Defiance: The Umbra Chronicles Book 2 by Grace Martin

Author:Grace Martin [Martin, Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-28T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The guards came to collect us late in the evening. They took us to an anteroom and stood an odd kind of guard over us. I’d spent quite a bit of time under guard and this was different. These guards were almost… deferential. They were polite. I’d expected to be hustled along, thrust into a cage and to tell the truth, I’d very quietly tried to prepare myself mentally for rape. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d been caught by a soldier. My heart was pounding and my mouth was dry when they opened Rhiannon’s door and asked us to come with them.

To my astonishment, they bowed. They didn’t even touch me. One spoke, ‘My lady, Bach Chwaer, the White Queen requests your presence at her banquet. We have come to escort you to the hall.’

It wasn’t like we had any kind of choice anyway, so I said, ‘OK,’ and went with them. They didn’t even hustle us. We just walked together to the antechamber beside the banquet hall and I felt like I was a princess again.

And look how that ended.

The guards saw us settled, made sure I had a chair, offered me a glass of water and apologised because it wasn’t wine. By the time they left I was thoroughly confused.

‘Do they always treat you like this?’ I asked Rhiannon.

She shook her head. ‘Some of them are decent men. But this is… unusual.’

A few moments later Cuchulainn joined us. He was even paler than usual. A nerve jumped in his cheek when he locked eyes with me. ‘Emer, my God, no.’ It was a whisper, not a shout. He came towards me and put his hand on my shoulder. ‘I promise you; it will be all right.’

I shifted away from his hand. ‘That isn’t in your power to promise, Cuchulainn.’

He took a sudden step back like I’d slapped him, his bright eyes going wide. He looked much younger suddenly, and so much like his son I nearly got up, went over to him, nearly put my arm around him so I could whisper that I trusted him to take care of me.

‘Just tell me Lynnevet is being looked after,’ I said. It was a sop to his pride. He could do that at least.

He nodded. ‘She’s with Ronan. He’ll keep her safe.’

It was just as well the guards were right behind him. They wheeled in the cage, still bedecked with flowers and ribbons. It was a pretty thing to go to an execution in.

Again, the guards were oddly deferential. I could see Cuchulainn’s surprise when they opened the door of the cage and bowed to me.

‘My apologies, Bach Chwaer,’ one of the guards said, approaching me. ‘The White Queen insists that you ride in… in this… to the banquet.’

Then Cuchulainn was beside me, holding out his hand. ‘May I have the honour of escorting you, your highness?’ he asked.

I took his hand and tried not to notice the calculating expression that crossed his face. I let him assist me into the cage.

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