He turned to his brother. “I want you to ride ahead and seek a meeting with the prince. Tell him that I’ve come to negotiate with authority from the king. He can meet us here, or I will come to him if he provides a writ of safe conduct.”
He had stopped in a strategic spot outside town—there was an open meadow on each side of the road, which would make it difficult for anyone to sneak up on them.
Marcus nodded. “Would you like me to bring you some supper as well?” he asked with a joking smile.
“We’ll fend for ourselves in the village. I hope he will meet with me tonight.”
“So do I,” said Marcus. “I’d rather sleep on the floor in the castle than in that meadow yonder.” He clicked his tongue and gave his horse a nudge with the spurs.
Ransom watched him depart. The shadows thickened, and the night crickets began their song. “Dawson . . . Kace. See if you can get us some food.”
They obeyed, and Ransom stayed atop Dappled, who snorted for some fodder. He stroked the beast’s neck and offered a soothing murmur while the other knights shifted restlessly. Stars began to appear in the sky, one by one, and the castle continued to shine like a beacon on its hill. Occasional bursts of noisy laughter came from the village.
In due time, Dawson and Kace returned with some sausages, bread, and a tankard of ale for them all to share. Not long after the meal was done, Marcus rode back to them bearing a scroll.
“Benedict is glad you came,” he announced as he rode closer, tapping the scroll to his forehead. “He’s anxious to speak with you and bids you come up to the castle. He offered the safe conduct without being asked for it.” A curious smile came on his face. “I think he’s going to try and woo you, Brother.”
“Maybe he’ll offer me the duchy of Glosstyr,” Ransom said with a grin.
Some of the knights chuckled around him.
“I serve the king,” Ransom said forcefully. The words, the sentiment behind them, sent a surge of Fountain magic through him.
“Shall we go with you?” his brother asked.
Ransom imagined that the castle was already full of Benedict’s men and possibly some Occitanian troops. “Wait until I call for you,” he said. “I’ll go on alone.”
“I should come as your guard, Master,” said Dawson with a bit of impetuousness.
A prickle of unease went through Ransom’s heart. He shook his head no. “I’ll send for you if all is well. The watchword is . . .” He thought for a moment. “Gemmell.”
“That was your horse, wasn’t it?” Marcus said, his brow furrowing.
“Aye, he was a gift from King Gervase,” Ransom said. “If all is clear, I’ll send someone down to bring you up. I don’t know how long it will take, so be ready and keep watch. Don’t let your guard down, Marcus.”
“I won’t, Brother. These are our fellow knights, not our enemies. I don’t think Benedict would dishonor himself.”
“I hope not,” Ransom said, but he’d learned to listen to his instincts, and he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling he’d had moments before.
With a nudge from his thighs, he directed Dappled to canter down the road toward the village. As he approached the town, he saw there were knights in abundance, but none wore full armor, only hauberks and tunics with the Lion badge. If Ransom had brought an army, he would have caught them by surprise. His cloak bore the badge of the Silver Rose, and many of the men looked at him with open curiosity, but none seemed resentful. No one confronted or barred the way. A few even called to him by name.
As he started up the road to the top of the rocky bluff, he sensed Lady Alix’s presence in the distance, just like when he’d come here to sit at Devon the Younger’s deathbed. He gritted his teeth. He hadn’t expected her to be there. Did this mean that Benedict’s life was in danger? Or his own?
The warning feeling in his heart didn’t compel any action. He didn’t feel he should turn around and leave, nor did he feel it was safe to go on. It was an unpleasant sensation, one that filled him with dread. He had no wish to face Alix, but he had a mission to fulfill . . . and he supposed she did as well. Had she known of his travel through the Wizr board and come to intercept him? Or had she already been here with Benedict?
There was no way of knowing.
The castle gates stood open, guarded by ten knights with spears.
“Welcome, Sir Ransom,” greeted the captain. “The duke is waiting for you in the solar.”
Ransom nodded to the fellow and rode into the courtyard. He passed the well that was connected to the secret passageway, but he did not sense Lady Alix in it. No, the feeling of her came from within the castle.
When he reached the main door, he dismounted, and a squire came to attend to his horse. He took in the celebratory atmosphere within the courtyard. There were bedrolls strewn about, and men were laughing and toasting one another with cups. With one hand gripping the pommel of his sword, pressing the scabbard against his metal-shod hip, Ransom marched to the door, which was opened as he reached it. He knew the way but was met by a servant.
“This way, please,” said the man.
As Ransom followed him, he sensed he was getting closer to Alix as well. He licked his lips, his heart shuddering with dread at the upcoming meeting. When he reached the solar, the servant who’d guided him there opened the doors. Benedict was moving in a restless manner that reminded Ransom of his father, and he had a tangle of grapes in his hand. He wore a hauberk beneath a dirty tunic stained with faded blood. His long hair was a bit wild, and his beard showed his defiance of the Occitanian preference for clean-shaven men.
Lady Alix stood off to one side, no cloak or hood. He recognized her golden dress and felt a strange surge of protectiveness. She still wore the bracelet of pearls around her wrist. Her expression was hard and distrustful.
“Ah, welcome to Beestone, Ransom!” Benedict said, setting down the grapes. He approached and gave a knightly salute. “I’m glad you are here.”
“It’s good to see you again,” Ransom answered, still suspicious. Lady Alix offered no greeting. Her beauty made the back of his neck itch. Memories of kissing her began to roil inside his mind.
“You’ve met Lady Alix already,” said Benedict. “She is my bodyguard on this expedition. A good conversationalist, expert at stratagems and the like. You were foolish not to wed her yourself.”
Ransom stared at Benedict in disbelief.
“What? You think I did? No, she’s my half sister—don’t be absurd. I’m just saying you were foolish not to. I shall be a king and must make a strategic alliance suitable for such a rank. Lady Alix has been advising me on the possibilities.”
“Come back with me to Kingfountain,” Ransom said, wanting to shift the discussion to the business of his mission. “End this senseless conflict. You will rule half the realm in your own right. And I believe that we can, if you return with me, persuade your father to release your mother. Show him you’re willing to discuss terms. He’s ready to hear you.”
Benedict snorted and smiled pleasantly, but the look in his eyes indicated he took offense. Nor did he seem at all interested in the proposal. “I do intend to go to the palace,” he said. “After I’ve won.”