Deck of Cards (16 page)

Caleb was about to turn and leave in frustration
when he saw movement in the back of the assemblage.  As she stepped forward, the crowd parted again, as they had for Rose.  At first, Caleb had trouble remembering himself, he was so taken aback by her stunning beauty. The crown of red locks flowing down her back and around her shoulders was an auburn hue; her pale blue eyes and snow-white complexion caught him off guard. She was far more beautiful than even the princess and, for a moment, he forgot all about his brother, as he watched her meekly step forward.

She had debated whether or not to let Caleb know but she felt the information she had may be of use to him and she owed it to Matthew to do everything she could to help him.  As she made her way to the front of the women, she kept her eyes down, out of respect, fear, and the overwhelming feeling that she must not look directly at King Caleb.  She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to let him know the information she had without speaking but she hoped to find a way. 

Just as she reached the king, Rose came flying at her, embracing her roughly and pulling her back towards the group. “Oh, Your Majesty, “ she began, speaking to Caleb, “This is Rose. She’s a well known, how should I put it, harlot. In fact, I’m quite sure she frequented King Philip’s bed on several occasions.  You really can’t trust her. In fact, she won’t be able to tell you anything anyway. You see, she’s
dumb
.”  She said the last word as if to indicate that Katey was stupid, not mute, and Katey tried to pull away from her, glaring in her direction. Feelings of betrayal quickly turned to anger and she considered pushing Rose away, except for the fact that she was, allegedly, her superior right now.

The confusion on Caleb’s face was apparent as he looked back and forth from one
redhead to the other.  “Dumb?” he asked, looking puzzled. “You mean, you can’t speak?”

Rose had loosened her grip on Katey and she shrugged free.  She took another step forward, still staring intently at her boots, Rose’s boots. She
shook her head. No, no she didn’t speak.

Caleb’s frustration level was about to hit its limit.  Finally, he had found someone who might have some information as to the whereabouts of his brother, and yet she could not tell him anything because she couldn’t speak!  “But, you did see him? You saw my brother, King Matthew, in the castle at Blackthorn?”

Katey nodded again, eagerly.  She glanced up at him, quickly, trying to assess his level of irritation.  Though she did not dare look at him long, she was able to ascertain that he was about to lose all patience and, if what Rose said about his temper were true, she would probably regret ever having identified herself as one with information. Nevertheless, she was pressed to do the right thing.

Dale could see that Caleb was
losing his tolerance.  “Sir,” he said quietly, “Why don’t you let me handle the rest of the civilians out here.  Go, rest, gather your thoughts. We’ve got this under control.”

Caleb knew that was probably for the best.  “Very well,” he said.  “Keb, take Princess Katherine in, find her suitable accommodations, including some clothing.” He turned back to Rose and said, “I will be by to visit with you shortly.” She nodded, curtseying again before giving Katey one last glare and taking the arm Keb offered and heading off in the direction of Castle Caine. As they exited, Caleb continued, “Gordon, take Rose
in. Make sure she’s comfortable and we’ll see what information we can gather in a bit.”

Gordon was a short dark-headed fellow, quick on his feet, but with a kind smile and Katey was pleasantly surprised by his gentle nature, despite the fact that he was a warrior. As he led her back to the castle, he rested his hand reassuringly on hers and Katey felt that, despite her betrayal, everything was going to be all right.

Caleb retreated back to his chamber to gather his thoughts and determine what his next move should be. He knew that Dale was fully capable of over-seeing the operations in the courtyard and he was not worried about that.  He was praying that word from Noel would come soon, that Matthew had been found and that they would all be reunited again.

Chapter 7

The sound of horses had sent Matthew fleeing into the small copse of trees near the trail he had been following.  It was the only shelter he could find and he was thankful that he had been able to reach it in
time. A small band of cavalry flew by, clearly on their way from one point to another and not looking specifically for him. Nevertheless, he was certain that, if they found him, he would be taken prisoner again and he was trying to avoid that at all costs.

He was hungry and thirsty.  The rations Angel had packed for him had all been consumed the previous day.  He could do without food a bit longer but he
was going to need water in the next few hours or else he would start feeling light-headed and weak.  Though he was desperate to reach safety, he was even more compelled to quench his thirst and so, once he felt it was safe to come out, he began his search, thinking, perhaps if he were to find a village he might be able to locate a well or small body of water without being detected.

 
                                        ***

Leopold’s cavalry pouring into Clovington, seeping across
the landscape as if an ink well had toppled over in the northeast section of the land. They had two missions.  First and foremost, find King Matthew and bring him directly to Leopold. He was clear that the king was not to be killed, though there was not much he could do if His Majesty got himself injured in the abduction. Perhaps a little pain might teach King Matthew a bit about why one should not run away.  His second order was to avoid combat with the Arterian forces at all costs. They were not in this fight yet and he wanted to make sure that, when an engagement happened, it was on his terms.  He had put his finest cavalry officer in charge and he had extremely high expectations, as always, that both of his orders would be carried out post haste.

Leopold did not like to be disappointed.

                                           ***

Nichole crumpled the worthless paper in her hands, giving a shriek of aggravation and rage. The messenger from Gradenia had not dared seek an audience with her and now, having read the drivel, she knew why.

“What is it?” Kenneth asked quietly, sure that from her reaction, he already knew.

Nichole spun around, her strawberry blond hair in a tight French-braid.  She was much older than her sister, nearly forty, and the streak of white at her widow’s peak made her seem even more mature than her age. “He does not have her!” she spat in frustration.

Kenneth was Nichole’s voice of reason on most days, but in a situation like this, he did not know what to say. After a pause, he asked,  “Does he have any idea where . . .”

But she interrupted before he could even complete the question. “NO!” she shouted. “He has no idea where she
is. How do you lose a PRINCESS?”

She was standing next to a large window, looking out over the snowcapped mountains to the north and as she said that final word, she brought her hand down on the windowsill hard, hurting her hand
on the thick gray stone.  He went to her, placing his hands on both of her shoulders and rubbing her gently as she cradled her stinging hand against her chest. “Perhaps we will hear from Caleb soon,” he said reassuringly.  “If Philip does not know where she is, then chances are good that she is in Arteria.  And if Caleb has her, I’m sure he will return her unharmed.”

Nichole nodded. She had no reason not to trust Caleb. In fact, they would probably be allies if there were ever any reason for that.  But Placidia did not share a border with
Arteria.  They were both port kingdoms and trade partners, but Placidia always tried to avoid conflict whenever possible, therefore, she saw no reason to align themselves with a nation known for having a strong military and a king not afraid to use it. Her father had arranged the marriage between her sister and the King of Clovington before Nichole even took the throne so she knew that, eventually, she would become allies with the nation that bordered her on the east. Even when Philip had requested assistance with the Arterians, however, she had hesitated.  It was not her fight, not yet. She was confident in Philip’s ability to keep her sister safe, knowing that he had a strong ally in Gradenia and that Katherine’s location was not far from their shared border. It was no secret that the Arterians were making their way to Castle Blackthorn.  Philip had plenty of warning. Nichole assumed he would have evacuated her to this safer location long before Caleb’s army approached his fortress. But Philip had let his ego get the best of him and now her sister was missing.

“There’s more,” she explained to her endearing husband. “Philip claims that Katey is his wife, that, because the relationship was consummated, she is his queen and he wants her returned to him—not to me.  He’s requesting that we send in forces to remove the Arterians from Clovington, restoring his kingdom to him, freeing Katey from the evil clutches of King Caleb, and cultivating our relationship as allies.”

The expression on Kenneth’s face said it all. Surely, Philip couldn’t seriously expect Placidia to come in and do his dirty work for him.  “What do you think of that?” he asked, respecting his wife’s authority.

She snickered.  “I think we will be calling on Father Hagey soon for an annulment. Or a funeral.”

                                        ***

Initially, Gordon had escorted Katey to a small sitting room.  She found the interior of Castle Caine to be very pleasant, though it was no
t nearly as large as Blackthorn or Meadington. Matthew had said that his family actually kept several palaces and, while Caine was their foremost residence, they visited the other locations often enough that they felt no need to maintain a massive structure.  As for security purposes, however, Caine was extremely secure, with walls and battlements constructed in rows, making the fortress nearly impenetrable. 

As she was sitting on a soft jade colored couch, contemplating her predicament, an older woman entered the room, br
inging tea and biscuits. “Good afternoon!” she said resting the tray on the table in front of her. “How are you, Sweetheart?” she asked, smiling kindly. “Would you like some tea? Sugar?  One lump or two?”

Katey looked around the room puzzled. Did this woman know who she really was or was she always this polite? She indicated that she would like some tea and one lump of sugar was fine.
She took the teacup, nodding her thanks and sipped it slowly.

“Good, isn’t it?” the woman asked.  Katey nodded, smiling in appreciation. “I make the best tea of anyone in all Arteria,” she continued.  “In fact, I make the best
everything
in all Arteria!” She laughed heartily, and Katey smiled broadly, finding her both amusing and extremely likeable.

“Do you mind if I join you, Love?” she asked. Katey gestured for her to have a seat and she did so, pouring herself a cup of tea and adding at least three, if not four cubes of sugar. “My name is Penelope but people around
here call me Cook.” She leaned in closely and said, “That’s because, I’m the cook!” She laughed again, patting Katey on the leg vigorously.  Again, Katey couldn’t help but be amused.  Cook had little laugh-lines spreading out from the corners of her eyes but they fit her face and made her look even more kind-hearted.  She was slightly over-weight and probably in her mid-fifties. Katey wasn’t sure why she had come to pay her a visit, but she was very thankful to have the opportunity to meet her.  She liked her instantly.

“Now, your name is Rose, is that right?” she asked inquisitively.
             

Katey wasn’t sure how to answer that. She didn’t want to lie but she also knew Cook was not likely to believe her if she attempted to explain who she really was.  She
neither confirmed nor denied her identity and Cook continued as if she didn’t really need an answer anyway. “And you’re from Clovington? You, uh, work at the castle?”

Again, Katey did not answer but that did not stop Cook from continuing to as
k more questions.  “Now, it doesn’t bother me one bit that you don’t talk, Sweetheart. I had a friend once, many, many years ago who never said a word, not one.  Best friend I ever had.  So don’t you worry one bit about that.” Her warm smile made Katey feel at ease, even though she was aware that Cook had no idea who she really was and she felt wrong deceiving her.

“So, Gordon tells me that you know my dear, sweet, kind-hearted Matthew. Is that right?”

To this question, Katey quickly replied, nodding her head and smiling.

“Isn’t he just the
sweetest boy, uh, man, you’d ever met?  Oh, how I miss him.” She seemed lost in her memories for a second and Katey sipped her tea quietly, waiting for her to return to the conversation. “Now, let me tell you, Love, Caleb and his men will be in shortly to ask you some questions.  We’ve been missing our Matthew around here for quite some time. Everyone is very eager to find him. You can understand that, I’m sure?” Katey nodded and she continued. “Just remember they’re men—they don’t think like we do.  Just do your best to let them know the information that you have and it will all be fine. Okay? When you’re done, why don’t you come join me in the kitchen and we’ll have a little snack?”

Katey didn’t know if she should feel relieved at Cook’s assurance that everything would be fine or scared that a group of men was coming in to interrogate her.  She was glad that it seemed she had finally made a friend, an actual friend, something she had been missing since Joan’s disappearance, and she was looking forward to getting to know Cook more. 

There was the sound of rapid footsteps outside of the door, which promptly came open.  Caleb entered, accompanied by Gordon and another man that Katey did not recognize. 

“Well, that’s my signal to exit,” Cook said, collecting the tray but leaving Katey’s tea with her. “You come see me in a bit, Sweetheart.”  She patted her on the knee again before standing and walking toward the door.  As she passed Caleb, she leaned over and whispered something. Katey wasn’t exactly sure what it was but she thou
ght it sounded like, “Be nice.”

There were two chairs across from where Katey sat on the duvet.  The men all looked around awkwardly before taking seats.  Caleb and the other man sat across from her with Gordon on the other end of the sofa. She stared at her hands, nervously, wondering why no one was speaking.

Though Caleb had spent the better part of an hour in his chamber collecting his thoughts, when faced with this girl again, he was quickly reminded of her breath-taking beauty. In fact, all three of the gentlemen in the room seemed to be suffering the same stupor in her presence.  After a moment, he cleared his throat and pushed through, beginning the procedure.  “Rose,” he started, “You have meet Sir Gordon and this is our physician, Russell.”

“How do you do?” the older man asked, nodding his head. She glanced up at him, nodding politely but she did not offer her hand and so he did not reach for it.

Caleb continued.  “We hope that you might have some information that can help us locate my brother, King Matthew.”

Again, Katey nodded her understanding.  But she did not look up at him.  She dare not look up at him.

He cleared his throat again.  “Forgive me if this is too personal a question, but I just want to make sure that we are all clear regarding your, uh, your condition. Is it true that you cannot speak?”

She
slowly nodded her head up and down. Gordon stirred uncomfortably next to her and she glanced in his direction. He smiled at her reassuringly.  Once again, she dropped her eyes to the only place she felt comfortable looking, her own hands.

Caleb looked at
Russell who asked the next question. “Miss, is the nature of your disability physical?” he asked.

Katey wasn’t sure what difference that made but she answered just the same. No, she shook her head. There was nothing physically wrong with her. She should be able to speak, and yet she could not.

The doctor glanced back at Caleb.  And then, he took up an annoying habit that Katey detested. He spoke about her as if she was not in the room. “Psychological then,” he said quietly to the king.

Caleb nodded, able to ascertain that for himself. This gave him hope that, perhaps, she would speak eventually, but he needed answers now. “Rose, was Matthew being held in the secret room in the tower, the
highest tower in the front of the castle.”

Katey nodded her head.  So, they had found the secret passage. Perhaps, then, they knew just as much as she did.

But they seemed to think she might know more. “Do you know when he escaped?”

Again, she nodded. But she had no way of letting him know. He had to guess.

She could tell that Caleb was growing a bit agitated at this game of twenty questions.  Gordon must have sensed this as well, as he asked the next question. “Was it on the same day that we took control of the castle?”

She looked up at him and nodded her head. It had to have been since she had seen Matthew earlier that day.

This information seemed to be a bit helpful. The men glanced around at each other, confirming their suspicions, and seeming to mark their mental checklists.

“Do you know what direction he was headed?”

Gordon had asked the question and Katey again nodded, able to meet his eyes briefly.

The follow-up question came from Caleb, “West, then?” he asked succinctly.