I am still brooding in front of the fireplace when Lord Philip enters. He wants to know if I am all right with leaving tomorrow to Denalham. I nod and he turns to leave, but I call out, "Wait!"
He turns, and I pause. My words are awkward, but I feel I must say them.
"You--have been the dearest friend to me. You are the only one I can count on. I don't know where I'd be without you. Philip...thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
He smiles sweetly at me. "Oh, Your Majesty, I don't deserve the friendship of such a wonderful Queen...and a wonderful person. You have given me more than I've ever given you." Then he leaves.
---
I felt a little better, so Faye returned and helped me prepare for bed.
I slept lightly, waking several times. Faye stayed up late, feverishly stitching new clothes she hoped might be more fit for a queen.
I was falling asleep yet again when I heard noises.
"Who is it?" Faye whispered. "It's awfully late, you know..." Then she gasped.
"Lord Philip! Sir Jacob! Your Highness, wake up!"
I sat up in time to see her scream cut off by a slice to the throat from a dark figure in my bedroom. The silence lasted only a moment before I was screaming, too. Faye lay on the floor before me...it was just too horrible. The figure moved forward, and I had nothing with which to defend myself...
Then Lord Philip rushed in and tackled the figure, locking his arms around him from behind. Sir Jacob ran in on his tail, bewildered.
"Jacob! Take the Queen! Now!" Philip cried. I could only stare.
But Jacob nodded and ran towards me. I snapped out of my trance and ran with him to the door before I turned back.
"Philip! Let's go!"
But my friend only shook his head, teeth gritted with the effort of containing the assassin.
I could not comprehend. Only when Jacob whispered "Forgive me" and pulled me away by my hand did I cry, "But Jacob! We never thought to buy any weapons!"
He didn't answer. He just pulled me to the horse Isaac had waiting, and finally I gritted my teeth and hopped on. Then the three of us rode off as fast as we could, I in my nightgown with my hair in a plait.
I could not ask about Will. I could not think about Faye or Lord Philip. I could only repeat stupidly in my head:
He couldn't defend himself. He couldn't defend himself.
 LadyAlisyn · Thu Jul 30, 2009 @ 04:02pm · 0 Comments |
