Authors: Connie C. Scharon
This was as close to an apology as she was going to
get. “I shall count on you to keep your word, Milord.”
He nodded. “Do you want me to send Wynne up to sit
with you?”
She shook her head no.
Jared paused at the door. “Now I must go and see what
fool inflamed the mob against you.” He left their chamber.
Asilinn pressed back in the bed. Even without chains,
she was still his prisoner.
***
It was late when Jared returned to the tower. She had
been sleeping and woke when he entered. Half afraid to let him see she was
awake, she lay very still in the bed. He stripped and lay down beside her
reaching across to pet her head.
“I know you dinna sleep, sweetling.” Pulling her
closer, he ran his fingers over the nasty knot on her forehead. She half
expected him to begin the ritual seduction she had become accustomed to in the
days he kept her chained, but all he did was press her head to his shoulder and
draw her close. “Does it hurt much?”
“No, Milord.”
“Good, try to get some sleep.”
Asilinn was sleeping peacefully when a gentle
knocking interrupted her slumber. She sat up and saw she was alone in the tower
room. The gray light of morning streaked across the floor. Snatching her
fustian robe, she wrapped it around her while she answered the door.
“Lady Asilinn, I'm sorry we woke you,” Flanna
apologized. “I felt sure you'd be up.”
“‘Tis all right, Flanna,” Asilinn assured her,
reaching out to rub the head of the small freckle-faced boy beside her. “How do
you feel this morning, Toby?”
He smiled shyly and handed her a bouquet of flowers.
“I picked these for you,” he said. “Thank you for savin' my life, Lady
Asilinn.”
“It was my deepest pleasure.” Asilinn took his hand
and squeezed it.
“Milady, I am heartsick about what happened.” Flanna
touched the swollen lump on Asilinn's temple. “Laird Jared asked me to check on
you this mornin' and make sure you were well.”
“I am fine, just a bit sore.” Asilinn smiled at Toby,
who was now tugging at his mother’s skirt. “Thank you for the lovely flowers,
Toby.” The small boy beamed.
“We dinna wish to intrude, Lady Asilinn. We'll be off
to the chores now.” With a tremulous smile, Flanna led her young son out of the
tower room.
Closing the door behind them, Asilinn removed her
robe and checked herself over. The only real damage from the stoning was the
head wound. She had a few other scrapes and bruises, but nothing of any
consequence.
What was she to do now? The idea of hiding in her
room was not appealing. The people would take note of it if she shrank from her
duties and stayed hidden in fear. No, she would pretend nothing untoward had
transpired. She wished she were sure of the way to the hot spring. A good soak
would surely restore her.
Absently she worked the knots out of her waist-length
hair. It took her the better part of an hour before she had brought order to
her appearance. Glancing briefly in the glass, she was satisfied with her
efforts. It struck her Wynne had not come to help her dress. Normally the woman
would have shown up to offer help by now. Perhaps she too had turned on
Asilinn.
There was another knock at the door and Asilinn
pulled it open fully expecting to see Wynne, instead Skye stood before her in
one of her remodeled gowns.
“Good morning, Skye.”
Brushing by her, Skye entered the room. “Close the
door; I must speak to you.”
Asilinn did what Skye asked and walked over to the
young girl. Jerking the chair around, Skye pointed to it. “Sit," she
ordered.
Her irritation rising, Asilinn sank into the seat
looking expectantly at her visitor.
Skye paced back and forth in front of her. “The
people fear you, Asilinn.” She looked at Asilinn as if she anticipated some
comment.
“I understand their fear. People are always
frightened by things they do not understand.”
“If my brother had not arrived when he did, they
would not have stopped until you were dead.”
“Aye.”
“You accept this?”
“What else am I to do? I canna change what has
happened. Hopefully their fears have been allayed by their laird.”
“Does my brother believe you are a witch?”
“I dinna think so. Mayhaps you should ask him.”
“You will not confide in me? Am I not your sister by
marriage?”
Asilinn shook her head while she studied the
dark-haired beauty before her. “Now we are fast friends when only yesterday you
saw me as an enemy?”
“I tried to keep them from stoning you.”
“Aye, so, but why should I confide in you, Skye? For
all I know you may be aligned with those who seek to kill me. The clothes I
found in your trunk are identical to the outfits worn by the men who tried to
murder me on the road.”
Skye's eyes grew wide in disbelief. “How do you know
it was you they were after? Mayhaps they were just robbers.”
“Their purpose was clear. Jared suspects treachery
from within his own clan, but has not yet uncovered the culprits.” Asilinn
watched Skye pace back and forth. “I do thank you for your efforts to protect
me yesterday.”
“I just did not want you publicly stoned. I'll kill
you myself if harm comes to my brother because of you.”
For all her bravado, Skye seemed very vulnerable. “I
applaud your loyalty. I only hope when you do decide to act in your brother's
behalf, you are certain whether your actions help him or hinder him.”
“This wilna please him, but I will do it anyway.”
Skye moved over to the tapestry obscuring the entrance to the secret passage.
“Are you brave enough to come with me no questions asked?”
Not waiting for an answer, Skye hooked the weighty
covering out of the way and opened the secret door. “I'll show you a way out.
If Jared is not here to protect you when the people rise up against you, it
will ease my conscience to know I did what I could to keep you from dying for
my brother's ridiculous peace plan.”
Asilinn came over beside Skye and looked her squarely
in the eye. “Your brother has already told me about the secret passage, but a
maze of tunnels run beneath the castle.”
“He told you? But you must have tried it to know what
lies below. You already tried to escape and failed.”
“No, Skye, Jared took me through the secret passage
to the Dragon's Spring for a bath. It was then I realized how extensive the
secret side of Dunbocan really is. One could wander lost for days and never
find the way out. If you are sincere, show me.”
“I'll show you the way to get from here to the east
gate. To show you anything else might invite a secret attack from your people
if you betrayed us. Come.” Skye extended her hand for Asilinn to walk in first.
Asilinn knew a moment's hesitation. Could she trust
this mercurial young girl or was this some devious trick to rid the Laird of
Dunbocan of his new wife? Asilinn decided she must take the chance and stepped
into the darkness of the passage. Skye followed holding up a torch to light the
way.
They made their way down three flights of narrow
stone stairs. This time Asilinn was counting. The stairs continued down, but
Skye directed her to take a passage branching off to the right. About fifty
feet further down, they came to a junction of three intersecting tunnels.
Taking the middle one, they snaked around a long time before it dead-ended in
what appeared to be a solid rock wall. The dank, musty air was suffocating.
“When you get to this point, you can open this.” Skye
demonstrated by pulling a small wooden peg from the wall. “Now look and tell me
if anyone is in the hall.” Asilinn put her eye to the hole and saw a much
larger passageway beyond the wall.
“There is no one about.”
“Good.” Skye turned a lever to make the cantilevered
stone swing open. They came out into the large hallway and Skye swung the door
closed. “Guards frequent this area of the castle,” Skye warned. “From this side
the door opens by turning the metal torch bracket like this.” The hidden door
swung open again and Skye slammed it closed.
“This way,” she directed. “Hurry up. We're near the
dungeon and 'tis dangerous. Never go to the right or you'll be in the cell
block.” Asilinn glanced to the right apprehensively. She hurried after Skye
down the hall to the left.
They went about twenty feet and made a sharp turn.
Glancing both ways, Skye used a similar lever to open a section of wall and
jerked Asilinn inside just as a group of guards rounded the corner. Both of
them leaned back against the interior of the new passage breathless.
After the sounds of the men had disappeared in the
distance, Asilinn said, “I think I would have to be very desperate to attempt
this on my own.”
“I didna say it would be an easy escape.” Skye’s
emerald eyes danced with excitement. “Come on we're almost there.” They walked
down the new tunnel making three more turns along the way.
Eventually they came to a heavy, oak door. Skye
pulled loose a squared off rock and reached in the hole it left retrieving a
large key. She used the key to open the door. There was a small set of stone
stairs beyond the door. Pocketing the key, Skye led Asilinn up the stairs into
a small cottage overlooking the east gate. They opened the door and walked out
into the brilliant sunlight right across from a row of well-kept cottages.
Asilinn was startled to see her husband coming out of
the neatly groomed cottage across the way. Glenna stood beside him still in her
bedclothes. She gazed up into his handsome face. “If there's anythin' else I
can do for you, Laird Jared, it would be my greatest pleasure.” Glenna smiled
up at him and rubbed her hand down across his chest. “Anythin' at all.”
“You have done more than enough, Glenna,” Jared
assured her. He turned to take his leave and looked into Asilinn's pale face.
“Good morning, Asilinn.”
Asilinn was rooted to the spot. She could not force
her legs to move while the vision of Glenna and Jared once again tortured her
with its clarity.
“Good morning, Lady Asilinn,” Glenna called.
Jared gave Glenna a withering glare. She hurried into
her cottage and closed the door. Slowly he turned back to Asilinn. “How are you
feeling this morning?” he inquired, coming closer. His fingers moved to test
the nasty swelling on her temple.
She jerked away. “I see now you have given your word
you wilna use me like a whore you must seek another in my stead.” Asilinn
didn’t know why his indiscretion cut her so deep. She was his wife, but not by
her own choice.
Grabbing her chin, he forced her to look him in the
eye. “Do you always assume the worst of me?”
She could feel the color rising in her face. “Is
milord angry because I am able to see through his lies to the truth?”
“God's teeth!” Jared’s eyes flashed daggers at her.
“How am I to gain their support if I dinna have yours? You make my quest
impossible with your mistrust!”
He released Asilinn and looked over her head to his
sister. “You brought her out the passage?” Asilinn turned while Skye nodded
dumbly. “Give me the key and both of you return through the main entrance. And,
imp, ask me first the next time.”
“Aye, Milord,” Skye said obediently.
“You will stay with Lady Asilinn until she is safely
in the tower.”
“Am I to be a prisoner again?” Asilinn interrupted.
“Do you go back on your word so soon? I but question your motives and I am to
be locked away.”
“You are not a prisoner!” The muscle in his lower jaw
twitched menacingly. “I think of your safety.”
Morven rushed up to Jared with a short dark-haired
man in tow. Seeing Asilinn, the man tried to hide his face. “Tell Laird Jared
what you just told me,” Morven demanded.
The man glanced at Asilinn and stared at his feet.
“Would you betray my father?” Asilinn asked.
“Do you know this man?” Jared queried.
“He attends my father's horse. Is he your spy, Dragon
Lord of Dunbocan?”
“I found him running in the woods,” Morven said. “He
says he runs because Laird Innes has heard Lady Asilinn was caught trying to
escape and was put in chains. Innes prepares to attack Cock Bridge in revenge. This man's people are from Cock Bridge. He sought to warn them.”
“Zounds,” Jared muttered. “Get the high council
together in the Dragon's Lair. I have need of their support in the actions I am
forced to take.”
Asilinn grabbed his arm and he spun to face her.
“Dinna do this, Milord,” she begged. “Let me talk to my father and see if I can
dissuade him. He'll see I am unharmed and leave off his hot-headed plan.”
Jared looked at her. “You would plead my case with
your father?”
“Aye, to prevent his death I would.”
“I'll handle this in my own way, but I promise you
I'll do all in my power to avoid bloodshed. Will you give me your trust or must
I go to face your father without your support?”
“Dinna ask me to choose.”
“You made your choice when you took your vows. Now
you must live with the consequences.” He turned back to Skye. “Take her to the
tower,” he ordered. “Asilinn, I will see you before I leave.”
Skye grabbed Asilinn's arm and pulled her up through
the series of gates leading to the inner sanctum of the fortress. Asilinn saw
the people staring at her and straightened her back. Holding her head high, she
made her way to the tower of Dunbocan before she dissolved into tears.
Skye said nothing, but sat with Asilinn and stroked
her hair while she sobbed into her pillow.
***
The Dragon's Lair fell silent when Jared entered
flanked by Morven. Jared motioned for the gathering to take a seat. His eyes
roamed over the assembled faces.
He could see Osred's dark eyes glowing in victory
over the latest news. The MacLean clan counselor had been the one with the most
strenuous objection to Jared’s plan to kidnap and marry Asilinn. Osred basked
now in the glory of the moment. His prediction had come to pass. Laird Innes
prepared for war because of Asilinn.