The Devastation (Unexpected Circumstances 7)

Parnell gripped my forearm as he looked into my face.

“We must return to Silverhelm,” he said in a low voice. “Your army is at the ready there. I will send a messenger to Sawyer that all the horses ready for battle to be brought to Silverhelm. There will be enough for your cavalry, and I swear to you they will be worthy steeds.”

“If you are going to bring her home, you must prepare first,” Rylan said. “If you move against Edgar only to be killed in the first battle, how will you save your Alexandra?”

I felt my head nod up and down once, and I had to take a deep breath to try to calm my body. Every ounce of my being wanted to draw my sword and simply follow the tracks myself, but both Rylan and Parnell were right—it would do Alexandra no good if I were to be killed now.

One of the men riding with Rylan and Parnell walked up and offered me the reins to his horse. I nodded and was about to call for Michael when I realized he could no longer aid me. I closed my e

yes for a moment and breathed through my nose.

“Your crown, my king,” I heard the man who gave me his horse say. I looked over to him, my vision still blurred, and finally had enough sense to reach out, take the circlet of gold from his fingers, and place it back on my head.

“Alexandra’s crown,” I mumbled under my breath and gestured toward the ground. The man seemed to understand what I meant and went off looking around on the ground. I knew it was somewhere in the road where I had dropped it, but I could not go and retrieve it myself. If I did, I was quite sure I would not be able to keep myself together.

I tried to push these thoughts from my head as I mounted the horse given to me. Alexandra’s crown was handed to me, and I held it as it dangled from my fingertips for a moment before looping it around the horn of the horse’s saddle. I tried not to look upon it as I turned the horse around and looked down the road to the south. Parnell decided to come with me and send Rylan north immediately to bring the horses from Sawyer to Silverhelm. We moved quickly, and I forced myself to keep company with Parnell when the road split, and we headed west toward Castle Silverhelm.

As soon as we returned to the castle and my wounds were tended to, the court was assembled, and we headed immediately to the grand hall and throne room where I found I was completely unable to speak of what had happened. I slowly lowered myself into the throne at the front of the court where nobles and advisors had already gathered, prostrating themselves before me. I tried to keep my focus on them and ignore the empty seat beside my own.

Parnell obviously noticed my distress though the others did not. He stepped up and placed himself between me and the court as he told them what had happened. Sunniva and Ida held and comforted each other as the royal court expressed its shock and disbelief that Edgar would be so bold.

“The other royal families will side with us now.” Abraham, who had been the captain of my father’s army when my grandfather was on the throne, nodded his white, wrinkled head.

“That will take time,” Peter said. “We should send messengers immediately. Within a day or two, we should have answers from Cresthall, and—”

“We cannot wait that long,” I said. “We must march on Hadebrand immediately.”

“Is that wise, King Branford?” Parnell asked. “I understand your sense of urgency, but we are not prepared—”

“I will not have her in his hands!” I yelled back.

“Sire, we cannot just up and go to war!” Peter suddenly shouted. “Our troops have not magically grown in number and strength! Have you forgotten how devastated we were the last—”

“He has my wife!” I screamed as I stood and drew my sword. Without thinking, I moved the few steps between the throne and my advisor, grabbing the man by his neck. “I will stop at nothing, nothing to bring her home! War is just the first and most logical step! If I thought delivering your head to Edgar would return her to me, I would not hesitate! Are we absolutely clear on this matter, Peter? Or would you like to join Kimberly at the gate?”

I watched his throat bob up and down as he swallowed before he tried to speak again.

“We are clear, my king,” he finally said.

I turned my back to the man and stared at Sir Rylan.

“Do I have Seacrest’s support in this?” I asked as I endeavored to sound calm and firm. Inside, I was nothing of the sort. I needed Rylan’s men. We would not survive this otherwise.

Alexandra would not survive.

Our child...my son…

“Rylan?” I said. My voice was earnest as I tried to keep the images of her being harmed out of my brain.

“King Branford,” he said with a slight shake of his head. The large man reached a hand up to the back of his neck and scratched. “You know I support you myself, but I cannot speak for all of Seacrest. I will need to return home or send a messenger—”

“There is no time!” I tried to keep my voice in check—tried not to start screaming and ranting and raving at the man whose help I so desperately needed. “I have to strike now. Alexandra…they…they have her.”

Rylan scowled off to the side and appeared particularly interested in a spot on the floor. He stared at it for several minutes, his body still and his expression one of intense thought. His wide shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath before he turned back to me.

“I will fight by your side,” Rylan said quietly, “but I cannot send my troops into your war without receiving my king’s blessing. They will stay here and guard Silverhelm, though, so you may spare more of your own men to move against Hadebrand.”

“It is all you can offer?” I replied with my jaw tense. I knew it was all he could do in his position, but I also knew it was not enough. Without his numbers behind me, we would fall at the walls of Hadebrand with Alexandra still inside.