The King's Executioner (18 page)

They arrived at King Talon’s stronghold at dusk and Anin’s breath caught at the sight of the place. She had heard talk of the structures the King had had built at Pictland, but she thought them nothing more than mere tales, thinking it impossible. Seeing it herself proved how wrong she was.

They came upon a wood fence taller than three men standing atop each other. The tops of the fence had been carved into points as sharp as spears and torch lights flickered from various spots along it, making it appear as if the fence went on forever.

Two large wooden gates opened as they approached and once inside Anin’s eyes fell on the large structure that dominated the middle of the area. It was like none she had ever seen. It stood two stories high, large posts running in intervals up the front of the dwelling. Two large doors stood in the middle of the lower level. Smoke drifted out of several holes in the turf-thatched roof and tall torch posts stood like sentinels along the front of the structure. Several other dwellings sat nearby, some appearing to be work structures.

People stopped what they were doing to stare at Anin. No smiles crossed their faces and she wondered if it was because she rode with the King’s executioner.

When they stopped in front of the large dwelling, Paine quickly dismounted and hastily reached up to take her by the waist and slip her off the horse. She purposely placed her hands on his arms, wanting to feel what he was feeling.

The sensation was so strong it startled her and sent her insides churning. He did not want to be separated from her. He did not want to let her go, though he did, and with haste when her feet touched the ground.

The loss of his touch was almost too much to bear. Once again, she felt as if he took part of her with him.

“What is wrong?” Paine asked, stepping closer to her.

She raised her head, not realizing it had drooped with her heavy thoughts. What could she say to him?

The two large doors opened, sparing her from responding.

Wrath walked up to them, glancing from one to the other. “Are you ready to face the King?”

A shiver ran through Anin, though Paine ignored the question and stepped to her one side. Wrath stepped to her other side. She felt imprisoned by the stature and width of the two strong men and dutifully followed along as they walked toward the open doors after Paine ordered Bog to wait outside.

She entered to find it a feasting hall, though a much larger one than she had ever seen. Long tables and benches sat in rows. Huge logs crisscrossed the ceiling and others ran along the walls, waddle and daub snug between them. A sizeable stone fire pit occupied a far corner of the room, the smoke going up through a hole between the posts. Not far from it sat a long table with no bench in the front of it. Behind it stood two men, the tall one’s back turned to them. The other man only reached his shoulder, though his face was not aged with lines and ruts, his short hair was pure white. He stared at them, no sign of welcome on his face.

Anin’s insides churned again. The tall one had to be King Talon. It was said he stood two heads above most men and his long, dark hair signaled he was of the ruling class. He wore a sleeveless, long, dark leather tunic and though his arms were leaner than Paine’s they were defined with thick muscle. It was said his strength was beyond that of any mortal man. Many believed he could tame the wild beasts, calm an angry sea and that the land would tremble in fear when he walked upon it. There was talk that he could split a man in two with one single blow of his sword and he rode a beast of a stallion that no one could go near but him.

To Anin it was more tale than truth... until seeing him for herself.

The white-haired man gave the King a nod and stepped aside and that was when King Talon slowly turned around.

Anin stared unable to take her eyes off the King. She did not know if it was his fine features that captivated or it was the markings that ran down along the right side of his face. She had heard that no one had ever seen such strange markings and it was believed that he was born with them... born to be King.

His deep blue eyes were just as strange and alluring. Once drawn in by them, they were difficult to escape. Though, as tempting as this man might be to most women, Anin did not find him so. To her, he frightened more than attracted and she found herself moving closer to Paine.

“Do not keep me waiting,” King Talon ordered sharply and walked around to stand in front of the table.

Anin reluctantly kept pace with Paine and Wrath, her worry mounting with each step she took. They stopped a short distance from the King and Anin continued to stare at him. It was difficult not to. He was an impressive man. His leather tunic sat open from below his neck to the middle of his chest, lean with muscle. A leather belt was drawn tight at his slim waist, keeping the remainder of his tunic that fell to his ankles closed.

Paine spoke. “King Talon may I present—”

The King interrupted abruptly, “I will hear about the Drust attacks first, and then you will clarify why you were found naked on a sleeping pallet with the woman who
was to be
my future Queen.”

Relief and fear stirred in Anin. If she no longer was to be his queen, then what was to happen to her? And how had he known about Paine and her?

Paine did not bother to look accusingly at Wrath. He would not have betrayed him when he said he had told him he would explain to the King. It was one of Gelhard’s men and that was where his eyes went... to the white-haired man, the High Counselor to the King. Gelhard had men everywhere and they kept him abreast of all that went on, down to the most insignificant thing.

Also, the King was allowing him to explain what had happened, something he did not always allow others to do. What concerned him more, though, was what King Talon intended to do with Anin, since his words made it clear that she would not be Queen.

Paine detailed each attack though he did not speak of the Drust’s death trap or of the meeting of the Drust and someone wearing the garb of a King’s warrior. That was left to tell when he could speak with the King alone.

The King listened intently to Paine and Wrath’s accounts and when they finished he stepped close to Paine and Wrath so they could only hear what he had to say. “Only those close to me knew of your mission, Paine. Someone betrays me.”

“There is more to tell,” Paine whispered and the King gave a barely noticeable nod.

King Talon stepped back and looked to Paine. “Now you will tell me why you and the once future Queen was found sleeping naked together.”

Anin gave no thought to her action, she stepped forward. “It was my fault, my King.”

Paine shook his head and stepped up beside her. “She speaks nonsense. I did what was necessary to protect her.”

Anin turned to Paine. “If I was not so afraid of thunder, you would not be defending yourself to the King.”

“My task was to keep you safe, no matter what your fears.”

“Enough!” King Talon shouted and looked to Anin. “You are part Lammock. How can you fear thunder?”

Anin bowed her head before she spoke. “I cannot explain it, my King, but thunder frightens me and Paine kept me safe from my own fears.”

“Then why were you naked together?”

“A rainstorm soaked us and we slept apart until... the thunder.” Anin lowered her head, knowing how it must sound to the King.

King Talon turned to Paine. “You have done well. You have saved me from an unfit Queen. You will be rewarded.” He turned to Anin. “As for you, you shall be imprisoned until I determine your fate.”

Anin felt darkness descend over her, squeezing the life from her and without thinking she threw herself against Paine and wrapped her arms around him. “Please, do not let them do this to me.”

“Would you prefer I have him take your head?” King Talon said with a snarl.

Anin shook her head, then shocked everyone with her actions. She turned and grabbed King Talon’s arm. “Please, my King, do not imprison me, I meant no disrespect.” She should not touch the King without his permission, but it was the only way to know how he felt toward her.

She released him almost as quickly as she had taken hold of him, dropping back to lean against Paine. Never had she felt such immense power, such potent strength, such sureness in word and deed, and threading through it all was a smoldering passion. And what did he feel about her? She was of no consequence to him.

“Never dare touch me without permission again!” King Talon ordered sharply, then summoned a warrior with a wave of his hand and ordered, “Lock her in one of the prison chambers until I decide what is to be done with her.”

Paine shoved Anin behind him away from the warrior who dared not approach the executioner. “Anin has suffered much on her journey here and has done nothing wrong.”

“That is for me to decide. Now move aside and let the warrior take her,” King Talon ordered.

Paine did not hesitate. “I cannot do that, my King.” He was sealing his fate, but it did not matter. Anin would not survive a prison chamber. It was an enclosure without a shred of light and if it should thunder... he could not imagine the fear she would suffer. He could not bear the thought.

King Talon stared at him for several moments, then ordered. “Throw him in there with her.”

Fright gripped the warrior’s face at having to force the executioner.

Wrath stepped forward. “I will imprison them both, my King.”

“No,” the King snapped. “You will stay here and speak with me. Paine will give the warrior no trouble. Will you, Paine?”

“As you say, my King,” Paine said with a bob of his head.

“Take them,” King Talon ordered.

Paine turned and slipped his arm around Anin and walked toward the doors, the warrior trailing behind them.

“What are you about, Talon?” Wrath whispered, addressing him as a close friend, something they had been long before Talon had become King.

The King’s eyes followed Paine. “The truth.”

~~~

Paine kept his arm around Anin as they walked around to the back of the two story structure, Bog following them. He knew well where the prison chambers were, for he had made use of them many a time. They worked well. They were tightly built huts, not a shred of light entering them and in the cold the small chamber would grow bitter and in the heat the occupant would swelter. Many were more than willing to talk after spending only a few hours in one, though a person was imprisoned no less than three days to ensure he spoke the truth when released.

Anin had spoken the truth to the King and so had he and he supposed it was the truth that had the King imprisoning her. He could not allow himself to be made to look the fool and that worried Paine. King Talon could very well decide to have Anin executed for betraying him and Paine along with her.

Why, after all this time of keeping himself from feeling anything, had he allowed himself to feel for this woman meant to be Queen? He could not explain it and when Anin had thrown herself at him begging for help, he knew he could not abandon her—he would never abandon her.

Anin gripped his hand tightly when she saw the small, confined hut that was the prison chamber.

“I am with you. You have nothing to fear,” he whispered to her. She looked up at him with such fright that he tightened his hold on her.

“You will not leave me?” Anin need not ask him, her hand on his arm already giving her the answer.
Never!
One word so powerful, and uttered with such determination, that it helped ease her concerns not only for this moment, but for the future as well. She was eager to hear it spill from his lips and therefore she was disappointed when he spoke.

“I will be there for you when in need.”

Anin wondered why he denied the truth to himself.

The warrior opened the narrow door and darkness yawned from the narrow opening.

Paine was not surprised that the warrior did not prod him or Anin with a spear as was usually done to a prisoner. The young warrior was wise enough to know that Bog would have attacked him if he did. Though, Paine would have grabbed it off him and snapped it in half after giving the young warrior a good prod in the middle with the opposite end.

Paine ordered Bog to guard and the wolf sat in front of the hut. Then he moved his arm from around Anin and took her hand. The entrance was too narrow for them to fit through it together. He entered first and drew Anin in after him. The door closed as soon as she was inside and the board came down hard, locking them in.

Anin felt the darkness close in around her like a burial chamber. Her chest quickened and her breathing grew heavy. Paine’s hand was instantly at her back, stroking it, and she lowered her head to rest on his hard chest.

“We will do well,” he whispered and tugged her closer against him as his hand continued to caress her back. Paine waited until her fear receded some before saying, “This chamber is meant for one with little room to stretch or rest.”

Anin raised her head. “There is not room to sit or sleep?”

He was glad to hear that her voice held no tremor. “There is only room for one to sit, so you will have to sit atop me.”

“I do not mind. The closer I am to you, the safer I feel.”

Having her tucked so close against him, her breasts pressed to his chest, reminded him of how she felt naked in his arms. Her skin was soft and there was not a single body drawing on her body. She was untouched, pure, and he had no right to mark her with his evil ways.

Paine forced his thoughts on other matters, saying, “There will be no food tonight.”

“I am not hungry. I am more concerned with how long the King will keep us locked away?”

“Three days is the least anyone has been released from a prison chamber.”

“What will happen once we are?”

“That has always been for me to determine, but since I am now a prisoner, I cannot say what fate we will meet.”

“What fate did you deliver those who were released?”

“Those imprisoned here deserved the fate they met.”

She need not hear the horrible suffering he had inflicted on people or how with one swing of his axe he took their lives.