Secrets and Guardians: Devious Intentions - H. Chambers (drm ebook reader TXT) 📗
- Author: H. Chambers
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The following morning Ami was excited to see the circus, she had found out it was indeed Bella’s troupe. They were performing in a large field close to the town so that many of the town’s folk could attend. Benches had been set out in a horse shoe shape, with more suitable seating provided for Lord Darius and herself. She was surprised that Lewin was not there or for that matter any of her guards, although she did think she could see Caleb chatting to some women in the distance. Maybe they just didn't like the circus, or more likely she thought, too hung over from the night before.
The performance began and turned out to be even better than when Ami had watched it the last time. When Bella the fortune teller danced, even the women in the audience were entranced. The scruffy dog certainly had improved but the strongman and the Mankin stole the show. When Ami watched the horses, she wondered if she could train her horse to perform some of those moves. When the show was over Ami was exhausted from all the excitement and tension. She sat back in her chair feeling very happy and content.
A young girl skipped over to Darius, a guard went to stop her, but Darius gestured for her to come over. She whispered something to him but Ami could not hear and felt it would be impolite to try, so she turned to a lady on her right and joined her in conversation.
'You know where he will put you,' whispered Lowe to Darius, 'it will be pitch black,' she added.
Darius was taken totally by surprise and looked at the girl, her grey eyes looked straight at him. He felt his heart jump, she knew.
'When you return, have your most trusted warder sort it out,' she continued.
Understanding slowly dawned on Darius and he gently nodded his head, too shocked to speak. Lowe then gave him a huge childish grin and turned to go.
'How do you know these things?' he managed to say before she left.
Lowe turned back and quietly said, 'Because I can bear them'.
Darius thought he understood, but surely no child should have to carry such a burden.
The rest of the day Ami spent shopping in the markets with her maids and Aharen lurking never far away. She couldn't get the sense of unease out of her mind. She was having a lovely time, the sun was shining, she was pleased with the clothes and jewellery she'd bought. She was looking forward to dinner this evening, it would be a more quiet affair, a chance to really talk to her uncle, so why the unease?
As she browsed over some necklaces hanging in a stall, she caught sight of Caleb talking animatedly to Aharen. They looked as if they were arguing, then Caleb stormed off. Leaving the stall she marched over to Aharen.
'Right! What's going on?' Ami demanded
'You’re shopping and I'm lurking?' grinned Aharen sheepishly.
Ami was surprised at how angry she was, she felt like slapping him across the face. She turned and headed back to the castle with her maids, laden with her purchases, hurrying behind her. When she arrived at the castle she told the maids to wait for her in her quarters, then headed off to see her uncle and bumped straight into Nathe and Tanyon.
Still furious she told them to get out of her way as she wanted to talk to Darius. Nathe stood in front of her. Nathe and Tanyon looked at each other as if unsure as to what to do with her.
'Well?' said Ami in the most authoritative voice she could muster.
'Actually, your uncle is not feeling very well, probably too much sun this morning, he is taking a rest,' said Nathe looking around the corridor as he spoke. 'Come let us take a stroll in the gardens, I hear they are beautiful,' he added.
If Ami had been furious before, she was livid now. It was obviously a lie and how dare Nathe talk to her as if she was some ordinary woman! Turning she headed back to her quarters and nearly took the hinges off the door when she slammed it. She dismissed the maids and flung herself on the bed.
Hammering her fists into the pillows she began to cry uncontrollably.
'It's not fair, it's not fair!' She sobbed.
Her whole life suddenly seemed empty. She had hardly cried for her father after his death, she had never known her mother, her brother just wanted her married off to whoever was politically advantageous to him; no one really cared. She had been taught to be a princess but she just wanted to be a girl with a loving family and be able to choose who she married. Her thoughts immediately went to Glint. She had deliberately kept her emotions in check with him, but she longed for him now. It would never work; her brother would never allow it. Glint was a commoner, she was a Princess. She deserved better, what was worse, she deserved a man she would hardly know, who probably would never love her. She would be there just to have his children and act like the perfect wife and mother. She hammered the pillows again. She was not real, just an image in other peoples’ minds, a performer, she was other women’s fantasy. To be a Princess was to be a slave in fancy clothes she thought bitterly. There had to be more, but at that moment Ami could not see anything, so lost was she in self-pity.
A few hours later Ami awoke to find food had been placed on the table beside her bed, a cover had been placed over her and candles had been lit giving the room a warm cosy feel. She sat up and ate some of the bread, cheese and fruit that had been left. She felt emotionally drained and very much a spoilt brat. Could her maids marry when they were in her service? She had never thought to ask. Did they get to eat the same food as her? How much were they paid? When she told them they were accompanying her, she hadn't even considered they may have loved ones who needed them. Ami lay back on the bed wondering what time it was. It seemed late, the candles had burned quite far down, how long did a candle burn for? Without knowing when it was lit that was a stupid question to ask herself anyway. Lost in her own thoughts, at first she did not register the noises coming from the town. Slowly her head turned towards the window, her mind becoming less self-absorbed as she realised what was happening. Then the screams started. Ami ran to the window, fires were burning; the town was on fire!
After watching the circus perform Haystack had tried to contact some of his old friends in Brinkton; none of them seemed to be left alive. Some appeared to have died of 'natural' causes, as if it was natural for so many people to suddenly die from heart attacks. Others had a variety of accidents, including falling off a roof, which Haystack knew was odd as the dear chap in question hated heights.
Haystack wandered the streets of Brinkton and felt a sense of unease amongst its town’s folk. He had arranged to meet Caleb close to the market place and headed there early in the afternoon. Caleb's news was not good, he was escorting Princess Amicia on strict instructions to head to Riftdale if Kerdred's promise of an alliance proved to be false. Haystack told Caleb of his worries over the disappearance of many of his contacts, even in the castle many men he trusted where nowhere to be found. Later Haystack met up with Nathe; Nathe had just been told a large ship was heading to the port. Although that in itself should not have caused concern, Nathe just felt that there was something wrong, something about to happen. Nathe told Haystack what he knew about Hylaw's plans and should Brinkton be invaded the princess’s safety was paramount, not trying to resist an invasion.
Haystack listened, how could the King, knowing the real possibility of an invasion just leave Brinkton to fall? Nathe had tried to reason with him, with large parts of Brinkton now being controlled by Kerdred's men, what hope did Hylaw have? The rot started before Hylaw became King. The old King should have made a stand, should have helped Korin. Hylaw was now having to handle a situation that Kerdred had spent years planning and Hylaw didn't know exactly what he had to face. Aberrling the King's advisor had told Nathe that it may have been too late even before the old King died. Nathe advised Haystack to leave Brinkton with any men he trusted. Haystack never ran from a fight, he would rather die fighting than run like a coward to the hills.
Later that evening Haystack sat with his own men on a hill to the north overlooking the town. From his vantage point he had watched the circus leave late that afternoon, he had hoped to meet up with them but obviously nothing was going the way he had planned. His party consisted of seventeen men including himself, not good odds if that ship was heralding an invasion. His men were all tried and tested fighters who had been loyal to the old King. They considered Daranel their country and even though King Hylaw had not yet proved himself, they were not going to let Drumlin's sons take over without a fight. Even the mention of Kerdred and his brothers brought out fighting talk. As they were discussing what they would do, all hell broke loose down on the docks. At first the idea that anyone would attack so late in the evening made them doubt what they were seeing. Haystack had told his men that many in Brinkton were already Kerdred's men and that if they decided to join the fight they were as likely to get a sword in their backs as easily as their chests. Looking down at the docks they realised this was going to be the least of their problems.
Large creatures emerged from the ship and onto the docks. Haystack stared in horror, Nefkins. They walked upright, towering above Kerdred’s soldiers. Their huge bodies protected by armour. Lit up in the flaming torch light their silver armour and white fur made them look like monstrous ghosts. The screaming started. Slowly, menacingly they began to walk into the town. Nothing stopped them; people, carts, stalls simply thrown to one side by massive Nefkin arms. Kerdred’s soldiers followed killing anyone the Nefkins missed.
Haystack watched as people came out of their homes to see what was going on, only to be met with death. Others took to side streets, running with babies and children. Two men on a wall began firing arrows, one of the Nefkin broke ranks, dropped onto all fours and bounded effortlessly up the wall, disappearing with the two men over the other side. It returned seconds later and took its place back in line. Fires were beginning to take hold of houses, trapping those inside. At that moment a huge explosion lit up the sky. Everyone stopped and stared, even the Nefkins. The shock didn't last long. Haystack thought about the circus and how Ghale had cleverly manipulated him into a contest of strength. Maybe
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