It would have to. It was the best she could do. And it had worked, so far. Yesterday, Ariana’s frustrations had reached boiling point. As Countess of Darkmoor, eyes followed her everywhere. She could not walk as far as the inner courtyard without maids bowing their heads and guards standing to attention. She would never find Ysmay under such scrutiny.
But luck was on her side. Once a week, villagers and farmworkers living beyond the castle walls were permitted tohawk their wares within the lower courtyard. On this day, the services of the castle physician were available to all. When Ariana spied an elderly peasant with an aching back come to seek a remedy from Merek, the plan had popped into her head. While the physician attended to his patient, Ariana swapped the peasant’s cloak with an old one of her own.
It had taken some practice to adopt her own natural stance to the shuffling gait of a peasant. Ariana had stood in front of the looking glass in her bedchamber, deliberately rounding her shoulders and hunching her back, quite enjoying the overt rejection of grace and femininity. At last, she felt confident enough in her deception to try it in public, donning her disguise once outside the keep.
Her skin crawled with trepidation as she shuffled past the first set of guards. How on earth would she explain her actions if she were caught?
But the guards had afforded her no attention. Neither had the men working at the gatehouse. In one afternoon, Ariana had successfully worked her way around the whole outer perimeter of Darkmoor Castle, with no one pausing to question her.
As a poor, elderly peasant, she was all but invisible.
What liberty!
And even better, as the shadows began to lengthen, she had caught sight of what could be the entrance to Traitor’s Gate. Today she would find out for sure.
But first, her eyes could not help but follow the path of the young knight. He must be on his way to train with the infamous army of Darkmoor.
With Otto.
She hadn’t seen Otto for two whole days. Not since the scene in the morning room. On the first day, she had jumped at every footstep, half expecting his looming figure to appear around every corner. Her heart longed for his presence, whileher mind told her to stay away. By the time the bell had rung for the evening meal, her head was throbbing with indecision. She instructed the maid to say she was ill and had a tray brought up to her room.
Surely, she’d reasoned, Otto would come to see her the next day.
But he hadn’t. And now even Ariana’s traitorous heart had hardened against him. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t help but imagine Otto seeking his pleasure elsewhere. With you a young woman who boasted golden ringlets and the singing voice of an angel. Alone in her bedchamber, Ariana had fingered her dark, unruly locks and scorned her presumption that a man such as Otto would ever choose a woman such as her.
She had provided but momentary distraction, that was all. Otto was accustomed to seducing women. She had merely become one in a long line. Now he had moved onto the next.
But what if some other reason had kept him away?
What if he was injured? Or had been summoned from the castle?
She bit down on her lip as her pulse jumped at the possibility. A pipe dream, no doubt, but it would take mere moments for her to find out for sure. Then she could resume her quest to find Ysmay with a quiet mind.
Keeping closely to the cover afforded by the overhanging branches, she slipped through the trees after the young knight, his scarlet tabard easy to spot amongst the greens and browns. Soon the tranquil sounds of the forest were replaced by the clash of swords, shouted instructions, and occasional barking laughter. The knight broke into a jog and emerged out onto the lower field. Ariana ducked behind a gorse bush and peered out cautiously.
What a sight greeted her. It was as if a great hunting party had descended, complete with fluttering flags and majesticsilken tents. Fine horses pawed at the ground and a rippling mass of fighting men moved as one, commanded by an unswerving voice of authority which carried across the grassy field and brought goosebumps to Ariana’s flesh.
Otto sat astride a gleaming black horse, facing his knights, his own plate armor glinting in the morning sunshine. He was some distance away from her, but it was impossible not to feel the magnetism radiating from him. Ariana suddenly understood that out here, amongst his men, Otto was his true self.A warrior. A fighter. One which would strike terror into the heart of an enemy. Before her eyes, he reached behind his back and brought forth a sparkling dagger. With barely a moment’s hesitation he flung it out so it flew in a graceful arch through the air, landing forcefully inside the head of a dummy soldier strung up on the far side of the training ring.
Was this the same man who had touched her so gently?
Breathing hard, she sank down against the rough trunk of an ancient tree and placed her head against her knees. Never had she imagined that seeing Otto again would have this effect on her.
Like a fever, she remembered. And she was infected, whether she liked it or not.
She had been right to stay away from him. He would be her undoing. Hers and Ysmay’s.
Unless she fought the sickness.
Without another glance towards the training ring, Ariana pulled her hood more securely over her head and set off again into the dense cover of the forest. She walked quickly along a faint rabbit path, keen not to waste any more time. The hidden building she’d glimpsed yesterday was some distance from the main castle, and she must return to her quarters before luncheon else risk awkward questions. Otto may not notice herabsence, but the maids would. And the careless talk of maids could cost her dearly.
The woods had fallen quiet now, as if all the birds and hidden creatures were holding their breath, waiting for something. Dark clouds scuttled overhead, and the very air felt heavy with anticipation. Ariana scalded herself for her fancy. What she felt was no more than a premonition of rain. But still, her heart beat hard beneath the rough woolen cloak and she couldn’t help but swing her gaze from left and right as she picked her way amongst the twisted tree roots, expecting all the while a strong arm to reach out and grab her.
Less than a week within the walls of Darkmoor Castle, and you have become a foolish chit of a girl,she told herself sternly. What would her father say if he could hear her wild fancies?
Her cheeks colored at the very idea. Sir Leon would laugh, cold and humorless, his dark eyes sliding over the disappointing figure of his only child, as they had so many times before.
“You know the trouble with your mother’s people?”he would ruminate.“They have no discipline.”
