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It wasn’t until we were inside the grand hallway and had reached the stairs that I stopped and turned to Wimfred and Dieter.
“Are there any challengers for my crown besides him?” I asked.
Wimfred sighed desperately. “Not yet. But I’m sure he will be an utter nightmare. There is much we need to talk about, My Queen. I’m afraid Goliath has revealed himself to us, and if we don’t act now, we won’t have a David to face him.”
I shook my head in disbelief. I had done so well with the army and my knights. On my ride here, six to seven out of ten people seemed to welcome me and favor me for the throne. But that was before the ten people knew who it was that wanted to replace me. How could one win against the church? If there was a god, of course he wouldn’t care less about a rat like Gunther, but extremely traditional people like the Fellsbrucks wouldn’t be able to see that Gunther was using the church and God’s name for his evil games.
“Thank you for saving me out there, Wimfred.”
He nodded. “You’re my queen.”
I gave him a weary smile. “Would you mind finding me black clothes? Make it seem as if it was all planned already? Frida won’t arrive before Saturday. She is traveling with the carriages, and she is the only maid I trust.”
Winfred bowed. “Right away.” Then he left.
Dieter remained.
“Still no word for me yet?” I asked. I didn’t add who I was hoping to hear from the most.
Analyzing me, Dieter shook his head. I swallowed a sigh of disappointment.
“Rest,” I said. “And please tell the men to do the same. Have them camp a few miles outside the castle.”
“Outside the castle? That will imply you feel threatened,” Dieter said.
“It will imply I have an army, make anybody who wants to challenge me think twice. At least my enemies out there will get the message. The ones in here need to be dealt with differently.”Like the man leading the goddamn church!Just thinking about it gave me an instant migraine. Dieter must have felt similar.
“How will we do that?” he asked, adjusting his eye patch as he so often did.
I hadn’t the slightest idea yet. The church was an enemy nobody wished to have. But then...it wasn’t the church I was at war with. It was with some greedy little prick hiding behind it, using it like a stolen shield.
“Something will reveal itself,” I said. “Now rest.”
Dieter looked at me in amazement, as if he’d finally seen my father’s daughter in me. An heir worthy of this kingdom.
“Yes, My Queen.” Then he left too.
I watched him stride back into the courtyard, my heart as heavy as his chest armor, my legs as weak as butter. My strength, my reign, was still more show than truth. A few months ago, my daily struggles involved dresses and jewelry. Now they were about death, battles, armies, my crown, and love.
“Alrick, where are you?” I mumbled to myself.
