Archie stepped into the courtyard, his uniform crisp and his boots polished. “Bring her down,” he said to the guards. “I’ll go ahead to be sure all is as it should be.”
With swift strides, he exited the gate and disappeared down into the spiral.
“Let’s go.” The guard holding Ahnna’s wrists shoved her forward,and she stumbled over her own feet, nearly falling. They loaded her into the carriage, one sitting next to her, the other across, both with weapons in hand. There was so much hate in their expressions that Ahnna lowered her eyes to her white skirts as the carriage rocked into motion, the mules making their painfully slow progress down the spiral.
Around, and around, and they were not halfway down when the cathedral bells began to ring, spreading the news about the birth of the heir to the Twisted Throne.
Her nephew.
The corner of her mouth turned up as she considered that fact but then fell as her consideration turned to the legacy he’d know her by. A murderer and a traitor who died by execution. Would he even know that she was his aunt, or would Alexandra erase Ahnna’s marriage to James from existence? Would it be as though it never was, remembered only by the handful of survivors who were there the night she and James swore to defend each other to their dying breaths.
James had honored his vow, Ahnna knew that in her soul. He would never have given up, and she wanted to scream and scream because Alexandra would never be punished for what she’d done to him.
Her body shuddered with a rough sob, and Ahnna rested her cheek against the carriage window, watching as they descended below the clouds. Down and down, and it felt all the world to her as though they were descending into an underworld from which she’d never escape.
A large escort of soldiers awaited them at the spiral’s base as she was transferred to a larger carriage, and then they began their winding passage through the streets. It was a strange dichotomy to hear the bells still tolling joy for the new prince even as the citizens of Verwyrd jeered and threw rotten food at her carriage, screaming their hate, and Ahnna knew that Hazel had the right of it that her death would be forever entwined with the baby prince’s life. She wondered what his name was. Wondered what he looked like. Wondered if he’dbreak free of the darkness in his family tree and become a good king to all these people.
The carriage rolled into the square. It was normally a teeming marketplace, but all the stalls had been cleared to create space for the crowd that had gathered. Uniformed soldiers were everywhere to hold the crowd back from the gallows that had been erected, along with a viewing gallery that had been assembled to keep the royalty out of the misting rain while Ahnna said her piece. Keris was there, as was Zarrah. She wore her Valcottan uniform but still outshone all of Alexandra’s ladies in their fancy gowns. An enormous man she didn’t recognize stood behind them, dressed in leather and furs, his expression grim and unyielding. Cardiffian, for certain, and though she’d thought he’d left Verwyrd, her guess was that he was King Ronan. Which meant that he knew that her confession was a lie. She could only pray that he didn’t try to interfere.
Alexandra sat on one of the chairs, eyes down, but Virginia was absent, as was William. His absence made Ahnna uneasy. Made her fear that Alexandra had changed his mind, and that he’d hang Ahnna and then set sail to destroy Ithicana.
Her guards pulled her forcefully from the carriage, mud staining her white shoes and splattering her dress as they pulled her up the stairs, her ears filled with jeers and bells. One of them pulled the noose over her head and tightened it, and then they left her standing on the platform alone.
Fear filled her veins, and every instinct in Ahnna’s body screamedfight.Not once in her life had she backed down. Not once had she surrendered. This was not who she was, and her body shook with the need to take action.
It’s not surrender,she told herself.It is a sacrifice that will save lives. It is a victory.
Except her words sounded hollow as the black-clad executioner walked toward the platform. Alexandra gave the slightest nod, and the big man cleared his throat. The crowd fell silent, and he said,“Princess Ahnna Kertell of Ithicana, you have been charged with the murder of King Edward of Harendell, the assault of the Dowager Queen Alexandra, and the murder of Prince James—”
What?Her eyes shot to Alexandra, the cruelty of the woman beyond reason.
“—treason, and sedition,” the executioner intoned. “You have confessed, and with your guilt certain in the eyes of the law, King William has condemned you to be hanged by the neck until you are dead. Do you have any final words?”
One last battle. One last swing of the sword in this life before you go find James in the next.
Ahnna coughed, trying to clear her throat, but the noose already felt like it was strangling her. “I…”
She trailed off as the crowd parted, revealing a familiar figure on horseback, and the whole crowd erupted.
91
James
The pillow pressed down onhis face, and though James tried to suck in a breath, no air came. He struggled and fought, trying to get out from under George, but the other man only leaned down harder.
He needed air. Desperately needed a breath, and James pulled at his restraints, feeling them move against the slickness of his bloodied wrists. But not enough to get free.
His heart beat frantically, his pulse a loud roar in his ears. He could not die. He could not die, because he’d promised Ahnna he’d fight for her. Promised he’d be at her side until his dying breath, and he refused to break that promise.
James slammed his knees up, catching George in the balls, but though the other man cried out, he didn’t let go.
“Why won’t you just die?” George hissed. “Why won’t you accept that no one wants you to live?”
“George?” A voice called. “Georgie, are you here? I hear banging. My goodness, why does it smell like spoiled milk? Have your servants abandoned you?”
Ginny.
George froze, then slowly lifted the cushion from James’s face. “I’m…I’m just busy with something, Virginia. What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.”
