Waiting For Spring
Chapter 16

I could hear their footsteps getting closer and closer to where I was hidden. My heart was racing in my chest and every breath burned through my lungs, but there was nothing I could do except wait for them to come.

“This part of the castle has been quite desolate, I’m afraid,” Lord Gregor finally spoke, and my eyes shot to his as the footsteps stopped.

“You’ve been alone,” Francis pressed and even from where I was standing, I could sense that he was unconvinced. “All morning?”

“Yes, unlike my fellow Lords, I take no pleasure in hunting or the blatant display of masculinity they are engaging in on the south lawn. Although I had heard there was quite the collection of beautiful ladies gathered there,” his eyes shot to me and I strangely felt my cheeks heat under his charming grin.

“Well,” Francis began, “If you are certain Lady Anne has not come this way?”

“No, you can be assured she hasn’t passed me this morning. She is not one you would forget crossing paths with.” Footsteps followed his words, but this time they were headed in the other direction.

“Sorry for the disturbance, my lord. We best continue our search.” Then there was a moment of silence. The footsteps had faded, and I made to take a step only to freeze with my slippered foot floating above the worn carpets on the library floor. “As you well remember Lord Gregor, Lady Anne is an honored guest of the king. He has promised her safety.”

“Of course.”

“And if there was to be a danger to her safety the King would view this as an attack against his honor.” Lord Gregor’s eyes narrowed and the lines around his mouth and eyes deepened before he answered the threat Francis had issued.

“Are you accusing me of something, guard?”

“Of course not, my lord.” Francis still held the edge of skepticism as his voice, “I must continue the search.” Then, the doors to the library fell closed.

“I believe the coast is clear my little escapee.” Lord Gregor chuckled, and my eyes flashed to his as I tried to catch my breath.

“Thank you.”

“You are most welcome, my dear.” He smiled, turning back to the table he was sat at as I made my way down the aisle of musty books. “I am wondering what my prize might be for ensuring the Lady’s freedom.”

I froze at the end of the stack of books, my eyes darting from his blue suited back to the solid library doors the guards had left through only moments before.

“Relax, my dear,” he smiled over his shoulder. “I know, more than most, how intrusive the eyes of the court can be. All of us need a moment to ourselves. Feel free to take yours.” He gestured to the seat across from him at the table and gratefully I sunk down into it. Outrunning your guards, plays havoc with a girl’s feet.

Curious, I glanced across the table between us to discover what he had been working on. There were scrolls and dusty books with spines so warn they were fraying at the ends but what was more curious was the writing they all held. “What language is this?”

“My home language,” he smiled, shuffling a few of the papers closer to me away from my sight. I could barely read my own language my chances of being able to decipher his were no existent. “Hylphen. It’s the language of our ancestors, before the land was divided as it is now.”

“Why don’t we speak it?”

“Paca was invaded several hundred years ago by travelers from the east.” He explained. “A king and his queen conquered half our lands and colonized them as their own.”

“But, this half of the land is two separate kingdoms know. What happened?” I pressed, frowning at the curling edges of a map that had a jagged black line drawn through its center.

“How about I call for some tea? Then we can continue,” I shrugged, slumping back in my chair as he rang for a servant to bring what he asked.

Moments later, a door clicked open towards the back of the library and I felt the gears in my mind begin to whirr. There was an entrance to the servant’s passages here. If I could make my way back to the kitchens-

“What are you thinking, lady Anne?” Lord Gregor’s voice intruded on my thoughts drawing me back to the present as I rose to my feet, eyeing the maid as she approached the table.

“While I would love to sit and chat about this country’s past, I have something to do that requires my immediate attention.” The maid set the tray on the table and was just finishing pouring the tea as I darted in the direction she had come from.

“My lady?” The maid queried as I darted past her, but I was already weaving through the stacks of dusty books. My slippered feet moving soundlessly across the patterned rugs. I was so quiet I could hear Lord Gregor’s laughter over the thumping of my own heart as I ran my hand along the wall at the back of the library.

When I felt the wall depress, a wide smile spread across my lips. This was too easy. If the king refused to give me answers, I was just going to have to replace them on my own.

I raced through the corridors, not even slowing when the servants called out to me, obviously confused by my being there. I kept running down the stairs until I smelt the familiar warmth of the kitchens. The number of servants also increased the closer I got to the servant’s entrance.

A young maid, who looked no more than a few years older than me was pushing her way through the door with a tray of sweets when I breezed past her and burst into the bustling kitchen.

Not taking a moment to check whether I had left the maid standing, I weaved through people carrying trays of bread and cold meats, probably preparing for lunch. My stomach growled in protest as I ducked under a tray laden down by sticky treats.

No one seemed to mind my presence until I slammed into a plump woman in the center of the kitchen. She had been shouting out a steady stream of orders until I crashed into her side, grabbing for her to stop us both from tumbling to the floor.

“You blithering fool!” She shouted, as I took a step back. The kitchen became disarmingly quiet as the woman rounded her furious eyes on me. If she was shocked to replace a member of the king’s court in her kitchen, she hid it well behind her fury. Her brown, almost black eyes, narrowed on me and I didn’t dare chance a look around the room. Her thick fingers clenched at her sides as sweat from the heat of the kitchens plastered her flame red head against her ruddy cheeks. “What are you doing in my kitchens?” She demanded.

“Just passing through,” I answered, looking around the room for a second entrance leading to the passageways through the castle. I couldn’t quite remember which way Mantai had taken me that day.

“What is your name?”

“Anne,” I muttered, watching a startled maid stumble through a door located just beside the blazing fire. The same fire the king and I had sat beside when he told me about my past.

“Lady Anne?” She repeated, obviously recognizing my name and trying to remember why she knew it.

My eyes snapped back to the woman standing in front of me just as she reached out a sweat slicked hand, grabbing for me. “I’ve heard stories about you.”

“All good, I hope,” I smiled, knowing the only things she was probably hearing would be how I nearly tore the castle apart each time the sun rose.

“Chia, get me the guards.” She instructed, and a petite blonde hurried off in the direction of the stairs leading to the main castle hallways. Meanwhile, the lady in charge make another grab for me but I had already turned her around and was backing away barely keeping my grin contained.

“And here I was thinking we could be friends,” she growled before taking several steps in my direction. I broke into a run, catching the door by the fireplace just before it close as the maid that had just walked through jumped out of my path.

“Stop her,” I heard the woman shout, but I was already so far down the corridor that her shout was nothing but a distant murmur.

After turning down several wrong corridors and running my hands along the cold stone of multiple dead ends, I final found the secret entrance I had been searching for. I opened the door barely a crack and glanced out at the silent hall beyond. The influx of light allowed me to get the first real look at my dress since I began, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. The lace along the hem had fallen away in places and the bow around my waist was missing entirely. There were tears up and down my sleeves and the pale color had taken on a brown hue from the dust and dirt in the tunnels. My bare feet hadn’t faired any better. I couldn’t even remember the moment I had lost them.

Looking back out at the hall, I saw two guards standing tall beside the heavy metal doors. They both held menacing looking staffs and equally intimidating expressions. The last time I had been here, Mantai had been carrying me. If I was honest, today was probably going to end with the same result. Being caught was inevitable, all that matter was that I got my answers before that happened.

With barely any time to think of a plan, I made to take a step out into the hall only to pull back when I heard heavy footfalls from the direction of the stairs.

“Frand, Grey,” Mantai was charging towards the two men and I closed the door until there was barely a sliver of light illuminating the passage. Three more guards were marching behind him and I couldn’t even imagine how many were searching the castle. Did the king know? Troy? “Report.” He demanded, stopping before the taller of the two guards and glaring down at him.

“There have been no disturbances, sir,” The guard replied, standing taller under Mantai’s inspection. “We have been stationed here since dawn. No prisoners have caused any trouble.”

“Has anyone tried to get inside?” Mantai pressed and the guard raised his eyebrows in confusion.

“No, sir. No one has come this way.”

“Lady Anne is missing again,” Mantai sighed, like a father disappointed by his errant child.

“She has not been here, sir.” Mantai nodded, before running a hand through his hair and resting it on the back of his neck.

“We don’t believe she has left the castle. Grey you will stay here, Frand you will join these men and search the East Wing. She is not to be harmed, under any circumstances.” He threatened, eyeing Frand with an alarming level of distain. Maybe there was a reason he was only allowed to guard the prisoners.

Frand nodded and all the soldiers but Grey marched back up the stairs, following Mantai’s lead.

Perfect.

Straining my ears, I listened to make sure the soldiers’ footsteps were as far away as possible. Then, without another thought, I darted out from behind the door.

The guard’s eyes were immediately on me and his staff pointed at me as I offered him a friendly wave.

“Don’t move,” he ordered and for a moment I allowed him to think I was going to follow his command. As he took several measured steps in my direction, I spun and ran back inside the passage, skidding to a stop behind the door, waiting for the guard to charge through.

As soon as I caught a flash of his blue uniform, I threw my weight onto the door and slammed his body in the door jam. I heard the air rush out of his lungs and the slump of his body as he hit the floor.

Stepping back, the door fell further open as the guard’s limp body rolled further into the passageway. There was a gash on his head from where it must have hit the stone, but otherwise he looked safe. Just to be certain, I crouched over his prone form and listened to hear his breathing.

When I was certain there was air passing through his lungs I climbed over his body and marched in the direction of the imposing metal doors. A quick glance over my shoulder told me no one had heard our little scuffle, but I knew I was already running out of time.

Reaching for the handle I pushed down and pulled almost stumbling with the weight of the door. Then the smell of damp and human decay assaulted my senses. Time to replace the answers to my questions.