Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) (7 page)

As he fell asleep, he dreaded the next day. What he was going to do could ruin everything. If he was spotted, it would be over and he would be hanged. Richie would be watching, probably cheering with the rest of the masses, screaming his name and demeaning words as his life was forced from his throat.

With a shiver Aston jolted awake, images of himself hanging from the gallows still lingering in his mind. A dream. It had only been a dream. Everything had been so vivid; the choking sensation as the rope tightened around his throat, the burn of the ropes on his wrists as he fought to free his hands. Even the look on
Richie’s face, the immense hatred he had thought never to see from the boy, was ingrained in his memory.

Aston
looked at the sky, slowing lightening from its dark blue to the purple and red hints of dawn. He stood and stretched, his shoulders popping as he pushed his arms above his head. He rolled his neck, listening to it crack, before feeding Sterling an
apple and making his way toward
town.
It was now or never, and he didn’t want to give himself time to think about how foolish his idea really was.

**

Madam Louise had always been an early riser; she was training Richard to be the same. She’d taken the boy under her wing when he had failed in the stables working under Master Vernon. The man was cruel and often took a whip to the boy when he wasn’t strong enough. Madam Louise had taken pity on Richard and had begged King Donn to put the boy into her care. Though the king wasn’t known as being the most benevolent man, he relented.

She’d pulled Richie out of bed early that morning, and now he was struggling to pull his shirt over his head as he yawned, his tired eyes still half closed. Madam Louise helped the boy, patting the shirt down to get rid of lingering wrinkles before leaving the room, instructing Richie to follow.

“Now, Richard, I know how you like to wander. I want you to stay close to me today. That rogue knight is still out there somewhere and I don’t want you to get into any trouble, understood?”

“Yes ma’am.” The answer was automatic to Richie. He didn’t believe Aston was guilty anymore than he believed the sky was green. Aston was the most kind-hearted and truthful man he
knew. The knight would never allow a man to be killed simply to save a woman.

Richie sighed and followed after Madam Louise. The woman was stocky and short, but she moved fast and Richie found himself taking three steps to her one. She took good care of him, but he feared she didn’t think much of him as a person. He was scrawny for his age, underfed and overworked far too long to really gain any muscle structure. His clothes hung on his thin frame and his hair was scraggly and unkempt. Madam Louise did all she could for him, but only Aston truly valued him.

As they reached the castle walls and were let into the city, Richie felt an odd sensation pass over him. He turned around to face the castle, but the guards were already resealing the gate. No one spared him another glance as he crept away from Madam Louise’s side and followed the path he and Aston had worn into the forest on their adventures together.

Aston had always been the closest Richie had to a friend. Aston taught him to read and write, to spell and fight with a dagger. The man had been almost a father to Richie
,
and one day Aston had snuck him from the castle on Sterling’s back and brought the boy to the forest to teach him to ride.

After seeing how much Richie enjoyed being on a horse, it became routine for them. When the knight returned from a mission, he would rest for a couple of days and then bring Richie to the same place to ride Sterling. They’d been so many times in the past three years that the path had been worn down to dirt, no grass daring to grow over their special place.

Richie’s heart was pounding as he neared the clearing. He had a feeling inside of him that was unfamiliar. Fear? No, that wasn’t it. Anger? No. Excitement; that’s what it was. He was anticipating what was about to happen. He knew
it would be
something amazing; surely this feeling bubbling through him couldn’t be a lie.

As Richie stepped into the clearing, his heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his throat. Aston was there, sitting in the center of the clearing on a stump. He smiled as Richie drew near,
and the boy mimicked the expression
.

“Richie, I have to tell you something,” Aston
began, but the boy raced toward
him and threw his arms around Aston’s waist and the words caught in his throat.

“I was so worried about you, Sir Aston! I just knew they would find you and hurt you!” Richie cried, tears slowly falling from his eyes.

“You don’t have to worry, Richie. I’m fine. I am going to find the man responsible for this and then everything will be okay again. I will teach you to write and you will be a fine man someday,” Aston promised. “Right now, though, I need you to listen to me, okay? This is very important, Richie.”

Richie looked up at him and nodded, excited. Aston had always said he would take Richie on a grand adventure, away from Fridel, someday when he was older. The boy had a feeling that adventure was about to happen.

“Talbot and I were sent to find The Rogue Royal, but something went terribly wrong. Prince Talbot messed up the mission, and The Rogue got away. Now, don’t you dare say anything to anyone about this. You can’t tell Prince Talbot, King Donn, or even Madam Louise, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt. Do you understand?” Again, Richie nodded, desperate to hear more. “Good. Now, what I want you to do is keep an eye on Talbot. See if the king gets any
more messages from other
monarchs about the Rogue Royal. If you get word
, come find me here on the full
moon. Do you understand?”

“Oh, yes, Sir! I will be the best spy ever!” Richie exclaimed.

“Don’t be spotted. Don’t let anyone know what you are doing. I don’t care what happens to me, but I won’t let anything happen to you, do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir Aston. I understand.”
Richie smiled, bouncing lightly on his feet. He was going to be a real spy. He was going to get to help Aston, and he’d been right all along about the knight being innocent. Of course he’d been right. He’d known all along.

“
Good. Now, run along and find Madam
Louise. Tell her your shoe came untied and you fell behind. Remember, you never saw me here.” Richie saluted and laughed, giving Aston one last hug befo
re skipping off into the trees, humming lightly as he left Aston hidden in the forest behind him.

“Life can either be accepted or changed.
If it is not accept
ed,
it must be changed.
If it cannot be changed,
then it must be accepted.”
- Unknown Author -

Jade scowled at the woman staring back at her from her mirror. The woman was beautiful with her auburn hair curling to her thin hips, emerald eyes shining in the morning sun, and a diamond tiara sitting atop her head. The dress she wore was elegant, all white lace and corseted middle. She looked fit to rule, and her father planned on giving her away that evening.

Cringing at the thought, Jade turned, struggling to breathe in the too-tight dress. If there was one thing she disliked about being a princess, it was always having to look her best. If she was in a bad mood, tired, or just generally lazy, no one cared; she still had to act like each day was a gift. As she made her way across the room, Jade reached behind her and started pulling on the corsets bottom laces, loosening it enough to allow her lungs to expand. She took a huge gulp of air before turning around and falling backwards onto her bed.

The ball the night before had lasted until eleven. At that time, everyone had retired to their rooms for the night. The Rogue had come at midnight and taken Duke Aeron’s life, but still her father wanted the marriage to continue. Now that his father
was gone, Jacob was being rushed to the palace; they were to be wed
immediately.
She
grimaced, thinking about the man she was to marry. Jacob was just entering his twentieth yea
r but still acted like a child
. He was conceited and needy; Jade wanted nothing to do with the man.

“It isn’t f
air, Kira,” she told her fluffy
tawny feline. The cat had jumped onto her bed when Jade had collapsed and now sat curled by her side. The cat purred in agreement, rubbing her head along Jade’s arm, begging for affection.
The princess
gave in, petting her beautiful feline before standing
and
calling for her maid. She wanted out of this dress, and she wanted out of it now.

Moments after s
he called, a tiny woman with gre
ying hair and dancing brown eyes entered the room, curtsying to the princess before coming to her side.

“What do you need, dearie?” the woman asked, her voice croaky and quiet. Jade loved the woman. She had long since dropped all
formalities
with the princess, aside from the required
curtsy
.

“Oh, Matilda. Father sent this dress up here to be fitted
for when Marquess Jacob arrives
. It fits fine, but now I wish to take it off until the ceremony this evening. Would you help me?” Jade asked, mentally chastising the women who had helped her into the dress before promptly disappearing.
Likely on her father’s orders.

“O
f
course, dear. Turn around.”

Jade did as she was told and sighed in relief as the last of the corsets strings were pulled away and she could breathe again. Deciding Matilda was as good a person as any to talk to about her problems,
sh
e turned around once more.

“Matilda, may I ask you something?” The old woman nodded as she pulled the dress from Jade’s shoulders and slid it
down to her waist. “What would you do if someone made you wife to a person you could not spend your life with?”
The princess
turned again as the old woman motioned her to, and she feared
she
would not answer her.

“Dear, your life is much more complicated than my own. I am free to marry whomever I want, but who would marry an old hag like myself? You are beautiful, child, and smart. Any man would
be lucky to have you, and your f
ather knows that, I assure you. He only wants what’s best for you.”

Jade sighed. A typical answer from a woman working in the palace.

Hearing her sigh, Matilda frowned.
“Marquess Jacob is a fine young man, though he may be rough around the edges.”

“Marguess Jacob is a whiny toad who only wants me because he thinks I am beautiful. I want a man who sees who I am underneath all the dresses and rouge. The Marquess of Northsbury will not love me. He will wear me on his arm like a prize stag he just killed,” Jade replied, stepping out of the dress that now pooled around her feet. She bent to pick it up as Matilda grabbed a wooden hanger for the garment.

“Yes, child, that is all we ever want, is it not? You should feel very lucky. Your father has taken the difficulty of finding a husband off your hands. But, if you really want love, you will not find it in this lifestyle. If you were a peasant girl, love would always rule out over duty.” Jade faced the old woman again, her eyes widening. She hadn’t expected Matilda to give her such information. The old woman winked at her before leaving, taking the dress with her.

Jade stood motionless for a moment as Matilda’s words sunk in. The woman had given her an out. It took
the princess
only
a moment to make her decision. When choosing between becoming Mrs. Marquess Jacob or being free to chose her own life, the decision was simple. An entire world was waiting for her beyond the castle gates;
she
intended to make it her own.

Ten minutes later, Jade was ready to go. She’d taken a leather bag from her wardrobe and rushed to her brother’s room, grabbing various garments from his closet. He’d been away for a few days now and she doubted he’d be back anytime soon. The life he’d chosen upset her, but the decisions he’d made had led to her being free for the first time in her life, so she let it pass for the time being.

As
sh
e made her way back to her room, she watched her father’s servants scurry around the palace. These people weren’t truly free either. Working in the castle, no one had time to start a family. That’s why Matilda was nearing her seventies and still never married. She’d been working as
the princess’s
right hand l
ady since Jade was a child. Matilda had been her first nanny and Jade had clung to the woman like a security blanket ever since.

Hidden away in her room again,
sh
e tried to think of a way to sneak her bag past her father. She looked out her window, gauging the drop to the ground. Shrugging, she decided the bag
and its contents
would survive the fall and hoisted
it
over the ledge, watching it fall into the hedges below. She looked around her room one last time, making sure she had everything she needed, before looking down at herself.