Hidden Knights (Knights of the Realm #3) - Jennifer Anne Davis Page 0,22
time.”
“Idina!” Ackley said. “That is devious. Even for you.” He rubbed his chin.
“When the Melenia soldiers here receive word their kingdom is being invaded, they’ll rush back home and leave us the hell alone.” She folded her hands together. “What? Why are you all staring at me like that?”
“You’re mad,” Gordon mumbled.
“I think she’s a genius,” Ackley countered.
“I’m glad you’re my cousin,” Dexter said admiringly, “and not my enemy.”
“What if word doesn’t come in time?” Reid asked.
“If any of the ships dock, I’ll tell them myself,” Gordon said. “I can lie and say we received word from Melenia requesting aid immediately.”
Reid supposed that would work. “As far as the duchesses go, we should send each a letter.”
“Why?” Ackley asked, twirling a spoon between his fingers.
Reid stood and started pacing, a crazy idea forming in her mind. “I think I know how we can stop Eldon.”
“Do tell.” He set the spoon down, folding his arms.
She thumbed the ring on her finger. The ring of a duke. It gave her the power to call on the other dukes. “Since the dukes are absent, and are most likely being held hostage, I am going to call on each duchess.” When everyone continued to stare at her with blank faces, not understanding, she extrapolated. “I’m going to invoke the power of the ring to insist each duchess raise her county’s army.”
“That’s ballsy,” Ackley mumbled. “I like it.” His eyes flashed with excitement.
“You want the duchesses, the women, to call up their armies?” Gordon sounded skeptical.
“I do.” The more Reid thought about it, the more she liked the idea of women banning together to save the kingdom.
Gordon scratched the side of his face. “The duchesses won’t know how to raise their armies, let alone how to lead their soldiers. That’s a man’s job.”
Dexter chuckled. “It’s a good thing my captain, Gytha, isn’t present to hear you insult her like that.”
“Weren’t you just in Axian?” Reid tapped her foot.
Gordon nodded.
“And while there, didn’t you see that women are perfectly capable of working, managing land, and being soldiers in the army?”
Gordon chewed on his bottom lip. “But the duchesses were raised very differently and won’t know what to do.”
“I know you believe that,” Idina chimed in, “but I bet that’s not the case. I think all the duchesses know exactly what to do. If their husbands didn’t tell them, then they probably heard and saw enough to figure it out on their own. And once they raise their armies, the captains will lead the soldiers to the City of Buckley. From there, Gordon and Dexter will take over.”
Ackley slapped the table. “Eldon’s going to crap in his pants when he learns the women are conspiring against him. I love it.”
“I suggest you get started on those letters,” Idina said to Reid, her face alight with hope. “It’s time the women of Marsden rally to save this kingdom.”
“So this is your private bedchamber,” Dexter mused as he entered Reid’s room.
“It is.” Reid knelt and picked up the discarded chess set, putting it back on the bookshelf. Rising, she found herself suddenly nervous to have Dexter in her bedchamber.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked around the room, examining the knickknacks on her dresser, the books on her shelves, and the weapons discarded around the room. “I’ll admit, it’s not what I pictured.”
Sitting on the edge of her bed, she asked, “What did you envision my room would look like?”
He shrugged. “I thought it would be lighter and brighter.” Large gray stones, not wood like the palace, made up her walls, which gave the room a darker feel. Thunder boomed and the rain picked up, pattering against the windows. Dexter went over to the hearth, then stoked the dying fire back to life. “What do you usually do in the evenings around here?”
“Read or play a game.” Often times, she played chess or cards with her father.
He stood, resuming his inspection. “Have you read all these books?”
She nodded. “Some twice.” Or even three times.
He stopped at her desk, surveying the knives, daggers, and swords strewn over the surface. Dexter picked up a small knife, feeling the weight of it in his palm. He set it down before examining a few of the other weapons.
Reid remained sitting on the edge of her bed, watching him.
“Do you have a favorite?” he asked.
“For throwing, I prefer the ones with the black hilts.” Their weight was balanced, the handles small, making them easier for her to throw.