Kingdoms - Book 6 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Twenty-Four

Elliad dashed around the side of the castle, followed by two knights who called out as they caught sight of Jobyna walking up the stairs.

The charlatan pulled himself up as she turned towards him. He stepped towards her, wearing a thunderous countenance, which seemed to send lightning flashes ahead of him.

Jobyna curtsied and bowed her head, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I forgot myself and my fears took over... I lost control and ran..."

He grabbed her arms, his fingers digging painfully into her flesh. He shook her angrily, but the sight of her in the gown he himself had taken the time to choose, calmed his anger a little. However, he bellowed, "What have you done with my crown, Jobyna?"

She did not have to try hard to feign tears and terror on her face. Knowing she was not a very convincing actress, she turned her face from his. At the bruising grip of his hands on her arms, she gasped extra loudly at the pain, and cried, "I was angry with you for trying to trick me and keep Luke! And I'm very upset that you kept Maia!"

She cried out as he shook her again, "You'll kill me if I tell you what I did with the crown!" Her breath was coming too fast and she struggled to keep her mind on what she must tell him.

"What did you do with it, Jobyna?" He pulled her closer to him and supported her as she grew limp. He repeated the question, his voice becoming quieter as he realized that his captive was truly faint, "My crown! What did you do with it?"

"I... I, I threw it... over... the wall!"

"You what?" His voice was filled with amazement. "Don't lie!"

"I don't... tell lies." Jobyna leaned her head against his chest, repeating, "I threw it... over the wall." She hoped his mind would be thinking of the high walls running along the side of the garden, the ones on the south side that rose up from the sheer-sided, deep ravine. The two men who flanked Elliad, cursed at Jobyna's unbelievable confession.

"Which wall?" Elliad demanded. His strained voice was losing its control again, and a murderous fire sparked from his eyes. With his arm around her neck, and a hand upon her throat, he forced her head backwards until she thought her neck would snap.

Jobyna cried louder at the pain he inflicted. How miserable she felt. Elliad turned as Alard and Cole marched from the direction he had come. His hold on the captive slackened with the distraction.

"Sire, there are dozens of horses on the beach and Proburg troops with a few Chezkovian and Frencolian men. There are many more horses than there are men! We've checked the walls, but there are no signs of invasion attempts." Alard had his eyes on the gasping Jobyna who had been released as Elliad took in this news.

The pretender turned on her again, his voice shrill, "You knew about this, didn't you?" He shook her so hard that she was sure her neck would break this time.

Losing her self-control, she screamed at him, "No! No! I know nothing! I am nothing to any of you, I'm just the bait!"

A feeling of desolation overtook her as she realized that Elliad was likely to discover Konrad's plan before he had time to action it.

"What did they tell you to say then?"

As Elliad's arm moved to encircle her neck again, she bent her trembling knees and ducked out of his reach. Stumbling to the ground, she yelled, "They deliberately didn't tell me anything, because they knew I would tell you!"

He dragged her to stand once more.

With an anguished cry, she repeated, "I am just the bait!" She hit out at her tormenter, her fists clenched, but he swiftly grasped her wrists and twisted her arms behind her back until she thought he would wrench them from the sockets. He shoved her away and she fell to the step, emitting a loud moan.

"What about the back wall?" Elliad demanded persistently, and Alard shot him a look of frustration.

His instincts sensing trouble, Elliad ordered, "Take a look."

"Sire, it would be impossible..." Alard was interrupted.

"I said, take a look! You'll have to go up to the royal suite to look out the Baltic windows. Look for anything; ropes, men, anyone. Report back to me in the dining hall."

The two men turned towards the castle doors, "Not you Cole," Elliad snapped. He handed him a small piece of parchment. "Send two men out with this note. Tell them to stop, not quite out of sight of the castle; leave it attached to a spear, and return here as fast as possible. The note should clear the way for us. We'll leave for Jydanski immediately with some of our prisoners. Prepare the carriages and the men. I need to find out what's happening back in my palace." He was disturbed that his messengers from Jydanski had not reported to the Baltic Castle, but felt sure they would not have been allowed to pass through the troops on the road.

The possibility of having been caught in some kind of trap was fermenting in Elliad's mind. Jobyna's words in her loss of self-control made him realize that she had been used in some way.

"Bait indeed!" he growled, staring at her. "Yes, you could well have been sent as bait. They didn't tell you anything because they knew you would tell me? —That makes not a scrap of sense!

"Whose side are you on?" he demanded, staring at his victim who sat on the step, her head in her arms. He wondered if someone had been waiting when she had thrown the crown over the wall. Who? Kenrik?

"What madness made me give up your brother, for you?"

Turning, he said, "I must have my soldiers check the walls and the grounds for my crown!"

Shaking his head at the unexpected turn of events, Elliad dragged Jobyna roughly to her feet. Grasping her arm with a vice-like grip, he stormed quickly through the castle doors, up the main stairway to the dining room door.

"Announce us." He ordered Julian. Elliad noticed the knight's beady eyes bulge as he beheld Jobyna's beauty.

Julian motioned for the doors to be opened and he announced, "His Imperial Majesty, Czar Kievik. The Princess, Jobyna, captive of the Czar."

The faces in the room seemed to be a blur to the new entrant.

All heads turned her way, staring with great concern as she was dragged into the room. Maia stood and would have rushed to her, but Elliad bellowed, "Stay!" Maia froze.

Soldiers on either side; Julian right behind; Elliad's crushing grip on her arm; Jobyna felt hot and faint again. Remembering with a sudden rush, Konrad's request that she detain Elliad if she possibly could, she decided it would be an opportune moment to succumb to her feeling of faintness.

Elliad felt her growing limp. Julian moved forward to support her as she began to crumple.

"Don't you touch her!" Elliad caught her and carried her to the couch where Cynara sat. "Move!" he commanded, placing Jobyna on the couch as the czarevna stood.

He whirled around, "Prince Gustovas, you Cynara, Kedar, Gustav Junior, Mayer, Fleur, Melvyn and Maia will all be traveling with me and Princess Jobyna to Jydanski. Stand over by the door."

Obediently, those chosen moved as ordered. Elliad saw Jobyna struggling to rise, he barked, "Not you, Sparrow! I'll come back for you!"

Princess Rhaselle began to sob as the soldiers stood between the ones who moved to the door and those staying behind. Maia looked back at Jobyna with wonder. She really was here! If only she could talk to her.

Elliad issued more commands, "Take them to the front room! Guard them well!"

He turned to Jobyna who sat slowly upright and spoke to him. She pleaded, "I haven't eaten anything all day! I'm very hungry! I'm sure that's why I feel so faint!"

Elliad ignored her plea. He was puzzled by Alard's absence.

"Julian." The man was instantly at his side. "Get six men. Go with them up to the royal suite. Spread out, move two at a time, make sure there is a stairway between you. Alard is up there. Find him! If you see anything unusual, return here at once."

He beckoned to one of the guards, "Armand, you're in charge here. Keep watch." Elliad strode from the room.