“I will.” Ysmay extended her arm. “And I thank you, my dearest niece, for your love and concern.”
They made halting progress down the spiral staircase. Many times, Ysmay slipped on the damp stone and Ariana had to hold her steady, flinching at the birdlike frailty of the woman who had once appeared indomitable. Despite her physical weakness, the healer brought an air of calm to their journey, and the chambers seemed less dark and forbidding in her presence. They paused at the wooden bridge, Ysmay taking great rattling breaths to recover her strength, and Ariana wondered anew at the flaws in her plan. She had given no thought to what would happen next,imagining her aunt as a healthy druid priestess who longed for freedom and would stride off into the woods with scarcely a backwards glance. The Ysmay of her mind’s eye was younger and stronger than the Ysmay of today. Had she made matters worse by insisting on setting her free?
“Do not worry, child,” Ysmay whispered, seeming to read her thoughts. “I will follow the river into the lands of my people. It will not be long before they greet me. All will be well.”
“I can go with you,” Ariana said recklessly, hating the thought of abandoning her.
But Ysmay only smiled. “You promised me your commitment to your husband. And I intend to hold you to that.”
Together, they clattered over the wooden bridge. Ariana braced herself for the horrors of the squat tower, but again the gloom was diminished by Ysmay’s steady, unflinching presence. Much sooner than she’d expected, they were out in the brightness of early morning.
Ysmay bent with surprising grace to the prone figure of the guard. “He will awaken soon,” she pronounced. “Do I detect Merek’s work?”
Ariana nodded dumbly, fearful of exactly how soon this might happen. She bent also and replaced the keys in the guard’s pocket.
“Merek will be a good friend to you,” Ysmay said gravely. “Keep him close.”
“I will.” Ariana swallowed down a lump in her throat, as she helped her aunt down the tower steps, newly aware that this was goodbye. She flinched at the sound of the cockerel crowing. So much time had passed. She could only hope that Allys had been tardy in her duties this morning.
“I will leave you now, Ariana.” Ysmay stood by a copse of holly, haloed by sunlight. “Remember what you have promised me.”
“I remember.” Ariana pushed down her emotions. “Take good care.” Her mind whirred with a hundred things she could have brought to ease her aunt’s onward journey. A warm cloak. A flagon of mead. Even a walking stick would have been helpful. Her eyes rested on the guard, and she saw a small flash of steel. His dagger. Ysmay could take that at least, to protect herself. “Wait,” she called, already climbing the tower steps to retrieve it.
But when she turned back, Ysmay had gone. From her higher vantage point, Ariana scanned all the woodland paths she could see, but her aunt had disappeared without a trace.
Ariana was left in her green gown, with a slumbering guard at her feet and the growing warmth of the sun stealing over her. The events of the morning already felt surreal; from her terrifying journey through the darkness to Ysmay’s reluctance to leave the confines of her cell. It had all been like a dream.
A dream that would quickly turn into a nightmare were the guard to awaken and find her there.
Ariana picked up her skirts and began to run.
She arrived back in her bedchamber to discover that she had arrived before Allys—but with the maid sure to arrive at any minute, there was no time to undress and feign sleep. The stirrings of the mighty keep were impossible to ignore, and she could only send up thanks that no serving maid had spied her unladylike scurry up the stone stairs. Once safely in her room, with the door pressed shut behind her, she splashed cold water on her burning cheeks and dragged a comb through her tousled hair. The young woman peering back at her through the looking glass had a face awash with guilt. Ariana grimaced and tried to settle her features into a more regular pattern.
Allys knocked on the door and entered, blanching at the sight of her mistress already dressed for the day.
“My lady.” She hid her confusion behind a curtsy.
“Good morning, Allys.” Ariana aimed for bravado but pitched her voice a little too high. She cleared her throat and tried again. “It is a lovely morning.” The serving maid shot a puzzled glance towards the closed shutters and Ariana cursed her own stupidity. “I can hear the birdsong,” she added quickly.
Allys folded her hands. “You are dressed already, my lady?”
“No.” Ariana shook her head. “I woke early and decided to look through the gowns I brought with me from Kenmar, that is all. I have no wish to spend the day like this.” She cast another glance into the looking glass, hardly recognizing the tall, elegantly dressed lady reflected back at her. In just a few hours, the false confidence she always attempted to exude had been replaced with something solid and real. After all, she had half-seduced a young guard already that morning.
“But that gown would be perfect for the Beltane feast.” Allys stepped forward with a faint smile.
Ariana grasped the lifeline. “The Beltane feast. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“Unless my lady would like to try this one.” Allys crossed the room and opened the tall door of the dresser. “The earl himself sent it up for you yesterday.” She brought out a sumptuous gown of deepest red and held it against her own slender frame.
Ariana couldn’t help a gasp. “It’s beautiful.” The gown was low cut across the chest with a full skirt.
Allys nodded her agreement. “The earl’s boy told me that he would especially like to have you attend the feast in person.”
Ariana moved closer so she could reach out and touch the expensive fabric, imagining how such a rich color would look against her skin. She then thought of Otto picking out the gown and sending his boy to request her presence. Her heartrate increased as she remembered the last time their eyes had met across the courtyard. He had been riding away, dressed for some suspicious assignation, while she had been disguised as a poorpeasant. Had he recognized her after all? Was this gift of a gown some kind of message?
Her hand fell away, and she blinked in confusion. At her temples, she felt the first throbbing of a headache.
“It would look well on you, I think.” Allys paused, her cheeks coloring a little. “But only if it pleases you, my lady.”
