Fantasyland 01 Wildest Dreams (68 page)

“
He did, I will admit, point out the errors
in my thinking.” Suddenly he crouched before me, made as if to
reach out for my hand, I pulled back in the chair slightly but not
slight enough he didn’t notice. So he gave up, rested his wrists on
his knees and kept speaking. “Phobin knew,
you
know and I also knew but in seeing you so happy, I
was denying it, but I knew that The Drakkar would not stay in exile
long, no matter what magic or guard or –”

“The adela branch,” I stated, cutting him
off again. “You and Phobin, you’ve been collecting sacred relics,
articles of power to wield for this endeavor. It isn’t the only
thing you had, is it, Broderick?” I guessed a guess that just
sprang to my mind.

He smiled a small, actually
un-freaking-believably
proud
smile before he whispered, “Always so clever, my
Sjofn.”

“So you have relics, things with magic?” I
pushed.

“Indeed,” Broderick replied.

“They would be more powerful if we had the
branch,” Phobin muttered, my eyes slid to his angry face and
Broderick tilted his head back to look at him. When Broderick did
this, he clamped his mouth shut and a muscle ticked in his jaw.

I looked back to Broderick, waited for his
eyes to come to me and asked, “You have a witch wielding them?”

“I do,” he answered.

I nodded once then stated, “This makes her
very powerful.”

He inclined his head.

Right.

Well then, I’d have to deal with that later
and hope to all that was holy Lavinia and Valentine could beat the
bitch.

Moving on.

“Then, since you were considering exile, the
attack in Houllebec, the poison at the Gales, this was not you?” I
enquired.

He shook his head. “The attack in Houllebec
was meant to take the life of The Drakkar but you were to be seized
and held for ransom then let go. However, the kidnapping would have
been a ruse. If this had been successful, it would have meant you
were safe with no aspersions cast on us but there would be no
imminent heir to the throne until you or your father could find
another suitable candidate as husband for you and, in that time, we
would have instigated our campaign to unite Lunwyn and Middleland.”
At this, his mouth got tight and his eyes slid briefly to Phobin
before coming back to me when he went on. “I left that in other’s
hands and those chosen for this deed, fortunately for you and The
Drakkar, were not very skilled.”

Phobin obviously was behind this maneuver
and Phobin obviously fucked it up.

Broderick studied me with eyes back to soft
then said, “This was before I saw the two of you together and
considered exile.”

He paused for me to speak but I made no
reply.

“The poison,” he continued, “was not me. I
have allies, heads of Houses from both Lunwyn and Middleland. Until
our current campaign, there was…” he paused then finished, “some
disagreement about what to do with you and how to contend with The
Drakkar. There were those who felt his influence, if not his power,
would be diminished if he was not to sire a child on you, the heir
to the throne, and therefore they felt, if you no longer lived,
obviously, this would not come about. They also felt you were the
easier target. And it is known The Drakkar had no ambitions to the
throne and it was believed, if you were out of the way, he would
continue with his business and, as was his wont, leave the politics
to others. During your betrothal he did not show a great deal of
interest in you. It was only after, when it became known he…” he
paused again, continuing cautiously, “grew to hold a good deal of
affection for you that our plans needed to be reconsidered.”

Grew to hold a good deal of affection for
me. A convenient way to put it, the little, scheming, backstabbing
piss ant.

I looked over his shoulder as if taking this
all in then looked back at him and nodded.

Then I asked, “Do you love him?” and at my
question Broderick’s head jerked.

“I’m sorry?”

“
Him,” I motioned my chin slightly to
Phobin and continued. “Do you love him?” When Broderick looked
blank, I explained, “Earlier, you said you’d replace him and, you
see, I loved a man and I lost him and I know in my soul where it
burns so strong it’s a miracle I’m breathing that he will never be
replaced.” I hesitated, held his gaze and whispered fiercely,
“
Never.
” Then I
pulled in a delicate breath and asked, “So, you cannot love
him.”

Broderick’s eyes were soft on me and he
whispered, “Sjofn, you are safe. I know you hurt but you are safe.
It pains me, seeing the sadness in your eyes, knowing I’m behind
it, but you know me, my cousin, you
must
know it
pains
me. But
with time, I hope you will understand my actions. With time, you
will see my vision for Lunwyn, for Middleland. My people could not
go on under my father’s rule, you know that. Everyone does. And
Lunwyn should never have been severed. Now it is again intact, I
will rule and you will be at my side while I do. You will have my
ear. I promise you, you are wise and strong and I know you will be
a trusted advisor to me when your heart mends. And I will listen to
you as I always have. And later, I will find a way to sire a child
but if this does not come about, perhaps we can find someone…” he
hesitated and cautiously went on, “
appropriate
for you to –”

I interrupted him before he
really
pissed me off. “I asked,
Broderick, do you love Phobin?”

He studied me then he replied, “I do not
understand why you wish to know this, my cousin.”

“It matters not why, it only matters if you
do or do not,” I returned.

He sighed then he said quietly, “I hold
affection for him but love…”

He trailed off and I nodded again.

Once.

I knew what I needed to know.

It was time.

So I whispered, “Then you will not mind too
much when I do this.”

Then I shot out of the chair, catching
Broderick on the chin with my knee as I did. He fell back and
instantly I lunged at Phobin with the knife they’d given me to cut
my meat at dinner. A knife I’d stolen and they’d extremely stupidly
not checked to see if it was there when they took the tray away. A
knife, throughout our conversation, I had hidden in the folds of my
gown. Then, as Lund taught me (or told me since this was obviously
not demonstrated), I planted that knife in Phobin’s jugular and
yanked it across his throat, severing his windpipe. Blood spouted
out and he started dropping to his knees, hands to his neck, eyes
huge, face going white but I immediately yanked out the blade on
another ghastly spray of blood, twisted, dropped to my own knees
then held the knife to a still unrecovered Broderick’s neck. And he
was unrecovered because he was staring in shock at the dying Phobin
whose body was now jerking in death throes behind me on the
floor.

“Do not utter a noise,” I hissed, his body
went still and his terrified eyes came to me as he nodded and we
listened to Phobin’s sickening gurgling as the lifeblood poured out
of his neck and he gasped unsuccessfully for air. “Roll to your
stomach,” I ordered.

“Sjofn –” he started but stopped with a
squeak when I pressed the blade deep and blood flowed at its
edge.

“
I said do… not…
utter a noise
,” I hissed again. “Now roll to your gods
damned
stomach.
”

He rolled to his stomach, I planted a knee
in his back and reached for the ties I took from the curtains and
sat on in the chair.

“Hands behind your back,” I demanded,
Broderick hesitated and there was nothing for it, I further had to
demonstrate my resolve. Therefore, I plunged the knife in his side
and he groaned with pain, hopefully not loud enough for the guards
to hear. “Hands behind your back!” I hissed and he put his hands
behind his back, I pulled the knife out, wiped it on my gown, put
the hilt between my teeth, tied his hands then moved down and bound
his feet.

Then I moved back to my chair and grabbed
the handkerchief I’d purloined from a trunk with one of Phobin’s
scarves. I rolled Broderick to his back and he groaned in pain as I
did it. Then I quickly shoved the handkerchief in his mouth and
secured it by tying the scarf tight around his head.

Then I wasted precious time and I did this
not for Frey, not for our child, my father, mother or Lunwyn.

I did it for me.

I took the knife from my teeth, got in
Broderick’s face and I whispered, “You know, cousin, it pained me
to do that,” I jerked my head at the now dead body of Phobin. “You
know me; it
pained
me to do
that. But you see, I could not fight you both and bind you both so
one of you had to be neutralized. Hopefully, you will not bleed out
before someone knows aught is amiss.” Then I got closer and my
voice dropped lower as I held his eyes and whispered, “Thank you
for uniting Lunwyn for the child of Frey’s I already carry inside
me. He will be most appreciative.”

Then I pushed away from him and hurried to
the door, hoping there were only two guards. One was one too many,
two, God only knew. I’d probably fall at the first hurdle.

But I wasn’t going to give up.

I was three feet away when I heard grunts,
steel clashing and then bodies thudding on stone.

I blinked at the door.

Oh shit.

I quickly put both hands behind my back.

The door flew open and I stared at two, big,
brawny, exceedingly handsome men.

And they stared at me.

Then both their eyes flicked to the room
behind me then back to me.

Then, to my shock, they smiled, one turned
to the other and, to my shocked
delight
, stated, “Lund appears to be a good teacher.”

They were Frey’s.

“You are Frey’s,” I whispered.

“Balthazar,” the dark one said.

“Quincy,” the fair one said.

I’d heard of both though never met them.

“Hey, I’m Finnie.” I was still
whispering.

“We know,” Quincy said while still
smiling.

I smiled back.

“So, Finnie, you think we could rescue you
rather than loiter chatting in a wounded king’s room with his
murdered lover still bleeding on the carpet?” Balthazar asked.

“That’s probably a good idea,” I answered
then thought quickly and told them, “But before we do the whole,
um… rescue thing there are a couple other things we need to
do.”

They looked at each other.

Then they looked at me.

Then my heart flew to the sky when Oleg
stomped through the door and grunted, “Yup, and I know one of
them.”

“
Oleg!” I cried, never in my life thinking
I’d feel complete and utter joy at the sight of Oleg but I did in
that moment, I
totally
did but
Oleg, being Oleg, didn’t even look at me.

He walked by me. Unsheathing the sword from
his back, he walked to Broderick, stood over him and right in front
of my eyes, he ran Broderick through with his sword, straight
through the belly, yanking up.

Broderick’s body jerked what I had to admit
was sadly on the floor as his cries of pain were muffled by his gag
and Oleg pulled out his sword, sheathed it and walked to me,
stopping in front of me and meeting my wide eyes.

“Raider rule, my princess, do not leave a
job undone,” he grunted then grunted again, “Lunwyn.”

“Lunwyn,” I whispered then felt a hand on my
arm and that hand was pulling me to the door.

“Let’s go,” Balthazar, who had hold of me,
said and we went.

But at the door, I turned back and saw the
carnage, Phobin motionless and dead at my hand, Broderick’s head
turned, his face pale and awful in his pain, eyes on me.

And I knew in that moment I would remember
that scene, the blood, the gore of exposed wounds, the look on
Broderick’s face, and I would do it until the day I died.

But for the life of me, I couldn’t find it
in me to care.

Then I hurried out with my men and
whispered, “Okay boys, somewhere close, there are two women…”

Dragons

One month later…

“Finnie, Apollo requests your
attendance.”

I looked from cleaning the wound to Lund and
nodded. “Let me finish here, Lund, and I’ll go directly to
him.”

Lund looked at the man I was working on then
at me, his eyes soft as all Frey’s men’s eyes were soft when they
encountered the shadow of mourning drifting steady and unrelenting
in mine and he nodded.

Then he left.

I looked at the man in the cot. “Am I
hurting you?”

He shook his head then lied through his
teeth (literally because he was clenching them), “No, my Winter
Princess.”

I smiled at him. I knew it was a sad rather
than reassuring smile but I had to try and I didn’t have any smiles
that weren’t. He didn’t smile back mostly because he was clenching
his teeth and I decided to finish quickly so he could relax. I
tipped my head and readdressed his thigh, cleaning it with spirits,
biting back the impulse to blow away the burn as I heard him suck
in breath then I dabbed it with clean cotton, spread a healing
salve on it and redressed it.

Once done, I curled my fingers around his
ankle, gave him a squeeze and caught his eyes. “It’s beginning to
heal, Joshua,” I said softly. “I shouldn’t have to do this again
for awhile.” To that, he nodded and I finally saw relief on his
face.

I gave him another small smile, got up from
the edge of his cot and looked to Lavinia and Valentine who were
both seeing to other wounded. I caught their eyes, indicated the
flaps to the tent, waited for their nods and walked out.