Page 36 of Sword of Desire
“I don’t understand why you’re here.” She couldn’t fathom a reason Lyle would put her father in the dungeon.
“I’m here as a witness,” he revealed. “Lyle said when the time is right, he’ll come and get me. Then I’ll tell everyone the truth.”
If Lyle needed Lord Silas, he should be treated better and be staying in a guest room, not the dungeon. Then she remembered that this man before her wasn’t actually her father, and Lyle probably wanted him to verify it.
“Is it true?” she asked, unable to voice the words. Unable to ask if the late king had really been her father.
“Oh, my dear girl,” he said, withdrawing his hand from her cheek. “I don’t know what he’s told you, but I am your father in every sense of the word, save one. I raised you, and I love you.”
And he’d married her off to Lyle without even considering what she wanted. That had always bothered her. “You’re not actually my father?” she whispered, trying to understand it all.
“No, honey, I’m not.”
Hearing him say it grounded her in the reality of it. Tears filled her eyes. “Why?” He should have told her before now. She didn’t understand why it had been kept from her.
Her father took a step back, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is a conversation your mother always wanted to have with you.”
“She’s had ample opportunities.” Including when Harley had last been in Penlar. Her mother could have told her instead of insinuating things through cryptic words and phrases.
“She couldn’t, honey. We were being threatened.”
“By Commander Beck and Lyle?”
He nodded. “Now tell me what you’re doing down here in the dungeon.”
“I’m here to…” She was about to tell him she was there to kill Lyle, but something stopped her. She didn’t know what it was, but intuition told her not to say anything.
“What are you here to do?” Lord Silas prodded.
“I’m here because I got lost and found myself in the dungeon. Curiosity got the better of me since I’d never been allowed down here as a child.” She forced a smile on her lips so this man before her wouldn’t think twice about what she said.
“You should get up to the main portion of the castle,” he replied, “where it’s warmer.”
She absently nodded, about to leave when something occurred to her. “When you say you have to tell people about my true parentage, who are you going to tell?” All the nobles had been killed.
“The other rulers on the mainland.”
A chill went through her body as she wondered what Lyle had planned. Suddenly, she realized she had no idea what he intended to do with his newfound title other than rule Melenia. She hadn’t considered him wanting more until now. Since Commander Beck had gone to Marsden with the intention of taking over, she had to look at all options.
“How long have you been here for?” she asked, a sick feeling taking root.
“Since just before the takeover.”
She took a step back, feeling off kilter, as if a key component were missing. Maybe she’d just spent too much time with Ackley. Regardless, she decided to trust her instincts. And right now, while she knew this man before her might claim to love her dearly, she also knew there was more going on than he was telling her.
“Why isn’t Mother in here with you?” After all, Lady Mayle was the one who’d been intimate with the former king and had given birth to Harley. Something nagged at the back of her mind. She was missing something; she was certain of it. “I better get going,” she said, taking another step back. “Lyle’s probably looking for me.”
He nodded. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I love you.”
He’d been the one to teach Harley everything she knew. “I love you, too.” She hurried from the dungeon.
* * *
Once Harley knew Lyle’s daily schedule, she started actively doing things that could help Owen. First on her list, she went out to see the soldiers camped on the castle grounds. She pretended to be there handing out bread. However, she really wanted to discover if these were the men who’d traveled with Owen. He’d ordered his men to go to Lyle and swear fealty to the fake king so they could rescue their loved ones. Harley needed to discover if that had happened, or if Lyle had yet to release the people he’d been holding captive.
None of the faces looked familiar as she gave out loaf after loaf. Not that she’d paid much attention to those she’d been traveling with. She’d been so relieved Owen had returned, that she hadn’t bothered getting to know those around her.
She started asking subtle questions in order to discover if these were those soldiers or not. “How long have you been camped here?” she asked the short man with stubble covering his face.
