The Redwood Rebel (The Redwood War Book 1) (27 page)

‘It probably helped that even she wouldn’t expect me to sink to impersonating you,’ he admitted, guilt gnawing at him. He thought back to her reaction to the few times he had reached out to touch her and flinched at the stolen moments. ‘I did slip up, though. She may work it out later.’

‘Ah well,’ the younger man shrugged a shoulder. ‘I am certain we can make the best of it when it happens, Your Majesty.’

Arun was certain they would have no choice but to try, but when she discovered he had again betrayed her trust and boundaries, he knew there was going to be hell to pay. It would probably have been easier had Tristan simply gone and told her his own feelings on the matter, but The Watcher had immediately nixed this plan when it had been suggested. He claimed that Naomi could tell when he was lying, and suspiciously minded as she was, would instantly work out that they had been plotting together. He had suggested the glamour spell, knowing it was a much bigger lie that she was unlikely to ever consider being played at her expense, and as Arun had been itching to see for himself that she was recovering her health, he had gone along with the plan.

He thought back to the relief on her face when she thought he had been Tristan, and the loaded crossbow placed openly beside where she rested. He wished he could have tried speaking to her as himself, but he knew full well what welcome he could have expected. She had no wish to see him, and despite how unfair he knew it had been to mislead her like that, he also knew it had been one of the most fruitful conversations they had ever shared. It felt wrong to betray her trust, yet again, but it had been important.

The sword he had made for her had been forged by their Bond from a stand of hair from each of them, and would protect her on her travels when he could not. It hadn’t been difficult to pick a shining strand of wavy brunette from her bedding, fusing it with one of his own and forging the two with their Bond to create the gleaming weapon. As long as she carried it she would be safer than with a conventional sword, and that had brought him comfort. Tristan had filled him in with her blade preferences, and the joy on her battered, swollen face when she held it in her hands had been a sight that he wouldn’t soon forget.

‘What will you do now?’ Tristan interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to reality.

‘I’ll let her go,’ he replied honestly, then amended his words when he saw the younger man look up sharply. ‘At least for now. I’ll go ahead to Asuya and wait for her there. Perhaps she will change her mind when the Empress is as unable to help as you have told her?’

The charm had been a less chivalrous gift. She believed it was hiding her from him and blocking the Bond spell, but its purpose was in fact to hide him from her. At the moment their Bond was weak, still recovering, but within only a few more days it would be strong enough for them to communicate again. They would be able to feel each other, their thoughts, feelings, and most importantly, their proximity. The last thing he wanted was for her to know he was waiting for her when she reached Asuya; that she was essentially walking into a trap.

It was underhanded, but necessary. So far he knew he had done little to earn her respect, let alone her consideration of being a husband to her. He would give her the time she had earned, the freedom she craved, and try again in Tsumetai to win her over.

*

Lord Cygnus looked with disgust at the filthy guardsman grovelling for forgiveness on the floor of the Great Hall. He didn't need to look at the face of Adrienne to know that she wore a similar expression, seated upon the Redwood Throne to his left. The lords and ladies of the court all flocked about, watching with interest to see what this snivelling man had to say, and Cygnus knew that whatever it was, his Queen was foolish to not have emptied the room. He had already given away far too much of the precarious position they now faced.

There was a faint rustle of heavy silk as Adrienne shifted slightly, her cold voice echoing around the room quietly, 'How is it that you still haven't found her?'

'Please My Lady-!'

'Queen!' she bellowed furiously, standing from the throne, 'I am your Queen, you impudent swine!'

The man whimpered, and concerned that Adrienne would execute him before they had extracted all the information they needed, Cygnus bowed placatingly, 'My Queen, the wretch has no inclination of what is proper. He, I can only suppose, has been away hunting this escaped prisoner, and has therefore no knowledge of the change in law regarding your reign.'

He waited silently as Adrienne glared at the guardsman, her chest heaving in the tight, heavily jewelled bodice she wore, her face bright red with her rage. She was no Queen, despite her now changing the law to state that she need not marry to take the crown. Cygnus kept his face carefully blank as he always did, playing this great game of chess a piece at a time, waiting for his chance to get a firmer hold on his ambition of becoming King through this stupid female. He was so close now, he just needed to stay this precarious path a little longer, and the Redwood Throne would be his.

In truth, he had much to thank Naomi for. She had played her part in this little scheme so very beautifully. Now, by stealing Adrienne's intended, accidentally as far as she knew, she had given him the chance to climb higher still.

Glancing quickly down at the tightly bound corset and bodice Adrienne wore, he knew she did not have much time before she would have to act. He knew that even though she had changed the law so as to make herself Queen without need of a wedding, other things were at work that would soon force her hand. She would need to take a husband soon.

'You are right, Lord Cygnus.' Adrienne spoke softly, seating herself back on the throne and smiling up at him. 'We must make exceptions for ignorance, I suppose. However, I still fail to see how she has managed to elude all of our soldiers and make good her escape.'

Cygnus looked sharply at the still cowering guard, face down on the cold stone floor before them. 'Answer your Queen! How did she escape?'

'There... there are whispers amongst the men, my Queen,' he stammered. 'The description of the woman we seek has caused... talk.'

'What kind of talk?' Cygnus walked slowly down the steps towards the shaking man, artfully hiding his satisfaction in finding the seeds of gossip he had planted had flowered so quickly.

'They say that... the escaped prisoner is none other than... than...' he gulped and looked fearfully to Adrienne. 'Naomi Redwood, my Queen.'

Cygnus seized this opportunity to turn things to his own advantage and gasped in mock surprise. 'The Queen's own cousin?'

'Cygnus!' Adrienne snapped to quiet him, looking almost fearfully around at the gathered nobles as they digested the little titbit of information he had given, before turning her fury upon the unfortunate guard. 'Who has said this? Where has this information come from? Tell me at once!'

The soldier ducked his head back to the floor again and blathered. 'Almost everyone says it now, My Queen. Even the peasants have heard the whispers and all believe her still alive. They say you have kept her locked away for these four years since you took the Redwood Throne from your uncle.'

'Disregarding the ridiculousness of this idea,' Adrienne attempted to speak with confidence, 'I still fail to see what bearing it has on the failure to bring this nobody back so justice can be served.'

'My Queen, they refuse to hunt her. They hope she will escape and return with a great army to take back the country. Some say she has already left our shores!'

Cygnus saw the colour drain from Adrienne's face at this. Her green eyes narrowed as she regarded the soldier. 'Leave us.'

The guard scrabbled up and backed away, bowing profusely. Cygnus watched passively as Adrienne mounted the steps and sat back upon the throne, arranging her rich skirts about herself as quiet returned to the Great Hall. With a wave of her hand she indicated for the room to clear.

'Do not fret, My Queen,' he comforted in his most syrupy voice as he approached her seated form, 'I will bring you her head soon enough.'

'It will not be soon enough, you idiot!' she snapped as he knelt in front of her, 'I needed to marry that man and she has ruined everything! She thinks to take the throne back and kill me! She will use those barbarous Korenians to invade my Kingdom and take my crown from me! She must be stopped!'

Placing his hands on her ankles and stroking her calves under her skirts, he shushed her ravings. 'Hush now, My Queen. She will die soon, I swear it. She will not make it to Koren, and neither will the Dragon King.'

This last was, in fact, the truth that he spoke. He knew that Naomi was even now taking the course he had originally intended and make her way to Tsumetai, without King Arun. He had plans for her there, and despite the threat of war now from Koren, he found himself quite relaxed about how well his plans were proceeding.

'I still must find a husband, Cygnus,' Adrienne whispered, leaning back. She placed a hand over her tightly restricted abdomen and leaned back as his hands slid higher to grasp her thighs. He pulled her against himself, still seated on the throne, running his lips along her throat and collarbone, feeling satisfied that she would not deny him.

'Perhaps, My Queen,' he murmured against her breast, 'now you have successfully taken the crown, you might be able to find some obliging nobleman to wed instead?'

Epilogue

Standing out on deck, Naomi watched the green shores of Ffion shrink further and further into the distance. The sea was calm, glimmering like a thousand diamonds in the almost spent light of day, and a gentle wind, perfumed by salt and far off places, tugged at her messy hair. She had been given a few sets of clothes that Christophe had scavenged from what was left of the garrison, and after hastily throwing them into her cabin, she had found a spot out of the way to wait until her home was no longer in view.

The burden of the people she was leaving behind was a weight on her heart, but she remembered the faith Christophe had expressed in her return and knew that when the time came, she would have an army at her back. She had sworn to protect the people of Ffion, and they would endure until she could set things right again. Adrienne would pay for her crimes, as would Cygnus and all who supported them. She would have vengeance, and she would have justice, if it was the last thing she ever did. Her people would see their grievances answered for by her own hand.

Gripping the hilt of her sword, she lifted her chin in silent determination. Even if Ayeko was unable to aid her, she would gather what forces she could and rally them around Chloris. She had no wish to drag innocent and untrained civilians into the battle, but she would force no one who didn’t wish to fight. They had been through enough, suffered as greatly as she had done at the hands of the pretender, but it was their freedom at stake now. She would call on every being on the forest, every poor farmer, every wasted townsperson, and together they would take apart Adrienne’s false reign stone by stone.

The dying sunlight all at once seemed to brighten, and the warmth of it on her skin was a bliss she had too long been denied. Tilting her head back and closing her eyes, she basked in the faint heat and smiled. She smiled honestly, until her teeth were showing, and laughter bubbled up inside her.

Peals of joy escaped without a fight, reaching back up to the boundless sky. Raising her hands, she began to spin. Childlike wonder filled her at the glory of such innocent pleasure, and she ignored any strange looks that might be following her movements. She cared not.

She was free.

Naomi will return in

Book Two

The Royal Sentinel