The Void of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood Book 3)(56)
Captain Carew brought up his soldiers to shield Maia, but she waved his men aside and allowed the former prisoners to approach her. Men shuffled toward her to give her some form of salute, whether a nod or a humble bow. There were even a few women who had chosen to suffer in prison with their husbands rather than be parted from them. Some kissed their own hands and then gestured toward her, as if they were too ashamed and rough to kiss her coronation ring. Her heart welled with compassion for these suffering people. The numbers kept pouring forth, dazzling to behold.
One man in the crowd particularly caught her gaze. She recognized him from her coronation day. The knight named Hove who had challenged her right to rule. She noticed him because he was replacing his black-and-white tunic with a royal one. It made her smile. It made her hope.
Suddenly, a shout sounded from outside the crowd, and a rider came charging down the far side of Fleet Street, moving toward the portcullis. He was shouting as he rode at breakneck speed. He dismounted when he reached the gate and the lord mayor met him on the city side of the gate.
“The army is behind me,” the rider panted. “Schuyler’s army. They are marching toward Ludgate this instant!” His eyes flew to Maia, still mounted on her horse, then to the crowd behind the gate. He did a double take when he realized the numbers of their force had perhaps doubled. “By the Blood, where did all these come from?”
Jon Tayt and Richard pushed through the crowd to reach Maia’s side. “Get back to the palace,” the hunter growled. “The fighting is about to start. You will get word on what happens here. Go.”
Maia looked down at him and shook her head. “No, Jon Tayt. I must stay.” She leaned down in the saddle so that they both could hear her. “There are Leerings on the walls. They are part of the city defenses. They will help repel Schuyler’s army.” She reached down and clasped Richard’s shoulder. “Send Suzenne, Jayn, and all the mastons you can find to the city’s gates. Have them start summoning the Leerings to protect us. I will invoke these.”
A confident smile stretched across Richard’s face. “As you command. But what about you?”
“There may be mastons in Schuyler’s army. A few, probably. I will stay in case they try to silence the Leerings. I think we all know we will fail if we do not hold Ludgate.”
Richard shook his head in wonder. “I do not think the Medium will let us fail. There is a certain feeling . . . yes, I do not think we need worry about failure.”
She felt the shuddering of the cobblestones beneath their feet. The men milling around the gate yard felt it too, and everyone began to turn. Jon Tayt gave her a crooked smile and drew two of his throwing axes, one for each hand. He looked . . . frightening . . . in the armor, helm, buckler, and blades. Without another word to anyone, he marched back toward the gatehouse.
Maia looked up and saw the front ranks of Schuyler’s army of thousands as it began to march toward Ludgate.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Remorse
A rough hand suddenly gripped Maia’s arm, and she looked down to see the lord mayor’s eyes gazing up at her. “Back to the castle, Your Majesty. You are vulnerable here. We will face this rabble.”
Maia shook her head sternly. “They will fight harder if I am here. Patience, Justin. The battle begins.”
He shook his head worriedly. “It may take them several days to breach Ludgate.” The street was full of men who were hastily donning armor and weapons, as well as members of the city watch, who were already prepared for the coming battle. Archers lined the battlement walls, waiting for orders to fire down at the crowd. Beyond the gates, Schuyler’s army was assembling, filling the air with their chants and cheers. The air was fraught with anticipation.
“When it begins,” Justin said with emotion, “it cannot be controlled. There will be death and blood on both sides, my lady. Go back to the castle! Captain Carew, help me persuade her!”
Maia watched as the captain’s stallion nudged its way through the floodwaters of people. His eyes glinted with dark emotion as he stared at the army massing beyond the wall. “He is right, Lady Maia. The streets will be difficult to cross, especially if the men flee.”
Maia shook her head. “It is you who do not understand.” She wished Richard was still with her, but she had sent him to summon the other mastons. “A moment longer, please. You will see.”
“A moment longer,” Carew said, “and someone may throw a rock at you and knock you from your horse. You just unleashed all the prisoners in Ludgate. Many are violent men who may not have fancied your pretty speech.”
It was getting more difficult to hear his words above the shouting. The prisoners-turned-soldiers were up near the front of the gate, jeering and yelling at Schuyler’s troops on the other side. Jon Tayt was among them, trying to keep them in check, but the situation was growing more and more precarious. There was wisdom in the idea of retreating to safety, but she could not abandon her people. She had seen bloodshed before. While it sickened her, she did not think it would overwhelm her.
“Lady Maia, please!” Justin implored.
“No,” she stated firmly. “The gatehouse has more protections than you know. I am here to invoke them. How much of the army do you think has arrived?”
Someone jostled her horse accidentally and the animal snorted and stomped. She nearly slipped off the saddle before she managed to right herself and calm her horse.