Page 50 of Sword of Desire
She didn’t want to comply. She’d spent too much of her life bowing to others.
Exiting the cell, Lyle waved at someone down the corridor. There was a shuffling sound and then Lord Silas appeared, a bruise on his cheek. “Follow instructions, or Lord Silas will suffer for your insolence.”
Harley considered trying to reason with Lyle. However, at the end of the day, nothing she said or did would matter. What she needed to do was find a way out of the castle, and she’d have a much better chance if she wasn’t locked in the dungeon. She slowly rose to her feet, pretending to be scared and defeated. Maybe if he thought he’d worn her into submission, he’d let his guard down.
She exited the cell. Before she could hug her father, Lyle sent him back to his own cell. She followed Lyle to the staircase. He led her out of the dungeon and to the second level.
He pushed open a door and gestured for her to enter. “Someone will be by shortly to help you prepare for the ceremony. It won’t be long now until it’s all over.”
Harley stepped into the dark room, waiting for her eyes to adjust.
Lyle shut and locked the door.
Alone in the dark room, Harley slid to the floor, wanting to cry. She didn’t think this was a closet, it felt bigger than one; however, there weren’t any windows or furniture.
“If you hear any noise at all,” Lyle said from out in the hallway, “I want you to investigate. I made sure word was sent a couple weeks ago that Harley is in trouble. I expect someone to try and rescue her any day now. This person is vital to me. I want him captured alive. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” two men replied.
A ringing sounded in Harley’s head. Not only had Lyle set a trap for Owen in Losger, but she suspected he’d set one right here in the castle for Ackley. And she was the bait. He must have discovered the man he’d killed wasn’t the real prince. Hopefully Ackley wouldn’t fall for Lyle’s tricks. But if he did, she didn’t know what scared her more—Ackley coming for her and facing Lyle, or Ackley choosing not to rescue her at all.
Anger coursed through her. She didn’t need to be saved. She could take care of herself. Granted, her current predicament didn’t look so great. But she’d figure something out.
Suddenly, she saw a series of events laid out before her as if they were moves on a game board. She knew the last move she had to make to win. From there, she worked backward until it became clear. Once she had it figured out, she went over the plan, looking for holes. The biggest problem—it most likely would lead to her demise; however, it had the potential to save her kingdom.
A sly smile formed on her lips. She knew how to win.
Ackley
Ackley slowly stood. “I’m just fixing it.” He took a step away from the tent, letting the soldier see the bent stake.
The man lowered his sword, observing the corner of the tent. “What happened?” he demanded.
“I was in a hurry and kicked it with the tip of my boot. I’d hoped to fix it before anyone noticed.” He made sure to maintain eye contact so the soldier would believe he told the truth.
He nodded. “I’ve done that once or twice myself. This is my tent. I’ll fix it.”
Ackley gave a curt nod and hurried away, reeling over what he’d heard the men say. Harley was about to be crowned as the queen of Melenia. Once that happened, she’d be guilty of treason right along with Lyle. Perhaps she didn’t have a choice in the matter, and Lyle was forcing her to go through with the ceremony. Because there was no way she’d willingly be crowned. That was one mess not even Owen would be able to undo. A small part of him couldn’t help but wonder if Galvin was right and Harley had fooled them all. Shaking his head, he banished that thought, unable to believe it.
He headed toward the center of the camp, wanting to have a good view of the castle so he could learn the guards’ shifts and where people entered and exited.
“Looks like you could use something to eat,” a soldier said, capturing Ackley’s attention. He held out half a loaf of bread. “You can have this.”
Ackley thanked the man and took the food.
“Come closer to the fire and warm up. We’ve all been stuck on perimeter duty.” The man waved Ackley closer to the fire. Five men sat around it, no one talking.
Ackley took a seat between two soldiers, slowly eating the bread so he could smell and taste it for poisons. The sky turned from dark gray to black as night set in.
The man who’d given him the food sat next to him, a little closer than necessary. Ackley was about to scoot away when the man leaned in and whispered, “It looks like you just discovered the lie. Are you doing all right?” He pulled out a flask, handing it to Ackley.
Ackley shook his head. He never drank. “How could you tell?” he asked, trying to be vague.
“You have that look we all had when we learned the truth. Honestly, in hindsight, I should have known. Russek killed everyone. To believe that Lyle had our family members to ensure our cooperation…I don’t know why I thought my wife and kids had been spared.”
Ackley nodded, agreeing with the man. He’d gotten the information second-hand and hadn’t questioned it either. To think Owen had immediately ordered his soldiers to abandon him and to swear fealty to Lyle to get their family members back. Truly, it was a genius move and exemplified the fact that Ackley had been underestimating Lyle this entire time.
“If you change your mind, let me know.” The man took a swig from the flask, corked it, and tucked it in his tunic. He stood and patted Ackley on the shoulder before lumbering away.
