I have informed His Majesty of my husband’s injury and that of his expected recovery and thanked him for the extra protection. But I write to you for a different reason. As soon as my husband has proven he is no longer in mortal danger, it is my intention to travel to you in order to speak with my uncle to plead with him to order the immediate cessation of attacks on those under royal protection. I am certain with my persistence we can resolve this matter once and for all. I kindly await your reply and am hopeful of your compliance to my request.
Your faithful servant and friend,
Agnes Montrose
She folded her second letter and sealed it in the same manner as the first. Once done, she handed both to Neville.
“Have these sent to the palace in the safest and fastest manner possible. I wish the rider to wait for a reply.”
Neville looked confused for a moment as he looked down at the letters and then to her as well. “My lady, do you wish to consult with me regarding the content of the letters?”
“There is no need for you to worry, Neville. While you’re thinking about the safest and fastest way to do as I ask, also devise a way that you may offer the same way for me to travel there as well, as soon as I am sure my husband’s peril has passed.”
Neville looked over at William and back to her and shook his head. He looked positively mortified. “My lady, I don’t think—”
Agnes put her hand up. “I am not asking you to think. I am asking you to do two things and do them well. I have a lot riding on both and I assure you, your laird will not blame you for my actions. I will see to it with my third letter. Now go. Twenty miles is a long distance, and I will not rest until a reply is returned.”
To his credit, he left the chamber immediately. The sun was still low in the sky so she would wait to speak to Nan to find out how long it would be before William woke and would be aware. If he knew of her plan, he would forbid it, and she couldn’t let that happen.
Nay, she must get to her uncle and convince him she was a supporter. That was the only way she could acquire the intelligence the king needed to put a stop to all this madness.
Agnes took another piece of parchment and dipped the quill in the ink then hesitated. How much of her plan would she reveal to him? Would that put him in more danger? She had to tell him something so his anger would not be misplaced onto Neville. But she did not want him tearing off to ruin her plot. She could do this.
My dearest husband;
*
William was somewherebetween heaven and hell each time he woke. He was either racked with pain and fever or he floated along on some cloud where his sense of touch had completely disappeared as though he did not possess a body. How much time had passed since his injury he could not say but each time he woke, Agnes was by his side tending to him and cooing sweet words.
He would regain his strength and do everything in his power to make them safe again, so they did not need to live like they were in their own self-made prison.
William woke with a start and immediately searched the bed for Agnes. He sat up and looked around the dark chamber. A fire burned low in the hearth, and someone sat by the fire with white hair spilling over the back. He whipped back the covers and swung his long legs down to the floor. The movement made everything around him spin and he fell back onto the bed holding his head with his hands. A low pounding started at the base of his skull. He closed his eyes to dull it.
“Now, now. You are not ready to be out of bed yet. The poison will hurt your head for a few days yet, so you need to rest.”
He knew the voice immediately. The bed covers were pulled up over him as she said, “Here you must drink this. ’Tis not pleasant, but it will aid the pain in your head.”
He opened his eyes and took the cup from Old Nan. He drank the liquid which tasted like rotten meat, but he downed it anyway as he trusted her as much as anyone.
“Where is my wife?”
“You need not worry about her now,” she said. “Wait a minute and the tonic will help with your head.”
William sat up though his head started spinning again.
“You should lay down again, laddie. You could hurt yourself in your state.”
Her words were foggy and she became blurred to him. William lay down as he had no strength to do otherwise. “Tell me where is Agnes?” he whispered.
“Shh, sleep now, laddie.”
William fell into a deep sleep. He dreamed he was in a thick wood with dozens of pathways, some lighted and some dark. He searched and searched, but he could not find her. After what seemed like fruitless hours, he discovered a path brighter than the others. Something sparkled along this one, so he followed the path, which led to a brightly moonlit meadow. All sorts of frost-covered flowers swayed to and fro in the soft breeze as if in some sort of death dance.
In the middle of the clearing, he found them.
Cailleach stood tall holding Agnes, her icy staff pointing at her throat.
“I wondered when you’d find us,” the crone said in a raspy voice.
