Secrets & Swords Read online

  “So, you know the traitor Liam,” he said this as a statement, no question in his voice. Roguelyn’s stomach clenched. He must know, at least some of it.

  “Yes, your Majesty. I know him, but not well.”

  “I doubt that. The man that I had follow you said you were very friendly with him.” Roguelyn searched for an answer that would make sense.

  “I know the bard, Henndo very well as he’s stayed in my castle before to play. He introduced me to Liam and I think that Liam might have feelings for me.” She held her breath as she finished, praying he bought the lie.

  “I see.” The king turned back towards the window.

  She watched as he removed something from his pocket. It was a silver knife, with pretty filigree on the hilt. He fiddled with it, using it to clean beneath his nails as he turned back towards her. He began pacing around the room, and the closer he got to her, the more and more nervous she became. The silence stretched thin.

  “You see, Lady Sara, I checked into who you are and it seems Galiena is the only person in your family who has heard of you.” He came to stand behind her. Roguelyn stiffened, one of her hands cautiously going to the knife she always kept hidden in her bodice. “Your so-called lover, Galiena’s brother, had no idea who you were the first time I wrote to him. So not only are you not a noble, you are a liar, a fraud, and perhaps you colluded with a traitor in order to lose me my hostage.”

  He said these last few words forcefully as his left arm went around her shoulders and across her chest, pulling her back against him. Roguelyn pulled her own knife free but kept it low and out of his sight as he brought his knife up to her throat. She swallowed hard, the prick causing her to shy away from the blade. She didn’t yet know how this would play out. The king’s hot breath was in her ear, stirring the small hairs there.

  “Who are you?” he said, hissing in her ear. Roguelyn had no true answer, and she had no idea what she was going to do to get out of this, but she knew she had to do something. She said the first thing to come to her mind that was close to the truth.

  “I’m just a servant girl! Galiena hired me to play her cousin. She didn’t tell me the true purpose of her plans for me until it was too late. I’m sorry, your Majesty, I didn’t think I had a choice!” She let her real fear slip into her voice, making it tremble. It was at least mostly true. The king tightened his grip for a moment before releasing her.

  “Ah, so you are a nobody. A serving girl.” Those words sent a chill down Roguelyn’s spine. It meant she was expendable. She had just made a grave mistake. “You won’t mind serving me then.” The king came back around her, his eyes on her face and not on her hand with the knife. His own knife he set down on a nearby table before coming in close to her, his hand unlacing his pants. He reached for her, beginning to untie her bodice as he reached inside his pants. Fear rose fast and fierce in Roguelyn, as she was transported back to the night she’d killed Cole. She smelled the alcohol and sweat and the soap she’d used to wash with. She remembered the pieces of her first night with this man. She knew she couldn’t survive that again, despite her declaration to Liam and Hawkin that she could.

  Without her consciously making the decision to, her hand moved forward, much like it had with Cole, and the knife plunged deep into his chest. She angled the blade upwards and twisted as she’d been taught in the army. The king’s face contorted, his hands tangled in the laces of her bodice. He looked at her, confusion and disbelief on his face. He began to fall away from her, his eyes going down to the knife sticking out of his chest, but his hands were tangled and he fell heavily, pulling Roguelyn half on top of him. Panic began to overtake her once again, she had to get away. She pushed herself frantically off of him, desperately untangling his still grasping fingers. She hoped the guards outside hadn’t heard the king fall, and as she pulled away from him, she grabbed a nearby cushion and forced it over his face.

  He was a big man, and he flailed, thumping the floor in his efforts to dislodge her, but Roguelyn’s time spent in the military taught her how to use his strength and weight against him. Soon his movements slowed and became jerky, and eventually they stopped all together. It had been a rather silent affair, and more gruesome than Roguelyn could anticipate. She sat back, leaning against the nearby couch and looked at his lifeless body while her own vacillated between hot and cold. Her stomach threatened to rebel and she swallowed hard. Her hands shook as she looked down at the blood coating them.

  While her immediate danger was gone, it created a whole host of other problems. She looked down at the king’s body and knew she needed a plan. She stood and crossed the room to his bedroom and opened the door. She went to his bathing chamber and rinsed the blood from her hands. Once back in his front room, she took a deep breath and acted quickly, rolling his body up in the rug he had just bled out on and began dragging him into his bedroom. She lifted him bit by bit until she was able to roll his body onto the bed and cover him with the blankets. She shut the curtains, and extinguished all the candles. With luck, the servants wouldn’t find him until morning.

  She straightened her dress, lacing the bodice, checking herself for remaining blood, and was grateful she’d chosen to wear red that night. She closed the doors to the king’s bedroom and made her way back to the front door. She paused to take his silver knife which she hid up her sleeve in case she needed it. Then she took a deep breath before going out the door closing it softly behind her, as if she didn’t want to disturb anyone. Then she turned to the two guards on either side.

  “The king was complaining of a headache. I’ve made sure he is comfortably in bed. He doesn’t wish to be disturbed until morning.” She smiled at them with a look of what she hoped appeared to be concern and pity. “You understand?” The guards looked at each other before nodding. With that, she walked away, her back straight, resisting the urge to run until she was around the corner and out of sight and sound. Then she sprinted to her rooms, walking only when servants approached. Back inside her rooms she began changing as quickly as possible. She’d have to sneak out and hope Hawkin would find her, because if they found the king, the first place they’d look was here. She was throwing a few items into her bag when there was a knock at her door. She froze in panic, listening.

  There was no jingle of armor, no voices calling for her arrest. She cautiously went to the door and cracked it open. Hawkin stood there, and when she saw his face she practically melted into him. He pushed his way inside, taking her with him.

  “What happened?” he said his hands clutching her tight. Roguelyn breathed in deep, letting his scent anchor her. Then she pulled away and continued packing.

  “I killed the king.” Hawkin froze, staring at her.

  “What did you just say?” his voice was cold.

  “I killed the king,” Roguelyn repeated. “I didn’t exactly mean to, but it happened and now I need to get out. Like right now.” She pulled closed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Hawkin still stared at her in disbelief.

  “Do you know how many people have attempted that very thing and failed?” Roguelyn walked forward and grabbed his arm.

  “No, and I don’t care. We need to go now.” He followed her out the door and down the hall before taking the lead. They slipped down some stairs and out onto the castle grounds. Quickly and quietly they ran towards the king’s garden. There, Hawkin took her towards the densest part where she hoped there was a way out.

  Chapter 24

  Hawkin stopped running as the castle walls loomed above them, turning towards Roguelyn. He eyed her thoughtfully.

  “Look, I can help you get out of the city, and I can even help you find Liam, but I can’t go any farther.” Roguelyn looked at him, understanding. She itched to move, but she knew she needed to say a proper goodbye to this man who had helped her so much.

  “I know. You have your own kingdom to run.” Hawkin nodded, grateful she understood. Roguelyn reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. He stepped in close, his arms encircling her
waist as he looked down at her from his tall height. He was a good foot or more taller than she was. “Thank you so much for helping me. It’s not something I’ll forget.” He leaned down and kissed her softly, and then harder, more urgently. She melted in to him, trying for a moment to drown out the voices in her head telling her to run, and the replaying of killing the king. A few moments passed before they both came back up for air.

  “Are you going to tell me who you really are?” he asked, and his question caught Roguelyn off guard. But then she realized, that as a practiced liar himself, he must have seen the duplicitousness in her. She shook her head slowly, wondering if he could keep her secret.

  “The duke we’re going to save is my father.” His eyebrows raised in astonishment, and a smile came to his face.

  “So, I really have been cavorting with a noble woman?” He grinned at her as she began to laugh. It felt good to have that secret off her chest and the laugh bubbled up, making her feel a bit lighter.

  “My name is Roguelyn,” she said.

  “Nice to finally meet you, Lady Roguelyn.” With that he lifted her off her feet and planted a big kiss on her lips. When he finally put her down, she was out of breath and laughing again. Then he grabbed her hand and winked at her. “Now, let’s find your father and get you both home.” She nodded and followed him as he helped her up into a tree whose branches over-shadowed the wall.

  Once they were outside the castle walls, they ran deeper into the city, hoping distance would give them more time before the king’s men began looking for them.

  Hawkin led her to a stable behind a tavern she’d never been in before. Here he picked two horses for them. They mounted and headed out of the city. As the midnight bells rang behind them, they crossed into the countryside. Roguelyn felt the tension draining out of her as they made their way down a smaller side road, out to the west of the city. She was traveling farther away from her home, but hopefully closer to her father.

  “Liam is hiding in a copse of trees about a mile from here,” Hawkin called over his shoulder to her. She nodded and slowed her horse to a trot. He saw her slow and slowed as well, until they were riding alongside one another.

  “Please don’t tell Liam about my father,” she said, worry etching her face. She pushed her brown hair out of her eyes, and looked over at Hawkin. “I want to tell him myself, in my own time.” Hawkin reached out and squeezed her hand.

  They rode into the copse of trees a half an hour later, a small campfire burning at its center, well hidden from the road. Liam and Henndo sat around the fire and they both leapt to their feet as Hawkin and Roguelyn rode into the clearing. Liam had his sword drawn, but he lowered it when he saw who it was. They both ran forward to take the horses’ reins as Hawkin and Roguelyn dismounted. Roguelyn hugged Henndo fiercely, as Liam grudgingly shook Hawkin’s hand.

  “Are you alright?” Henndo asked, pulling away from Roguelyn and looking at her critically. She shook her head briefly, but patted him on the back before walking away from him. She walked up to Liam, and with a little hesitation, gave him a hug as well. It was a brief moment before his arms went around her too and his head bent down to rest atop hers. They stayed like that a moment longer than necessary before Roguelyn broke away. Liam seemed to let go reluctantly, but he did so and stepped back. Roguelyn looked up at Hawkin, who had a slightly bemused expression on his face.

  “What?” she asked as she stepped towards him. He smiled down at her and cupped her face in his hand.

  “You’re an interesting woman. And I am so grateful I got to be a part of your adventure, even for this brief time.” He kissed her on the lips softly. Then pulled her in for a final hug.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled into his chest, her throat searing with unshed tears. He kissed the top of her head before letting go. He looked up at Liam, a serious look on his face.

  “Take care of her.” Liam nodded once, his face set. Hawkin gave Roguelyn one last lingering look before he hopped up onto his horse and rode away into the darkness. Roguelyn felt a lump growing in her chest and she kept her back to the other two men, a few tears falling down her cheeks. Henndo was the first to speak after a few minutes of silence had lapsed. He came up behind her and placed an arm around her shoulders.

  “He is a good man,” he said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. “Now, let’s go find that Duke!” Roguelyn nodded, wiping away the tears and turning towards the fire. Liam stood there, his arms loose at his sides, a look of helplessness on his face. It only lasted a moment before he schooled his features and turned back to the fire.

  “I found out the wagon left three hours ago,” Liam said as he began to put the fire out. Roguelyn nodded, sniffing loudly. Liam ignored her and continued. “We should be able to catch them if we head back towards the main road. This side road we are on joins with the main road in 10 miles. If we hurry, we should be able to intercept the wagon, as it’s going to be traveling more slowly.” They all helped pack up the camp and put out the fire. Then they mounted and rode out, Roguelyn shooting one last look over her shoulder at the way Hawkin had gone.

  Liam led the way, Roguelyn settling in for the ride, her mind preoccupied with worries and concerns. She worried about saving her father, about what Liam would think when he knew the truth about her, about what would happen once he knew about the king, and what would happen once the country found out their king was dead. She hoped desperately that Rohesia would remain on the throne. Roguelyn doubted the queen would continue the war and she seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders. She felt little to no relief now that the king was dead. There was still such a long road stretching ahead of her. Henndo watched her as he rode alongside her. Finally, he reached out to tap her shoulder. She looked at him startled.

  “Are you alright? What happened back there?” Roguelyn smiled at him weakly. She felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on her shoulders.

  “It’s hard to explain. But I killed the king.” Her voice reached Liam riding ahead of her and he turned quickly in his saddle, pulling his horse’s reins sharply to the side, causing the horses to swerve to avoid one another. They all skidded to a halt.

  “What did you just say?” Liam’s voice was angry and loud.

  “I said I killed the king,” Roguelyn said, defiance creeping in to her voice. “You weren’t going to be able to do it, so I did.” That wasn’t entirely true, but he had no right to be angry at her.

  “That was my mission, Roguelyn, and far too dangerous.” His tone was sharp.

  “I know it was your mission, but I didn’t really have a choice. It was kill him, or let him rape me again, and I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice a second time,” she snapped back. Liam’s face went white and he abruptly turned around to face forward in his saddle. It was a moment before he urged his horse onward, the others following. Roguelyn’s chest collapsed a bit at his reaction. Was he really angry that she had killed the king instead of letting him rape her? Did he not understand she had no choice? Henndo reached over and squeezed her forearm.

  “You did what you needed to do to survive. And none of that was your fault. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way.” His words were comforting, but she still felt like somehow this was punishment for killing Cole back at the camp on the border. She would always question whether it was right. That man had wanted to rape her, but she had killed him in cold blood, without a second thought. At least with the king she had some sense of what she was doing, and she felt vindicated in it because he had already violated her once.

  They rode on in near silence, the only sounds the clip clop of the horses’ hooves on the road. Roguelyn tried to enjoy the darkened landscape around her, but all she saw was darkness lit by the crisp moonlight of a winter night. The temperature had dropped and she was shivering. Henndo dug in his bag as they rode and pulled out a warm cloak which he offered to her. She accepted gratefully and slid into it, relishing the soft warmth it provided.

  Roguelyn spent the ride playing t
he king’s death over and over in her head. She wondered if she had also killed the leader of the cult, and if, with his death, the cult would die too, and potentially, the enslavement of women and children. She wondered about Galiena and her brother and their people. But this was not something she would learn about now. It could be weeks or months before she found out the outcome and effects of her choices.

  Liam never turned around to look at her until they were approaching a long bend in the road turning north. Liam slowed to a walk, Henndo and Roguelyn rode up on either side of him. He pulled his horse off the road and into the trees, the others following. Liam led them through the trees away from the road they had been on until they could see the main kingdom road on the other side of the copse.

  There they dismounted and tied up their horses. Liam squatted down, his sword between his knees, tip in the hard earth. It was late autumn now and the ground was half frozen. Roguelyn stretched, rubbing her hands together for warmth, and dug her sword out of her saddlebag. Henndo nudged her and she looked down to see a bread roll stuffed with cheese and nuts in his hand. She gratefully accepted, realizing she hadn’t eaten since that morning. She ate while she paced, loosening her cramped riding muscles. Liam refused to look up at her and she began to worry. Finally, she couldn’t take the silence any longer.

  “What’s the plan?” she said, stopping behind him, her free hand on her hip. Liam glanced back towards her before returning to stare at the road.

  “We wait.” She scowled.