And now that he had delivered her back into this prison, she felt so foolish for wanting to believe him.
“Carice.” A low voice came from outside the tent, and she saw the shadowed form of a man. It was Raine. He sat nearher but did not enter. His shoulders were hunched over as if he were holding back the pain of the whipping. Her heart bled for what he had endured, but she didn’t want to see him now. If she did, her resolution would crumble into dust. Did he know how much power he held over her?
“What is it?” she asked dully.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.” She didn’t know what he wanted from her, but words would not heal the bruised feelings.
“I was ordered to kill the High King.” His words hung in the space like a blade poised to strike. Before she could speak, he continued. “That was why I came to you. My commander thought that escorting you to Tara would grant me a way to get close to him.”
She could hardly believe what she was hearing. “And you agreed to this?”
“For my sisters’ sake, oui.”
There were no words she could say that would make this right. “Is that who you are, then? A murderer?”
“My soul is damned, Carice. There is no redemption for me. Not after all that I’ve done.” His voice was rough and emotionless. “But the night in your arms was more than ever deserved. I am sorry that I hurt you.”
She pressed her hands to her cheeks, searching for an answer. “It didn’t have to be that way between us.”
“You gave me a priceless gift, one I will never forget. And I swear to you that, despite this journey, I will guard you with my life.”
“But you’re still going to bring me to him, aren’t you?”
He fell silent for a moment and admitted, “I have no choice, Carice.”
And with that, he left her alone.
They arrived at Tara the following night, a day after the Feast of Imbolc. Sir Darren gave orders for his men to make camp half a mile away from the High King’s lands while he ordered Raine to accompany him to the gates. They walked in silence through the darkness, but with each step, Raine felt as if it were a pathway to Hades.
The lash marks upon his back burned with the reminder that he was a slave to these orders. He had no freedom at all, and his commander would tolerate no disobedience. But he refused to apologize for striking at Sir Darren. He wasn’t sorry at all for defending Carice’s honor, and the knight knew it.
But he was sorry for having to use her to get close to the High King. With every hour that passed, he found himself questioning his orders. Even if he did bring down the Ard-Righ, he would likely be caught and killed. And then what would happen to his sisters? He hardly trusted the king to free them.
When they were close enough to see the torches surrounding Tara, it was clear that the number of guards had been doubled. Every man was on alert, and Darren turned grim. “Something must have happened before we arrived. We were supposed to be here at Imbolc. I didn’t think one day would matter, but I was wrong.” His commander’s mood had darkened, and he appeared on edge.
“Why? What was meant to happen at Imbolc?” Raine didn’t understand why the delay had any bearing upon their plans, but Darren appeared furious.
“We had men hidden among the High King’s soldiers. One of the Irish kings was our ally, and he was going to help us infiltrate the fortress. If the Ard-Righ has increased his forces, then our allies must be dead or imprisoned.”
The knight began pacing, and he glared at Raine. “We cannot take our soldiers anywhere near the fortress. They would be accused of plotting with the others. You must go alone with Lady Carice and her father’s men. I will join you later, but you must pretend to be Irish.”
Which meant that his beliefs were indeed accurate—the Norman army would give Raine no support at all. He would have to kill the High King and escape captivity on his own.
Or he could attempt to get Carice out and disappear with her. His mind seized upon that hope, and he wondered if it was even possible. For so long, he had obeyed orders that had accomplished nothing. Was it not better to escape this life and go in search of his sisters?
“Well?” his commander prompted. “Can you disguise yourself among them?”
Raine shrugged. “It’s possible. But what if Brodie Faoilin will not allow me to accompany them inside?”
“That choice is not his to make,” Darren answered. “You brought his daughter back to her rightful place. I already spoke with him at length last night. He knows that there is unrest between both sides, but so long as his daughter becomes queen, he cares not what happens to Rory Ó Connor.”
“And is that your intention? That Lady Carice will become High Queen through her marriage?”
Sir Darren didn’t answer. The stoic look on his face made it clear that he had little interest in Carice’s welfare. “The marriage will take place, as planned. You will attend the festivities in secret and kill the High King during the feast. Do it quickly and get out.”
“What about her?”
