Beguiled (The Fairest Maidens #2) - Jody Hedlund Page 0,41

reason, we could go back and finish to the best of our ability.

“I shall travel with you,” I whispered. “And when we get there, I’ll negotiate for Ruby’s release.”

“She will never hand Ruby over to you. Not if she wants me.”

I recognized the truth in Pearl’s words, which stirred my fear. “Then the question we must answer is, why does she want you back?”

“To attempt to kill me again?”

“But why did she try to kill you the first time? And why would she want to do so again?”

“She believes I am plotting treason, perhaps even amassing followers who will rise up and lead a revolt against her.”

During one of our many conversations, we’d discussed Warwick’s increasing poverty as a result of the gemstone mine not producing as many precious jewels in recent years. And we’d also talked about the queen’s yearly custom of sacrificing a maiden to a berserker—a madman—by the name of Grendel and how the people resented the choosing process. It was easy to see why the people might want to revolt.

Nevertheless, in all my analyzing, I still hadn’t been able to understand why Queen Margery had tried to eliminate Pearl. Even if the queen despised Pearl’s blemish or felt threatened by revolt, why not simply lock her up?

Plotting murder didn’t make sense, and this charge of treason was even more far-fetched. The queen didn’t truly believe her daughters, especially Ruby, who was just a child, could conspire against her. I could only puzzle over the queen’s real motives for wanting Pearl to return.

A rat scurried past our feet, and Pearl hugged her arms over mine. “I shall not allow you to give up your Testing to accompany me. You must remain here—”

“And I shall not allow you to fight this battle against the queen alone.”

“Mikkel, please. You must finish your Testing and become the great king you were destined to be.”

I was grateful for her desire to see me succeed. But I could never count myself a great king if I consented to her wish to fend for herself while I pursued selfish gain. “Perhaps after we have Ruby, you can take her to Scania and wait for me there while I go back to the island and finish my Testing.”

She hesitated. “This is too risky. I cannot ask this of you—”

“You’re not asking.” I tried to infuse my voice with princely authority so she would accept my decision. “I’m your husband now, and we shall face the queen together.”

Two forms slinked into view a short distance away, Gregor and Irontooth. I grabbed the edict with the information about Pearl and crumpled it. I couldn’t trust anyone else with keeping Pearl safe.

“Speak of this to no one,” I whispered. “We shall finish our mission here in Fife. And once the women are safely returned to the island, we shall sneak away.”

“Very well.”

I released my hold of her, though I was loathe to do so. “Promise you will wait for me?”

She nodded almost imperceptibly.

Even with her reluctant vow, I feared I wouldn’t be able to keep her safe, no matter how hard I tried.

Chapter

14

Pearl

I waited on the rooftop, where Mikkel had instructed me to stay. The setting sun on the horizon cast a blood-red glow over the town center, as if it had pronounced judgment and death upon the waiting women.

I shifted to get more comfortable, but the ache in my chest remained. It hadn’t gone away since the moment I’d seen Ruby’s name on the sheet of parchment hours ago. Every time I thought about what the queen was doing to my sister, the bitterness swelled until it nearly choked me.

My consolation was that my mother wouldn’t try to murder Ruby, not as long as she needed my sister to draw me back to Warwick. At least I prayed so.

At the sight of a hooded man slipping through the gathering crowd, I rose to my knees, straightened my bow, and took out an arrow. On the rooftop adjacent to mine, Humphrey readied his bow and arrow too, his hood pulled up to cover his large head and ears.

The Inquisitor’s soldiers had been laboring for the past couple of hours at erecting stakes and piling wood around them. The women were still in the stocks where they’d languished all day in the unrelenting sun without food or water. The longer they suffered, the more anxious I was to relieve them.

But like everyone else, I respected Mikkel’s plan and was following every detail. Once again, he’d shown himself to