Page 38 of An Enchanted Knight

On one side of the room, two women sat on tall throne-like chairs. Both turned to watch them enter, neither looking surprised. A wolf sat between them, no doubt the messenger.

Padraig walked a few paces in front of Gwen and fell to one knee in front of the women. He reverted to old English. “Greetings, Your Highnesses, I am Sir Padraig Clarre, knight to James the First, King of Scotland. The lady is Gwyneth Lockhart of America. We’ve come to seek your assistance in rescuing Laird Tristan McRainey, the Laird of Dunimarle Castle, subject of King James the First. He is being held prisoner by Meliot.”

Gwen watched in fascination, as the women seemed to communicate telepathically, looking at each other, but not speaking. They wore long, richly colored, fur-trimmed robes. The women, who were either twins or sisters, had the same long platinum hair that matched the frozen world outside. They were not beautiful, but striking, with bright-blue eyes and flawless pearly skin, their faces unadorned with any makeup. One wore an emerald-green robe, while the other a ruby-red one. Neither wore a crown, but if they had, it wouldn’t have surprised her. She noticed that Padraig had not risen, and she wondered if she should kneel as well. Or curtsy.

“Rise, Knight,” The women in red spoke, her voice a thick velvety sound. “Welcome, Lady Gwyneth. Please sit.” She motioned to two chairs with wide flat arms.

Once they sat, servants appeared and served them a hot beverage which looked like tea. The cups sat on the arms of the chairs along with a small tray of what looked to be shortbread. Padraig did not drink or eat, and Gwen followed suit. The women lifted their cups and took drinks. Only after they placed their cups down did Padraig lift his. Gwen drank from hers and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet flavor of the liquid. She didn’t dare speak, so she thanked them with a smile.

The woman in green spoke. “I’m Esmeralda, this is my sister Rubiana. We are the Princesses of Atlandia, as this region is called. Our land borders Meliot’s. The wizard is not a friendly neighbor.” She glanced at her sister. “Our father left us to ensure that his power is not used against our people and to maintain control of our region, protect it against his evil.”

Rubiana clapped her hands, and a large man walked in. The male wore a heavy woolen tunic, brown leather pants, and fur-lined boots. He was flanked by two wolves. “Argo, once the Icing passes, you are to escort our guests, Sir Padraig and Lady Lockhart, to the neighboring lands and assist in the rescue of their friend.”

Argo, a large, powerfully built warrior, looked at them, acknowledging Padraig with a nod. He turned back to the princesses. “How many men should I take, Your Highnesses?”

“Six men and two wolves will go,” Esmeralda replied.

Rubiana spoke next. “And Argo, ensure everyone returns.”

Esmeralda turned to Padraig, eyes locked with his. “Ensure your ward of protection is strong enough to keep my men and sentries safe. They die only if you die with them.”

His expression blank, Padraig replied without hesitation. “Understood. We are deeply grateful for your assistance.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

The chamber she was given was spacious and warm. Pulling aside the draperies, Gwen looked out. Sleet continued falling, so thick she couldn’t see anything. She shuddered and turned away, not envying anyone stuck outside in that. If it was a daily occurrence, how were they to avoid it after the rescue? Would they make it back to the caves in time?

She paced the room after discarding her jacket and knapsack on the bed. They’d told her the icing would last about four hours and she should rest. They’d leave as soon as it passed. As much as she agreed that rest was a good idea, she knew sleep would evade her.

Nightmares of Tristan hurting and calling for her would assail her if she tried. Nonetheless, there wasn’t much she could do, and she’d need all her strength to remain invisible. Eyeing the bed, she considered lying down anyway.

A rap at the door startled her, and she called for the person to enter. It was Padraig. The knight walked in. He’d also removed his heavy winter furs. “There is one thing we need to discuss before leaving.” He motioned for her to sit and joined her. “Tristan may not be able to walk out. I will have to carry him.” He hesitated. “My loyalty is to Tristan, but as a knight I am sworn to protect those who are threatened and cannot defend themselves. Please don’t make me choose, because I will have to do the honorable thing. You are a lady.”

“It would be more honorable to rescue Tristan rather than me, Padraig.” She reached for his hand and squeezed. “In this case he is more vulnerable that I am. If for some reason I don’t return, please ensure that my sister frees Tristan. Don’t let this all be for nothing.”

Padraig didn’t look convinced. “I assure you Tristan will not forgive me if I were to leave you behind, if a choice is to be made. Perhaps you should stay here and await our return.”

“No!” Gwen cried. “I’m going! You said yourself, you are not strong enough to do this alone. We must combine our strengths to be able to stand against Meliot. Now, let’s not waste any more time talking. Show me how we can combine our power. I need to know how to shoot energy and flatten some wizard ass.”

They trekked over the frozen terrain by foot. There was no way to tell time, but to Gwen it seemed as if at least two hours had past when it began snowing again. Why didn’t they use horses? Or make sleds and train the huge wolves to pull them, like the Eskimos did? That would make more sense than the slow process of walking, no stumbling, to the enemy.

She glanced at Padraig stern face. “Why don’t you just flash us there?”

“It would be sensed by Meliot. Any simple ward would pick it up, same with horses or any other form of transportation. We’ll be there shortly. The trip back will be faster, we can leap without care; they’ll be more than aware of our presence by then.”

Gwen concentrated on a snowdrift; lifting her hand she practiced sending an energy pulse to it. The snowbank burst, sending flurries into the air. She grinned like a fool until a wolf looked back and growled at her. “Just practicing,” Gwen told it. The wolf turned away.

Argo and another warrior walked in front of her and Padraig, behind them another four. One wolf remained beside Argo. The other wolf went ahead of them as soon as they left the caves.

Argo held his hand up signaling for them to stop. Gwen sent Padraig a questioning look. He shrugged in response. They waited for a few moments, until the wolf who’d been ahead of them returned. He went straight to Argo and sat. The warrior seemed to be communicating with the wolf, and then spoke to the group.

“The gate has four guards. Two are human, the other two are not. Inside the gate there are two sentries. The wolves will take care of the sentries.

“Once inside the gates, your wards will have to keep us from being seen from the watchmen. There is one watchman at each of the four turrets. We won’t bother with them, but they are archers, so if they spot us, it will be problematic.”

You think?

The warrior motioned at four men. “Go in behind us. We will see to the front guards and sentries. Go straight to the front door. Do not wait to see the outcome of our fight—take them in.” He nodded toward Padraig and Gwen.