Raising her bow, Eda watched the men down her arrow, waiting to see what they would do. If she did decide to start shooting, she was going to have to be fast and efficient or they would be upon her in moments.
The string went taut beneath her fingers as two of the men headed for the veranda. But when they reached it, the door opened, and the queen’s bodyguard stepped outside, sword in hand. The door locked behind him.
That confirmed it. Queen Fayre was inside the shop.
The moment the warriors made a move towards the bodyguard, Eda released the first arrow, hitting the warrior closest to the veranda through the chest. The others looked around, confused, then ran at the defender. But Eda’s hands were faster than their feet. She shot two more before they reached the veranda, and the bodyguard took care of the fourth. As the defender pulled his sword from the warrior’s stomach, he looked in Eda’s direction. She was about to reveal herself when an arrow struck the bodyguard’s neck. Eda flinched and watched as the sword slipped from his hand. It clanged against the hardwood. He reached for the arrow protruding from his neck, eyes as wide as plates. Eda knew there was no saving him.
She spotted them then, a fresh group of warriors striding in her direction. And more would follow. She needed to get the queen out of the shop. Blood roared in her ears as she ran to the back door, pounding her fist on it. ‘Open up!’
She heard the latch, and then the goldsmith peered through a crack in the door.
‘Queen Fayre’s bodyguard is dead,’ Eda said, voice low, ‘and there are more warriors on the way. She needs to come with me now.’
The goldsmith looked her up and down, then pulled the door open, sheathing his sword. The queen stood behind him, looking less composed than usual.
‘We need to move.’ Eda reached inside and grabbed the queen by the hand just as the front door of the shop banged open.
Fayre sucked in a breath as she was dragged outside. The goldsmith drew his sword and closed the door behind them. The women ran to the wall at the back of the courtyard. Eda leaned her bow against the fence and made a step with her hands. ‘Over you go.’
Fayre hesitated.
‘They’ll kill you,’ Eda said. ‘Or worse. You know I’m right.’
Fayre closed her eyes, then lifted her gown before stepping into Eda’s hands. Eda hoisted her up, guiding her carefully over the seven-foot wall, then climbed up after her. She dropped down beside the queen, looking around.
‘If we alert the defenders, they will assist us,’ Fayre said.
Eda shook her head. ‘The few defenders inside the borough are completely overwhelmed, and we can’t afford to draw attention to you. I’m going to get you to the royal borough.’
As they made their way towards the square, Eda saw the fighting had bled out into other parts of the borough, reaching almost to the square itself. They watched from the shadows. Eda thought about knocking on one of the doors and hiding the queen until it was all over, but if the warriors took control of the borough, they would drag Fayre out onto the street and do as they pleased with her. And there was no guarantee merchants would open their doors given all that was happening outside. The safest place for her was the royal borough. She would have all the protection she needed there.
‘I want you to stay on my left,’ Eda said, readying her bow. ‘I’ll match whatever pace you can manage. Just keep moving towards the gate no matter what.’
Fayre peeked around the corner, then looked in the direction of the portcullis, readying herself.
‘What have we here?’
The women whipped their heads around at the sound of male voices behind them. Two warriors walked slowly towards them, eyes on Queen Fayre.
‘Someone important judging by the looks of you,’ said one.
Eda was not prepared to let the conversation play out. Raising her bow, she shot at the man who had spoken. He lifted his shield, smashing the arrow off course. Eda’s hand slackened around the bow. She stood no chance against two men that size. Without taking her eyes off them, she whispered, ‘Run.’
The women took off in the direction of the gate, Fayre raising the hem of her gown to stop from tripping. They were running, but it was too slow for Eda. Fayre still somehow managed to look every bit the queen with her jewelled fingers and expensive cloak sailing behind her. She was not built for running but rather for elegant entries and graceful transitions.
‘Faster,’ Eda instructed as they neared the portcullis. ‘Open the gate! I have the queen!’
This drew the attention of nearby warriors. Soon they were being pursued from two directions. Reaching for an arrow, Eda loaded her bow and took aim at the largest man coming from the right. It hit, not killing him but bringing him to a halt. She did the same thing again, then again, until the only men chasing them were the two behind. When she reached back for another arrow, she found the quiver empty. Cursing, she threw the bow aside, relieved when the portcullis began to rise in front of them. Two defenders ran towards the queen.
‘Keep going,’ Eda said, falling back. She needed to buy the queen some time.
Fayre continued towards the defenders.
Eda drew her dagger and turned to face the men behind her. They were forced to pull up in order to avoid her blade, though they did not avoid it for long. Ducking beneath one of the warrior’s shields, she slashed his leg. The man cried out, and the other one came for her. She ducked beneath the swinging blade, then straightened, fighting back with her ridiculous knife until it eventually became lodged in his shield. The man snatched the shield out of reach before she had a chance to retrieve it.
‘You made me bleed,’ said the other warrior. ‘Your turn.’
Eda had removed her belt in that time, and when he came for her, she flicked it so the buckle caught his face. The shield fell from his hand, and Eda caught it, using it to block the other warrior’s sword. He shoved her backwards, and she hit the ground hard, sliding a few feet across the stone. She managed to keep hold of the shield, lifting it just in time. Frustrated, the warrior kicked it from her hand, sending it flying across the square.
