The Greenwood Shadow (24 page)

"What is it?" Isaiah asked.

"Nothing. I just forgot where I was."

He set a pan down and laughed. "Forgot what it's like to wake up near the ground? I can't say most people ever have that problem."

He handed her a piece of re-heated meat. "You should eat. It's going to be a long day."

"I'm not sure my stomach is up to it," she replied, but she took the meat anyway.

"Feeling a little gross now is better than starving later."

She grunted her agreement and took a small bite of pheasant.

"It's going to be fine," he said.

She didn't reply. She wasn't so sure about that. So many things could go wrong, and that feeling in her stomach felt an awful lot like foreboding. Her hands even felt a little numb. With a shudder, she pulled her blanket higher, as if the warmth would keep problems away.

The hours flew by with inconsiderate speed, just as they had during the past weeks. Evey suddenly discovered that it was noon, and Isaiah ushered her to road. She carried her servant's clothing in a bundle with a basket of bread that would serve as an excuse for her presence in the castle.

"Just remember, John goes in first, from the North Entrance. Then you from the East."

"Isaiah. I know the plan." She spoke more irritably than she had intended. "I know when to go in. I know where to wait. I got it."

He cleared his throat. "I know you do."

"It's okay. I'll see you tonight."

She tried not to dwell on the 'I hope' that she bit back. She just wanted to get it all over with, and so she started down the road.

"Hey, Marion?" he called before she had gone far.

"Yeah?"

"Remember your promise in the dungeons?"

"Yes."

"Promise me again. Please."

He was starting to get exasperating. "Isaiah–"

"No, just promise. If anything does go wrong, just–"

"I know. I know. Get out of there. No heroics. I promise."

She said it to placate him. She didn't want to stand there acting like they wouldn't see each other again. It made everything worse.

"Thank you," he said, and he visibly relaxed.

She started walking again, purposely looking straight ahead. With every step she was tempted to look back at her friend, just for the sight of something familiar, but she resisted. It seemed too much like saying goodbye, and that was something she refused to entertain. She would see Isaiah again. And she would see Will again. And John.

She was more than a hundred yards away before her stubborn resolve broke. She glanced back, just for a moment. Just for the comforting sight of someone she knew. Something safe.

Isaiah still stood there. He waved, and she nodded back. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could tell that he said something. It looked like three words, but there was no possible way she could know what they were. Probably a good luck wish.

They had camped nearby the night before, so the walk to the castle gate was short. She hid herself in a thick bit of foliage, where she stripped off her mask and her cloak. The green tunic would be hidden under the servant's livery, which was fortunate, since she had nothing else to wear.

All she had to do was to wait for the hour to chime from the chapel. She spent the time trying to make her hair look as though it hadn't just been tangled in the bark of a tree. She had very limited success. Hopefully no one would look at it too closely.

The bells tolled. No, they did not sound like a death knell. She couldn't afford that sort of thinking. She took a deep breath, bundled her cloak, and hid it in the basket. Then she stepped out onto the road, as though she were supposed to be there.

It was difficult to keep a normal pace. She wanted to cover the distance as fast as possible, but the guards would notice her if she did. As it was, a stray servant walking through the open gate with a basket was of no concern to them. She felt them watch as she passed the massive doors, but nothing was out of order, and so she entered without incident.

A wave of emotion hit when she stepped into the vast courtyard. The first to come was horror. This was where she had nearly come to a premature end. The second was fascination. She now had the time to leisurely look at everything in the grand palace. And despite her past experience, she could not deny that it was, indeed, a marvelous place.

The third feeling was a profound sense of exposure. In the seven years since her first cart theft, the only places she ever went without her bow were those that she attended as Lady Evelyne, with Emeric at her side. She and Isaiah had thought through everything, but there was just no possible way to get her longbow inside without attracting negative suspicion.

Aside from that, she had depended on either her hood or her mask for months. It was easy and safe to be anonymous. Here in the open, anyone could see her clean, un-greased face. She felt as though every person she passed was staring.

As quickly as she could, without drawing attention, Evey made her way around to the north side of the castle where the kitchens were located. They were conveniently near the tower that housed the king's personal chambers, and she planned to use this to her advantage.

She scoped the area disguised as a baker's assistant, and soon found a perfect hiding place that gave her both a view of the king's window, and cover from those going to and from the kitchens. She settled in to wait until night fell.

Why wouldn't time just make up its mind? The first half of the day sped by too quickly, and now it dragged. By the time the sun had gone, Evey felt as if she hadn't moved for days. Her knees cramped, and her back refused to bend at all.

The kitchen was nearly deserted, now that the king and his court had eaten. Only a few page boys remained to scrub dishes. She emerged from her hiding place and stretched. She was supposed to stay hidden until John came into view. That was the safe plan. But she couldn't stand that hiding place anymore. At any rate, she was good at sticking to the shadows, so it was just as safe as anything.

From a corner near the kitchen door she kept a lookout, freezing at every sign of movement. For another half an hour after the sun completely disappeared, she loitered there waiting for John. Where in blazes was he?

She heard a vaguely familiar voice coming from the kitchen door. Assuming that it was John, she stepped around the corner to ask him why he was so late.

A moment too late she realized her mistake. The voice was familiar, but it did not belong to John. For a split second she found herself face to face with Sir Robert. In that moment a thousand things flashed through her mind, all competing for space.

Her feet ignored her frozen mind and took her back outside before she could really comprehend the danger she was in. She thanked every power in the universe for giving her quick reflexes, as she dove back into the shadowed corner and pulled the rolled cloak from her basket. She had seen Sir Robert clearly, and she knew that he had seen her. She could only hope that her speed had saved her from recognition. She held her breath as she listened for any sign of approach.

"Who was that?" Sir Robert asked.

"A kitchen servant, obviously." replied the man who walked with him.

"Yes, I do realize that. But there was something familiar about her. Something out of place."

Evey's stomach clenched.

"It was a bit odd how she dashed away like that," the other man agreed, and the two of them walked out of the kitchen and into the side yard. Evey could clearly see them in the moonlight. She didn't even dare to shift her gaze, for fear of alerting them to her hiding place with the movement.

Both of the men looked around the yard curiously. Twice Sir Robert's gaze passed right over Evey, but her cloak disguised her form. She looked just like part of the shadow. After a few moments, the men looked at each other and shrugged.

"Perhaps she was just frightened to see the king's steward, and his chief of foreign affairs. After all, we are very important men."

"Perhaps," Sir Robert answered.

Evey could tell he was only partially convinced. He glanced around one more time, then went back inside with the foreign affairs minister.

As they disappeared from sight, she heard him say, "As I was telling you, George, I am worried about my son. I'm afraid he might have gotten mixed up with a dangerous crowd. I do my best to give him everything that I never had. I even arranged his marriage with a girl that seems a bit more like him than I would normally approve of. But he keeps..."

The rest faded away as they wandered further into the kitchen area. Evey still didn't dare to move. She was too paralyzed by the close call. If Robert had seen her here in the castle, the entire plan would have been in jeopardy.

While she gathered her courage to move, she thought about what he had said. Clearly he wouldn't normally have approved of her as a suitable daughter-in-law. As insulting as that was, it didn't surprise her. She had a feeling that she would very rarely see eye to eye with either Robert.

The thing that did surprise her is that Emeric was right about his intentions. He really was trying to act in the best interests of his son, despite the clear departure from character that it required. She couldn't fault him for that.

But why was he concerned that the younger Robert had fallen afoul of ruffians? Had something happened to him? If it had, would she be glad or disappointed? Despite her solemn vow to hate everything about him, she, too, wondered if he was safe.

Or, was he the one causing the trouble? Could he actually be one of those rogue knights that she even now risked her life to stop? From what little she knew, it didn't seem like the young Robert to involve himself with criminals. But, she reminded herself, it really was very little that she did know. She made a mental note to put the situation right. Perhaps a visit from Robin Hood would straighten the boy out.

She smiled at the thought. She might enjoy that situation a little too much.

Just before she could stand and shake the tenseness from her muscles, someone else came into view. The character was trying, but failing, to hide himself in the shadows. She wondered if she was about to witness some sort of minor crime when she realized that the hulking man was John.

She breathed out slowly, and silently hoped that this was the end of the stress she would have to deal with for the night.

"John."

She whispered loud enough to carry across the dozen or so yards between them. John jumped, and stared right into the corner, looking confused.

"That you, Marion?" he whispered back, still squinting in her general area.

"It's me. Masks on, shall we?"

"Right."

They both stripped off their servant's garb. From this point on, if anyone saw them it would be a sure ticket to the dungeon, whether they looked like servants or not. Evey tied on her mask before she emerged from the corner. With her identity hidden, she once again felt confident and ready for action.

"Are you sure you can manage this wall?" he asked her.

"Are you sure you want to ask me that question?"

Now that she was back in her element, she was annoyed at having been so careless and frightened. John didn't deserve the threat. True to his usual stoicism, John said nothing, but his actions clearly showed his annoyance.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Let's get going."

The first part of the plan was to climb to the balcony just to the south of the king's bedroom. It was the same balcony that he had been watching the execution from. It would be tricky to climb to the upper window from there, but a straight shot from the ground would mean climbing over fifty feet in one go. Even Evey, with her small size, wasn't sure she could do that without a break.

Slowly and carefully, she started her ascent. This wall was much harder to climb than her own. It was in good repair. There were very few cracks or sprouts of ivy to cling to. She had to rely almost completely on the thin gaps around the large square stones. Despite the difficulty, though, she made steady progress up the thirty feet to the open area above.

Once she pulled herself over the low edging, she stood and looked out over the main courtyard. She recognized that the kitchens were in the same alcove that had allowed her to escape unseen after the failed execution. The balcony opened to both sides, but the chairs faced out toward the gallows, with thick curtains behind.

So that's why Sir Guy hadn't been able to see them, even from his vantage point.

She sat on the king's throne, just for the experience. It really was a grand view. At home, she and Emeric had to watch any entertainment with the rest of the people in the village. There was no special seating, and she was secretly glad.

Moments later, John finally surfaced. He certainly was good at climbing walls for such a big man, but he was still much slower than Evey. He sat on the floor, leaning against the guard rail and stretching his arms. She did the same. It was weird how thirty feet straight up seemed to be so much longer a distance than thirty feet across flat ground.

"Only a few minutes." she said quietly. "We've got to get on with our part of the plan."