Queen of Hearts (The Risen King) (10 page)

“
What does this all mean?” Arthur asked as Etain and Deklen walked over to them.

Etain shook his auburn-haired head and let his gaze rove around the field. “I do not know. I have not seen magic of this magnitude in all my days as leader of the dragon scouts. This is unfathomable, and yet, here we stand. And we found no trace of a sorcerer anywhere. If they are dead, the magic should have faded immediately. But now, it appears the spell has run its course. They are beginning to disappear, and the culprit has disappeared as well.”

“Keep looking. I want to know everything about this. I want to know what exactly happened, and I want to know how to counter it.”

Etain nodded once and walked away as Arthur turned to Deklen. “Assign groups to finish clearing the fields. We need to head back into the council room and discuss this. We need to figure this out. We need to know her plan.”

“I agree fully. This is beyond even what Leanansidhe should be capable of. We cannot allow magic of this level to persist. It is too dangerous.”

“
It is, and if it's allowed to grow, we won't be able to contain it.” He called to his knights and trotted off to dispatch teams.

The rest of the group gathered just outside the gates. Arthur glanced up and to the right where Aiofe stood with her bow. As he watched, she nocked an arrow and sank it into a kneeling sprite halfway across the field. It squealed and keeled over.

“She should learn to ride a dragon.”

Arthur hid the twitch in his shoulders by turning to Tristan. “Why do you say that?”

“Imagine her riding with Etain's flight, destroying enemies from the air as we take them on the ground. We would be unstoppable.”

Arthur looked back up at Aiofe and watched her a few seconds longer. “She would be a force to be reckoned with,” he said with half a smile on his face.

“She already is.”

Arthur fumbled for a response, but he was saved by Deklen's return. “The rest of the army has been assigned to squads, King Arthur. We are ready.”

“Thank you. Let's head inside.”

The stone giants stood to either side of the doorway and glared down at the group as they passed through the gates. Arthur waited until they were all through and followed. The gates ground behind him as they began to close.

“Wait!“

The cry was faint and far away and at first, Arthur wasn't sure he heard it at all.

“Stop, please!“

Arthur spun. The gates were nearly closed when a blond head came into view near the forest line. A man was running full speed through the fading horde of faeries.

“Kane?” Zela stood beside Arthur and squinted her eyes, but the gates slammed shut. She turned and raced up the stairs nearby. Arthur was right on her heels.

“
What is he doing here?” Aiofe demanded as she nocked an arrow onto her bow and pointed it at her father.

“
Aiofe, wait.” Arthur put his hand on her bow and pushed it down.

“
He's supposed to be in prison. Why is he here?” she demanded as she struggled to free the bow from his grip.

“
He should be in prison,” Zela said beside her. Her voice was quiet and edged with fear. “There is no way he could escape Fjorn's guard.” She turned to look at Arthur and dread sat heavy on her face. “Not without Fjorn's consent.”

“
What does that mean?” Aiofe snapped at her aunt.

“
Open the gates,” Arthur called to the stone guardians as they jumped up onto their spots on the wall.

The closest giant glared at him a moment before growling and jumping back down. The gates began to open once more.

“What are you doing? Stop! You can't trust him.” Aiofe jerked her bow from his hand and raised it again.

Zela reached over and yanked the arrow from the string. “Get over yourself, Aiofe. Kane should not be here. And yet he is. We need to know why.”

She bounded down the stairs three at a time, with Arthur and Aiofe dead on her heels. They waited at the gates just inside the wall until he arrived, surrounded by a group of knights of the North.

“
Balan, Balin, put him under guard,” Arthur commanded as the winded faery approached. The two non-twins pulled their swords and ran out to greet the group. They returned with Kane between them. He sank to one knee, breathing heavily.

“
Zela,” he breathed. A wracking cough overtook him when he tried to speak. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. “Mother,” he tried again.

“
Mother?” Zela's already concerned face paled even further. She dropped to her knees in front of her older brother. “What happened, Kane? What happened to Mother?”

He gasped, struggling to pull air into lungs that had been strained for much too long. He tried speaking and only succeeded on the third try. He managed to speak one word before another fit took him. “Leanansidhe,” he said and doubled over again.

“Get him up,” Zela cried. “Get him into the castle.”

The knights looked to Arthur for instruction. “Do as she says. Hurry.” As Balin and Balan wrapped their arms under Kane's and helped him toward the castle, Arthur beckoned to Bors. “Find a servant. Have them bring water to the council chamber. Quickly now.”

Bors nodded and trotted off. Arthur made to follow when a small hand wrapped around his thick chain-mailed arm. He stopped and turned to look in the face of the young woman who had appeared in his life so suddenly.

“
You can't trust him, Arthur. Just like you can't trust Guinevere.”

He stared down at her for a moment. Part of him wanted to do whatever she said, heed her every word. “We'll hear what he has to say.”

She began to protest, but he turned his back on her.

“
Arthur!“ She tried to call him back, but he ignored her and walked into the castle.

He found the others inside the council room. Kane was in a chair near the door. Zela had a hand sitting tenderly on the back of his neck and was helping him drink from a cup. He coughed again, but his breathing had slowed to a more manageable pace and his flushed color was returning to normal.

Arthur walked over to them and pulled a chair up. He settled himself in front of Kane and crossed his arms as he leaned back in the chair.

“
Why are you here?”

The former prince inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. When he opened the again, they were glistening with unshed tears. “Mother,” he said, speaking to Zela instead of Arthur. “Leanansidhe took her, Zee. She took Castle Eiri Greine. It was a trick. Her main army attacked the stronghold of the South while all our--your--forces were engaged here. She fooled everyone. Her magic is much stronger than any of us knew. She overpowered the remaining guards. Fjorn came into my room and freed me. I only just escaped.”

“Where is Fjorn?” Arthur leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees.

Kane's jaw worked as he gritted his teeth together. “He stayed at Castle Eiri Greine. Three of Mother's knights turned against her. They tried to stop us. I don't know if he's alive.” His voice trailed off and his face fell. No one had any question whether Fjorn survived or not.

“And Mother?” Zela knelt beside Kane. Her hands were on his forearm and she was gripping him so tight that his skin was turning a bright white. He didn't seem to notice.

He stared straight ahead into the middle distance, watching the scene replay in his mind. This skin on his face matched the skin on his arm. “The last I saw her, she was tied in front of Leanansidhe. The witch held the throne. She was using bodies as furniture. Mother... she was crying for mercy. Not for herself, but for her people. She was begging Leanansidhe to spare those around her. Leanansidhe just laughed. She laughed. She thought it was funny. And then she... she shocked her. Mother was twitching.” Kane looked up at Zela. Tears streamed down his face, leaving streaks in the dirt that covered his cheeks. “There was nothing I could do, Zee. I wanted to. I wanted to die to help her. I would have fought Leanansidhe to my last breath, but Mother would have died, too. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't fail her again“

He collapsed and buried his face in his hands. “It's hopeless, Zee. We've lost our home, our parents, everything. And it's all my fault. It's all my fault.”

Zela wrapped her arm around Kane's shoulder and rested her head against his. “It is all your fault,” she said. Her tone held pity, not hatred. “But all is not lost. We're still here. We have Arthur and Aiofe, and the full power of the North, East, and West. The South is not gone. We will not give up. We will get Mother back.”

Kane buried his head in her neck and didn't care who watched him cry.

*~*~*

TWELVE

*~*~*

“
And Sarah, well she was just so snide. Do you know that she once borrowed a broach of mine without even asking? It was an ugly broach some noble or other gave me and I never would have worn it in a million years, but still, she just took it like she had permission. She thought she would be able to put it back without me ever noticing, but I always noticed. Always.”

A single guard walked beside Guinevere. He closed his eyes and sighed. “And then what?” he asked dutifully in a voice that was so deadpan it could kill a mountain troll.

“Oh, I took care of her,” Guinevere continued with a smile. “I removed her as one of my lady's maids and sent her to a cottage in the country. She never set foot in court again.”

The guard grunted and kept walking, hoping against all hope that his charge would fall into silence.

“What kind of fun can be had around here?” Guinevere asked as she skipped along. “It seems very boring so far. No balls, no guests of any kind. Well, no guests that don't want to kill us. I could do with some company, some ladies for tea, a court of some sort.”

“
Lady Aiofe might ask you to tea.”

“
Ick, no thank you. I cannot possibly associate with a woman of such demeanor. She's so uncouth.”

The guard stopped and turned to stare at Guinevere. She walked a couple more steps before she realized he was no longer beside her. Her steps faltered and she turned to look for him.

“I am sorry, Miss Guinevere,” the guard said. He glared at her hard and his hand rested on his sword. “But in
this
castle, you are not the woman in charge and I will not hear a word said against Lady Aiofe. If you cannot silence your tongue, I will return you to your room and have one of the servants bring down some knitting or needlework for you until your regular guard has finished his repast.”

Guinevere worked her jaw while she searched for a response that wouldn't get her sent back to her small cell. Anger at being treated like anything less than a queen brought color to her cheeks. “I don't even...” she began.

A man leaving the stable caught her eye. “Oh, Lancelot,” she whispered, then she called his name louder. “Lancelot!“ She grinned and waved her hand at him, trying to catch his attention. He glanced at her, stared her straight in the eye, but kept walking toward the castle.

“
Lance, darling,” she called again and started walking toward him as fast as she could without actually running.

“
Hey,” her guard called behind her as he tried to grab her but his fingers brushed her upper arm and slipped off. She broke into a trot.

“
Lancelot,” she cooed as she reached him. Her arm slipped into his elbow even as he tried to put distance between them. She jerked him close and knew he wouldn't pull away.

“
I'm sorry, sir,” the guard said as he reached them. He gripped Guinevere's free arm and tried to pull her away from him. “I'll return her to the castle.”

“
Oh, no,” Guinevere said as she shook her head. “Lancelot can keep an eye on me. We're good friends. He'll keep me out of trouble.” She grinned at the knight and gave him a wink.

Lancelot's nose curled and the corner of his lip pulled up in a sneer, but he nodded at the guard. “I'll watch her for a bit. When I'm ready, I'll send for you.”

The guard looked back and forth between the two with hesitation, but he eventually bowed his head. “Very well, sir. I'll be just inside when you need me.”

“
Thank you.”

“
So how did you manage to get away with having only one guard?” Lancelot asked.

“
Oh, you know me,” she laughed.

They watched the guard walk toward the castle steps. When he was out of earshot, Lancelot turned to Guinevere. “What do you want?”

The woman smiled and leaned against him as she pulled him into a light walk. “Why, whatever do you mean? I just wanted to walk and have a nice chat with an old friend.”

“
Don't play games, Guinevere. I know you're up to something.”

Guinevere pressed her free hand over her chest. “Me? Why would I be up to something? I'm just as confused about this whole situation as everyone else. I have no idea what's going on.”