Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) (26 page)

“Thank you, Aston. I’ll make
this right,” Talbot said. The knight
smiled at him before vaulting out of the window
, sliding to the ground
and racing into the night.
Sterling was waiting for him at the main gate, just like he and Talbot had planned. He mounted and rode through the castle gates.
Glancing back, he saw Talbot’s room bright with cand
lelight. The prince was alive, t
he Rogue was gone, and Aston would be free again before the sun rose.

It was a beautiful night.

“To the outside world, we all grow old.
But not to brothers and sisters. We know
each other as we always were.
We know each other’s hearts.”
- Clara Ortega -

Aston stood outside for a moment when he ret
urned to the cabin. Edward
was still in the stable at the palace, but Talbot was supposed to bring him by the next day.
The knight
wiped his palms on his pants; though it was cold outside, confronting Jade about Ernst was making him nervous.

He’d been bluffing when he told Ernst about Jade knowing his secret, but Ernst’s reaction told Aston that he’d guessed right. Jade had known her brother was The Rogue, but she’d never told him. She knew how important it was to him to find Ernst, but she’d just gone along with him as if she were ignorant. Maybe she was even in on it…

Aston shook his head at the thought. Jade would never condone something like that. She believed in
life and redemption too much. But s
he still should have told him what she knew.

One more sigh and Aston opened the door, jumping in surprise when Jade rushed into his arms.

“I was so worried about you!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Some of
Aston’s anger dissipated, but not all of it. He returned the hug for only a moment before pushing Jade to arm’s length.

“We need to talk,” he told her, and by the look in her eyes, he knew she understood. Jade nodded and backed away. She moved around the couch and sat down, patting the spot beside her, inviting him to sit. Aston did so hesitantly, folding his hands in his lap. He’d never been so uncomfortable around Jade. Even when they’d first met, he’d been more bothered by her than uncomfortable.

“I know what you want to say, and I’m sorry,” Jade started, but Aston held a hand up to stop her.

“Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve known all along that I wanted to catch
t
he Rogue, and you always tried to stop me. I thought it was because you were afraid I would get hurt. Now, I know you were just trying to protect your brother.”

“No, that’s not it at all! I didn’t want you to be hurt! I still don’t! But I couldn’t turn my brother in either. He’s my family, Aston. If it were your father, or your sister, what would you do?” Jade said, wanting to reach out and grab Aston’s hand, but knowing he wouldn’t let her.

“I would do whatever I had to to protect them, but I wouldn’t lie to the people I cared about to do it,” he answered. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what
he would do if the situation were
reversed. If his father was a cold-hearted murderer, would he let the man roam free?

“I’m sorry about that, Aston. I really am! If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t have hid it from you,” Jade apologized.

“If I were anyone else? You lied to me because, wh
at? Because
you’re in love with me?
Because my life is over anyway?” Aston asked, incredulous.

“No! Because you’re a knight! A soldier! I knew that if anyone could hunt my brother down and kill him, it would be you! I
do
love you, Aston Smith. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my entire life! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here, in the middle of nowhere, fretting over whether or not I was ever goin
g to see you again!” Jade said,
taking Aston’s hand in her own as tears formed in her eyes.

Aston looked at her hand, clasped perfectly around his own. He felt betrayed, but he understood Jade’s reasoning. With a sigh, he stood, pulling his hand from Jade’s grasp.

“We leave in the morning for Adion. You can take Alys and Delgrab’s bed. I’ll sleep in the other room for the night. I suggest you get some sleep. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.” Without another word, Aston left Jade sitting on the couch.

**

“Father, I
must speak with
you.” Talbot knelt on the plush
red carpet, placing himself at his father’s feet. He hadn’t sat on his thro
ne since the day before Aston
left; something about it intimidated him now. He didn’t deserve to sit there anymore.

Donn looked down at his son, one eyebrow raised. “Go on, Talbot.”

Talbot cringed at the informality, another thing that had changed in Aston’s absence. “It’s about Aston Smith.” Where his father has only been halfway listening before, now his interest was piqued.

“What about Aston?”

“He was here last night, when
t
he Rogue attacked.”

“No wonder Duke Aeron died…Who would have guessed, a knight from
my
court!? Aston is The Rogue Royal…”

“No, Father! Aston isn’t
t
he
Rogue! Aston saved me from him!” Talbot interrupted. His father had looked a bit too proud, imagining Aston as a murderer. Nothing he had ever done had made his father as proud as imaging Aston as
t
he Rogue had.

“Oh…and you didn’t apprehend him, Talbot!”

Leave it to his father to be a proud man one minute and angry at him the next. Talbot looked down at himself. His arm was in a sling and his neck was wrapped in a thick bandage. His father really wondered why he hadn’t been able to stop Aston?

“I’m sorry,” he said, instead of voicing his thoughts.

Donn sighed. “Is that all?”

Talbot had almost forgotten the real reason he’d come to see his father. “No, actually.”

“Well, hurry up, Talbot. I have important things to do,” the king said.

Talbot sighed. He knew his father had nothing to do; he was just tired of talking to Talbot and wanted the prince to disappear. “Aston is innocent. That night in Adion, I was the one who stayed behind while Aston went after
t
he Rogue.”

King Donn didn’t say anything at first. He stared at Talbot as though he were a stranger, his eyes unblinking. “It was you?” he finally said. Talbot nodded. “You’re the reason my best knight is gone.” This time, it wasn’t a question, but Talbot nodded anyway.

“I was afraid of what you would say to me if you k
new that I went to make sure Lady
du Halen was okay instead of chasing
t
he Rouge. I made up the story about Aston so I wouldn’t be the one you were disappointed in, but I didn’t realize how far this would go. I knew Aston would lose his position, but I didn’t know he’d be sentenced to die. I’m sorry, Father.”

Donn stared at Talbot again, his mind whirling. Talbot squirmed at his feet, bowing his head again so he wouldn’t have to look in his father’s eyes.

“Where is Aston now?”

“What are you going to do, Father?”

“If you tell me where Aston is? Or if you don’t?”

Talbot swallowed, the threat in his father’s words making him shiver.
“He’s going with Princess Jade to Adion. We are to meet them there.”

**

The ride to Adion was silent. Jade knew Aston hadn’t completely forgiven her, but she’d hoped he would at least be civil. It was a day’s ride to Adion, and the silence was starting to bothe
r her. Talbot had brought Edward
to them early that morning, claiming he had spoken with his father and that they would meet up in Adion. Aston had spoken to Talbot while Jade packed and then Talbot had left. Aston hadn’t said a word to her since the night before.

Sighing, she brought Edward
up beside Sterling and turned to
Aston. His lip twitched, but otherwise he didn’t move.

“Aston, I’m sorry! I know I shouldn’t have kept secrets from you and I never will again, just please, speak to me!” she
pleaded. Aston turned to look at her but didn’t speak. “Ernst is my
brother
, Aston. I love him. I always will love him, no matter what he does, because I know that, deep down, he’s still the brother I grew up with. He’s still the boy that would pick me up when I fell and set me back on my feet. He’s still the boy who always gave me flowers for my birthday and kissed my bruises when I hurt myself. He may not be on his path now, but I know he will find it again someday, and when he does, I want him to have the chance to fix what he’s doing now.”

“Jade...”

“He’s no different than Talbot! How many people has Talbot hurt, and yet you still protect him? How many pointless wars has King Donn started? How many men have you killed to please your king? How is Ernst any different? The men he killed were all corrupt. The men you killed were just doing what they were ordered, just like you.”

“Jade! I forgive you! I’m sorry. I understand what it means to care about your family. I know what it’s like to care about someone so much that you would do anything to protect them, and I understand that you want to think your brother can change.”

“He
will
change.”

“Right. Let’s just go to Adion, talk to your father, and pray that Talbot holds up his end of the deal.”

“What happens if Talbot lied about telling King Donn the truth?” Jade asked, unsure of whether or not she actually wanted to hear the answer.

“If he didn’t, then I am walking to my noose.”

*
*

Adion came into view early the next morning. Aston hadn’t made love to Jade the night before, claiming nerves. He’d held her through the night, though, and he hoped that had comforted her enough. He hoped she knew how he felt about her.

There was an uneasy feeling settling over him. His stomach was twisted into knots, his hands shaking on Sterling’s reins. The grey stone palace looming before him only worsened his nerves and he prayed Talbot and Donn wouldn’t be there yet. He wanted to talk to King Aric himself before
Prince Talbot and his father
arrived.

Jade reached her hand out across the space between their horses, settling it on top of one of his own. Aston clung to it tightly for a moment before letting it go, watching it drop back to Edward’s reins.

“Home,” Jad
e sighed, staring at the palace
.
Aston could tell she’d missed the beautiful palace, even if she had left willingly.

“We should find your father as soon as we arrive,” Aston told her, and Jade nodded her agreement. They were let through the palace gates without a prob
lem; Jade directed Aston toward
the stables.

“Princess Jade! You’re back!” Sebastian said, striding over to her.

“Yes, Sebastian, I’m sorry. I hope you didn’t get into trouble.”

“Not at all, Princess, not at all. King Aric is a kind man.” Jade smiled at the old stable hand before taking Asto
n’s hand and leading him toward
the palace.

Aston took in everything around him. Fridel had been his home his entire life and he’d only been to Adion on missions. He’d
never actually had time to notice the details around the grand palace. A rose garden passed on his right, full of tall trellises, climbing vines, and small fountains. Right now, the vines were brown, the winter having been harsh on the flowers. He could imagine how they would look in the spring, all the white, yellow, red and pink, mixing together into a symphony of colors and scents.

The idea striking him suddenly, Aston pulled Jade into the dying garden, into the labyrinth of crispy leaves and delicate thorns. She laughed as he led her through the maze, slapping stray vines out of her way.

“Where are we going?” she asked him. Aston finally stopped at a stone bench a little ways into the garden. Though everything was dead, he’d still managed to find a place where they couldn’t be seen from the palace.

“I forgot to give you your Christmas gift,” he said, guiding her to the bench. Jade sat down, folding her hands in her lap.

“When did you get me a gift?” she asked
, her eyes widening
.

“Do you remember when I went into town
, right after we returned from Northsbury
?” Jade nodded. “That’s when,” he answered. He reached into his satchel, which he had hanging on his shoulder, and pulled out a small, wooden box. On the top was a pair of hearts, twisting and spiraling and joining in the middle. Aston handed it to Jade.

“Aston! It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, turning the little box over in her hands.

Aston chuckled.
“Well, than
k you
, but the real gift is inside,” he told her.