Chapter 35
I never spoke to Lady Echolyn. At least not that day. I got my mind in order, and I retired to my room. I stayed there for the next few days. Ladies called on me, Henry called on me, but neither Elijah nor Micah bothered. I knew Micah was angry with me, angry that I'd told him there was no relationship between Elijah and me. Elijah, well, I never really knew where Elijah's head was. Not completely.
"Avalyn." Fitz burst into my bed chambers, his red hair askew. I was sitting in my bed, leaning against the pillows, reading a novel. I jumped when he burst in, immediately covering my chest with the book.
"Fitzgerald!" I shouted angrily. "What do you think you're doing?" I snapped. Fitzgerald had no boundaries. I'd learned that in the time I'd known him. He plopped across my bed, making me draw my legs into myself, trying to put as much distance between myself and him.
"Well Princess," he said, his eyes wide and serious. "This came for you. It's messenger is down stairs in a reception room, nervously surrounded by ten armed guards." I had a feeling he wasn't exaggerating, but I quickly snatched the letter he brandished, flipping the letter over. I quickly broke the royal seal of Rashold, and unfolded the letter, frantically reading the words flowing across the page.
"He wants to meet, a secret meeting," I said to Fitz. "He wants to see the both of us, to end this war once and for all." His eyebrows crinkled together, but he nodded once.
"Where?" He asked, standing up, walking over to me. "You would be a fool to venture on to Rasholdian soil. While their king might have had a change of heart, the rest of the nobles could still feel as if you're the devil." I nodded, looking down at the letter in confusion.
"Maybe close to the border? Or near Mythos?" I looked down and then back up at him. "Or maybe closer to Westlake?"
"You want to take your enemy close to your sacred place?" He asked me. I shrugged.
"I don't know what I want." I snapped. "I've never exactly done this before Fitz." I reached for the book on the bedside table, then a piece of stationary. I started scribbling a note to Henry, and then one to Elijah.
"Well, think of it logically." Fitz said, sitting on the side of my bed. "We need a flat place, so we can see an approaching army. The place should be near enough to a military base in case we are attacked. We need to have about thirty armed guards, tell him to bring the same. That should keep you from dying even if he launched an attack." I nodded.
"We'll consult Elijah, Lord Thomas, and Henry." I said, "Then we'll send the letter back with his messenger." Fitz shook his head.
"You always consult," he said, "Hell, you've been consulting about whether to pick Elijah or Micah since you got here." I glared at him.
"No I have not!" I snapped, making him laugh. The insufferable little twit.
"Yes you have. You can't make your own decisions to save your life. What place do you know that is flat, with no hiding places, and perfectly centered between the Rasholdian border and the border of the capital." My mind cleared and my mouth fell open.
"About ten miles west of my village was nothing but farm land, fields as far as the eyes could see. The harvest is coming in, so the only thing there would be grass, just grass for miles and miles."
"And your town could easily hide a great portion of the troops my father had sent." He replied. "Look how easy that was," He laughed, poking my side, "you made a very good decision, at least in my book."
YOU ARE READING
For King and Country
Historical Fiction"What do you want, Cora?" He snapped, slamming his fist on the table, making me jump slightly as he looked at me with his wild eyes. "You spend so much time now worrying about everyone else, but for once, will you please just ask yourself what you w...
