The Rose and the Thorn

CHAPTER 5

Sergeant Richard Hilfred climbed the high tower’s steps two at a time, and in between wishing he was in better shape and concentrating on breathing, he imagined ways to kill Lieutenant Wylin.

Why do things like this have to happen on my watch, when I’m responsible?

He should have been notified of anything happening at the castle. How else could he be expected to provide protection for the royal family? Wylin-the little git that he was-had never said a word about a party for Captain Lawrence. Something had happened, and the entire castle was now on alert and Richard knew that somehow he would be blamed for the night’s fiasco.

“Barnes!” Richard shouted. “Where is he? Where’s Wylin?”

Sergeant Barnes was in the room at the top. The one that his son had become so fascinated with and the same one that made Richard so uncomfortable. There wasn’t much to it, just a round room of stone, long abandoned because it was out of the way, up too many stairs, hot in summer and freezing in winter. A harsh wind ripped through the open window, blowing curtains that were frayed and tattered. The chamber’s light came from a lantern on the table in the center. Littered with mugs and a picked-over tray of meats and cheese, it complemented the barrel of ale in the corner. The only other furniture was an old wardrobe and a dusty bed.

“I don’t know where the lieutenant is,” Barnes replied. He stood at attention, making Richard think he was being mocked. “Captain Lawrence ordered him to seal the gate.”

Richard’s mouth was already forming his next words when he noticed why Barnes was so formal. They were not alone. Outside the immediate glow of the lantern light stood Lord Simon Exeter. His Lordship was near the window, in his floor-length white cape. Underneath he wore a black leather tunic with buckles down the front that looked like sutures, as if someone had sliced his chest open and then strapped him closed again. His thumbs were hooked in his sword belt as he stared at Richard with an amused scowl.

“Your Lordship.” Richard snapped to attention.

Richard didn’t like being around nobles any more than he liked being around bees. He knew that if he didn’t bother them, they wouldn’t bother him, but Exeter was like a wasp-he was known to sting for little or no reason.

“I’m pleased to have you join us. I hope the alarm didn’t interrupt a pleasant dream. We wouldn’t want your duties to your king to get in the way of a good night’s sleep.”

Richard chose his reply carefully. “I wasn’t asleep, Your Lordship. I’m the senior royal guard on duty this evening. It’s my responsibility to investigate any possible threats to the king.”

“I see. You’ll forgive me if I conduct my own investigation.”

“Of course, Your Lordship. I welcome any and all assistance.”

Richard would have preferred to speak to Barnes alone, but as high constable, Exeter was the chief enforcer of the king’s law throughout Melengar. Every county or quarter sheriff, as well as each city constable, took their orders from him. He generally concerned himself with incidents beyond the castle’s walls, but Richard wasn’t about to challenge him over jurisdiction. Besides, Exeter was the Marquis of East March and the third most powerful man in the kingdom after the king and Chancellor Braga.

“Let’s bring Sergeant Hilfred up-to-date so we can hear what he thinks, shall we, Barnes?” Exeter said. “Repeat what you just told me.”

Barnes hesitated. He refused to look at either of them, his sight shifting to the barrel as he licked his lips. Barnes was one of the old guard, what Richard called the King’s Men, and one of those who took part in suppressing the Asper Uprising the year before Richard joined the guard. Having missed the event was something they never let him forget. Lawrence had been lieutenant then and Wylin the senior sergeant. Richard felt left out when they drank and reminisced about the campaign. According to them, the king had led the charge, but Richard guessed it was a lie. Nobles didn’t lead in battle. They waited safely in the rear until the tide had turned. Then they trotted around the dead, smiling at their victory.

The King’s Men were a tight and loyal group. They would say or do anything to protect each other, which was probably the reason why Barnes hesitated. Still, the presence of Lord Exeter was hard to withstand.

“Lieutenant Wylin planned a surprise birthday party for the captain. A few of us pooled our coin to buy him a present-a lady of pleasure.”

“You brought a whore into the royal residence?” Richard asked, stunned. “Did Wylin or Captain Lawrence know?”

“No, it was all very quiet-like. No one knew.”

“Obviously, as you kept the information from both the royal guard and the high constable,” Exeter said. “I won’t even bother mentioning the trouble that puts you in. Please continue.”

“Well … she disappeared.”

“What do you mean, disappeared?” Richard asked.

“The girl-Rose-she vanished. We had her hiding in that wardrobe.” Barnes pointed. “The plan was to get the captain here by telling him the princess was scared after seeing the ghost of-” Barnes coughed unconvincingly. He glanced at Richard, then looked at his feet. “Anyway, everything was going fine, but when the captain went to get his present, she wasn’t there.”

“Where’d she go?” Richard asked.

“Where indeed?” Exeter asked. “So let me get this straight, Sergeant Barnes. You secretly smuggled someone into the personal residence of the royal family-someone who I am guessing you knew nothing about-then left her alone to roam the castle wherever she pleased? What good are moats, gates, and walls if the king’s own men circumvent the castle’s defenses?”

“She’s just a young girl, a local whore. She’s not going to cause any trouble.”

Exeter’s eyebrows rose. “And yet here the three of us are. Do you think the entire castle goes on alert for no reason? Do we often search through every cellar and woodshed because we’ve nothing better to do? Oh, I think she’s caused quite a bit of trouble.”

A puzzled look crossed the high constable’s face. “Hmm … you do raise an interesting point, though. If this is a mere protocol blunder on the part of a dim-witted, ill-disciplined guard staff, why was the alarm sounded? I’m sure this isn’t the first time rules have been bent. Bringing her here demonstrated poor judgment on your part, and losing her is proof of your incompetence. But it hardly justifies sealing the castle and calling for a full-scale search. So why did Captain Lawrence empty the rest of the barracks?”

“I honestly don’t think he planned to. He was mad, all right-you know how the captain is. But at first he just told us to go find her and get her out of the castle. But then Bishop Saldur piped up and-”

Exeter raised a hand to stop him. He tilted his head down and peered up at Barnes. This was a peculiar habit of the high constable that Richard always felt was threatening, for no reason he could articulate. “Bishop Saldur was here?”

Barnes nodded.

“Was he invited to the party?”

Barnes almost laughed, which would have been a first. Richard had never seen anyone laugh in front of Exeter-not even the king. “No, Your Lordship. We don’t exactly run in the same social circles, if you get my meaning. We bumped into the bishop on the stairs when we were carrying up the refreshments and he just kinda joined us.”

“And you didn’t find that strange?”

“I think he might have just been curious, seeing all of us heading up the tower in the middle of the night. I would have been. And it’s not like we can tell the bishop he can’t share a drink. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to the sermon he would give us when Rose jumped out, but I figured that was Wylin’s problem, not mine.”

“And what did Bishop Saldur have to do with Captain Lawrence raising the alarm?”

“Oh, right. So when the captain opens the wardrobe and there’s nothing there, he knew something was going on. We finally told him about Rose, and he said we should go find her and take her home. But Saldur started going on and on about what a big deal it was. He kept referring to Rose as an intruder and squawking about how she could be a spy or assassin or whatever. He told Captain Lawrence that if he didn’t raise the alarm, he’d go to Percy Braga himself and tell the chancellor that the captain was putting the king’s life in danger. He was making a big fuss over nothing, but Saldur’s not a soldier and doesn’t understand these things. I think part of the reason Captain Lawrence agreed was just to get the bishop to calm down. Well, that and he didn’t want to get on the wrong side of his new boss.”

“And you are absolutely sure that the bishop is wrong? That this girl isn’t a danger? Where did you find her?” Exeter resumed his tilt-headed glare.

“A brothel in the Lower Quarter.”

“You got the captain a Lower Quarter whore?” Richard was too shocked to keep quiet.

“Oh no, it’s not like that.” Barnes shook his head. “It’s new. They call it Medford House. Even though it’s on Wayward Street, it’s a real nice place, clean, classy even. And Rose is a real sweet girl. She’d never do anything-”

“Oh really? Then tell me, Sergeant, why isn’t she here? Why didn’t this sweet girl do her job, collect her money, and go back to the Lower Quarter?”

Barnes remained silent.

Exeter started to pace, deep in thought. He tugged on his lower lip, and his cape flared dramatically each time he turned and walked in the other direction. Richard, and presumably Barnes, thought it best to leave him to his thoughts. They stood silently at attention. After several minutes Exeter stopped and addressed them.

“Rose’s disappearance is indeed cause for concern, and finding her should be the realm’s highest priority, but not for the reasons stated by our esteemed bishop. To think that the girl is a spy or assassin is ludicrous. You selected the girl to come here, not the other way around. Am I correct?”

Barnes nodded his agreement.

“Melengar has many enemies, and I suspect spies do indeed lurk in many places, but the likelihood of you picking one at random from a local brothel is absurd, as is the possibility of someone finding out about her coming to the palace and bribing her to open a door or lure a guard away from a post.”

“She wouldn’t have any time to do that anyway. We walked in, picked her out, and brought her right back. She didn’t talk to no one.”

Exeter walked until he was nearly nose-to-nose with Barnes, fixing him squarely in his gaze. “If the girl is part of a conspiracy, the most likely explanation would be that Barnes here is a traitor.”

“Oh no, Your Lordship! I swear I’m not.” He looked as if he might faint.

After studying his face, Exeter said, “I’m inclined to believe you. If that was your plan, there would be no reason to make up a story about her being a gift for Captain Lawrence. You would have just hidden her in the castle and none of us would be here.

“Perhaps we are making too much of this. Could it simply be that you were taking too long to fetch Captain Lawrence, and she just got bored, walked down the stairs, and is home right now?”

Barnes shook his head. “We had Grisham watching the hallway downstairs. You know, keeping an eye out for the captain? If she came down, he would have seen her.”

Lord Exeter went to the window, leaned over, and looked down. “So that leaves only one remaining possibility.”

“You think she went out the window?” Richard asked.

“Unless Sergeant Barnes is mistaken or lying, I see no other alternative. And since we found no body from a fall, she must have climbed down.”

“No one in their right mind would climb down from here,” Barnes said, and this time he did let out a little chuckle.

Richard cringed for him.

“No?” Exeter asked. He crossed the room and closed the door. “I think someone who is highly motivated might give it a try. But you’re right. It’s not a task one tries without good reason, and it may not even be possible no matter how hard one tries.”

He turned his attention to Richard. “Sergeant Hilfred, draw your weapon.”

Richard did as ordered while His Lordship did likewise. Exeter pointed the tip of his broadsword at Barnes, motioned to the window with a nod of his head, and simply said, “Give it a try.”

Barnes glanced at the window, then smiled uncomfortably. “You’re not … you’re not serious, Your Lordship.”

“I assure you I am. I have to determine if it is possible, and I’m providing you compelling motivation.”

“But, Your Lordship!”

“Do as ordered or Sergeant Hilfred and I will kill you where you stand. You could draw as well. It’s your choice, but I’ve seen you use your blade and you’re not very good. You stand a better chance of survival out the window.” Exeter sidestepped to his left, placing Barnes between them. “But if you draw, be sure you can kill me. Anything less and I’ll have the king quarter you. I am, after all, his cousin.”

Exeter rushed forward and slashed. Barnes shuffled backward toward the window with a slice in his tunic. He winced and clutched his chest, suggesting Exeter cut more than just cloth. His eyes were wide as he watched Exeter’s blade, but he never touched his own.

If Barnes had drawn, Richard would have fought him. He had to-it was his job to defend the castle nobility, no matter the situation. He also never cared much for Barnes. He and the other King’s Men had always looked down on him with expressions that said, Even after all these years you still aren’t one of us, and you don’t deserve to guard the king.

Maybe that’s why Barnes did it. He had no choice-neither of them did.

Barnes grabbed hold of the stone and climbed up so that he was standing on the sill, framed in the window. He looked down and Richard could see him shaking.

“Relax, Sergeant,” Exeter said. “I’m fairly certain the young girl-that local whore as you put it-successfully climbed down.”

Lord Exeter’s observation didn’t appear to help. Panting with tension, Barnes turned around, crouched, and taking a firm hold, slid his legs out the window until his stomach rested on the sill.

“There’s a ledge here,” Barnes said with sudden delight.

Richard suspected anything positive would be joyous to Barnes at that moment.

The sergeant continued to slip out, dropping until only his fingers were visible and then he let go. “I did it.”

Exeter leaned out the window. They both did. Barnes was just an arm’s length below, standing on a tiny decorative ledge no more than a foot wide.

“Keep going,” Exeter ordered.

In the moonlight, Richard could see the peak of a dormer below and to the right. Barnes saw it, too, and began to inch along the ledge until he found a handhold in the stone letting him crouch. He struggled to lower his feet again, only he didn’t have a window to lean through this time. The wind gusted and nearly blew Barnes off balance. Richard wondered if the sergeant would just stay where he was all night. He was beyond the reach of Exeter’s sword, although His Lordship might decide to order Richard out after him. If he did, Richard wasn’t sure what he’d do. Unlike Barnes, he guessed he was a better swordsman than Exeter. Luckily-at least for Richard-the wind seemed to have scared Barnes and that’s when he made a desperate attempt to reach out with his feet. Without enough room on the ledge to balance, he fell.

Barnes landed on the dormer and slid down the steep slope. He cried out when he ran out of roof and dropped on the spire of the Winsome Tower. The roof there was not as steep, but it was angled enough to make him slide. Barnes clawed at the clay tiles trying to stop himself. He failed to grasp anything and Richard and Exeter watched as Barnes slipped off like a raindrop and fell to the courtyard. At that height the sound was slight, only a faint thump, hardly the noise anyone would associate with the death of a man.

“Well, there you have it,” Exeter said. “Conclusive proof that someone would indeed climb out this window.” Exeter focused on Richard’s sword. “You can put that away now.”

Richard wasn’t certain that was such good advice, but under His Lordship’s watchful glare, he sheathed the metal just the same.

“So now that we know the how, all that remains is the why. The only reason anyone would go out that window is if they felt they had absolutely no other choice.” He paused, staring at Richard. “But then I shouldn’t have to tell you that, should I?”

Richard felt his face flush with anger, the only outward expression he allowed.

“Still, in the case of this girl-this new Rose-amusing that they have the same name, isn’t it?”

Richard didn’t find it amusing at all.

“I think we can conclude that she, like Sergeant Barnes, was in fear of her life. But from whom and why?”

Exeter looked out the window again. Below, a handful of figures gathered around the dead body of Barnes. “He almost made it, didn’t he? If he could have caught the ledge, then he could easily have dropped to the terrace. She’s still alive, I think.” His Lordship looked toward the gate. “Probably got out of the castle before anyone knew she was missing. Probably already back at the Medford House.”

“We can ask Kells about a girl. He was on the gate,” Richard said. “But I did check in with him before coming here, and he reported no one has left the keep since sundown.”

Exeter smirked. “No one saw her leave this room either.” The high constable headed for the stairs.

“What should I say in my report about what happened to Barnes?” Richard stopped him.

Exeter spun, his cape whirling. “Exactly what happened. Barnes was demonstrating how the girl escaped and in the process, he slipped, fell, and died.” Exeter tilted his head down again, peering up. “Did you know that I opposed your appointment to the royal guard? Your sword skills are good, but you lack loyalty. If Wylin or Lawrence had been here with Barnes, they would have protested. They would have told him to draw and risked their careers by standing against me to save one of their own. Two against one-I would’ve had to back down. Each of you would have received a harsh reprimand because the king can’t have open displays of insubordination, but he would have secretly agreed with you. Everything would have resolved itself in the end. Instead, Barnes is lying in the courtyard like a shattered bag of glass. So I have to wonder, with such a keen sense of loyalty, when the time comes to defend your king-will you?”

Richard’s jaw stiffened. “I already have.”

“Oh yes, the attack in Pilin.”

“I saved His Majesty when everyone else ran. I stayed and nearly died.”

“But that was long ago, and I have to wonder … would you do so now? Perhaps if the king had shown more gratitude. Active soldiers can’t have wives, can they? I suspect you asked for an exception because Rose Reuben carried your son in her belly. That’s what happened, isn’t it?”

It was a question Exeter already knew the answer to, and Richard didn’t bother answering.

“It seems like such a small price to pay, especially after exhibiting such bravery, but your request was denied. The king needs his soldiers in their barracks and ready at all times, and if he makes an exception for one … I’m certain he made all this clear when he turned you down.”

Richard stood straight, doing his best not to show emotion, something he’d developed a skill for over the last sixteen years.

“And when he refused, your loyalty to Rose was tested. You could have resigned your commission and taken her, and your soon-to-be son, somewhere to start a new life. But you cared more about your promotion to sergeant at arms than for Rose and your bastard child. You turned her away.” Exeter adjusted his cape, which had slipped off one shoulder after his abrupt turn. “Of course, what did that leave her? Now that her condition was known, she was released from her position, and with no man to provide for her, what was she to do? I suppose she could have found an old midwife with a twisted twig to relieve her from the burden you planted. But she didn’t do that. Now that’s loyalty. I would’ve advocated Rose Reuben for a position in the royal guard without hesitation. What did you tell her when she returned with the child and pleaded once more for your help? Did you even offer her coin? I suspect you turned her away with nothing. I might have granted you some concession for at least sending the child to your sister after Rose’s death, but then that was more out of guilt and embarrassment, wasn’t it? Pity you didn’t offer that option sooner.

“I judge a man by the decisions he makes, and you proved once again that you value your job over all else. Siding against me would have jeopardized your position-and Barnes paid the price, just like Rose did. So why don’t you attend to your job, and I’ll do the same. Go protect the king and I’ll find the missing Rose from Medford House.”

Exeter left the room, his footfalls fading.

Left alone, Richard stepped to the window and laid a hand on the sill. This room was indeed haunted. He let his fingers slide across the stone and felt the tears come again. Grabbing a cup, Richard walked to the ale barrel and drank.