phantom knights 04 - deceit in delaware (48 page)

Leaping from my horse, I struck three lackeys, landing against them. One of them broke free from my attack and tried to get to his feet, but I jerked him back down by the tail of his coat. His fist connected with my jaw and my head snapped back, but that only spurred my own fists into flying harder, faster. I broke his nose, knocked one of the others unconscious, and broke the thumb of the third. Climbing to my feet, I turned toward the final two, but my head tilted as surprise filtered through my thoughts.

The chaperone, a woman in her early forties, was striking against the two guards, dancing with the footwork of an expert swordsman. In her hand was a thin, black iron with a black ball on the end. She used the ball to strike against one man’s face when he made to capture her hands. He stumbled back as blood poured from his nose. She turned her weapon upon the second man when he touched her arm. Striking against his temple, and then popping the ball up under his chin, was enough to send him to his knees. With a spin that could be found during a dance in a ballroom, she swung around and struck his head.

When he fell, she turned toward me, huffing a little, but straightening her pale blue dress.

“Magnificent,” I told her, but did not think that she could understand me because I spoke in Danish.

Having been taught Swedish by Eric’s tutor, I spoke to her in Swedish, telling her to remain with the carriage. Pulling out my pistol, I handed it to her. “To protect yourself against this lot.”

She took the pistol without a qualm. Before I could turn toward the forest, she halted me.

“Take this to protect yourself. The devil is in that one.” She held out her black iron, and then motioned toward the forest, meaning Luther was filled with the devil. I believed her.

Thanking her, I turned and ran into the forest. Listening to all around me, it did not take me long to find Eleanora, for she was shouting. Following her voice, my body was tense, my thoughts a riot of shouts, my heart pumping my rage. Eleanora was shouting at Luther to cease whatever he was doing.

Following her voice led me off of the path toward the sea, and deeper into the forest. The echo of her scream surrounded me and I had to halt to try and discover her direction. Cursing myself for the pause, I forced myself to listen for her.

“Keep away from me!” she screamed, and I knew where she was.

Gripping the iron, I ran straight through a wall of hedges, bursting upon a small clearing. Luther twisted his head toward me from where he had Eleanora pinned against a tree.

Eric had once asked me if I ever saw black when I was in one of my dark moods. I had told him that I only ever saw red.

Charging forward, I did not think of what could happen to me if I struck a prince. My only thought was to destroy the animal who dared to harm my lady.

“You!” Luther spat.

Raising the iron, I struck his shoulder, sending him spinning toward me. He howled and clutched his arm, but I did not halt. Nothing could halt me now. Coming in beneath his arm, I threw my fist against his gut, again and again, until he was sputtering and using me to keep himself on his feet. Shoving him away from me, his back hit a tree and he slid down to land on his backside. Stomping forward, I grabbed his hair and pulled his head up. He screamed as my nails dug into his scalp. Raising the iron, I was prepared to break every bone in his face, but the unexpected occurred.

“Willem, please,” Eleanora was saying as she tugged at my raised arm.

Moving my eyes away from Luther, they rested upon Eleanora’s blue gaze. Her black hair was askew, as if Luther had pulled at it, and I lost my momentary connection with her. Turning back to Luther, I gripped the iron tighter, wanting to strike him until he was nothing but a puddle of broken bones and blood. Eleanora pulled my arm and I stumbled back a step. Luther cried out as he was pulled with me, by his hair.

“Willem, I need for you to release Luther and escort me back to the palace.” It was said in a quiet but authoritative tone. As if she was issuing an order. “Please,” she whispered, and I released Luther at once.

Luther scurried away on his hands and knees, cowering behind a tree.

Eleanora placed her hand in mine and pulled me with her away from Luther. Without a glance back to Luther, I walked with Eleanora until we reached the path. At the path, I released her hand and leaned over, resting my hands against my knees and breathing deep.

She had nearly been ravaged. My lady superior. My Eleanora. If I had not been in time, if I had paused longer, Luther could have… My thoughts trailed away at that point for all that I wanted to do was to go back and throw Luther from the cliff overlooking the sea.

A small hand rubbed against my back in a circular motion. “All is well. All is well.”

“Is it?” I asked, not removing my gaze from the ground.

“He did not harm more of me than my hair.”

Inhaling deep, I sent up a prayer of thanks. “I should have torn every hair from his head,” I told her as I rose to my height.

She smiled a little and we continued upon the path. It did not take us long to reach the road and see Eleanora’s chaperone. Some of the men were no longer upon the ground, but two were still unconscious.

“They ran off,” the woman said after she had hugged Eleanora.

“Then they will not protest our use of their carriage. If you will, my ladies.” Holding out my hand, I assisted each of them into the carriage. At the door, I tried to give the chaperone her weapon, but she refused.

“Consider it a gift for your kind rescue of my dear Eleanora.”

After tying my horse to the back of the carriage, I climbed onto the box seat.

When we arrived back at the palace, Eleanora and her companion went in one direction and I went in another, seeking out Eric. I found him in the council chambers.

“Your brother is a cad,” were the first words out of my mouth.

Eric’s gaze rose from the documents before him, and then his brows rose. “What has he done now?”

“He attacked Eleanora in the forest.”

After a silent moment, Eric sighed as he leaned back in his chair, resting his forehead against his hand. “Was she harmed?”

“Not as much as she could have been. His dastardly actions must be halted. At once!” I had not told Eric about Luther’s attack upon Ann, but Eric knew enough about his brother to know that I could mean any number of occasions. The whole of the palace knew why Luther had come home to Lutania, and it was not to celebrate his brother’s marriage.

“Did you not halt them yourself?” His gaze was piercing, and I nearly squirmed under the heat coming from him.

“I may have struck him a time or two.”

Eric shook his head, appearing beyond annoyed. He was angry. “Does my brother still live?”

“Give me a little merit for common sense, Eric, I beg.” Throwing myself into the chair across the table from Eric, I slung my leg over the arm of the chair.

“Where Luther is concerned, common sense is not one of your strengths.” Eric pushed to his feet. “I shall speak with Lady Eleanora, and if her retelling matches yours I shall deal with Luther accordingly.” He walked toward the door.

I wanted to retort that my word should have been enough for him, but that was not my place. He was my king, and his word was law. Rising, I followed him from the chamber. When we reached the queen’s chambers, he ordered me to stand outside the door.

When he returned, he nodded and motioned for me to walk with him. “I am to understand that this is not the first attack upon a maiden that you have halted. Elisabeth tells me that the Lady Ann was similarly attacked when I was upon my wedding trip.”

“She was.”

Eric said nothing for the length of two corridors. When he did speak, there was a mixture of sadness and resignation in his voice. “I shall summon a few of the council members, and you will have to give your testimony against Luther before them. As will Eleanora.”

Expecting nothing less, I agreed. An hour later, Eleanora, her chaperone, and I had given our testimonies. They had not allowed me to be present when the ladies spoke, but our paths crossed as they were let out of the council chamber. Eleanora tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. After what she had endured, and then having to retell it more than once, I did not fault her for her grimace.

I was seated before the council when Luther was assisted into the chamber by two of his lackeys. The moment he saw me his face reddened.

“Brother, I demand that this animal be arrested for his brutal attack upon me. I will accept nothing less than his immediate execution.” Luther’s gaze radiated pure hatred toward me.

“Do be seated, Luther,” Eric commanded.

The lackeys helped Luther into a chair as he winced and groaned as if he were dying.

“What have you to say for yourself, Luther?”

He stared at Eric as if he did not understand the question.

Eric illuminated Luther to his meaning. “Your attack against Lady Eleanora in the forest this very day. What have you to say in your defense?”

Luther’s jaw slackened before it hardened. “Lies! He is lying,” Luther said, pointing at me.

“It is not only Willem’s testimony, but those of the Lady Eleanora, and Mistress Lundersen.”

“They are in league against me. You know,” Luther said to Eric, “that your precious pup has always detested me. Has he not tried to attack me time and again? And still you take his word above mine. I am your brother!”

“Yes, you are,” Eric addressed Luther directly, not looking at anyone else. “That is why it pains me to tell you that you will be leaving upon the next available vessel. Where you go is your choice, but you shall not remain here.”

Luther’s mouth dropped open, his incredulity plain. King Frederick had never banished Luther, but made the palace uncomfortable enough that Luther would leave on his own. Eric had taken matters a step further. Luther was being rewarded his just desserts if you asked me, not that anyone would.

“You cannot banish me. I am a prince! This is my home.” Luther’s chin rose as if he had delivered a proclamation that could not be refuted.

“The king may banish whomever he chooses, Prince Luther,” Lord Adamsen said. “In this instance, he has sought the judgement of this council, and it has been judged best that you continue with your travels for a length of time. Say, six months to a year.”

“You would send me away? You would choose the son of a lowly peasant over your blood?”

Making to rise and knock Luther through the nearest wall, Eric stalled me by the lifting of his hand.

“Your actions of this day are only the tipping point of why I am sending you away. You see, I know why you left Denmark.”

Eric’s words caused Luther to stiffen. Looking between the brothers, there was some unspoken conversation happening, one which I did not understand.

“Where is he, Luther?” Eric asked softly.

Eric’s soft words ignited a fury within Luther. He slammed his palms against the table, leaning forward and sneering.

“You know nothing!”

“I know about his mother, and I know how she died. Where is the boy, Luther? If you will bring him to me I will make provisions for him.”

Luther growled as he twisted around and kicked his chair. The large, heavy council chair tipped and fell upon its back with a loud crash. Every present council member was upon his feet in an instant, and the chamber door burst open. A handful of guards crowded the doorway.

Eric held up his hand, halting the guards. “Everything is under control.”

“That it is not,
brother
,” Luther sneered. “You are adamant about my banishment?”

“It is not a banishment, Luther,” Eric informed him calmly. “You may return whenever you please, provided that you have changed your vile ways. If any more claims should come against you while you are in this court, then matters may be different.”

Everyone watched Luther for his reaction, ready to spring forward should he make a step toward the king.

Luther barked out a censorious laugh that halted as quickly as it began. “I will leave, but mark my words, brother. You will regret the choices that you have made.” Luther’s devilish gaze rested upon me. “All of them.”

Luther marched out of the council chamber. While Lord Adamsen ordered two of the guards to keep a watch over Luther until his departure from Lutania, Eric lowered himself to his chair and buried his head in his hands. The weight of his ruling was evident to everyone standing witness. Eric had possibly made an enemy out of his brother, and Luther was not one to forgive easily.

CHAPTER 10

Luther being sent away gave me little comfort, for until he was gone Eleanora was still in danger. As I left the council chambers, it was no surprise that my feet marched me straight toward the queen’s salon where I knew Eleanora would be found. Walking through the corridors that separated the council from the family wing, my thoughts took a different turn. There was one conclusion to the issue with Luther, and that was for Eleanora to marry me. It would then be my right, as well as my duty, to keep her from harm. Peace settled upon me at the thought, and then I began to smile. Wedding Eleanora had been in my thoughts much more than I would admit, and the truth was that in my mind she belonged with me. She had from the moment that she dropped into my arms.

The closer I came to the queen’s chambers, the slower my pace became. My father had always told me that women wanted romance. Romance was foreign to me, but for Eleanora, I would do my best.

An hour later, I was pacing the library, hoping that she would not ignore my note.

As I waited, doubts began to enter my thoughts.

Could I be a husband when I had been determined never to shackle myself to a woman? Did I truly want to commit my life to another? Could I protect her as she deserved? Would I ever come to deserve her? The Lord knew that I was not deserving of her love, but perhaps she could come to care for me in time. Our births were not equal. She was born to privilege, I had to climb my way up to where I was.