Page 136 of Keeper of the Word
“If my father thinks I shall marry Lady Wenonah now, he is gravely mistaken. You cannot imagine what ’twas like to be dragged here like a common criminal. He is an odious man. I hate him, Lady Elanna.”
Had Elanna possessed her powers, she was certain she would have heard acrack.But she didn’t need her StarSeer gift for the words to break her heart.
“That cannot be true, Your Highness. He is your father and had good inten?—”
“Do you love your father?”
Elanna paused. “My father is dead.”
“Can you help me out of here? I must return to Aven. Tell the ravenmaster?—”
“The ravenmaster is dead, Your Highness. Beheaded.”
Dashiell stood, seeming as though he might vomit. “Something is most wrong here, Lady Elanna. My father ne’er would have allowed that in the past. Someone in his council has influenced this change in him.”
“How?”
“Trust me. My father is not who he was.”
“Who is it?”
Dashiell shook his head. “I know not, but I suspect ’tis someone in his council. Karro was attempting to find out who.” Dashiell put his head in his hands. “They’ve done something to him. Karro would ne’er have resigned, not even for an illness in his family.”
Elanna did not have the heart to tell Dashiell that Karro was most likely dead. “Where is Aven now, Your Highness?”
“Lady, you’ve only two more minutes,” Hux said from the opposite side of the bars.
Dashiell held his mouth tight-lipped. “I wish to tell you, but I will not risk betraying her.” Elanna nodded. “I will say this, however. On the return journey, I noticed a number of villages in upheaval.”
Elanna furrowed her brow.
“I cannot explain it. But before all this,” he gestured to their surroundings, “I spent many weeks and moons hunting in both the Lenforese and Grendenian countrysides and forests. I’ve been around a great deal of villages and commoners. People were not attending to their usual business. I witnessed villages organizing, I suppose is how I might describe it. ’Twas an air of tension.” He lifted his eyebrows at Elanna. “Stars! You know what this means, don’t you? You’ve Seen something?”
“I told you when we met. The realm hangs on your wedding, Prince Dashiell.”
He stood again. “I shall not marry the lady of my father’s choosing. Not for all the stars in the sky.”
“Lady, they come!” Hux said.
“I will do all that I can to assist you, Your Highness,” Elanna uttered, standing.
When the guards stood in front of the cell again, both Dashiell and Elanna were surprised to see Councilors Roger and Hubert and Chancellor Griffith.
“Your Highness. Lady Elanna,” Griffith said, “I was bid to deliver you a message from His Majesty.” He made uncomfortable sidelong glances at the dungeon walls.
“Tell my father to deliver it himself. He can witness where his only son and heir languishes!”
“Sadly, that is not an option, Your Highness.” Council Griffith cleared his throat. “Your father has announced that your marriage to Lady Wenonah, daughter of Earl Ulara of Norcliffe, shall be in two days hence.”
“Tell my father to cease his wedding plans. I shall not be there.”
Chancellor Griffith swallowed hard. “Forgive me for the unpleasantness of what I am about to deliver.” Griffith’s chin trembled. “I was told that should you refuse, I was to inform you that theotherlady is being held.” He tugged at his sleeve. “If you do not go through with yourrightfulmarriage, the girl shall be executed.”
Dashiell’s grip on the bars was knuckle-white. “Griffith, release me from here. You must bring my father to his senses.”
“’Twas not our decision, Your Highness,” Roger said with a frown, his eyes unable to seek the prince’s.
Griffith gave a grim twist of the mouth. “Your Highness, it pains me to see you in this state. I plead with you to give this some thought and come to your senses.” He bowed to the prince before leaving with the sovereign’s councilors.
