I.
Dukedom of Rycroft, Cador.
Lady Kellyn of Rycroft ran along the corridor, her boots slapping the ancient stone. Men from the Royal Guard were milling around, armed with bow, sword and shield. They nodded to her as she passed and she returned the gesture.
She had been in the fields helping to gather the harvest when the bell had rung to signal an attack and she had only just managed to make it into the citadel before the gates closed. The gate guards had told her the attackers were on the southern side of the fortress but that another three squads of fighters were moving in from the Southwest.
Reaching the family quarters, she slowed. Her mother was in the nursery with her two younger brothers. Rhett and Rylan were in the crib they shared, watching as Niara donned her armour.
“The gate guards estimated there were almost two hundred men in the first wave of soldiers and that there were more waiting in the trees,” she told her mother. “They said we need more people on the walls. Please, Mama, I should be out there helping them.”
“Kellyn, we’ve had this discussion before. You’re twelve, not twenty. You’re not joining the fighting. In fact, I forbid it.”
“Let me help the Mages, then – I may only be an apprentice but Father says my skills are progressing.”
“Your gift for magic is strong, Kellyn but it is still largely untrained. Besides, the majority of spells that you have learnt are basic ones that any skilled War Mage could counter.”
“I could work with the healers, then – you know they could use another set of hands to help settle the wounded.”
“I want you to watch Rhett and Rylan.”
“But we’re outnumbered! You and father will need my help.”
“We’re almost always outnumbered and still our forces triumph.” Niara sighed and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Stay with your brothers and guard them well, my darling. Perhaps you can fight next time, hmm?”
She watched her mother leave. It wasn’t fair. Her brother was only a year older than she was and her father had permitted him to enter the fighting, so long as he was under the close supervision of one of the trusted Watch Captains. She had spent just as long training under the supervision of the Watch Commander and her skills were as good as Lachlan’s were, if not better.
Disgruntled, she sat on the toy chest to wait.
***
As the light grew dimmer in the nursery, Kellyn stirred. She moved to the window and looked outside. The battle raged far below, her father’s men still far outnumbered by the forces that were swelling out of the forest. She glanced at the crib. Rhett and Rylan were asleep, worn out by the magic show that she had put on to keep them settled through the afternoon.
She was sorely tempted to seal the room with her magic and run downstairs to help in the battle but she knew her parents would never forgive her for abandoning her brothers and her post. More than that, she knew that she would never forgive herself if something happened to the twins while she was absent.
As night began to darken the room, she realised the fighting was getting closer. She heard a shout outside in the hallway and the metallic sound of sword clashing against sword. Frightened, Kellyn gathered the twins and placed them in the far corner, before drawing her own weapon from its sheath. She waited, fear making her feel ill. If the invaders had entered the castle, what had happened to her parents? Surely her mother wouldn’t have left her completely unguarded, even with her bold assertions that she was prepared to fight.
The door opened and Kellyn tensed as two men entered the room. One was fair haired, while the other had brown hair.
They were not her Father’s men.
She lifted her sword. “Stay there,” she warned. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Lady Kellyn, I presume?” The brown-haired man asked.
“Perhaps.” She eyed his sword, hoping he was a bad fighter. His muscle would likely see him triumph if they fought. “Who asks?”
“My name is not your concern.” He smiled at her. “Put the sword down and I give my word that you and your brothers will not be harmed. You will not win if you choose to fight.”
“Why should I trust you, you piece of murdering scum?”
“Save it, Conall. Negotiating with her won’t get you anything but a sword in the gut.” The blond man knelt, smiling at her brothers. “Who wants to come and see Mama?” he called to them, his voice honey sweet. “Rhett? Rylan?”
Rylan giggled and then ran past her.
“Rylan, no!” Kellyn dropped her sword and lurched forward in an attempt to reach for him but she was too late; she watched in helpless despair as the blond man snatched him from the ground.
Taking advantage of the distraction, the other man rushed forward and grabbed hold of her. “You’ll come with us, Lady Kellyn,” he said, as he pulled her arms behind her back. “No fighting, now; you’ll frighten your brothers.” She felt him tie her hands with cord, before he stepped nodded at the other man. “We’re ready, Ethan.”
She watched helplessly as the blond man gathered Rhett in his massive arms, before he turned and carried the two boys out of the door. The twins seemed to like him, giggling as they peeked at her over his shoulder.
The brown haired man, Conall, gripped one of her arms and moved to lead her toward the door. “No tricks now,” he told her. “If you try to run away, one of your brothers will die.” Outside, she heard Rhett and Rylan squealing with laughter. “It would be such a shame for one twin to lose his other half, wouldn’t it?”
“I hate you, you murderous bastard.”
“I’m sure you do. I would if I were in your position, I’m sure I would feel the same.” He smiled. “Come, Kellyn. Our leader wishes to make your acquaintance.”
He led her from the room and into the hallway where the blond man was waiting with Rhett and Rylan. Two of her father’s men lay on the floor nearby, their eyes lifeless. Kellyn gave a small cry as she recognised them; Eamon and Danior were two of her father’s personal guard. If they were here, did that mean her father was dead?
“They tried to stop us,” Ethan told her softly. “We might have let them live if they had surrendered.”
“Or we might not have,” Conall said, grinning wolfishly. “Especially when you consider that they were willing to fight to the death for you.”
She realised that they were trying to keep her off-balance and frightened so that she wouldn’t attempt to escape them. In a way, their blustering only told her more about them; Danior and Eamon had been excellent fighters – to beat them in armed combat meant these men had extensive weapons training, something not generally available to those outside the Cadoran army or the Royal Guard. Perhaps they were deserters from the army, choosing to work as mercenaries for whomever had led them to Rycroft.
They dragged her down through the castle to the Great Hall. Ethan carried Rhett and Rylan ahead of her to make sure that she followed. She walked behind him numbly.
As they descended the stone stair, Kellyn saw that the doors to the Great Hall were thrown open, while a dozen men lay dead in front of the doors that led out to the courtyard. The portcullis was down and Kellyn could see that the courtyard was filled with dead men and women wearing her father’s colours.
The blond man turned into the great hall and Conall steered her in the same direction. The dining tables that graced the room were now pushed against the castle’s stone walls and the benches were filled with the residents of Rycroft.
Unfamiliar men stood on guard, armed with sheathed swords. A blond man stood on the dais, studying the chaos in the courtyard below. His back was to her, so that she couldn’t see his face.
“We found the other three children in the nursery,” Conall called. “The Lady Kellyn and her two younger brothers, the Lords Rhett and Rylan.”
The man nodded but didn’t turn around.
“Kellyn!” She heard her brother’s voice and turned to see Lachlan on the far side of the room, sitting alone, a large bandage wrapped around his upper right arm.
Conall had released her once they were safely in the room; now he moved behind her and untied the bonds that held her arms behind her back. “If you run from this room, I will kill Rhett first and then Rylan,” he said softly. “If we fail to recapture you, I will kill your brother Lachlan. Their deaths will be your fault and their ghosts will haunt you until the end of your days.”
“I understand. I won’t run.” She turned to Ethan. “Please let me take Rhett and Rylan to my brother,” she begged.
He nodded and relinquished her brothers to her care. She scooped them into her arms and they clung to her, their little hands reminding her of how fragile their lives were. I failed them.
She approached her brother. Lachlan stood and took Rylan from her and set him on the floor; Kellyn put Rhett beside him. She watched as the two boys began to play, blissfully unaware that their parents were absent. “Where are Ma and Da, Lachlan?” His face twisted with grief and she knew that she had been right to fear the worst. “They’re dead, aren’t they?”
Lachlan nodded. “I’m sorry, Kellyn. They were killed in the fighting. I called for a surrender soon after.”
She stood there numbly. “You’re the Duke of Rycroft now.”
“Yes,” Lachlan said. “And if I should fall, you’ll be my successor. Father made that clear to me in the moments before he fell.”
“Rhett is next in line-”
“Rhett is too young to become Duke.”
“Too young?” she asked. “I’m too young. You’re too young! We’re children, still, Lachlan.”
She leant against him as tears came to her eyes; he patted her back gently to soothe her.
“I know, Kellyn. Believe me, I know.”
“Well, what a touching family reunion this has proved to be.”
Kellyn turned to see the man from the dais striding in their direction, Conall and Ethan following at his heels. He was tall, with blond hair cropped short, a lithe, wiry figure and mesmerizing blue eyes. He looked to be in his late twenties and walked with the confidence of someone sure of his authority. She realised that he must be the leader that Conall had mentioned.
“Ah, here’s the Lady Kellyn, now,” the man said. “I’m glad that you have joined us. It is an historic day today here at Rycroft.”
“Historic?” Kellyn questioned.
“The changing of the guard, so to speak.” He smiled. “I’m curious – how did Conall and Ethan convince you to come downstairs? When I sent them to find you, your brother swore you would kill them before you joined us.”
“They threatened to murder my younger brothers.”
“Ah, I see. They wouldn’t have hurt them, you know. I ordered both of them not to let any harm to come to the three of you.”
“Is that so?” Kellyn glanced at Conall and saw he looked amused. “Well, fortunately for you, I took his threats seriously.”
“Yes. I have had a most providential day, today.”
Lachlan stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Kellyn. “You will leave my sister alone, you wretched piece of scum.”
The man chuckled. “From what I hear, your sister is more than capable of protecting herself, lad.” He peered around Lachlan. “Conall said that you would have taken him on had Rylan not run into Ethan’s arms.”
“Yes,” Kellyn said evenly as she moved forward to stand beside her brother. She linked her arm within his to remind Lachlan that it would serve them better if they stood united. “If not for the boys I would have fought them to the death.” She remembered Ethan telling the boys that they would see their mother and pain raced through her heart. “Are you the one who murdered my parents?”
“Yes, it was I who slew them.”
“Then I will have your blood on my sword one day. It may not be in this life but I am sure the Gods will grant me my chance to avenge their deaths one day in the future.”
“You speak boldly, Lady Kellyn. I cut down your father not an hour ago in the courtyard and your mother fell soon after.” He raised his eyebrows. “Surely you do not wish the same fate to befall the remainder of your kin because of your insolence toward me?”
“You’ll kill us no matter what I wish. We’ve seen your face and the faces of those you command. We know what you are – a thief and a robber – a man without honour.”
“You are wise beyond your years, it would seem. It is a shame that your father chose not to use you in battle; I get the sense that you would have taken as many lives as I.”
“It was my mother who wouldn’t let me join the battle.” Kellyn saw him frown and wondered why. “Why have you done this?”
“Why, for the riches of Rycroft, of course. From what I have seen, you are the crown jewel of the collection; a priceless treasure.”
“Flattery will get you nothing but a dagger through the heart.”
