Dundrennan stood as tall as a mountain itself. There was a huge waterfall behind it, the noise of which could be heard even from a distance. They stopped at the ridge, admiring the breathtaking view of the valley.
She noticed the king had a faraway look.
“What is it?” Trynne asked Drew softly, drawing up beside him. He slumped a bit in the saddle, a puff of mist coming from his mouth. It was getting dark and they hoped to find warmth and shelter before nightfall.
“It’s the castle of my childhood,” Drew said, turning and giving her a friendly smile. “When you grow older, the places you remember from childhood can begin to seem very small to you. But not Dundrennan.” He rested his hands on the pommel. “This place only grows grander.” The smoke rising from hundreds of chimneys offered a thin haze. The valley was pristine, crowded with enormous pine and fir trees and huge boulders cleft from the mountains. It was a place that had been untarnished by war since before Trynne was born.
As if he shared her thoughts, the king suddenly sighed. “But we bring trouble wherever we ride.” He turned in the saddle. “I want all the Oath Maidens with me when we enter. This is where we will fight.”
“Would you like me to go on ahead to make sure the castle is safe?” Trynne asked.
Drew frowned. “No. If I’m not safe here, I’m safe nowhere. The people here remember me. We go together, Trynne.”
An Espion rider fought through the crowded road to join them at the crest of the hill. His stallion was beleaguered, and the man looked as if he’d been riding even harder than they had.
“News, my lord,” the man panted. “From Lord Amrein. He said I would find you here. I’m glad he wasn’t mistaken.”
“Tell us,” Drew said patiently, watching the man gulp down some wine from a flagon to clear his throat.
“I’ve ridden ahead from Kingfountain. I was with Lord Amrein two days ago at the sanctuary of Our Lady. Your wife and mother be safe, my lord. And your daughter.”
“Thank the Fountain,” Drew sighed out. “What else?”
“Lord Amrein bid me warn you. Gahalatine has taken Kingfountain. Your blood-sister returned to the palace just before he rode into the castle. She warned that there was an imposter pretending to be you. It put the whole castle in an uproar.”
Drew and Trynne exchanged a look. She felt a sliver of doubt at the man’s words.
“Morwenna?” Drew asked.
“Aye, your poisoner. We already knew the truth by the time she arrived, and we’d been working with Lord Amrein in secret. He ordered that we collapse the bridges to separate the palace from the city and the sanctuary. But Gahalatine doesn’t need bridges to move around. We were overrun and everyone fled. Most are heading upriver, to the North. Gahalatine’s ships can’t come this way because of the waterfall, but his army is marching on the other side of the river. And as I was nearing North Cumbria, I had to slip past another army blocking the road.”
“That’s the army from Blackpool,” Trynne said. “How many did you count?”
“Nigh on fifty thousand between the two of them,” the man said, scratching his throat noisily. “Word has it that Duke Fallon withdrew his army from Dundrennan to bring it south. I was told to turn it around and return, but I’ve not seen any sign of it. Have you, my lord?”
The king glanced back at Trynne again, his expression brooding. “No, we have not.”
The Espion bit his lip. “I’ll ride ahead, then, my lord. Mayhap the Espion at the castle will know what’s what.”
“On your way, then,” the king said curtly. He stared at the fortress below, his brow furrowing. “I don’t like this, Trynne,” he said as the man rode away. “We have two armies behind us. And likely one ahead.”
“But whose side is it on?” she murmured softly. She tapped the flanks of her horse with her spurs and they both started down toward Dundrennan.
Cheering greeted them as they rode through the streets leading toward the castle. The people of Dundrennan were hanging out of windows, wagging lanterns, and shouting ebulliently. Everywhere Trynne looked, there were knights wearing the badge of the Pierced Lion, joining in the ruckus and holding aloft their swords as they welcomed King Drew to the North. Trynne and her Oath Maidens surrounded the king and cleared the path for him.
The throngs followed them, offering drink and food, blankets, and warm garments to the weary soldiers of Averanche. There was nothing but pure joy in the air, and they were greeted with respect and courtesy.