‘Straight ahead,’ she whispered.
A guard came towards them. Even if by some miracle the man walked by, he was headed for the tower. They needed more time. The man’s eyes moved over Roul as he drew closer, and his hand went to his weapon. Roul pounced before he had a chance to draw it, knocking him to the ground. Taking hold of the guard’s head, he smashed it down onto the stone, and the man went limp beneath him.
Roul climbed off him and got to his feet, and the pair jogged off. Time was already running out.
They made it all the way to the prince’s quarters without encountering anyone else but were met with two English guards parked at the door. The men drew their swords the moment they caught sight of them. Eda threw the dagger she was holding, striking the man closest to them in the throat. Roul ran at the other guard. After a short fight, the guard lay dead beside his comrade.
Eda went for the door and found it locked. Plucking the keys from the guard’s belt, Roul tossed them to her. A minute later they were inside, face to face with an on-edge Woottone. Roul and Eda placed their weapons down and raised their hands to show they were no threat.
Prince Becket was standing in front of a dying fire, glaring at them. ‘They think I liaised with you, deceived them.’
‘We know,’ Eda said. ‘And because of that, we have to leave. All of us. You can’t stay here. It’s not safe.’
‘It was perfectly safe until you arrived.’ Becket linked his hands atop his head. ‘They are not just going to let us leave.’
Roul gestured to Woottone to help him move the bodies.
‘For the love of Belenus,’ Becket said when the men dragged them into the room. ‘They will hang you for that.’
‘They’ll more likely hang us for the things we didbeforethat,’ Eda replied. ‘Which is why we really need to leave now.’
Becket took in Roul’s bloodied and dishevelled state and narrowed his eyes. ‘Is that Lord Roger’s tunic?’
‘We need to go,’ Roul said quietly. ‘We have a very small window of opportunity to get you home. If you would prefer to take your chances here, then speak up. We can’t force you to come with us.’
Becket looked to Woottone for guidance.
‘Never a good sign when they lock you in a room and confiscate your weapons,’ the bodyguard said.
Becket exhaled a slow breath, then went to fetch his cloak. ‘If I die here today, I am going to be very cross.’
Roul and Woottone took the scabbards from the dead guards while Eda distributed all the weapons among the living.
‘What exactly is the plan?’ the prince asked as they stepped out into the corridor.
Roul looked both ways before speaking. ‘We have some men outside the castle who’ll assist in whatever way they can.’
‘Can they get us through the gatehouse?’
‘We’re not leaving via the gate,’ Roul replied. ‘We’re going over the wall.’
The prince nearly tripped over his own feet. ‘Please tell me you are joking.’
‘There’s a berm between the wall and the moat, and the moat’s dry. We’ll be fine.’
Becket glanced at Eda. ‘You expect a woman to descend a wall?’
‘I’ve been known to climb a wall or two in my time’ was Eda’s reply. ‘I’ll be just fine, Your Highness.’
They rounded the corner and descended the stairs, hit with the smell coming from the garderobe outflow.
‘What if they shoot at us?’ Becket asked.
Eda brought a finger to her lips and listened a moment. Footsteps approached. Roul gestured for everyone to keep moving, then pressed himself against the wall to wait. A guard appeared. Roul lurched out from the shadows, cutting the man’s throat before he could utter a sound. He dragged the corpse beneath the stairs before running after the others.
‘Are we good?’ Woottone asked when Roul caught up to them.
Roul nodded.
