The Devastation (Unexpected Circumstances #7)(24)

Alexandra’s eyelids fluttered closed as she lifted our son from her breast and placed him against the other. As the babe continued his meal, Alexandra’s eyelids grew heavier.

“Sleep, my wife,” I whispered as I pressed my lips against the skin below her ear. “I have you, and you are safe.”

She did not even remain awake long enough to respond.

*****

We spent several days in Sterling Castle and were joined by Sunniva and Ida on the third day. During that time, I returned to the ruins that were once Hadebrand to look over my new lands. Where there had once been a fine castle with its many surrounding buildings, there was now nothing but rubble, scorched earth, and six halberds thrust into the ground, each topped with the ghoulish head of Edgar and his family members.

There were still two questions that bothered me greatly. The first mystery had to do with the whereabouts of Sir Leland and the men who had participated in the killing of my parents. Of the four of them who taught me so much as a young child, one was not yet accounted for. Kolby was killed by Parnell. Dalton had been killed in the forests of Silverhelm by Dunstan, and Salik’s body was located near Gage—both apparently killed by stones from the castle walls as they fell. Yagmur was still nowhere to be found. The other question looming in my mind was the reason behind the almost complete destruction of the east tower of my ancestral home. No one seemed to know anything of it.

“Who is this?” I asked as I gestured toward a man and woman who sat on the ground with their heads bowed.

“They approached the castle earlier this morning,” the guard said. “They could not account for themselves.”

“Could not account for themselves?” I scoffed. “Who are you, old man?”

“We came from the south,” the man said as he lifted his face to glance at me. He quickly lowered his eyes. “Are…are you King Branford?”

“I am.”

“We heard of the fall of King Edgar,” he told me, “and came to pay our respects and offer our lands to you.”

“I do not want your lands,” I said. I saw the woman flinch, and a small noise escaped her mouth. When I looked at her, I could see her hands were trembling, and for a moment, she reminded me of Alexandra when she first came to Silverhelm. I wondered why she was afraid, considered my words, and tried to think of how they might have been interpreted.

I dropped to one knee in front of the woman and looked closely at her. Her hair was long and brown and tied in a knot at the back of her neck. She was close to Sunniva in age, and her eyes were a lighter color of brown than Alexandra’s.

“Your lands are your own,” I told her. “As your king, I only expect a portion of your yield. It will be a fair portion and used to serve the rest of Silverhelm.”

She glanced at me but quickly lowered her eyes again.

“Yes, my king,” she whispered.

She did not believe me.

“Good woman,” I said as I reach out to touch her hand. “I speak to you with truth.”

“Of course, sire,” she replied. I could see the blush on her face, and again I thought of my wife.

“Our farm…It no longer yields enough,” her husband said gruffly.

“Why is this?” I asked.

“That’s what he has been going on about,” the guard said. “He claims he can’t pay tribute to his new king.”

“Explain,” I said, keeping my voice soft.

“King Edgar…he…he destroyed our crops.”

“Why would he do this?”

“He said we were traitors.”

“And were you?”

The man’s gaze met mine, and this time his expression did not waver.

“I do not think giving food to those who need it is treason, no, sire.”

I chuckled.

“Whom did you feed?”

“I am the one who did it!” the woman suddenly exclaimed. “It was not Abraham!”

“Hush, Maggie,” he said. “The woman doesn’t know what she says. I am responsible for her.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “you are.”

I turned my attention back to the woman.

“Whom did you feed?”

She looked from me to her husband before her shoulders slumped, and she admitted to helping five refugees as they fled Hadebrand to Peaks. Edgar had apparently deemed them supporters of Seacrest’s efforts to feed Wynton.

“And this is the reason you cannot provide me with tribute?”

“Yes, sire.”

“Then your tribute is deferred.” I stood and brushed the dust from my trousers before offering Maggie my hand and helping her to her feet.

“Deferred?” Abraham’s eyes narrowed. “I do not understand.”

“I will expect tribute next year,” I clarified. “Is there anything else you need? I must return to Sterling.”

The apparently astonished couple continued to stare at me as I mounted Romero and headed away from Hadebrand. I had dealt with a dozen such issues since arriving and left Parnell to deal with any remaining problems with the new subjects of Silverhelm. As I rode off, I thought of my wife and the people who were now our responsibility, and I smiled.

*****

“These are beautiful,” Alexandra said as Ida handed her another cartload of gifts brought from Silverhelm residents to Sterling Castle. There was a bright red robe for little Prince Branford, or Branny as Ida and Sunniva had begun to call him, much to my dismay, as well as dresses for Alexandra. Most of the gifts were obviously for the kingdom’s new prince though he did not seem to care for such things. He only seemed happy when he was at his mother’s breast.