Nesta nodded confidently. “Let my daughter be seen by the men of Rhos and I promise that we shall have as many as we need. Cadelyn of Vendotia will have a great effect upon her people.”
Fabius handed the parchment back to his brother, mostly because he really couldn’t read any more of it than he already had. He would have to take Atilius’ word for it.
“What would you have me do, Brother?” he asked.
Atilius carefully folded up the parchment. “I do not know how big Lady Cadelyn’s escort is, but I suspect it is not very large,” he said. “Therefore, mount two hundred men and arm them. Have them ready within the hour. If we move swiftly, we should see Longton in two days, or at the very least, meet the escort on the road. We shall take charge of the lady and bring her back to The Paladin.”
Fabius nodded and headed out of the dingy, dark chamber. When he was gone, with the old door creaking closed behind him, Atilius turned to Nesta.
“I am not sure what I am going to tell Tatius about our departure, but I will think of something,” he said. “The man has been so distant as of late, I almost hesitate to tell him anything at all.”
Nesta lifted her shoulders in a thoughtful gesture. “Let him be distant,” she said. “Just remember we need him for the marriage to ensure my daughter becomes the Countess of Ellesmere. After that, you can do what you will with him. He is insignificant to me.”
Atilius simply headed for the door with Nesta at his side. Leaving the chamber, they made haste to go their separate ways as Atilius went to Tatius and Nesta went to tell her people that they would soon be leaving to greet Cadelyn. So much depended on a young woman they didn’t even know, but there was no discussion of potential concerns or issues. It never occurred to either Atilius or Nesta that Cadelyn would be anything other than exactly what they had made her up in their minds to be– a Dragon princess of the purest blood who would elevate their cause to victory.
They were counting on it.
What they didn’t count on was Tatius himself. Having been in his solar facing the gatehouse at the time the missive arrived from the Castle Rising escort, he had seen Atilius with the missive in his hand and, curious, he had followed him. Tatius didn’t think much of it until Atilius disappeared into the lower levels with the missive and Fabius was summoned.
Then, it began to occur to Tatius that something was amiss. Fabius had been summoned, but not himself. As the earl, he should be the first to know of any incoming missives to The Paladin. It was his privilege to be informed. But Atilius made no such effort, and since the chamber Atilius had chosen to meet in was a servant’s chamber, there were stairs and passageways leading out of it, things that were meant to be hidden, asservants’ passages usually were. Concerned, and suspicious of Atilius’ motives, Tatius planted himself in a small, hidden staircase and he heard the entire conversation.
Every last word.
Therefore, when Atilius came to tell him later on that he had planned to take the Welsh on a hunting excursion later that day, Tatius pretended to go along with it. He didn’t ask to go. He simply let his brother leave and take a heavily-armed party with him. Either Atilius thought his brother was an idiot, or he didn’t think his brother would notice that every man he’d taken with him was armed for battle and not for a hunt.
But he was wrong on all accounts.
Not only did Tatius notice, he did what he had to do– he followed.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Longton
Two Days Later
“What are youdoing down here?”
The question came from Achilles as he found Susanna in the common room of The Crown and Anchor Inn with a steaming bowl of pottage in front of her. It was late afternoon on their second full day in Longton, a delay caused by two sick women and about twelve injured men from the skirmish three days earlier.
Achilles had just come in from outside, a brisk wind following him in as he quickly shut the door. He spied Susanna sitting next to the hearth, which was blazing at this hour, and he stood next to the table, hands on his hips as he looked at her.
“Well?” he said. “Answer me. What are you doing down here? The last I saw of you, you were sleeping soundly in the bed upstairs.”
Susanna looked at him. She was pale with circles under her eyes. Achilles noted that she didn’t look much better than she had the day he’d discovered she was sick.
“I have been asleep for two days,” she said, her nose stuffy. “I cannot remain in bed any longer. I must get up and move around. I shall never get well if I stay in bed. Where is everyone? The place is deserted.”
Achilles threw a thumb in the general southward direction. “We just brought the Summerlin carriage into town,” he said. “We were able to repair the axle, at least somewhat.”
“That is good. At least Cadie will have something warm to ride in for the rest of the way.”
Achilles snorted. “That is true, but her priest believes that carriage is his private abode. He has been in it ever since we brought it back.”
Susanna smiled weakly. “He has work to do for Cadie,” she said. “It is not something he can do here in the common room of the inn.”
“What is he doing?”
She paused as she thought on an answer, not wanting to tell him the truth. “Personal prayer cards for the lady.”
