Captive's Return Read online

  “Jonan,” she yelled, her eyes still on the balcony. “The general is up there with the king!”

  Jonan looked from her to the balcony and back. She met his eyes, her own expression apologetic, and knew that he didn’t need her to explain in words what she was asking. He sighed.

  “Why do I always boast about being a good climber?” he muttered to himself, but he didn’t actually protest.

  Sheathing his sword, he sprinted around the whipping post, mounting the steps up to the execution scaffold three at a time. Scarlett watched anxiously as he leaped from the deadly platform to the wall of the castle, grasping at a stone protrusion in the shape of a jaguar’s head, the mouth open wide to let rainwater run out onto the flagstones below. He began to scale the wall with impressive speed. Scarlett was fairly certain she could have climbed it too, but she didn’t think her dagger would be much good against the lethal sword the general always wore strapped to his side.

  No one else seemed to have noticed Jonan’s ascent, partially hidden behind the execution blade as he was. But the general’s appearance must have been a pre-arranged signal, because a surge of soldiers suddenly rushed upon the small band of royals and their guards at the front of the courtyard. Scarlett found herself battling for her life, and was forced to tear her attention away from Jonan’s progress.

  Not at all sure that the royal guards would consider her protection a priority, she fought her way to Giles’s side as quickly as possible. And it was well she did, for within a couple of minutes, the defenders had been forced into a tight knot, surrounded on all sides by attackers. For a moment they halted their forward press, and the hubbub seemed to lessen slightly.

  “The king has shown he isn’t willing to act to protect his people!” shouted someone from the crowd. The man wasn’t in uniform, but there could be little doubt he was a soldier.

  “We need a strong leader!” added another voice, and Scarlett wanted to roll her eyes. The words sounded rehearsed, like lines in a melodrama.

  “How dare you!” cried King Siloam, suddenly reengaging with the situation. “I am your king! My people answer to me—I do not answer to them!”

  “Well, perhaps you should!” The general’s voice, strong and clear, seemed to ring out over the scene. The silver-haired veteran pulled out his sword with a metallic ring.

  All eyes were now on the balcony. The general raised his weapon, and a sudden gasp ripped through the assembled watchers, whether from his actions or from the sight of the lithe figure vaulting over the railing of the balcony, it was impossible to tell.

  King Siloam turned to his general with a cry that was echoed by his brother and nephew on the ground, all of them seeming to grasp the truth of the situation in the same moment. But the brazen attempt at regicide was thwarted, the general’s sword unexpectedly meeting another blade as it swung toward the king. Jonan had reached his destination at last, and he threw himself between the two men, blade raised.

  The shock of the crowd was palpable as Jonan not only resisted the attack, but pressed the much older and more experienced fighter backward. Only Scarlett was not surprised at the rush of power and energy that fueled Jonan’s swordplay. If ever Jonan had sacrificed his own interests, it was now, when he put his very life on the line for the sake of the country that had despised and abused him, to defend the childish king who had only that morning ordered his execution.

  Jonan’s strength was more than enough to beat off the other man’s attacks, but he still couldn’t match the general for swordsmanship. His efforts to get under the man’s guard were in vain. But the general, clearly astonished to the point of incredulity by Jonan’s unexpected skill, was not paying enough attention to his surroundings as he was forced continually backward.

  Jonan pressed the general toward the balcony’s edge, and he stepped back one time too many in his efforts to avoid the younger man’s ferocious lunges. The watching crowd below realized the inevitable a moment before the general did, and his desperate attempts to regain his balance were in vain. To the sound of gasps and screams, he toppled backward off the balcony, landing on the steps up to the execution scaffold with a sickening crunch. For a moment there was a hush, then shouts rent the air.

  “Treason!”

  “He’s dead!”

  “Get the Kyonan!”

  The courtyard was suddenly more chaotic than ever, as everyone shouted out according to their own agendas, and no one quite knew what to do. The ring of soldiers surrounding Scarlett and the others wavered, unsure how to respond to this unexpected loss of their leader. At that propitious moment, a fresh squadron of royal guards emerged from the castle and sped toward the group in good order. Civilians scattered before them, and after a moment of hesitation, the soldiers surrounding the royals broke ranks and fled, the guards pursuing them into the streets.

  All this Scarlett took in only vaguely, her eyes fixed on Jonan, who was peering down at the body of his fallen adversary. He seemed unsure what to do himself, now that the coup was over. As she watched, she saw a couple of royal guards race onto the balcony. They bustled their sovereign out of sight, then returned and attempted to seize Jonan. He raised his sword, his expression hard, and Scarlett gave an involuntary cry of alarm. She had seen enough.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Scarlett, where are you going?!”

  She ignored Giles’s shout, racing toward the entrance of the castle, dimly aware that someone was following her. As she sped through the familiar hallways, heading for the royal wing, she realized that both Giles and Uncle Rupert were accompanying her. It was fortunate that they were, because she would never have been admitted to the king’s rooms without a fight. They, however, passed through the watching guards unhindered, Giles bringing Scarlett in his wake.

  The guards inside were still tussling with Jonan, who was now in the room rather than out on the balcony, but Scarlett was relieved to see no sign of bloodshed. The door to the balcony remained wide open, and the din from outside had considerably lessened.

  “Stop,” said Prince Rupert commandingly, and the guards hesitated. He looked at his brother. “Siloam, surely you’re not ordering this boy to be apprehended?”

  “What?” The king seemed to come back to reality with an effort, clearly still dazed from his recent shock. He looked around and took in the scene before him. “No, of course not. Leave the Kyonan be.”

  The guards stepped back instantly, and Jonan smoothed his ruffled tunic aggressively, glaring at them.

  Scarlett threw herself forward, disregarding the exalted company. Jonan put his free arm around her and they shared a brief embrace before she stepped back. She noticed that with his other hand he maintained his grip on his sword, his eyes still sweeping the room warily. Looking around, she could understand why. The noise from the courtyard had all but ceased—the riot really did seem to be over. But inside the room, the tension remained thick. Everyone was staring at Jonan, and while their expressions were more stunned than unfriendly, it was still unnerving.

  Uncle Rupert was the first to speak, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “It seems that thanks are in order. We are in your debt. Both of you.” His eyes crossed to Scarlett and she raised her eyebrows, not quite ready to let him off the hook. She was certain from his discomfited expression that he was remembering their fruitless conversation earlier that morning.

  “If I’m honest, I did it more for Scarlett than for you, Your Highness,” said Jonan. The laugh in his voice seemed to be directed at himself and somehow robbed the speech of insolence. “But I’m happy to be of service.” He took in the sober faces all around him and seemed unable to resist a cheeky grin. “It almost makes it worth not chopping my head off, doesn’t it?”

  Scarlett gave a choked sound, somewhere between a laugh and a snort. She gripped Jonan’s hand tightly, whether to communicate solidarity or restraint she wasn’t entirely sure.

  “We are definitely in your debt,” echoed Giles, “and I’m man enough to own it when I’
m wrong.” He strode forward and offered his hand. After a moment of hesitation, Jonan put his sword away and returned the grasp. “I can admit that you had little enough reason to help us, Jonan. I was obviously mistaken about you,” said Giles handsomely, and Scarlett beamed at her cousin.

  “No harm done,” said Jonan cheerfully, his generous words contradicted by the bruises still blooming across his face. “But when you come and visit us in Kyona, you owe me at least one night in King Calinnae’s dungeons.”

  Prince Rupert narrowed his eyes, but Giles just laughed. “It sounds fair.”

  “And,” added Jonan, his tone growing more serious. “I would be grateful if you’d stop trying to separate me and my wife, because she did marry me by choice, you know.”

  Giles grimaced in acknowledgment of the criticism, but it was King Siloam who unexpectedly answered.

  “Of course there will be no more talk of separating you! You must both stay here in Nohl.” He turned to Jonan, his face unusually enthusiastic. “You saved my life, after all! You must be rewarded. The general himself—I can hardly believe it. He will have to be replaced, and soon.” The king brightened, as if struck by a sudden idea. “You can replace him!”

  Everyone in the room stared at King Siloam with blank faces, Giles even being betrayed into a sputtering sound that was not very princely.

  “Brother!” protested Prince Rupert, sounding genuinely alarmed. “You must see that’s impossible! You can’t make a foreigner—a nineteen-year-old with no military experience—general!”

  “Yes, I suppose that’s true,” admitted the king, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. “How about my personal bodyguard?”

  Uncle Rupert uttered a sound of protest, but Jonan jumped in before anyone could get too agitated.

  “Thank you for the offer, Your Majesty, but I’m not at all interested in staying in Balenol. I want to go home, without delay.” He looked suddenly down at Scarlett. “That is—”

  “Yes,” she reassured him quickly. “I want to go home, too.” She looked over at Giles. “I know we were supposed to stay a few weeks, but the visit has been more than eventful enough already.”

  He nodded. “Yes, as much as I hate to say it, I think it will be wisest for you not to linger. We can send a message to your captain to be ready tomorrow.”

  “The day after,” suggested Jonan unexpectedly. Scarlett looked up at him in surprise, and he smiled at her. “I still haven’t actually met your aunt, you know. Or Astor, or Roland.” She started, realizing that he was right. “And,” he added ruefully, “I wouldn’t mind sleeping in a real bed for a couple of nights before going straight from dungeon to ship.”

  Giles winced, and even Uncle Rupert had the decency to look a bit uncomfortable at this comment.

  “Of course,” he said, with dignity. “You must want to rest and freshen up now. I’ll have a servant show you to your room, and we would be delighted if you join the family for the midday meal.”

  Jonan blinked, apparently taken aback by the discovery that even a thwarted coup was not going to disrupt the meal schedule. Scarlett smiled to herself. Welcome to life in the castle.

  “Thank you, Uncle, we will certainly join you,” she said aloud. “But I know the way to our room, no need to summon a servant.” She smiled up at Jonan. “It’s been a long couple of days, and I want my husband to myself for half an hour.”

  She thought that her uncle and the king looked a bit scandalized by this announcement, but Giles just shook his head, smiling, as she dragged Jonan out of the room.

  They walked in silence for a minute, Scarlett shooting sidelong looks at Jonan. Her heart felt full to overflowing at the relief of being together again, but she also felt a pang of sympathy every time she looked at him. Now that they were alone, with no unfriendly eyes for him to look strong for, his weariness was evident in his every movement.

  “What are you thinking about?” asked Scarlett quietly.

  “Hmm?” he said, coming out of his reverie and smiling down at her. “I was just thinking that this must be the most eventful anniversary in history. Next year let’s celebrate with a nice meal and an evening by the fire.”

  She laughed, leaning up to press a kiss on his very willing lips, delightfully unconcerned by the shocked glance of a servant who was hurrying past.

  “It’s a deal.”

  The cheerful group that gathered on the dock to farewell the travelers formed a strong contrast to the scene of their arrival. Scarlett couldn’t help but smile as she watched the antics of her two younger cousins, who were clearly trying to impress her husband. Roland in particular had taken quite a liking to Jonan on first meeting, and was showing every sign of budding hero-worship. Scarlett had a feeling that a Balenan state visit to Kyona would not be too far off, and if she knew anything about it, Roland would be sure to cajole his way onto the delegation.

  Even more pleasant was the sight of Aunt Mariska saying an affectionate goodbye to Jonan. A day and a half was obviously not long enough to really get to know one another, but Aunt Mariska had embraced Jonan warmly at first meeting. And Jonan, with a generosity Scarlett really thought was angelic, had responded readily, with no hint of reproach for his original, violent reception. She knew they had both done it out of love for her more than anything, but that didn’t lessen the satisfaction. On the contrary, she felt richer than she ever had.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ll be relieved when you take your Kyonan firebrand back home. And not just because the city is still a tinderbox.”

  Scarlett turned to see Giles beside her. She couldn’t help but smile as her eyes followed the direction of his gaze. He obviously didn’t find Astor and Roland’s merriment as amusing as she did.

  “But everyone is getting on so well,” she said innocently.

  He shot her a look. “A little too well. I’m not sure he’s a good influence on my brothers. This morning I heard Roland asking Astor whether he thinks a blade would give him as good a scar on his face as Jonan got from the whip.”

  Scarlett laughed in spite of herself. “He got more than one scar out of that episode,” she said, smiling at the old joke. But her thoughts quickly turned serious again. “Speaking of brothers, you promised to tell me the latest news about mine.”

  Giles sighed. “It’s nothing good, I’m afraid. It seems he’s going to get away without consequences after all.”

  “What?!” Scarlett protested. “He was behind it, Giles, I know with absolute certainty! I heard him myself.”

  “I know,” said Giles quickly. “And I believe you. And Father does too. But it’s not up to us. And there’s no evidence, other than your word, and Jonan’s. And don’t take offense, but that’s just not considered trustworthy as far as the court is concerned. Scanlon was more careful than you think. I know he seemed careless in front of you, but I’m afraid he was entirely right that your word couldn’t do him any harm. He played his hand well. All the blame is falling on the general, who is conveniently not able to refute any of it, since Jonan pushed him off a balcony. Not that I’m complaining,” Giles hastened to add as Scarlett opened her mouth to protest. “My point is just that there’s nothing concrete to prove that Scanlon had anything to do with it.”

  “I don’t like it Giles,” said Scarlett, uneasy. “He’s not finished making mischief, I’m sure of it.”

  “I’m sure he’d like to cause trouble,” agreed Giles. “But he won’t get the opportunity. We may not be able to punish him for what he did, but you can be sure he’ll never be trusted again, by anyone in my family. And we’ll make very sure he doesn’t get access to the king.”

  Scarlett frowned. It didn’t satisfy her, but it was something, she supposed. And it wasn’t her problem after all. She would be far away in Kyona, and surely Scanlon would never dare to venture there.

  “You two look very serious,” Jonan said, joining them. “I hope nothing’s amiss. If you tell me that king of yours has changed his mind again, I’m going to f
ight this time. I’ve had enough of your dungeons to last me a lifetime.”

  “I think now you’re more in danger of being conscripted into his military than thrown into his dungeons,” answered Scarlett in amusement. “But don’t worry, I’ll spring you if necessary, even if I have to fight every royal here.”

  “Now I’ve seen you both in action, I wouldn’t dare defy you,” joked Giles. He offered Jonan his hand. “I am sorry, for all of it. And I’m glad things worked out as they did.”

  “Glad my head is traveling back to Kyona still attached to my body, you mean?” asked Jonan with a grin as he shook the offered hand. “Well, so am I. And I do hope you’ll visit us. Because it would be nice to get to know Scarlett’s family better, or at least some of her family. You’ll have to come to us next time, because—no offense—I don’t think we’ll be back anytime soon.” He looked around and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Maybe when you’re king—by then you’ll have had time to sort all this chaos out.”

  “Time to go I think,” said Scarlett dryly. “Before you get arrested for treason, again.”

  Scarlett was still standing on the deck half an hour later, as the port of Nohl grew small, and the figures of her family were no longer visible. Jonan had gone below when they first pushed off, but she heard his firm step behind her now. She didn’t turn, but suddenly she felt something slip around her throat, Jonan’s familiar hands securing a clasp at the back of her neck.