Chapter Four #2
The king and his love for gatherings made it easy for anyone who was a threat to gain access to him and his family. Though there were many guards around, in the middle of a crowd with fireworks blazing, anyone could have been stealthy enough to harm them.
How long he lay there turning over scenarios in his mind, he did not know. After a time he drifted, but woke with a start to light stretching across the bed from the daybreak outside.
William sat up and stretched then reached for his leine and leather tunic. He splashed water on his face, wrapped his belt around his waist, and secured his blade. He prayed he would not need it, but he would not be caught without it.
Leaving the chamber, he noted how quiet and still everything was at this time of day before the world came to life and disrupted this blissful peace.
He made his way to the hall to see if any food had been placed out yet and was pleased to find a few servants setting up and that there had been some platters of food from the previous night’s feast freshly laid out for those early risers like himself.
Not far behind him was Fin who looked like he hadn’t slept in a week offering to attend to William.
“You need not worry about me, Fin. I know you have a lot of responsibility here and I am quite capable of fending for myself. Beside which, you look like death warmed over. Did you not sleep?”
“I thank you, my lord. I attended to the king until the wee hours and insisted Archie rouse me the moment you were up.”
“What has the king determined?”
“Of that I do not know, but he studied the missives for a long while and asked me to bring you to him as soon as you woke.”
William needed to hear no more. He made his way to the king’s solar and was immediately permitted entry. The king looked exhausted but sat up straight when William entered.
“Do you know two of the soon to arrive ladies in waiting are related to these documents and the plot to remove both myself and my queen from the throne?”
It was too much to take in. How coordinated they had been.
“Your Majesty, may I ask how you came to understand there was a plot in the first place?”
“Someone, whom I will protect with my life, from the Sinclair household sent me a message about a fortnight before I began planning this festivity.”
“Someone who knew what John Sinclair and his niece were involved in?”
“Aye.”
The king didn’t deny her involvement, which was disappointing to William. He thought himself a fair judge of character and would have sworn she had no knowledge.
“So what happens now?”
“Now John Sinclair will remain in my holding cells until he is tried and judged.”
“And his niece?”
William tried to ask the question in a nonchalant manner, but he was sure the king could read him well and that notion was verified when he smiled.
“Does it matter to you what happens to the lady?”
It did. He knew that with certainty in that moment.
“I would not want to see an innocent person tarred with the same brush with no evidence outside of association.”
“And that makes you worthy of your title and my counsel, Montrose. I do not feel the lady is involved at the same level as her uncle, but I cannot see how, when in close proximity to him on the journey here, she would have no knowledge of his loyalties.”
He made a fair point, and unless there were missives in her saddle bags, how would they ever know?
“What are your next steps for her?”
“I know her father will be on his way to collect her as soon as my message arrives. I will send riders and they will pass the message on so that he sees them as soon as possible. Until then, she will remain under guard in a chamber far from the queen.”
“Do you suspect the earl’s involvement?”
“I do not. I trust him as I do you. He is also a man who is worthy of his title.”
So there was a chance Lady Agnes had the good sense of her father. There was one way he could find out for certain as he’d scarcely been able to remove her from his thoughts since first meeting her.
“Your Majesty, I would like to offer my services to remove Lady Agnes from here and return her to her father myself. That way she does not need to remain any longer than necessary and any potential danger is eliminated.”
The king’s eyes narrowed and he smiled. “Do I need to be concerned about a growing attachment to Lady Agnes, Montrose?”
The king was as shrewd as he’d ever been.
“Nay, Your Majesty. I merely offer my services to protect Your Majesties.”
Leaning back in his chair, the king nodded. “Then I thank you and encourage you to keep your wits about you. I will send a message with my fastest riders to alert her father that she will be escorted by you and kept safe along the journey.”
With that, William bowed to the king and retreated to the great hall in search of Fin.
He found him to the side of the guest tables pointing a finger at Archie whose mouth was agape and looked positively mortified.
The moment Fin noticed William approaching, he straightened and his expression changed from stern to completely masked.
“How can I assist, my lord?”
Before he could speak, Archie appeared to take advantage of the moment and scurried away. William had more pressing matters than to wonder about their quarrel, but he would make note of it.
“I plan to return Lady Agnes to her home in the north. The king agrees it is best if she return to her father, and I would like you to have the lady and her belongings collected and to meet me at the stables. The king has offered a comfortable carriage for her, and I will ride my horse together with six of his guards.”
Fin’s brow continued to lift as he took in the words.
His mouth opened and closed a couple times but thankfully he didn’t inundate William with a hundred questions.
He left to do as he was bid, leaving William to look around the hall one more time before heading to the stable to secure the modes of transportation for the long journey north.
What would she think when Fin gave her the news?
Would she be relieved? Shocked? Afraid? He certainly hoped it would not be the latter as he had no interest in frightening her, but maybe on the journey he could do what he intended to do all along: find out what she knew and how she was involved. God help him.