“Yet you showed no mercy to Nora,” he said. Her hand tightened its hold on his to the point of pain, but he was not going to let the Kauls go unscathed. “The two hundred thousand gold crowns will be distributed to the members of my army by rank. I have ensured that they have not pillaged or bothered your countrymen. Once the money has been paid in full and a new treaty signed, we shall return to Sania.”
“And if we do not agree to your terms?” the dauphin asked between clenched teeth.
“Then I will kill you.”
The dauphin’s eyes turned first to his mother and then to Nora for approval. Matteo saw Nora nod slowly. The dauphin outstretched his hand. “I agree to your terms, Your Majesty, and look forward to better relations between our two countries in the future.”
Matteo couldn’t release his sword, so he reluctantly dropped Nora’s hand to shake the new King of Kaul’s hand. “My men will stay in the palace until our negotiations are completed.”
The dauphin dropped his hand as if it were on fire. “Very well.”
Matteo brought two fingers to his lips and whistled. Turning to face his cavalry, he held up his sword. They cheered. He waited for them to quiet before speaking. “We will stay at Haute-Rhône Palace until our treaty is signed. General de Flores, please make sure that His Royal Highness, King Alexandre, and his mother, Queen Maria, are well taken care of. Captain Zaltana, your soldiers will be tasked with guarding the exterior of the palace. Captain Ibanez, your company will break up into small units and search the entire palace. Bring everyone you find into the throne room for questioning.”
General de Flores kneeled down before him. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Both Captain Zaltana and Captain Ibanez placed their hands on their hearts and nodded.
Someone yelled, “All hail King Matteo!”
Like the swell of a wave, the sounds of the cheers rolled over him. Nora added her voice to theirs. “All hail King Matteo!”
27
ELEA
The black mist that caused the Dark Channel to have its name began to spread toward them. The waves became higher and higher until Elea had to hold on to the side of the boat or she would have fallen out. Still, the darkness made her recall all the evil in her own soul. Every sharp word she’d uttered at Nora. Every spiteful act. Her burning eyes turned to Gerard and her mind filled with the image on his face when he’d first understood her betrayal. And yet he had come back and saved her. Could he still care for her? It was unfathomable.
“We will have to dock,” Gerard yelled over the sounds of the growing tempest. “The storm is too strong for this boat.”
Her grandmother helped him lower the sail and tie the ropes to the only mast. Elea didn’t know what to do or how to help. Her ribs ached with each breath and her arm smarted whenever she moved it. How was she going to fulfill the prophecy when she could barely stand?
A wave swept over the top of the boat and drenched them. Elea shivered underneath her wet blanket. She felt coldness all the way to her bones.
Why did everything have to be so hard?
Why was she dependent upon a man she’d used and discarded?
Why did her hands long to touch him and her lips to kiss him?
He hated her now. She could see it in his eyes and smell it on his skin.
Gerard steered the boat, with only the lowered sail, toward a sandy beach. It must have been the safest place to go to shore, for it was growing dark.
“Brace yourselves,” he yelled.
When the small boat hit the sand, the jar of the impact sent Elea sliding across the wet deck, dropping her grandmother’s book, and into Gerard’s boots. He put a hand on her injured shoulder.
“Ow!”
He instantly released her and then hopped over the side of the boat. His feet splashed in the low water. Holding out his hand, he helped her grandmother out of the ship.
“Hurry, Elea!” he said.
The tide was rolling back to the channel and the boat began to move with it. Elea looked around the wooden floor for her grandmother’s small book of prophecies, but she couldn’t see it. She tried to stand up and slipped on her wet dress. Falling hard onto the deck, she pulled herself to standing by holding on to the side of the ship. Two strong hands grasped her around the waist and hauled her out of it. Her feet sunk into the wet sand of the beach. Gerard released her so abruptly that she teetered on her feet again and fell back on her bottom, making a large splash. He offered her his hand again, but she did not take it. Instead, she crawled out of the shallow water onto the beach like a wet cat.
Elea longed to lay in the sand and let the water and the waves cover her up. But she’d spent her whole life feeling sorry for herself and it hadn’t done her a lick of good. She managed to get to her feet once again. Every part of her body felt bruised and broken. The small book must have been swept into the channel.
“What do we do now?” Elea asked.