AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Crispin snorted. “The horse threw him into a mud bog. It took all four of us to pull him out, and six hours to catch the temperamental beast. Father was livid.”
“’Twas all Simon’s idea too. He was such a horrible influence on Francis, on all of us.” Henry’s laughter subsided. “I shall never forget your mother’s face when we returned covered from head to foot in mud, the stallion prancing behind us with pride.”
“I thought she would thrash us all until we could not sit.” Crispin chuckled. “We were what...all of eight years?”
“Francis, Simon, and Jacob were eleven. Timothy was the same age as us.” Henry sighed, his soul lighter even though his body screamed, stiff and sore. “Such adventures we had.”
“Aye.” Crispin agreed, inhaling deeply. “But it does us no good to dwell on the past.”
“I know.” Henry shrugged. “But it does us good to laugh, at least it distracts from the brutal reality of our situation for a moment.”
“We must find a way to escape.” Crispin turned serious. “We cannot accept this fate. He cannot win.”
“We are his prisoners, Crispin.” Henry gestured to the cell. “What would you have me do, conjure a miracle from the air?”
“Of course not, but I refuse to rot in this cell and concede defeat.” He pushed himself off the bed and paced the cell as his mind began to churn with ideas. “We must escape and take Ruby with us.”
Henry watched, exhausted but engaged. “We are but two men locked in a cell. I am useless in a fight as I am. Even if we escape, we have no allies, no army, no horses, and no weapons. We cannot return to the castle unprepared. He will surely be lying in wait for us.”
Crispin leaned against the wall, his lips pursed. “Then we leave Meradin. We take Ruby and we leave. Seek asylum in England.”
“You would abandon your throne, your kingdom...your people?” His jaw dropped at the declaration.
“Do you think I wish to abandon my people in their hour of need?” Crispin rounded on him. “We can save Ruby. We can escape. When the time is right, we can return and fight Francis, but I cannot do it if she is dead or worse...bound to him.”
“If we attempt to escape, he will kill us.” Henry despised the words as they left his tongue. Their fate hung in the balance, and nothing could stop the swing of the axe above their necks.
“We will be free or die trying to escape.” Crispin straightened to his full height, his shoulders square and his chin held high. “I will die by my will, not by his.”
Emboldened by his declaration, Henry nodded, and hope filled his chest. For the first time since Francis reappeared in their lives, they had direction and determination. “Tell me what to do.”
Chapter Fourteen
For two days, Rubyremained trapped within a carriage, the windows and doors sealed from the outside. With only her thoughts for company, she replayed the events leading to this moment trying not to dwell on the impossibility of the insurmountable obstacles before her.
She leaned against the swaying carriage, taking comfort in the knowledge that they would soon reach their destination, and then she would be able to recruit aid to rescue Henry and Crispin.
There had been little time to react to the scene Ruby witnessed in Francis’s makeshift throne room. Hearing the accusations hurled at Crispin stung even more than seeing him beaten and battered. The moment Francis had Crispin and Henry dragged from the room, she revolted turning on Francis with what little strength remained in her.
The guards put a stop to her assault quickly enough. One of them pinned her arms behind her back. She struggled against his hold, but it mattered not with his size and determination to protect Francis. Her screams and curses echoed through the room.
When Francis met her gaze, nothing of the once humble and timid monk remained in the depths of his vibrant, haunting eyes. Whoever that man had been was a lie. A well-crafted façade meant to create a sense of comfort and companionship. Ruby’s stomach churned even now at the thought of the trust she placed in him over the years. Their comradery had been a deception. Although she would probably never know if he used her with purpose, or if their meeting had been a cruel twist of fate.
Francis spoke not to her, but to the guard who held her with simple instructions. Return her to her chamber and prepare the carriage.
