Page 9 of Sword of Rage
Ledger nodded, shrugging him off. “Now that we’re far enough away from the castle, I want to find a safe place to sleep for a few hours. Then, when I can think clearly, we can figure out what to do.”
She nodded. They’d all lost friends and loved ones today.
* * *
Harley peeled her crusted eyelids open. Everything hurt. Her body, her heart. She sat up, surveying the scene before her. Milard and Ledger sat next to a fire, the smoke concealed by the low hanging branches above.
“Where’s Rayne?” she asked, yawning.
“He went to the nearby town to see the state of things,” Milard answered.
“We’ve decided to continue west,” Ledger added, poking the fire with a stick. “We’re trying to get as far away from the castle as possible. Once we have a better idea of what’s going on, we’ll come up with a plan.”
Milard snorted. “And by plan he means whether Melenia is truly lost to Russek or if we can raise an army to fight and take it back.”
“Who would rule? There aren’t any surviving royals,” Ledger pointed out.
Harley sat up straighter. “That’s not true.”
Ledger pursed his lips. “I thought you knew,” he said gently. “The entire royal family was executed.”
“Did you see it?” she asked, scooting closer to the fire.
He nodded.
“Didn’t you notice Prince Owen was not present?”
“I’d heard rumors he went on a secret mission to another kingdom,” Milard said. “I assumed he’d returned.” He scratched his head. “Four siblings were executed.”
Harley wiped the tears already flowing again, surprised she had any left. “My brother, Hollis, wasn’t on duty during the invasion.” If Owen had been home, would Hollis be alive?
“Hollis?” Ledger asked. “As in Lord Hollis of the king’s royal guard?”
She nodded. “We were at the party together, standing on the dais, when Prince Kerdan arrived. Hollis told me to hide in the secret passageways. No one noticed me slip away. That’s how I escaped.” She wiped her face with her sleeve, still unable to believe her brother had been brutally executed. The air became difficult to breathe. Her heart physically hurt.
“Put your head between your knees,” Milard said. “It’ll help.”
She did as he suggested. The wretched feeling in her stomach intensified, but her breathing steadied. “I can’t believe any of this is happening.” She kept expecting to wake up from this nightmare. Maybe she’d been thrown from her horse on the way to the castle and was suffering from an injury. Because this…this couldn’t be real.
“She’s not looking good,” Milard mumbled to Ledger.
“Please don’t leave me here,” she said. She didn’t think she could fend for herself. Especially since she was a woman. The way that man had almost violated her was still fresh in her mind. Looking at her wrists, she saw bruises had already formed where he’d held her. She’d been too weak to fight him off. Growing up, she’d begged her father to teach her to fight. He’d refused, saying a woman’s place was in the home, not wielding a sword. If he’d taught her, she could have saved herself.
“We’re not going to leave you,” Ledger assured her, tossing the stick in the fire. “You’re the only one who knows Prince Owen is alive. Where can we find him?”
Owen was now the king of Melenia—a position her cousin wouldn’t want. Not only would he be devastated to learn of his family’s death, but he wasn’t prepared to sit on the throne. Since he had three older siblings, he’d spent his days doing as he pleased. Oftentimes, he’d sneak and train with the soldiers, or hide in the king’s office where’d he’d eavesdrop on his father’s meetings. The king had indulged him instead of preparing him for a life embedded in politics. Harley cleared her throat. “Commander Beck and a large portion of our soldiers are with Owen,” she said, recalling what Lyle had told her. “Once they return, it might be enough to retake the kingdom.” Maybe. If there was anything left to salvage.
“Can you get a letter to Owen?”
She tried remembering where he’d gone. “He sailed to a kingdom across the sea.” That much she knew. And her aunt had said something about illicit trading going on. “We have to go to Kreng. If there’s a way to get a letter to my cousin, it’ll be from there.”
“Kreng?” Ledger said. “We’re not supposed to step foot in that city. Even though it’s in Melenia, we don’t control it.”
She was well aware of the particulars. Her uncle had frequently complained about the prosperous city. “If we want to save Melenia, that’s where we need to go.” Illicit trade only took place from one port—Kreng. And if they were trading with the kingdom across the sea, surely someone in the city would be able to dispatch a letter to Owen.
“It’ll be in their best interest to cooperate with us,” Milard pointed out. “We’ll warn them of the invasion. Gain their trust. Maybe we can work together.”
“And pray they don’t run us through with a sword,” Ledger mumbled.
