close to the Queen Dowager. 'Get changed, madam, or I'll have Brom change you himself. You're coming with us. And you'd want to be quiet about it or you'll be the one without the tongue. Is that clear?'
Saria looked at her with such loathing both men stepped back. 'There'll be a reckoning for this.'
'You think I'm scared of you, Saria?' She stared so angrily and intently at the dowager that the older woman took a step back. Florentyna cut a look at her companion. 'Brom, go with her.' At his look of worry, she nodded. 'I'm fine here for the moment. Keep her on her toes and rip that gown off if you have to - you have my permission.'
Saria glowered at her before giving an indignant growl and turning on her heels. Florentyna looked at Brom and nodded in Saria's direction as if to tell him to hurry up. Clearly angry, he did as he was told and she could hear him clomping down the stairs behind the dowager.
'Your majesty, I cannot let you leave here without fighting to save you.'
'You are a man of peace, Brother Hoolyn. I do not want you to fight at all.'
'You know what I mean. We must at least protect you with our lives.'
'No. I think we just invite more death. This way we have a chance. We may need a diversion though.'
'Whatever you need is yours.'
She couldn't believe she smiled. Here she was about to run for her life and she could grin. She wouldn't admit to any sense of excitement because that would be plain madness, but there was a rekindling within her of something that had been mute for a long time. She could feel her spirit returning; all that had once made her the person her father was proud of was reawakening. It had been buried and silent since his death and she had felt like an empty shell. Now her life was threatened and she wanted to fight for it, as well as hunt down these murderers.
'Do you have livestock here?'
'Some cows, yes, a few sheep. Some horses too.'
'The cows. Can you perhaps lead them out to pasture or something?' She gave a shrug, embarrassed by her lack of knowledge of animal husbandry.
'Yes, of course we can.'
'The three of us will steal out with the cows, using them for cover as best we can, just until we can reach the higher ground,' she said, casting a glance out of the window that faced north.
'Better still, your majesty, you lead the cows out wearing our cassocks. It may just buy some extra time, whether they realise the ploy earlier or later.'
'Excellent idea, Brother Hoolyn. I might leave it to you to let the dowager know about yet another change of clothes.'
Chapter Nineteen
Cassien and Ham emerged from the hills that overlooked Rittylworth Monastery from the north.
'It's beautiful,' Ham sighed. 'I never thought I'd see the famous monastery.'
'I'm glad we came this way,' Cassien admitted, 'I've read about Rittylworth in the history books but to see it is worthwhile, especially ...' His voice trailed off as his sharp gaze picked out a scene that looked altogether wrong. 'Ham, something's odd.'
'What?' he said, following Cassien's gaze into the distance.
Cassien squinted. 'Shar! Those are bodies,' he exclaimed.
Ham focused. 'Two men.'
Cassien concentrated, trying to make sense of the scene from this distance. 'Killed with arrows.'
Ham looked at him. 'What can that mean?'
'Search me.' They both stared again. 'Monks are walking out.'
They watched in silence now as the dead men were half-dragged, half-carried back into the building.
'What is going on here?' Cassien wondered aloud.
'What do we do?'
'We wait.'
'For what?'
'For more to be revealed,' Cassien decided. 'We need to get off this rise, though, in case we're spotted. Come on.' He jumped off his horse and Ham did the same. 'Follow me,' Cassien said, leading them down toward the wooded area that rose up behind Rittylworth. Once beneath the safety of the tree canopy, they tied their horses up. 'Right, we watch from here. We have a good vantage point,' he said.
They waited, neither talking. There was no sign of who had shot the arrows. Finally, they watched several monks re-emerge from the compound, their hands held out before them in a show of surrender. Moments later, another group of monks at the back of the monastery complex let some cattle out of a pen; three of the monks moved with the animals, walking slowly out into the pastures. Behind them, two monks lifted