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With a stilted nod, Ruby dropped her gaze. She could not let him hurt her mother. There would be no warning Marian of the impending danger. The look of determination in his gaze solidified her decision. She would do as he commanded.
“Good.” He released her and took her bound hands. “Now, I release you from your bonds. You are free to move about the room. Scream all you wish. No one will hear you. My servants are loyal to me alone.”
“Burn in hell.” Ruby spat on him.
His grip tightened and pain coursed up her arm. She winced, and he twisted until she pressed her body against him to keep her arm from snapping like a branch. Ruby hissed and turned her face away unable to bear being this close to a treasonous serpent.
“If you persist in treating me with such disrespect, I will carve mementos from your companion then have them brought to your chamber and placed on the mantle.” His hot breath washed over her cheek, leaving her feeling tainted and diseased. “Do not try my patience.”
“Deceiver. You have no companion of mine.” Ruby snapped even though she heard the agonized cry earlier.
“Henry will suffer for your stubbornness in blood. Limb by limb until there is nothing left.” His threat hung heavy in the air.
A sob lodged in Ruby’s throat. There was no mistaking the glint of evil in his eyes. He would relish the opportunity to bring pain. How had she missed it before? The kindhearted monk was gone, replaced by a bloodthirsty villain.
She softened in defeat, unable to form a response to his cruel threat. If she pushed him, he would retaliate of that she could be certain. At her nod, he cut the rope at her wrists.
“You may unbind your feet once I leave.” He grasped her chin in his gloved hand. “Remember, you belong to me now.”
Ruby jerked from his grasp. “You may have my body, but you will have nothing more.”
“We shall see.” He crossed the room intent to leave her when she called out to him.
“Why go to this trouble? You could have taken the throne with the blessing of the Privy Council.” A tear slipped down her cheek. She swiped it away.
“I want Crispin to suffer, and I want the kingdom to watch him burn.” Without further explanation, he walked out of the room, leaving her to stare after him in stunned silence.
Chapter Three
The longer Crispinstared at the faded map spread across the table the more his mood darkened. Two days had passed with no information on the whereabouts of Henry or Ruby.
The soldiers scoured the forests. His personal guard searched the road where they had been ambushed. Nothing remained of the wagon or the men who attacked them. Connor’s report of the event had been detailed, but his men found no evidence of the incident.
His gaze rested on Ruby’s jeweled scabbard. ’Twas the only item found during the search, but it gave no indication as to where she had been taken or by whom. There was no messenger with a note of ransom or demands in exchange for their return. An ominous silence filled the void, leaving the castle in a state of unrest.
Crispin paced the floor and ran his hand through his hair. Sleep eluded him and exhaustion replaced whatever frustration remained. He would not rest until he found them.
He paused at the window and leaned against the sill. A group of riders entered the gate then disappeared from view into the expansive bailey below. Judging by their pace, they returned with no new information.
Too many possibilities filled his mind. Who would dare steal his queen? Why? Crispin understood he fostered no goodwill in some of the neighboring kingdoms. And even among his own court, murmured conversations often painted him in an unfavorable light. Once the people discovered the truth of Francis’s return and the disappearance of his beloved queen, a restlessness would rise from the peasantry and farmers throughout the kingdom.
He returned to the map and beat his fist against the table in a rhythmic cadence, losing himself in thought. The map before him blurred, the ink fading into a distorted mass. His focus slipped deeper into darkness. He pinched his eyes closed and swore.
“Am I interrupting?” His mother’s soothing voice filled the room and eased his rising agitation.
