Crown of One Hundred Kings (Nine Kingdoms Trilogy #1) - Rachel Higginson Page 0,32

made clear. But have no fear, your escort awaits.”

With stiff legs I moved to the door and saw that he had not lied. A guard of about twenty men sat in perfect formation on horseback waiting for the command to ride.

The rebel army was more than a bunch of ragtag bandits. Arrick had apparently developed capable soldiers with a sense of propriety and loyalty any kingdom would be happy to have on their side. But they had no loyalty and they fought for no particular kingdom.

I wondered if Arrick would fight against me, too, when I was queen. Would I be forced to hunt him down and end his rebellion?

The thought left me hollow.

I decided to think about those things later.

Much later.

“We’re ready to leave when you are, m’lady,” he murmured behind me.

I jumped at his closeness. I had been too lost in my thoughts to hear him approach. “Tess,” I insisted. “You can call me Tess.”

“Only if you call me Arrick.” I could hear the smile in his voice, but I resisted one of my own.

I turned to face him. “Arrick.”

“Tess.” He held out a hand to me. I slipped mine into his, allowing him to shake it. “I look forward to our business together,” he said.

“Is this business?”

He answered with just a wink. He was up to something.

But what?

Arrick disengaged my hand and stepped back. With a commanding voice that carried across his fortress, he called out, “We ride as soon as our guests are ready! Be on your guard.” To me he said, “We await you below.” Then he walked from the room, his men at his side.

I turned back to Oliver and let his silence speak for him. “Did I make a mistake?”

He picked up my sword from a low table against the wall and tossed it to me. I caught it at the hilt and rolled my wrist, testing the weight and familiarity. Arrick’s men must have returned them to us while we spoke.

“It remains to be seen,” Oliver admitted. “But keep your blade close.” He nodded at my satchel on the floor behind me. “And your possessions closer.”

A few minutes later we mounted borrowed steeds. Arrick rode at the front, while Oliver and I rode in the middle, either still imprisoned or protected. I couldn’t be sure.

With a click of his throat and a call of command, Arrick led us into the forest. Our horses were born and bred in Tenovia. Slimmer than Heprin’s steeds, they were reared to pick their way through the tangled forest. Their fat hooves remained steady through the rough terrain and their long legs easily stepped over the white roots that blocked the paths.

By early evening we’d cleared the Blood Woods and found the road again. Arrick’s caravan stayed to the right of the road and moved through Tenovia with a grace and authority that continued to surprise me.

By the end of the first day, we had recovered our lost time and set a steady course toward my homeland.

I was back on the right path.

And yet, looking at the dark head of the rebel commander, I felt more upended than ever.

10

After a week of traveling, our caravan had fallen into a routine. Or rather, Oliver and I had adapted to the stringent schedule of the rebel army.

We woke before dawn and set out on the main roads, unafraid of law enforcement. At first, I had been surprised at the support the Tenovian people showed for the rebel army. People would often wave as we passed and when we stopped near an inn, the inn keeper would send out hot food and cold drinks.

When I was at the monastery, I’d heard a few rumors of the rebel army from workers passing through. But their whispers were usually terrifying tales of beheaded soldiers and robbed carriages.

I had been justifiably wary of them until I accidentally became one of them.

In fact, most of the men in Arrick’s army had military experience. They’d either retired from their own country’s service or defected, making quite a few of them men with prices on their heads.

I had expected a cruel, barbaric group of men that wanted to kill anything that looked at them strangely and stayed warm by using the severed limbs of fallen enemies to kindle their fires.

Instead, I found men that respected life and respected each other. They helped stranded wagons by repairing wheels or rescuing them from the mud. They assisted with needed repairs as we passed through villages. They spent time