Page 67 of Besotted
The strong, earthy aroma of cedar hung aloft along with the bold, spicy scent of myrrh. I took a deep breath, letting the herbs comfort and remind me of home, of Aunt Idony and the sweetness of my life. Oh, how sweet and simple life had been.
From the barred opening in the upper portion of the door, scant light filtered in, permitting me to view the cell-like room with a low ceiling and simple whitewashed walls. The chamber was devoid of furnishings save the pallet beneath me and a simple crucifix upon the wall.
Pushing up, I bit back a cry at the agony that rippled through my body, as though I’d been upon the rack and had every joint dislocated. I struggled to my knees, grateful my bindings were finally gone. The blood at my wrists and ankles had dried and now crusted my sleeves and hem. I was free of my gag too and drew in a deep breath of the smoky herbal scents.
Sometime during the days of riding, my hair had worked its way loose from my plait, and it now hung in a tangled disarray, blood from my head wound matting it. My gown was muddy and stained with bits of dried leaves and dirt sticking to the linen.
Where was I?
I made myself sit up farther, trying to bring coherence to my thoughts. But all I could think about was the need for something to quench my thirst. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and my throat was parched.
With a fortitude borne from desperation, I pushed myself to my feet. Unsteady and weak, I grabbed on to the wall and pressed against it to brace my body. For several seconds, I breathed deeply and fought away the dizziness that threatened to send me back into the world of oblivion.
I couldn’t go there again. I had to stay awake and determine where I was and how I could get out. Although I’d been praying and hoping Chester would rally knights to rescue me—and perhaps already had been on my trail—I guessed he was no match for the queen’s men. At the very least, they’d had too much of a lead.
Gathering strength, I limped to the door and tried the handle. Of course it was locked. Standing on my toes, I peered through the bars. One knight stood directly outside my chamber and another at the end of the corridor.
At the sight of my face, the closest knight motioned to the other guard, who spun and disappeared down a different hallway.
Perhaps if I could trick this guard into opening the door, I’d be able to push him into the room and lock him inside in my stead. Though I didn’t know how I’d escape beyond that, it was a start. And I needed to do something.
“I would like a drink,” I managed through my parched lips.
He stood stiffly and unmoving, without even the slightest twitch to acknowledge my request. I guessed no amount of pleading would rouse his compassion.
With a sigh, I nearly allowed myself to sink to the floor and wallow in despair. But I held myself erect, even though every bone in my body protested. I wouldn’t allow Queen Margery to reduce me to a helpless, quivering simpleton. If I must face death at her hands, I would do so with dignity.
My stomach rumbled with the pangs of hunger, and I pressed my fist there, wishing I could block out the hunger, not only for food but for Kresten. He’d never been far from my mind during the long past few days. Though I’d resolved to do my duty and put thoughts of a future with him aside, I couldn’t so easily dismiss my love.
What would he say when he discovered I’d been captured by the queen? Would he blame himself? I hoped not. He had to know I’d consented to seeing him. And at the end, when he’d tried to distance himself from me so we could part ways, I’d been the one to seek him out.
I prayed he wouldn’t discover what had happened to me until it was too late. Otherwise, he’d put himself into mortal danger coming after me. And I didn’t want him to do that.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor along with voices. I held myself up rigidly, though my knees threatened to buckle. A moment later, keys rattled in the door, and then it swung open to reveal the guard.
Behind him stood a beautiful woman and several more soldiers, servants, and monks. The guard stepped aside, and the woman glided inside the cell. A servant scurried past her, holding up a candle.
The amber light fell across the woman, highlighting her features. Queen Margery, my mother’s twin sister. Margery looked nearly identical to my mother, except instead of having fair hair and blue eyes, Margery had waist-length, raven-black tresses and stunning emerald eyes. She wore an emerald gown that matched her eyes, along with emerald bracelets, emerald earrings, and emerald-studded ribbons.
While she was every bit as beautiful as my mother, something in Margery’s eyes was cold, almost cruel. Nothing like the strong, purposeful, and courageous eyes that had always peered at me from my mother’s portrait at Huntwell Fortress. I tried to picture my mother standing beside this woman. What would Leandra think? What would she do in my situation?
I guessed she would have exuded strength and self-confidence. “Your Majesty, I regret that I am not at my best to receive you, but I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
She tilted her head and studied me further, her lips curving up as though she somehow found me or my predicament amusing.
At her mockery, I was all too conscious of how inadequate I was and how little experience I had at interacting with people. While Aunt Idony had prepared me for many things, she couldn’t make up for all that I’d lost in being sequestered for so many years. Was I fooling myself into thinking I could be anything like my mother?
I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin. No matter what might happen here with Queen Margery, I would face it with grace.
“You look like Leandra,” Queen Margery said with a note of spite, as if my resemblance to my mother was objectionable.
“You look like her too.”
“Our father always thought Leandra, with her fairer coloring, was more beautiful.”
“Is a raven any less beautiful than a sparrow?”
Margery’s mirth faded, and her gaze narrowed upon me. “Our father also thought Leandra was kinder and wiser and would make a better queen than I would.”
