The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale #2)(62)

“Of course.”

“Go to the kitchen, ask for Frau Schwitzer, and tell her I need her to find Sir Klas right away and have him come here to the library. I will wait for him here.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“No, wait. You have an injured ankle. I need someone fast.”

“I will be fast, and I shall send a boy from the kitchen, someone who can run, to fetch Sir Klas.”

“Very well.” He had little choice. He dragged his chair back to his desk. “But do find someone to send as soon as you can to—”

But she was already to the door, hobbling faster than he might have imagined.

He had obviously grown too trusting and complacent. He should have known something like this would happen sooner or later. He had trained for battle, then was relegated to a diplomatic role as margrave and permanently injured on the same day. Still, he knew what to do—if he could keep from getting captured by Geitbart.



Avelina hurried as fast as she could toward the Great Hall, beyond which was the kitchen where a lot of pages and squires would be serving and going back and forth.

She swept around the last corner before reaching the Great Hall and nearly ran into a young squire.

“I need your help,” she told him. He could move much faster than she could.

She lowered her voice, forcing herself not to look around and thereby seem suspicious and draw attention. “Lord Thornbeck wishes for Sir Klas to come to him in the library at once.”

“Yes, my lady.” Apparently he had not heard that she was not a lady anymore.

“I shall wait for you here.”

She sat on a bench in the dark corridor and he hurried away. Her ankle was throbbing, and she lifted it onto the bench, propping her shoulder against the wall. The bandage on her ankle was turning red in two different spots. All the walking must have reopened the wounds.

While she waited, she covered her face with her hands and prayed.

After what seemed a long time, the squire returned. “I’m sorry, my lady, but I could not find Sir Klas. I asked another guard and he said he had not seen him all day.”

Perhaps they had already captured Lord Thornbeck’s captain.

“Very well, then.” She tried to smile and look as if nothing was amiss. Should she ask the boy to fetch another guard? She was risking him finding a guard who was not loyal to the margrave, but Lord Thornbeck needed help.

“Will you fetch one of Lord Thornbeck’s guards and tell him the margrave needs to speak to him in his library?”

The boy stared at her a moment, then nodded and ran in the other direction.

Avelina sighed. If only she didn’t have this frustrating injury. Perhaps she could help the margrave. She could spy for him and discover Geitbart’s devious plans. She could redeem herself in his eyes and he would not think entirely ill of her when she had to go away.

She pushed herself up off the bench and started walking. Her ankle hurt more than ever, pain stabbing her like knives. She limped slowly, biting her lip as she shuffled toward the staircase. Painfully, she made her way up the steps and to Lord Thornbeck’s library.

“Did you find Sir Klas?” He stood up from his desk. He was waving a letter in the air to dry the hot wax he’d just sealed it with.

“No. I sent a squire to find him, and he said no one had seen him.”

Lord Thornbeck grimaced.

“But I told him to go fetch another guard and tell him you wanted to see him in the library. Was I right to do that?”

He nodded, staring at the wall.

Avelina found a stool and sat down. She would rest a moment and then go back to her room. Her ankle was throbbing terribly.

A guard suddenly entered the room. “Lord Thornbeck.” He paused to bow.

“Sheinlin. Take this missive to the king. It is very urgent that you not let anything deter you. This letter must find its way to King Karl.”

“In Prague, my lord?”

“Yes, as far as I know, the king is at his home. Here is some money. Change horses as often as you need to, but get this letter to the king as quickly as possible. And it is equally important that no one know of this. You must not even tell your fellow knights where you are going or what you are doing.”

“Yes, my lord. I shall succeed.” The guard turned and strode quickly from the room, barely giving Avelina a glance as he passed.

Lord Thornbeck stared down at the floor while leaning on his cane. Avelina stood, planning to slip quietly out of the room. She was limping heavily now.

“Wait.”

She turned. Lord Thornbeck stared at her with brows drawn together in that severe look of his.

“Sit down. I’ll find a servant or guard to carry you back to your bed.”

“But first—is there anything else I can do?”

He sighed. “I need to get word to Chancellor Jorgen. He will have to send letters to round up enough of my allies and soldiers from town and the outlying areas to fight.”

“Perhaps I can go fetch him.” Avelina started to stand.

“Sit.”

She sat.

He went into the hallway and called out to a servant. He came back in and said, “Let me see your ankle.”

She gazed up at him. He did not look as if he’d accept any sort of argument, so she carefully inched her skirt up to reveal the bandage. She flinched at the amount of bright-red blood soaking her bandage.