The Devastation (Unexpected Circumstances #7)(3)

“I doubled them.”

“That is still merely a dozen.”

“It was not enough,” I said as I shook my head and looked around at the dead men in the road. I could only repeat my earlier words to Parnell. “I was supposed to protect her.”

“There were too many, King Branford,” Rylan said as he shook his head.

“We must return you to Silverhelm,” Parnell said as his hand again rested atop my shoulder.

“No,” I said. “We head south.”

I did not miss the look Sir Rylan shared with my cousin.

“Sire—” Parnell started, but I cut him off.

“They took her, Parnell.” The reminder was unnecessary. “They took Alexandra. I will not go home until I have brought her back.”

“Who took her?” Rylan said bluntly.

I glared at him.

“Who else would take her?” I asked as I grabbed the letter back from Parnell and shook it in his face. “Are you stupid?”

“No, King Branford,” Rylan replied. “Are you?”

He obviously anticipated my reaction, for he caught my fist in his hands as I swung at him.

“Hear me out!” he yelled, and he used his impressive strength to grip my arms. Parnell drew his sword and tried to step between us, Rylan released his grip on me and took a step away.

“Have you a death wish?” Parnell yelled at him.

“Listen to me!” Rylan cried out. He held out both of his hands to put distance between us as I growled under my breath at him but allowed him to speak. “How is your ability to bring war to Hadebrand different now than it was yesterday? If you go there now with the small rabble we have here, what have you done besides deliver yourself into his hands?”

He gestured with his meaty hand toward the forty men behind him. His words sunk into me as I looked into his dark eyes, shielded with heavy brows. He was right, and I knew he was, but how could I possibly do anything other than go after her?

“My wife…” I said, unable to finish the rest of the sentence as my gut roiled, and I had to swallow hard to stop myself from vomiting again.

“I know,” Rylan replied. “You will go for her, but not now—not like this.”

Parnell gripped my forearm as he looked into my face.

“We must return to Silverhelm,” he said in a low voice. “Your army is at the ready there. I will send a messenger to Sawyer that all the horses ready for battle to be brought to Silverhelm. There will be enough for your cavalry, and I swear to you they will be worthy steeds.”

“If you are going to bring her home, you must prepare first,” Rylan said. “If you move against Edgar only to be killed in the first battle, how will you save your Alexandra?”

I felt my head nod up and down once, and I had to take a deep breath to try to calm my body. Every ounce of my being wanted to draw my sword and simply follow the tracks myself, but both Rylan and Parnell were right—it would do Alexandra no good if I were to be killed now.

One of the men riding with Rylan and Parnell walked up and offered me the reins to his horse. I nodded and was about to call for Michael when I realized he could no longer aid me. I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed through my nose.

“Your crown, my king,” I heard the man who gave me his horse say. I looked over to him, my vision still blurred, and finally had enough sense to reach out, take the circlet of gold from his fingers, and place it back on my head.

“Alexandra’s crown,” I mumbled under my breath and gestured toward the ground. The man seemed to understand what I meant and went off looking around on the ground. I knew it was somewhere in the road where I had dropped it, but I could not go and retrieve it myself. If I did, I was quite sure I would not be able to keep myself together.

I tried to push these thoughts from my head as I mounted the horse given to me. Alexandra’s crown was handed to me, and I held it as it dangled from my fingertips for a moment before looping it around the horn of the horse’s saddle. I tried not to look upon it as I turned the horse around and looked down the road to the south. Parnell decided to come with me and send Rylan north immediately to bring the horses from Sawyer to Silverhelm. We moved quickly, and I forced myself to keep company with Parnell when the road split, and we headed west toward Castle Silverhelm.

As soon as we returned to the castle and my wounds were tended to, the court was assembled, and we headed immediately to the grand hall and throne room where I found I was completely unable to speak of what had happened. I slowly lowered myself into the throne at the front of the court where nobles and advisors had already gathered, prostrating themselves before me. I tried to keep my focus on them and ignore the empty seat beside my own.

Parnell obviously noticed my distress though the others did not. He stepped up and placed himself between me and the court as he told them what had happened. Sunniva and Ida held and comforted each other as the royal court expressed its shock and disbelief that Edgar would be so bold.

“The other royal families will side with us now.” Abraham, who had been the captain of my father’s army when my grandfather was on the throne, nodded his white, wrinkled head.

“That will take time,” Peter said. “We should send messengers immediately. Within a day or two, we should have answers from Cresthall, and—”

“We cannot wait that long,” I said. “We must march on Hadebrand immediately.”