Secrets & Swords Page 9

  A few hours later, Roguelyn stood looking at herself in the mirror. The dark wig was glued to her head now, and it admittedly looked much more natural. She had paint on her face highlighting her cheekbones and eyes. Her eyebrows had been brushed and trimmed, and her lashes darkened. She wore the green silk dress, with more flounces than was fashionable in her own country. She had shoes on that pinched her toes, but all in all, she looked gorgeous. And she felt like a fraud and very uncomfortable. But there was Galiena, beaming next to her, admiring her work.

  “Now, you finally look presentable!” she straightened out Roguelyn’s skirt. “Let’s present you to the court and get you settled,” she looked up at this point, and saw the panic on Roguelyn’s face. “Oh, don’t worry, you don’t need to know much. I’ll tell them you are from the country, they won’t expect you to know the rules of courtesy,” she assured Roguelyn, misreading the reason for Roguelyn’s panic.

  “Oh no, I know the courtesies,” Roguelyn answered. “I’m just not sure how this is going to work.”

  “It will be fine. No one will question my story, and tomorrow we’ll make a more solid plan.” Then Galiena led her from the room. “Now, don’t call me your Grace. Call me Lady Galiena, or just Galiena. We are family now, and it would be strange for you to address me so formally.” Roguelyn nodded, as Galiena dragged her down one hall and then another, deeper into the castle. They finally entered a large hallway at the end of which stood two large doors. Galiena paused before them, patting her hair, and taking one last appraising look at Roguelyn. With a nod, she signaled the two guards on duty to open the doors, and they stepped through.

  The room beyond was spacious, with golden pillars and golden tiles on the floor. High windows framed in gold made the whole space sparkle and shine. Knots of nobles stood around the room, sipping on glasses of sweet wines and gossiping, lounging on couches set in little seating areas. Roguelyn looked around her in astonishment as she followed Galiena inside. Galiena walked serenely, nodding right and left at her fellow courtiers as she made her way towards the thrones that stood on a dais at the far side of the room.

  Two figures sat in the thrones, one small and slight with golden blonde hair and pale skin. A small circlet of gold sat on her brow. The man next to her had a slight scowl on his face as they approached. He had black hair, a black goatee, and dark, deep set eyes. He was handsome enough, but his demeanor was slightly menacing. Galiena stopped before them and curtsied low. Roguelyn stopped a pace behind her and made the same curtsey.

  King Theodric Hargrave scowled further, but nodded at them when they straightened up, indicating that they should speak.

  “Your Majesty,” Galiena started, motioning Roguelyn forward. “Please, may I present my cousin, Lady Sara Collingwood.” Roguelyn curtsied again, this time remaining in the curtsey until released. The king made her wait, eyeing her up and down before nodding. Roguelyn swallowed hard, feeling his eyes moving along her hips and up to her chest.

  “You may rise, Lady Sara,” his voice was deep, but a hint of a nasal sound crept in. It almost sounded fake, like he was trying hard to sound impressive. Roguelyn stood, clasping her hands in front of her, averting her eyes slightly and looking at the king’s left shoulder. He eyed her appraisingly. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze but resisted the urge to squirm or flee.

  “She is here from the country to experience court life,” Galiena explained. Roguelyn stood in awkward silence, while the king sat, staring. The queen’s smile looked almost pained, but she smiled kindly at Roguelyn none the less.

  “Where in the country are you from, Lady Sara?” the king asked. Galiena jumped in to answer.

  “She’s from around Cando area. She’s ignorant of the ways of court, your Majesty, so please forgive her as she learns,” Galiena curtsied again and Roguelyn followed suit.

  “I’d like to hear her speak for herself,” the king said, as if he was indulging a little girl. Roguelyn bristled but kept herself calm.

  “I can, of course, speak for myself, your Majesty,” she responded demurely. “I am but your humble servant, here to be educated in the ways of the court and bring back some sophistication to my people.” The king nodded at this, and with a wave of his hand, dismissed them. Galiena and Roguelyn backed away slowly together, and soon were far enough away to turn and walk normally. Galiena whispered to Roguelyn conspiratorially.

  “He was sufficiently intrigued by you. You played that well. Now he’ll hopefully take his focus off me and spend his time trying to corrupt the simple country girl,” she had a wicked grin on her face. Roguelyn’s gut twisted. Regardless of Galiena’s motivations, she now had access to the castle, and hopefully her father.

  Chapter 15

  The following morning Galiena asked Roguelyn to join her for breakfast. Roguelyn’s rooms were well appointed, and she had slept the best sleep she’d had in ages, alone in a big bed. Despite her dislike of court life, Roguelyn was grateful for her own space and the luxury of her own bed. Galiena sat across from her, buttering a scone and eyeing Roguelyn as she ate some melon.

  “You really are a natural, you know that?” Roguelyn shot the woman a questioning look. “I don’t want to know your background, but clearly you are so well trained that you can blend in with the servants and the nobility.”

  “Thank you, my lady,” Roguelyn said demurely, a small smile on her lips. It all came down to how she had been raised, not training at all.

  “I need you to seduce and distract the king.” Roguelyn looked up sharply at that, pausing mid chew.

  “Why?” That familiar churning in her gut returned and she put down her fork, wiping her mouth with her embroidered napkin.

  “Because I’m asking you to. And I will pay you handsomely,” Galiena’s voice brooked no argument. So that was what Galiena thought this was. A business arrangement. Roguelyn was dangerously low on funds and if she had money at her disposal, perhaps she could bribe a guard to see her father.

  “Alright,” she nodded, accepting the role.

  “Thank you.”

  They went back to eating their breakfast in peace and Galiena began drilling Roguelyn on her own family tree, making sure Roguelyn was prepared to play her cousin.

  The next few weeks were a whirlwind. Roguelyn spent the mornings in conference with Galiena discussing tactics for distracting the king, learning the ways of this new court or just gossiping about the other court goings on. The afternoons she had to herself, and she often spent them wandering the castle, feigning ignorance about being lost when she was discovered opening a forbidden door, or when she was discovered on a back stair. Soon she knew the lay out of the entire castle, including the grounds, and she began mapping out the space as she had done while training in the military. The only place she had not gained access to was the dungeons which were located below the castle. She had attempted to enter multiple times, at multiple locations, during multiple shifts of guards, but was denied access every time. This had to be where her father was being kept. The evenings were spent at court attending parties and dinners, all of which the king attended, buttering up the royals, and being generous with his coin and his compliments, although Roguelyn could see right through it. Everything he said was fake, empty, but many of the nobles gobbled it up. He had continued his interest in her, but only so far as to eye her from across the room, or engage her in polite conversation.

  At one party, the king had been standing with Roguelyn and Galiena discussing the mining on Galiena’s lands when Roguelyn noticed a black and amber stripped ring on the king’s hand. It seemed familiar to her and as she glanced around the room, Roguelyn noticed a ring on many of the nobleman’s hands. Was it a token of loyalty, of appreciation from the king? Or something else?

  One morning, Roguelyn entered Galiena’s rooms to find her on a rampage.

  Galiena was launching clothing all across her dressing room, tearing through her closets and destroying carefully packed garments. Roguelyn paused in the door, stunned at the
damage the woman was creating. Galiena turned, her face bright red, angry tears streaming down her face, as she glared at Roguelyn.

  “Whatever is the matter, your Grace?” Roguelyn asked, taking a step further in to the room. Galiena screamed through her teeth in rage, throwing a shoe across the room before melting into a chair.

  “I haven’t been honest with you, Sara,” she said, letting out a long, laden sigh. “It’s not just the king’s attention that’s the problem. He has my brother enslaved and is holding me hostage as a way to control him. He won’t let me leave to go back to my lands, and my brother had no choice but to do exactly as he’s told.” Roguelyn sat down next to her on a velveted seat.

  “I had no idea,” she reached out as if to rub Galiena’s back, but the woman leapt to her feet and began pacing.

  “I thought, that maybe, he would choose to be interested in you, and maybe I could convince him that my brother loved you, and he would choose to keep you in court and release me. But he has not believed me so far, despite the whisperings I spread around court.” Roguelyn was stunned. This woman was not just using her, she was trying to trade prisoners with the king. Roguelyn felt betrayed, but as she paused for a moment to think about it, she also understood how this woman must feel, trapped all alone.

  “What is he making your brother do?” Roguelyn asked, trying to keep her tone even, despite how she was feeling.

  “He’s forcing him to enslave our people, forcing them to work in the mines. Even the children, for gods sake! I thought that if I was home, I might be able to make a difference, do something to change it. But instead I’m stuck here attending meaningless parties, and catering to a monster of a man.” She kicked some shoes and a dress piled on the floor in anger. Roguelyn stood and joined her, pacing, her worst imaginings confirmed. King Hargrave was indeed a monster, and her conviction to save her father, to save even Galiena, was strengthened. She turned to Galiena.

  “I think I can help. I’ll be back later,” she returned to her rooms, dressing in her plain brown dress and a riding cloak. She went to the barn and there selected a fast young gelding. She rode out of the castle at a gallop, heading for Hob’s tavern and, hopefully, Liam. As she rode, her mind ran over the details. King Hargrave was just as bad as she had heard, and now the suspicion that she had begun to ponder grew. Did the king have any wives other than Queen Rohesia? What did the rings mean? These were all things she had to ask Henndo and Liam.

  She skidded to a stop in the stable yard, a new stable boy looking up from shoveling hay. He dropped his pitch fork and came running over, grabbing the gelding’s reins and holding him steady so she could jump down. Once on the ground, Roguelyn sprinted inside, barely waving to Mollie or Hob as she flew by. She found Liam in the main room, cleaning his sword by the fire. He glanced up, startled as she came rushing in. She sat down abruptly before him, breathing hard.

  “Well, well, well, Lady Sara has come to grace us with her presence,” he said in a tiny mocking tone. She scowled at him and he cracked a smile.

  “I think I can help you,” she said, feeling a bit embarrassed for coming to him at all. But he was currently her best bet at finding help. He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Oh really? How can you help me?” She dismissed his mocking tone and continued.

  “The Duchess Galiena is being held against her will. She says that the king is holding her ransom in order to keep her brother in line, and to keep him enslaving his own people.” The anger and hatred for what the king was doing continued to boil inside. “Her original plan was to trade me for her, so that she could make a difference at home, save her people. But the king is not taking the bait. I need your help to get close to the king. I think I have a decent chance at killing him if I can seduce him.” Liam sat up straighter at this revelation, frowning.

  “That’s my mission, not yours,” he said defensively.

  “I know that but…” He wouldn’t let her finish.

  “No, no buts. This is my mission. You stick to your mission and I’ll stick to mine.” Roguelyn saw the determination in his eyes and knew she would not change his mind.

  “Fine. Then I need your help,” she passed a piece of paper across the table to him. “This is a detailed map of the castle. I cannot get into the dungeons, but I think you might be able to. I need you to find out if my- if Duke Ashdown, is there.” Liam took the paper, unfolding it and studying it.

  “Have you tried bribing the guards yet?” She shook her head.

  “Not yet, but I plan to try that tonight.” Liam nodded, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

  “I think I can help,” he said, looking down and tracing the passages on the map with his finger. “But you’ll need to help me in a different way,” he added lazily, smiling at her.

  “What is it?” she asked, her voice short and clipped, showing her impatience.

  “You have to take me to a ball,” he said this as if it wasn’t the strangest request she’d ever heard.

  “What?” she said, unsure what he wanted.

  “You need to take me as your guest to a ball. I’m sure the king is throwing one soon, and I will be your guest.” Roguelyn looked at him, opened mouthed. He smiled at her mischievously.

  “Okay…” Roguelyn answered. “Why?”

  “Because I want to see how the nobility live. Besides, it will give me an excuse to be in the castle at night.” Roguelyn nodded, his plan beginning to make sense.

  “Fine. There is a ball next week. I will send you an invitation.” Liam nodded and stuffed the map into his pocket.

  “I’m off to get a new set of clothing fit for the king.” He abruptly stood, sheathing his sword and stalking off out the door. Roguelyn sat there, alone, engulfed in her thoughts. When she left, she forgot to be vigilant of her surroundings, and as she slowly walked her horse out of the stable yard and into the street, she didn’t happen to notice the dark figure in the alley way.

  Suddenly she was yanked off her horse, a knife held to her throat. She struggled to draw breath, let alone scream, as her attacker pinned her hands behind her back. She squirmed for a moment, trying to see if she could get to the knife she always carried hidden in her bodice, but realized it was no use. For preservation, she relaxed, allowing her assailant to think she had given in.

  Out of the shadows, a second figure approached, and she recognized the dark-eyed rogue from the castle gardens and the marketplace. The king of the thieves, if Henndo was correct. His dark hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail behind his head, his eyes almost swallowing her, but his handsome mouth was turned up in a grin as he approached. The man behind her retreated as she backed against the alleyway wall, pressing her hands to the cold stone. For a brief moment she was reminded of another time she had been backed into a corner, the feeling of warm blood cascading down her hands making her shiver. But the rogue’s voice pulled her back to the present and she watched him approach.

  “Well. Isn’t this a surprise?” he said, his voice silky smooth. “You seem to be back to your natural form, my dear.” His smile both chilled her and gave her thrills, butterflies kicking in her stomach.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.” He smirked and came up close to her, lightly pressing his body against hers as he reached behind her and freed one of her hands from the stone. He pulled her hand forward and turned it palm up, tracing the calluses from her handling a sword with his fingertips. Roguelyn yanked her hand back, despite the fact that his touch sent a delicious warmth into her core. Why was someone so dangerous, so attractive?

  “I’m Hawkin Blackburn. Who, may I ask, are you?” he stepped back and executed a little bow, his scent wafting over her. It was a pleasant mix of leather and sweat, now mixed with horses and fresh cut grass. Roguelyn stiffened, trying not to let his charm overwhelm her.

  “It’s none of your business.” She retorted. He smiled, his white teeth shining.

  “As you wish,” he responded. He leaned in close, his breath caressing her cheek, and s
he reddened, desire starting deep in her belly. “I’ll see you again, Lady Sara.” She flinched. How did everyone know who she was pretending to be? He brushed his lips along her jaw, and she clenched her teeth against the sensation, closing her eyes. As he drew away from her, she remained there, with her eyes closed.

  When she heard him leave, his crony following along, she opened her eyes, coming back to the present. She pressed her hand to her cheek, guilt etched on her face. She looked around, hoping that no one was there to see her embarrassment at falling for such a man. She quickly mounted her horse and rode off towards the castle, her mind wandering, imagining the different scenarios in which Hawkin found her again.

  Chapter 16

  The following week Galiena was still in a foul mood. Although Roguelyn had done her best to soothe her and convince Galiena that she would try to seduce the king. She had seen the king three times since the day Galiena told her about his atrocities, and each time Roguelyn had made sure to mention Galiena’s brother, Tybout Collingwood. But the king seemed only mildly interested in Roguelyn, and not because of her supposed connection to the Collingwoods. He flirted with her and once tried to get her to come with him on a private tour of his gardens, but she politely declined, saying she wanted to comfort her cousin. Despite her desire to save her father and Galiena, the idea of being alone with the king disgusted her. The king was gracious, but she had a hard time stomaching his deceit.

  Roguelyn had received word from Liam, identifying a guard that was susceptible to bribery. His name was Eugene, and Roguelyn found him dicing in Hob’s tavern with Liam one night. She and Liam were able to convince him to let them down into the dungeons the night of the ball, and Roguelyn had paid him half his bribe. The other half he would get once they’d successfully gone down into the dungeons and freed her father. Roguelyn continued to keep that a secret from Liam. No one needed to know how she was related to the Duke, just that she needed to rescue him. She wasn’t entirely sure why she kept it a secret, but a part of her knew that if Liam knew she was a nobleman’s daughter and not a trained spy, he wouldn’t help her, and would treat her very differently.