Trusted (28 page)

“He doesn’t have to with Jesso,” Xan said suddenly. “You’ve just sent him into Umam arms!”

Garrick surged to his feet. “Get a contingent together. We’ll race with all speed to catch up with Jesso. We must reach him before the Umam do! Get Hannibol and get Tyron in my dungeon!”

“Garrick!”

Sarea burst into the room.

“I’m sorry, my king, but she insisted!” the guard outside the room said.

“Sarea! You shouldn’t be in here!” Garrick said, grabbing her by her arm and leading her away from the man who tried to kill her.

“Garrick please! It’s important you listen to me!”

“Not now, Sarea. I have to go after Jesso.”

“Yes but, before you do you must arrest Tyron and his daughter!”

“I know that.” He frowned. “The question is, how do
you
know that?”

“They just tried to kill your son,” she said darkly.

“They just…
what
?”

“They tried to poison your child from my body.” She handed him the box of chocolates. “The serving girl I put in Gersa’s household saw the plot and stopped me just as I was about to…oh Garrick! It was so close!”

Garrick felt all the blood drain out of his head as he envisioned what must have happened to so rattle his wife.

“This serving girl, she’ll testify before the council to what she saw?” Garrick said.

“I will,” the girl said from over Sarea’s shoulder. “Lord Tyron gave the chocolates to Gersa and Gersa gave them to Hycinth to give to the queen.”

“That might be tricky in that it was Hycinth who actually gave the chocolates to the queen,” Xan said.

“But Hycinth didn’t put the poison in them. And Hycinth says Gersa specifically told her to feed the chocolates to me without telling me it was her until after I tried them. By then it would have been too late. Tyron and his daughter knew just how rare chocolate is here, and knew it would be an irresistible treat. Only the Joyous One knows what the poison is that is in there. It may well have killed me in the process.”

“Also, I have discovered they have openly plotted to kill the queen in front of other servants. But they are too frightened to testify.”

“Perhaps when they know Tyron and Gersa are in the dungeons it will loosen their tongues,” Garrick said. “Xan, have them arrested immediately. I want them in the dungeons within the hour. Have Hannibol prepare the Order for a dissention in the ranks. Separate out all of Tyron’s men in the Order and have them ready to be addressed by me when I get back.”

“You cannot go alone,” Xan said firmly.

“Have Jun and Killium meet me in the bailey with a dozen men of the Order. Make certain none of them are Tyron’s men.”

“Of course,” Xan said. “The snow on the ground will make it easy for you to track Jesso, thank god. They won’t be moving very fast, but they should be nearing the part of the forest that is more frequented by the Umam. You haven’t a moment to waste,” Xan said.

“I know!” Garrick kissed his wife hard on the cheek. “Do not eat anything without having someone taste it first. Just in case there are other plans in place.”

“That will not do me any good for slow acting poisons,” Sarea said.

“No. But try and eat only that which is wholly natural and unprepared…like fruits. Just until I can get Tyron behind bars and bring together all of his servants. I am like to hold them just as responsible as their masters for not coming to me with the plot from the start.”

“That is unfair,” Sarea said with sympathy. “They are wholly dependent on their masters for their livelihood. Also they have no doubt been ill used and live in fear.”

“It is true. Gersa beats her servants often whenever she is in a temper,” the girl said softly. “I was lucky enough to remain out of her reach, but that was purely by chance.”

“Well I am grateful you were not harmed in your service to me,” Sarea said, putting an arm around the girl. “Come, let us get our king on the road. You will need food and warm things.”

“There’s not time for food, but I will take a warm cloak. Meet me in the bailey with it,” Garrick said. “Come, Xan, we have much to do.”

Sarea followed them up the stairs from the dungeons, but then flew ahead of them to fetch a cloak from among the king’s belongings. By the time she reached the bailey, Garrick was swinging up into his saddle with Jun and Killium already mounted beside him. Garrick reached to take the cloak from her and then dressed it around his shoulders. Sarea reached to squeeze his hand before stepping back away. The horses lunged into motion, and the contingent of men raced out of the castle courtyard. Sarea followed behind them and watched them go, anxiety crawling through her. She prayed they caught up to Jesso in time. The idea of Jesso running afoul of the Umam made her sick to her stomach. In fact, the whole of the morning’s event had made her queasy. The idea of putting anything in her mouth that was edible after what had happened was repugnant to her.

“Tell Xan to come to me at once,” she said to a nearby servant. “I’ll be in the Trusted’s living quarters.

“Yes, my queen.”

Xan met up with her almost fifteen minutes later.

“Yes, my queen?” he asked, seeming impatient.

“I want to be with you when you arrest Tyron and his daughter. Are they in the castle?”

“No they are at their house in the city. My queen, I do not think it a wise idea for you to come. There might be resistance.”

“I do not think so. They are not expecting to have been discovered.”

“I think they will be expecting discovery at any time. Surely they knew the assassin could turn on them any moment.”

“Perhaps. But Tyron and his daughter are not the sharpest of conspirators. They have made many mistakes of hubris, thinking they could not be touched because of their power and the strength of Tyron’s men among the Order. But their arrogance has been their downfall. I wish to come with you.”

Xan looked undecided and uncomfortable. “Please don’t ask this of me, my queen,” Xan begged her. “The king would have my hide if he learned you accompanied me. And if anything were to happen to you…he would have my life.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me. I will be surrounded by a contingent of loyal Order men.”

“No, my queen. I know you can command me to do otherwise and I must obey if that is the case, but I beg you to allow me to arrest them and then bring them before you in the safety of the castle.”

Sarea wanted very badly to be there at the moment of their downfall, to see the expressions on their faces as they realized their days of plotting for power were over, but perhaps Xan was correct. She should not risk herself just for an opportunity to lord over them. She could do that just as easily when they were brought to the castle and made to kneel before her.

“Very well,” she said, taking note of the instant relief on Xan’s face. “Please, be careful. I would not wish for my husband to return to the injury of one of his beloved Trusted.”

“Yes, my queen. I will use every precaution. But we must go quickly, before news of any of this can reach Tyron and warn him of our coming.”

“Yes. Go! Go! I will be awaiting you when you return.”

Xan turned and hurried out of the room.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Garrick saw the blood on the snow before he saw the first body. Then he began to see the ground churned up in a muddy mess of hoof prints, dirtied snow, and blood. There were bodies of men of the Order strewn about, from one direction to another. Garrick got down from his horse and began to check bodies, looking for the one he didn’t want to find.

When he didn’t find Jesso, he felt only the smallest amount of relief. Clearly they had caught up with them too late. But what had happened to Jesso?

The answer, he felt, lay in the tracks that were leading away from the carnage. They were headed toward the west, toward Umam territory.

“They can’t be that far ahead of us. There’s still a chance we can recover Jesso before they get to Umam territory and reinforcements.” Killium said.

“There’s not that many of them,” Hannibol said. “Just enough to overrun Jesso. There’s some dead Umam here as well. Our men put up a good fight.”

“Not good enough,” Garrick said grimly. “Come. Let’s catch up with these bastards. We still have a chance to get Jesso back alive. Because once they make it to Umam territory he’s as good as dead.” He frowned. “But I’ll get him back if it’s the last thing I do, even if I have to go to Veddig’s dungeons to do it.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Let’s ride hard!” Hannibol shouted to the men. The men of the Order shouted back, their blood hot after seeing their countrymen lying slain all around them.

They rode fast and fierce, hoofbeats thundering on the ground. It only took a half an hour for them to catch up with the Umam murderers. Garrick’s troops swarmed the small contingent of Umam. It only took moments for him to see the lead Umam soldier was leading Jesso, who was on foot and bound by his hands by a rope off the back of the commander’s horse. Garrick drew his sword and went right for the commander. The commander blocked Garrick’s first overhead blow with a strong, steady arm. He was a big man, bigger even than Garrick was, and it was soon very clear he knew how to wield a blade.

But he couldn’t withstand Garrick’s impassioned fervor for very long. Garrick had fury and righteousness on his side, and he would have done anything to save the life of his brother.

The battle on horseback became dangerous for Jesso. Hooves were flying and every time the commander’s horse turned, Jesso was jerked by his hands into the middle of the fray. Finally Garrick swung his blade down on the rope that bound Jesso, detaching him from the horse and allowing him to get out of the way.

But taking the time to free Jesso opened the king up to a blinding attack on his left side. Garrick was able to parry, but his shoulder took the brunt of the force of the hit. Still, he powered through the pain and swung out, knocking the commander out of his saddle and onto the snowy ground.

Jesso leapt forward, ringing his bound hands around the commander’s neck and rolling the commander face down in the snow, Jesso on his back. Jesso pulled back hard around the commander’s neck, strangling him efficiently and ferociously. Jesso had not taken kindly to the deaths of his men, not to mention being marched around like a dog on a leash.

“Jesso, I want him alive,” Garrick said dispassionately. He would be just as happy with him dead. But it would be best if they took him in to be thoroughly questioned.

Jesso pulled back harder, holding the man’s neck until his whole body slowly began to discontinue fighting him. Finally he went limp, the commander throttled into unconsciousness. Jesso then released him and stood up, drawing hard for breath. He held out his hands to Garrick who dismounted his horse and withdrew a dagger and cut Jesso’s hands free.

“Thank you, my king,” he said as he reached to unlash his sword from where it had been attached to the Umam’s saddle. Then Jesso turned with a war cry and jumped into the melee of Order versus Umam. Garrick did not join him. Instead he kept to the fringes of the battle, watching with a critical eye as his men defeated the Umam. He knew it was best that he stay out of the way, that his soldiers did not have to worry about the risk to his life on top of worrying for their own lives and safety. Jesso most especially. As soon as the battle was dying down, Jesso broke away and stood between Garrick and the fighters, protecting him even though he didn’t need protecting in that moment. But it was Jesso’s duty to protect the king at all possible moments, whether he needed it or not. Whether he wanted it or not. Garrick knew that to demand otherwise would be a waste of his energy and his breath.

And this was why he had not believed, even for an instant, that Jesso was behind the attempt on his life. Never mind the fact that Jesso and he had grown up together, the best of friends from the youngest of ages, but Jesso had proved on many occasions to be loyal and devout to the king.

Garrick came up to Jesso’s side, clapping a hand on the other man’s shoulder.  Jesso looked a bit worse for wear, having clearly been beaten and abused.

“Are you well?” Garrick asked with concern as the men of the Order came up around them and greeted Jesso with relieved enthusiasm.

“I am well,” Jesso assured with a chuckle. “We’ve got quite a few prisoners,” he said, nodding to the Umam who lay wounded on the ground. Wounded, but not dying. “How did you know we were in trouble?”

“That’s a long story. But it starts with your betrayal of me. Yes,” Garrick said with amusement as Jesso raised a brow. “It’s a sordid story. I always suspected you wanted my throne.”

“Ha! I wouldn’t want it for all the gold in the kingdom! I am your heir and will take it if given no choice, but I see what trouble weighs on the head that bears the crown and I prefer to be on the sidelines of it, rather than responsible for the lot of it.”

“I am glad to hear it, but I did not need to. I am well aware of your feelings on the matter. You have made them clear before. And regardless of that, I know you would never betray me. You would no sooner cut off your own arm.”

“Well I am glad you know my loyalty. It is of comfort to know you have such faith in me. Now, I think I should like to return home.” Jesso spit on the ground. “I dislike the stench of being this close to the Umam.”

“I agree. We have managed to best these men, but that’s not to say there aren’t other contingents nearby, and those with larger numbers than ours. Let us get to our side of the forest with haste. And I want to get back to my queen and my son. I might have lost them both today.”

Garrick mounted his horse and Jesso fetched one of the Umam’s horses and mounted it.

“You’ll have to explain that remark,” Jesso said.

“Suffice it to say, Tyron and his daughter were behind the attempts on my queen’s life, and they were not content to rest until it was seen done. Especially once they heard she was breeding.”

“But I thought you had not announced it to all and sundry.”

“Secrets are hard to keep with so many people running about.”

“True. Shall we return then?”

“Gladly,” Garrick said.

Sarea was pacing the main hall. Xan had left quite a long while ago. He should have been back already. What if they had met up with resistance while capturing Tyron and his daughter? What if Tyron escaped? Then he would be able to rally his troops and it could mean the beginning of a civil war. She didn’t want that to happen. It would break Garrick’s heart to see brother pitted against brother. To order the deaths of his own countrymen? It would be painful and difficult. She would not wish that on her husband.

It was then that she realized just how much she had come to admire and love him. Oh, it had happened so gradually, and yet so quickly. She had loved him probably since he had said he would rather marry her than do without her for another minute. It was a powerful thing, to be wanted that strongly. And that want had not waned. Not yet anyway. She did dread the day that happened. And knowing she loved him made it all that more frightening a prospect. For she was certain that, while he cared for her and wanted her a great deal, he had not come to love her. He certainly hadn’t said as much. And she did not see him as the sort to give in to fanciful emotions. He was a man of logic. A practical man. Love was not a practical thing and it most certainly was illogical. For instance, how could she logically love the man when she knew the day would very likely come where he would no longer be interested in her? When his passions would wane and his attention stray? Had she been thinking logically she would have reserved her heart…kept herself detached.

But it was hard to do that when he was such an incredible man. A man so worthy of love. But perhaps, when she had given him his heir, perhaps he would come to feel for her the way she felt for him. Perhaps he would not stray from her side in the future. She should give him the benefit of the doubt as he had asked her to do once before.

But she was so afraid. So afraid to expect too much of him that he could not give her. He had never spoke of loving her. He had always dealt very honestly with her. If he had loved her, he would have told her so by then. Certainly when she had told him she was to give him a son. Surely it would have occurred to him then.

But instead it had occurred to him to put his hand to her bottom and to tease her into a sexual frenzy. Sex. Not love.

Tears stung her eyes and nose, but she forced herself to blink them away. No. She would not devolve into a needy, weeping woman. She had seen many instances when one partner cared more for the other than the other cared for them, and it almost always made for disastrous circumstances. So no. She would not love him.

If only it were as easy as that. But she would have to make it so. To put demands on him and his heart that he was not capable of would only cause her pain and could potentially drive him away from her all the sooner and faster. She could not bear that. She must keep him as long as possible. Must treasure every moment as if it might be their last…because she would not know when it would be.

Would it be a gradual thing, or would it come on suddenly? Would it come quietly or with much explosive emotion? She couldn’t bear the thought of either. She couldn’t bear any of it.

Oh would that she had never gotten close to him! Wouldn’t life be so much simpler then? Wouldn’t her heart have remained safe then? But…would she have traded away these past shona with him just for some peace of mind? They had shared so much and she had been so happy. How could she possibly say she would trade it away?

There was a disturbance in the vestibule leading into the main hall and Xan entered with a contingent of men. He walked up to her and gave her a short bow.

“Tyron and his daughter left the city for their lands in the north,” he said, making her heart sink. “But we caught up to them on the road.”

He stepped aside and four guards of the Order brought forth Gersa and her father, Tyron, shoving them forward in front of her.

Relief washed through her and she felt a little weak and lightheaded. It must have reflected on her face because Xan reached out to steady her.

Catching herself, she raised her chin imperiously.

“You will kneel,” she said to Gersa and Tyron.

“I will not kneel! What is the meaning of this! Why have you brought us here?” Tyron demanded to know. But it was clear he was afraid she knew exactly what he had done.

“Why, this is how we treat all murderers in this land,” Sarea said. “Are you saying I should treat you any different?”

“I have murdered no one!” Tyron blustered.

“Oh?” Sarea’s voice turned cold. “Despite what you may think, Isobol was not ‘no one’. She was a precious light and you had her snuffed out like a candle!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Tyron said almost shrilly.

“I think you do. Anyway, it will all come to light now.”

“Whatever my father has done, I am innocent of!” Gersa blurted out.

“I see,” Sarea said. “So…it was your father who handed Hycinth the chocolates meant to purge my child from my body?”

Gersa paled. Then, in a rush she said, “I am but a woman! I am bound to do anything my father bids me to! You have seen! You have seen the way he beat me!”

“Oh, but I thought the king was responsible for that,” Sarea said archly.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry I lied. I was afraid! No one could know the truth or…he would have killed me!”

“Shut up you fool!” Tyron hissed at his daughter.

Sarea frowned and Gersa must have taken it at a sign she was vacillating.

“Please. You know how women must obey the commands of men. I had no choice!”

“You did have a choice. You could have come to me and told me all. Instead you lied to me about the king and you willingly gave my friend poison that would harm me.” Sarea shook her head. “I feel sorry for you. You are alone in the world without a friend. You are the child of a grasping, power-hungry man who has taught you to be the same. You have been cold and cruel to others. And while I could forgive that as you being spoiled and rude and not worthy of capital punishment, your attempts against me are unforgivable.” Sarea leaned in so she was face to face with the girl. “I am queen. I am to bear my husband a son who will be heir to this entire kingdom. You…you are just a girl. A girl in a dungeon. Soon forgotten.”

“You bitch!” Gersa screeched, trying to lunge at Sarea, claws unsheathed. “I will tear you to pieces! I will tear you down! You are no one! Nobody! You always have been and you always will be! I deserve to be queen! I have the breeding, the power!”