The Contract (21 page)

“There are ways to get rid of it,” she said easily. “I’ve done it myself a time or two. I probably wouldn’t do that now, since none of my children lived. Other than you, of course.”

I stepped away from her, my hand automatically going to my belly. “I’d never let you do that!”

“Oh, dear, I wasn’t going to ask you,” Ophelia trilled, amused. “You’re my daughter and all, and that’s nice, but I’m a Queen and you’re just a silly girl. I don’t want a child as much as I want power.” She gave me a cold smile. “In that way Walter and I are well suited.”

I had my knife in my hand before I realized I was going for it. “You make one sound, and I’ll put a hole in your throat,” I hissed at my mother.

The Queen’s eyes widened, but then she smiled. “Oh, I suppose I should have suspected something like this, given who raised you.”

I narrowed my eyes, but then decided that was sort of a compliment. “Yes, you should have expected I wouldn’t be a snake like you.” I touched the tip of the sharp little dagger to her neck.

Her smug expression faded a little. “Where did you get that knife?” she asked.

I said slowly, my brain racing as to what I should do now, “From Papa.”

“That’s…it can’t be.”

I ignored her for the moment. Could I possibly use her to get out of here? Was there any chance that would succeed?

She was still stammering. “Precipice,” she said softly. I was moving around behind her, the knife still at her throat.

“What?” I said, focusing.

“The knife you have. It’s called Precipice. It’s legendary. It’s said to be alive in a way, to desire revenge. When Walter became King, we searched the treasury for it but you had it all along. Be careful daughter, lest it hurt me.”

I gaped at her. “I think you’re in more trouble from my desires, not that of the knife.” I was starting to think Queen Ophelia was quite possibly crazy.

She was looking less confident each second. Suddenly she whipped her hand around and hit my knife arm with a stinging blow. I almost lost my grip on the knife, and struggled to keep my hand tight on it while Ophelia jabbed her other elbow into my stomach. I was thrown back, and the knife in my hand slid deeply into Ophelia’s throat.

The Queen gurgled and collapsed against me, her life’s blood spraying in an arc to my right, covering my hand and most of that side of the tent. I struggled not to scream as the knife slid back out and the Queen fell to the floor, dead.

I simply stood there for an unknown amount of minutes, breathing heavily, spots darkening my vision. I’d thought to use her to escape, but that was impossible now. I’d killed her. Dear God in heaven, I’d killed my own mother. The bloody knife seemed warm in my hand, and I thoughtlessly wiped it off and put it back in the sheath.

There’s no telling how long I would have stood there had a respectful voice not called into the tent. “Queen Ophelia? There is a man to see you and the Princess. He says he’s part of the Princess’ personal guard.”

I swallowed and looked at my mother on the floor. So this was it. He’d come in, thinking to be my guard, and find the Queen dead at my feet. He’d take me and Walter would have me slain. There could be no other outcome. I thought of Max briefly yet said, “Yes, send him in.”

As he came in I turned to face him. He was in full armor except for the helm, which he carried under his arm. Fine chain mail covered his head in a hood, hiding his hair. But it didn’t matter because I would have known those eyes anywhere. I stared at him. Then I filled my lungs, and he leapt at me, covering my mouth with his hand, his other arm snaking around me.

“Quiet, wife,” he hissed at me. He looked down. “What has happened here?”

I was shaking so hard I couldn’t see. “I…she…Max!”

He pulled me tightly against him. “Hush. Did you kill her?“I nodded, still shivering.

“Then we had best leave,” he said lightly.

“Compose yourself so we aren’t suspected.“I took a deep breath and forced myself to concentrate on him. Even if we both died now, at least I got to see him again. It was something, anyway. “Max,” I whispered. “Walter wants you dead. He won’t compromise with you.”

“I understand,” Max said. “Now, Princess, it’s time for you to act royal. Put that nose in the air. We’re going to leave here, and you tell the guards that Queen Ophelia directed that no one is to bother her until Walter returns. I need you to be convincing. Can you do it?”

I looked up at his slate gray eyes and said, “Will you ever forgive me for all this?”

Max quirked a smile. “You think to bargain with me? Now?” He touched my cheek. “Get us out of here, and I’ll think about it.”

I nodded and faced the tent opening, while Max moved the queen gingerly, so she looked to be lying on the bed. He used a piece of clothing to wipe the blood off his hands. “Go ahead, Katrina. And make it good,” he said, moving to stand behind me.

I went to the tent opening and stepped out. “My mother is resting and directs me to tell you that she isn’t to be disturbed by anyone but my father, the King.” I felt more than saw Max follow me silently. The guard looked uncertain. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Where is my other guard?” I said, wanting him to think of something else. “I was told I would have two.”

“My l—Princess, I don’t know.”

“Then go find out,” I said haughtily. “Where is the King now?”

“I—”

“What exactly do you know?” I snarled. As if frustrated, I rolled my eyes in what I hoped looked like a royal temper—seriously, I had no idea what royalty acted like—and walked off. 

I heard Max follow with a murmured comment to the hapless guard.He came up close behind me, directing me where to go. I strode through the camp, feeling eyes on me occasionally, but as I’d done before, I tried to act as if I knew what I was doing, and most of the people seemed to believe I did. A few knew enough about me already to bow as I passed. News certainly did travel fast.

As we reached the outskirts of the camp, it got trickier. We weren’t far from the river now, and there were King’s guards at this side of the bridge, and Max’s men at the other end. I couldn’t see how we’d get through.

Max urged me towards the guards until one of them stopped us. “Excuse me, who are you?” one man asked.

“I am Princess Katrina,” I said as archly as possible. I had no idea what to do and hoped Max did.

Max said in a low voice that held some concern, “She wants to talk to the men on the other side. She thinks she can order them away.”

“You’re…” the guard stammered. “But I thought you’d married the Regent!”

“I did, and that’s why I think I can tell them to leave and they will,” I said, feeling my way along.

“It’s far too dangerous, highness,” he said. “I can’t allow it,” his voice was firm.

I doubted I’d change his mind, but I thought I’d give it a shot.“Am I not your Princess? How dare you tell me what I can and can’t do!”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but it’s too dangerous,” he said again, coming towards me to take my arm.Max moved with blinding speed, his sword clearing the scabbard and flashing in a deadly arc towards the guards. And as if it was some kind of signal, the group of men on Max’s side of the bridge came running across while archers shot across the bridge over our heads to keep more soldiers from coming easily. Max had pushed me behind him, but another guard had hold of my arm and was trying to drag me away. I pulled my knife, and it seemed to almost lead my hand to bury itself in the man’s side where his armor met and there was a gap. I pulled it out and the man let go of my arm to try to pull his sword. I stabbed at him again, pressing myself against him and sliding the knife in on the other side where the gap lay. This time he stumbled away from me, and the knife almost seemed to stick to my hand instead of staying in the man’s side.

Men were yelling all around us as Max’s men engaged the guards. I felt another set of hands on me and turned, my bloody knife flashing.

A hand came and grabbed my wrist. “If you don’t mind, my lady, I’d rather you didn’t stab me,” I heard Devlin say. He shoved me towards another man who turned and led me back away from the King’s forces. I struggled to get away.

“Please, I want to help—where’s Max?” I said, half out of my mind with the noise and blood all around me. I vaguely recognized the man holding me, but couldn’t seem to stop fighting him.  He and another man pulled me back through the fighting men until we were relatively safe, near the back of the forces, where they were tending the wounded. The two men with me were talking amongst themselves, but caught me when I tried to go back.

I was so sure that Max would die because I’d forced him to come and try to rescue me. I just couldn’t let that happen. 

No matter what I said, how I pleaded, neither man would even consider letting me go back. “My lady, the Regent would be furious.”

The other man added, “He was adamant that you be protected.”

I wanted to scream at them he wouldn’t be furious if he was dead, but finally said in a voice so deadly sounding, I could barely believe it was mine, “If he dies, and you two held me here, you will sorely regret not listening to me.” I could see by their eyes they believed me, but they feared Max more and still kept me there.

There was a change in the fighting now. The fighting had all been along the bridge and the immediate area where some had crossed the river to help their comrades. Most of the bloodshed seemed to be on the King’s side of the river where there were many more armored knights than Max’s men. But then there was more confusion as an attack was launched on the enemies’ flank, and many of the King’s soldiers turned to face this new development. The attack was swiftly met, but then more confusion and more shifting among the King’s forces as another attack seemed to happen somewhere else.

Horribly anxious and wanting to help somehow, I aided those who were bandaging the wounded. I didn’t know much about such things, but it didn’t really seem to matter. Most of the men just seemed to need someone there as much as they needed actual skill. I fetched water and tore bandages and thanked God every time I saw a man that it wasn’t Max or Devlin.

And then it was over.There was a blast of trumpets and the men in the King’s army began to retreat. Unfortunately, with fighting on three sides and the tents in the middle, there wasn’t a lot they could do. Finally they all concentrated on one of the three areas and broke through there, those still physically able streaming through, leaving all of their belongings behind. Since we were up a hill a bit, we could see fairly well, and I wondered where in all that mess was King Walter.

Max and his men didn’t allow the army to retreat but followed them a ways, whittling down their numbers still more. They eventually turned and headed back, putting the wounded out of their misery on the way, going through the tents to make sure they’d missed no one and taking whatever valuables were to be found.It was beginning to get dark now, and it was easier to watch the river and defend the bridge, should the King choose to attack again, so the army came back across to where they had their tents. Their mood was jubilant, and part of me wanted to scream at them that some of their number had died and would never return. But another part of me understood. Hadn’t I been the first to shed blood? And hadn’t this all been my fault?

I was sitting down, my back against a barrel of drinkable water. The two guards Devlin had given me to had not taken their eyes off me for a minute, and were even now watching me from two different directions, had I thought to escape.

I had waited so long for Max I was starting to get scared that perhaps he was one of the dead that littered the ground across the bridge. I wasn’t letting the fear of that take hold of me, but it was a near thing. So when I heard his voice asking one of my guards where I was, I began to shake with relief. I rose to my feet, and he came over to me. He’d taken off his heavy stolen armor and had washed enough that he was mostly blood-free. He hadn’t escaped without injury, however, and had bruises, some cuts and other marks on him that I could see, and he was favoring one leg a bit. He came to stand in front of me, and I nearly jumped to wrap my arms around him. He hugged me close to him, and we simply stood that way for a time.

Finally I asked, “Devlin?”

“He is well,” Max said, his voice a little hoarse. “He rode after the King’s men with a few others to make sure they don’t circle back.”

“I’m so sorry, Max. As much as I tried to stop this…“Max pulled back from me, turning and pulling me along behind him. The guards fell into step behind us until we reached a tent that must belong to Max. If it didn’t, he seemed to be about to commandeer it. He pushed me inside, turning and instructing the guards to get three others and take turns making sure I stayed safe. I stood in the dark tent and hugged my arms to my chest, chilly and nervous. Max came in and lit a lamp that gave the tent some meager light.

“Katrina, are you chilled?” he asked, finding a blanket and wrapping it around me.

I tried to apologize again. “Max, please. This is all my fault.”

Max looked at me, his face falling into severe lines. “You were born into this problem, it is not of your making. Although some of the timing was, I admit, yours.” I swallowed, and he sighed. “Katrina, why? The men we captured said you came to them of your own free will. That you’d left me because I’d been cruel.”

I clutched the blanket closer around me. “I thought maybe, if I talked to them, they’d stop.”

Max said, some angry growl in his voice, “Do you think I don’t know them well enough to know that wouldn’t ever work? With the information I have on what they do and how they do it, did it never occur to you that I’d know something of their character as well?”

No, that hadn’t ever occurred to me. Not once. I’d simply thought I had to fix it and had run off to do it. I shook my head, feeling stupid.

Max took my shoulders and gave me a hard shake. “Don’t you ever run off again! Twice now I’ve had to come after you, and you must know by now I’ll always come after you while there’s breath in my body. And I will find you.”  He shook me again as if he couldn’t help it. “I’d thought that I’d frightened you enough the first time to get such an idea out of your head. But you repay my trust in you by leaving me to run to my enemy.”