“Dinnae forgo the accent.”
“Och, jings, of course not. Cease your blether, you great pile o’ haggis.”
“All right, save it for when we get down there. You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. You’re sure this will work?”
“Aye.”
There was something he wasn’t telling her. She could see it in his eyes. He had become colder since last night. Was it nerves? Or something else?
Perhaps it was simply remembering his part in the princess going missing. She wanted to tell him again that it wasn’t his fault but they were already walking down the hillside toward the castle. The conversation would have to wait.
They fell in line with the carts, slowing their step until they came to a stop while the guards questioned the first in line at the gate.
“What’s in the cart?”
“Apples for selling. You want to buy, I’ll give you a good price.”
“Looks heavy for apples.”
“It’s just a good crop, that’s all.”
All at once he was being dragged away by one of the guards, pulled through the gate and into the castle. The other guard moved around the side of the cart and shoved two sacks onto the floor. Underneath were bottles filled with a dark liquid. “Smuggling wine,” the guard shouted to his colleague. “Without paying the tax.”
“I dinnae ken how that got on there,” the man shouted back. “I’m innocent, I tell you.”
The drama over, two laborers were called over to shift the cart inside. “Confiscated,” the guard told them. “Belong to the steward now.”
The laborers nodded and headed inside, guiding the donkey that pulled the cart. The guards were back in their places by the time Eddard and Jessica made it to the front of the queue. She tried to control her shaking hands but she could do nothing about her thudding heart. Was she breathing too fast? She felt like she was breathing too fast.
“State your business,” the taller of the two guards said, holding out a hand to stop them entering.
“I bring something most valuable for the Laird and his Lady,” Eddard said, keeping his head down, hidden under the hood.
“Oh, yes? And what that might be?”
“Their daughter.”
The guard turned to Jessica, lifting her hood. “Wait here,” he said, turning to talk quietly with his colleague. He vanished into the castle a moment later, closing the gate behind him, leaving the remaining guard to stare at Jessica.
She could only see his eyes through the slit of his helmet, they eyed her suspiciously. Was he one of the ones who dragged her to the steward when she was last here? Was this a mistake? Were they about to be killed before they even made it inside?
They didn’t have to wait long. The gate opened and through it came the guard with a portly figure beside him. Jessica recognized his oily grin at once. “You,” she said. “Give me back my key.”
She lunged at him but the guard shoved her back. “Do not touch the Laird’s steward.”
“Key?” the steward asked, sounding surprised. “I dinnae ken anything about a key. You will turn and walk away from here if you value your life.”
“No,” Eddard said firmly. “We will not.”
“And who is hiding under that hood? Who did you bring to protect you? Another liar?”
“I am no liar,” Eddard said, pushing back his hood and standing upright, looking taller than ever. “We will see the Laird and you will not stop us.”
“Kill them,” the steward said, waving his hand lazily.
The guards were fast but Eddard was faster. From flicking up his cloak to thrusting his sword into the air took less than a second. As the guards attacked he countered with a twist of his arm, his sword absorbing their blows with seemingly no effort.
