“Am I to adopt this new fashion of yours?” the queen asked.
Agnes looked down at her attire and couldn’t help but smile. “I would appreciate it if I could borrow a gown before I see my uncle,” she said. If it all went wrong, she would need to travel through dangerous territory once again and she wouldn’t want them to expect her falsehood.
Agnes accepted the food and drink. She was ravenous and the activity helped settle her nerves. Entering into a battle of wits with her uncle was no small feat. He was a determined and clever man who was without his freedom now for some weeks. There was no way to tell what his demeanor would be like or if he would trust her.
“About this business,” the king said. “Why do you take on this burden? Your uncle is a dangerous man and can be quite conniving.”
“I traveled here with my uncle and half listened to his ramblings for days on end. I should have paid closer attention and understood the danger of his stories and alerted you the moment I arrived. I did not do that and aye, I know I am not responsible for his actions, but I do feel a sense of duty in that I might have prevented the harm that had been intended for you and which has come upon my husband.”
“You are under no obligation to put yourself in harm’s way. He is secure in a prison cell, and we are closing in on the rebels as we speak.”
“I am glad to hear that, but I might glean some new information that would aid in that endeavor.”
“I see,” he said. “How do you plan to convince him to give up his allies?”
She had hoped he would not ask that question. Agnes could not lie to the king to his face. That would be treason. That she’d done so in writing was bad enough. More falsehoods from her and he would no doubt put her right in the cell with Uncle John.
“I haven’t really thought about exactly what I would say,” she said. That was one truth at least.
The king watched her carefully and stroked his chin. “Do you plan to convince him to give up the other rebels as you say? Or do you have something else planned?”
“Aye.” Another truth. He would give up the rebels when he was sure that she was on his side. And aye, that was the other thing she had planned.
“Aye, to which, Lady Montrose? You are speaking to your king, now. You may lie to your husband, but you may not lie to me.”
The warning shot was fired across the bow and she would tread lightly. “Your Majesty, ’tis my intention to extract information from my uncle to aid you in finding these traitors and bringing them to justice.”
“Aye, you said that in your letter in not so many words. I understand that. But how will you do that? Your uncle has not responded to my questioning. What makes you think he will respond to your plea?”
And there it was. The direct question for which she could not answer in a cryptic way.
She drew in a deep breath. “Because I will convince him I have seen his path and am now loyal to him and his cause.”
The queen gasped. “If I had known you were going to attempt something like that, I would not have let you come. That is a dangerous game to play, Agnes.”
“I appreciate your concerns, truly I do. But I know my uncle. I know what to say to convince him he can trust me.”
“You are certain you are up to this task?” the king asked.
She wasn’t, but she could think of no other way to resolve the problem and keep everyone safe. Though they were her king and queen, she felt a kinship with both of them in the time she’d spent in their company.
“Then it is set. I will make orders that you be escorted to his cell in the morning. For tonight, my wife will have the servants attend you and show you to your chamber.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. You are both very kind.”
She finished her meal and bid them good night. Now in the chamber she’d been offered when she first arrived at Stirling Castle, she stared up at the canopy above. How much had changed since she first encountered this view. How much she had changed. Now a married woman and involving herself in a plot to uncover a deadly threat against the king and queen. It was like something out of a story one would tell at a feast. Shesmiled. Perhaps she would tell it to her children one day. She rubbed her belly. She didn’t think she was with child yet, but in her heart, she was certain she would be, and soon. Sometimes one just knew these things. She closed her eyes and tried to find slumber.
On the morrow, she would pull every ounce of courage she could muster, and she would prove her own loyalty. That to her family and her king and queen. She would make them all proud. Her thoughts drifted to her parents. What wouldn’t they do to protect those they loved? Her father thought them safe at Girnigoe, but she was convinced they would only be safe when this threat had ended. And the only way to do that was to remove it.
Agnes turned to her side, anxious she couldn’t find sleep. She shaped and reshaped the pillow, but that comfortable spot eluded her. She turned to her other side and found the same problem. She sat up and smoothed the side where her husband should be. He would be vexed at first, but once she delivered true results, he would have to concede the point that her solution was sound.
Pulling the heavy pillows from the other side of the bed, she positioned them as if a body lay beside her. She pulled up the covers and flung an arm and a leg around it and pulled it tight to her body. Agnes buried her head in the pillow and breathed deeply. The scent was fresh and she envisioned it was him. The thought brought her comfort. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift to some of the beautiful moments they had shared. In her mind’s eye, she pictured his smiling face with deep dimples and those bright eyes. His delicious mouth that did all sorts of pleasurable things to her. The sound of his groans as his pleasure overtook him. She let her mind pull on all the wonderful and delightful moments that had passed between them.
He was her world now. She could have never imagined finding someone like him and the love they shared. He loved her and she loved him and nothing, no uncle, no rebel, would ever take that away from them or threaten it ever again.
Thoughts of the joy he’d brought her were then replaced with raw determination to see her plan to fruition. Aye, she would succeed. She had to. She would not risk her safety otherwise, for she did not take this action lightly. She would make this right.
*
