Knight for the Prince

Chapter 21 - Agatha's Cursed Necklace

'After Issault there will be no one. Issault was my world and she gave us Marilyn. By not protecting my daughter I am destroying Issault's memory!' Aranorn replies angrily.

"What about Leti...?" Grimston is cut off again.

'That was business. Lisa is Leticia's daughter and the future Greenwood sorceress. I have no claim on her. Marilyn is a product of love between me and Issault and therefore her safety and happiness are my concern. This situation does not concern Lisa. Marilyn is my only child,' Aranorn says.

"That's not true. You have two daughters," replies Grimston.

Aranorn's snarls angrily. 'I am not going to waste my time explaining the magic laws that prevent me from any contact with Lisa as her father. I came here only to notify you that the king is passing straight to Zealot city. You dragged me here to try and sway me to force Marilyn into this wedding. You go so far as to tell me I have another child, which I don't. Do you want me to deliver that letter to the king?'

Why did he never tell me that I have a sister? Why did he hide it? What business did my father have with Leticia with that kind of price tag?

Marilyn feels betrayed to have learned about her sister in this way. Did her mom know about this?

"No, as long as I have the letter I have a way to get a meeting with the king much sooner. You know what that means, don't you," replies Grimston. Marilyn can hear the smug smile in his voice a mile away.

Not if I can help it. Marilyn nearly jumps off the saddle next to her father when angrily speaks with her directly. "Get the letter, Marilyn!"

Marilyn looks through her paladin guide again and sees the wolf guide looking straight at her through the window before turning around. Grimston follows the wolf guide.

Marilyn looks around the courtyard and sees an open window on the same floor. She swoops through it. The wooden door is shut. She opens it. Knowing exactly where the door is she goes out the open window again and flies right through the closed window of Grimston's office.

She opens the drawer. Curls up the letter clamp it in her beak and fly out of the door just before Grimston shuts his office door. She lands on a cross beam in the roof for a moment and hears the crunch of the key. She flies off. There is a warning screech from the vulture on Grimston's shoulder but it's too late. The falcon is too fast for the vulture. By the time it reached the open door she left the falcon guide has disappeared into the clouds.

Marilyn lets her falcon guide return on its own and delivers the letter on the queen's lap in her coach. "I have to tell Keera to get her paladin guide back to the convoy."

"Mandolin, tell Keera to get her tiger back to the convoy. The mission is a success. I want some privacy with my daughter," Aranorn orders the knight leading the convoy.

Her father starts talking the moment Mandolin is out of earshot. "Six winter seasons ago your mother was suffering from a life-threatening illness. The same one I believe that eventually took her life. I was so desperate to get her healed. We tried everything from healers to magicians but nothing worked. That is when I met Leticia for the first time. After telling her about your mother she examined my wife.  Leticia discovered that your mother had cancer. She then made me an offer. She would heal your mother if I agree to give her a child. I talked with your mom and she was not ready to go. Leticia had me sign a binding magical contract that prevents me from having any contact with the child as her father. You didn't know about this because you lived in Grimston's keep at the time. I have never hidden this from you. It just wasn't necessary to tell you until now. When Leticia healed your mother but she warned me that the illness might return. From what you told me about her symptoms before her death I know that it is same cancer. Your mother knew how to contact Leticia. The fact that she did not tells me she believed that I was dead."