swallowing. “We will ride as an advanced guard. The rest of the army can follow behind us on foot with the wagons and supplies.”
Xavier set down the paper. “But it’s already getting dark. It’s too late to break camp.”
Matteo sheathed his sword. “Then we’d better hurry, for I intend on attacking the fortress of Nance tonight. We will sleep in their castle and drink their wine.”
“It’s a good plan, but shouldn’t we work out the details first? Most of these men have never seen battle. You expect them to attack a well-defended fort in the middle of the night? It could be a massacre.”
“I expect them to follow their king.”
“Your obsession with Nora is making you reckless,” Xavier said, touching his arm. “You are our king. Your life is more important than any of ours.”
He shook his head. “I would never ask my soldiers to do something that I am not willing to do myself.”
Matteo found General de Flores and repeated his orders. She gave him a brief nod before resaddling her horse and yelling commands. He saddled his own horse and carefully packed his gear and weapons. He would need them to be easily accessible.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, Matteo led the two cavalry companies at a brisk trot. He longed to gallop, but he didn’t want to lame any of the horses. They still had nearly twenty miles to ride before they reached the end of Bourgoy province and the historical border between Sania and Kaul. Nance Château, an old castle that was more of a fortress, was based there and held several companies of men. It was the strongest military holding in the southern part of Kaul. It would be their first major resistance. He hoped both he and his soldiers were ready for it.
16
ELEA
Adagger against an army.
Elea wanted to run and to hide. But there was nowhere to go. No one to help her. No way out of this stone castle. Or the castle that she’d built around her own heart. She’d wanted people to love her, but she’d never let them inside the walls. She’d allowed Nora to be captured in her place, and she’d sent Gerard away after ruthlessly using him. Now she would face the wrath of her uncle Laird Lochdon alone.
Her whole body trembled as she stepped over the bodies of the stable boys. Their blood. Their precious souls were on her hands. She would have to give an accounting for their deaths in the next world. She prayed Màthair would be merciful to the boys and to her. With each step, her body shook harder. She could barely hold the dagger in her hand. But she didn’t want to appear before her enemies weak and without a weapon.
When she opened the door to the courtyard, she saw that it was full of soldiers wearing the green uniform of Urka, the golden trigon embroidered across their chests. They should have beenherarmy, not her enemies. Holding her head high, she strode into the courtyard. Her dagger was still in her hand, but no one touched her. They watched her and her violet hair with the usual suspicion and trepidation—the scent of sweat and blood and hate.
And then she saw them. Mother Walsh. The serving girls. The maids. They were all dead and heaped in a pile like they were nothing more than sacks of wheat. Father Camran’s head was severed from his body, and she watched two soldiers impale it on a long pike. She saw the soldiers cut off the heads of the two other men that had helped her lift the drawbridge. They had died trying to save her.
Elea fell to her knees and dry heaved. Over and over again.