Dark One Rising(34)
He raised his eyebrows at his king again. “You have never let anyone stay in the queen’s old chambers, Sire. Forgive me if I’m surprised.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve been annoyingly sentimental about it. Melenthia is a princess and therefore requires better living quarters than what I have allowed the other women in my life to have.” He shook his head. “I’m such a cad.”
Emerick approached his king now and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. “It’s quite alright, Dain. I have been here since you were born, and you’ve always had a rebellious nature about you. As you got older, you allowed the influence of the other boys get you in trouble. I would agree that you have been a cad, but maybe you have finally seen your errors and will now start down the right road.”
Dain laughed out loud at his friend’s candor. “Yes, Emerick, you are correct. Kicking Annikka out was just the start of my awakening. I plan on being a better king, and a better man.”
“Your father would be proud.”
“Yes, yes, we’ll see how long it lasts. My attempts at decency don’t seem to hold very long.”
“I think you’ll find a way to make it stick this time.”
Dain smiled. “Well let’s not let them arrive unprepared. Will you attend to those things, Emerick?”
“I will see to it personally, Your Majesty,” he said bowing to his liege.
“Thank you, Emerick. I swear, you and Alek are the only real friends I have. I need to go out for a bit, so if you’ll also see to it that my horse is prepared as well, I would appreciate it.”
“Where are you going at this time of night, Your Majesty?”
“I have some information to gather, and the best time to gather it is when the people who are most likely to give it are lurking about.”
“Be careful, Your Majesty.”
“I always am.”
Emerick bowed again and left his king staring out the window into the sunset.
***
Just as Melenthia was getting dressed again after her soak, there was a light knock on the door. She dropped the towel that she had been drying her hair with, and grabbed the small knife that Lucan had given her out of her pack. She quietly went to the door and opened it just a crack and peeked out, knife in hand behind her back. When she saw the face of Garreth, and Kya just behind him, she opened the door wide enough for them both to come through, then closed and locked it behind them again. Kya went to the bed and sat down, Garreth stood against the wall. He motioned for Melenthia to sit in the chair. When she did, he took the two gold pieces she had given him earlier out of his apron pocket and set it on the table in front of her. She looked up at him. He went back to his leaning spot on the wall, crossed his arms over his chest, and smiled.
“Your money is no good here, Melenthia. We owe you too much. The least I can do is put you up for the night and fill your belly with hot food. You’re safe here. Tell us what’s happened.”
“My father has sold his soul, and me, to the devil.”
Garreth and Kya looked at each other, confused.
“My father has promised my hand to the Duke of Xenos.”
Kya’s hand shot up to her mouth, and she gasped in shock. Garreth uncrossed his arms and frowned.
“What would possess him to do something like that?”
“Whom” would possess him is more like it. For quite some time now, both Kevaan and I had suspected that father was not himself. Fallon is playing around with dark things, and I believe he has somehow used that against my father. I had to run before he arrived. He wasn’t supposed to get there for a couple of days, but news traveled to the castle from the border that he had passed by a day and a half early. I couldn’t wait. I had to flee.”
“How could your father let you just go like that?”
“I threatened to run if he handed me over, but he didn’t seem to believe me, or if he did, he didn’t care. Fallon has a hold on him that I cannot explain. My father didn’t know I left. I took off just after dawn.”
Kya spoke up now. “Where will you go?”
“I will ride west, through the woods, over the river into Isamar.”
“What will you do then?”
“Start over. Make a life where no one knows me.”
“If he is hell bent on having you, I fear he will find you no matter where you go.”
“That’s a chance I’ll have to take. If he finds me he will kill me now that I have embarrassed him. But if I would have stayed, I would be nothing more than a slave in his house, a direction to point his anger at. I would rather die running than live a life of terror.”
Garreth looked at his wife. “Kya, take her packs and fill them as full as you can with food, enough to last more than a week. Pack extra supplies in a travel bag and bring them to the stable.”