Chapter Ten.
The search parties went out immediately.
Almost the entire camp was sent into the woods to find Scarlett.
The cold night air was filled with cries of 'Scarlett?' and 'Mrs Brown?'.
The birds were singing as well. As if they could get to her and tell her we were looking for her.
The parties had gone out after it had only been half an hour since the camp was woken up by Alexander's cry. That had been the moment he realised his wife had been taken.
Her side of the bed was still warm. And all her things were still there.
She had just vanished.
But the guard at the entrance to the camp still wasn't conscious. Which meant she certainly hadn't left of her own will. Unless magically, nineteen-year old Scarlett had knocked out a fully grown and armed guard. Whilst pregnant…
It seemed rather unlikely.
And also, because I knew Scarlett would never leave.
She loved Alexander. With all her heart. I had never doubted for a moment that my brother might get hurt because Scarlett didn't care enough about him.
They were blissfully happy. Truly in love.
And especially now she was…carrying their child.
Even regardless of that, her sister was here. She would never dream of walking out on Bianca in her moment of need.
She had been taken against her will. That much was certain.
Bianca had screamed and raged at Philip until her had sent out every available man to look for her sister; not that he had needed much convincing. I joined Antony and Alexander in a group that moved towards the Palace walls. Bianca had gone with Daniel and Christopher in the other direction.
The trees around us only served to obscure our view as we wandered through the night.
Alexander was on edge. More so than I had ever seen him before. He set a brutal pace, dragging us along with him. I swore he was going to make us search the entire forest before sun rise.
I didn't blame him. I wanted to find Scarlett, almost as much as I suspected Alexander did.
Scarlett was my sister. And a close friend. I was not going to let Nerissa take her.
'Scarlett!' Alexander shouted, his voice drifting into the night.
It was joined by a chorus of other, though none were quite as desperate as his was.
'SCAR, WHERE ARE YOU?' Alexander screamed, his voice turning raw.
I too was shouting her name as we hurried toward the palace walls. Although there were search parties in all directions, the chances were that Nerissa had taken her back to the palace. She couldn't remain in the forest for long before someone came upon them.
Which meant that she had a way to get out of the palace. Without us knowing.
Maybe that's why she was taking so long. She was just waiting for us to give up because she knew she could get out whenever she wanted.
What if it wasn't even her in the palace. Just someone standing in for her while she escaped.
'Lady Scarlett?' Antony called, spinning around to check behind him. No one bothered to correct him that she technically wasn't a Lady anymore. In fact, he called her that all the time.
'Scarlett! Please!' Alexander cried, almost running now.
My own breath came in pants from just trying to keep up with him. But I didn't care.
We had to find her.
We just had to.
Alexander moved so quickly, at one point his torch was extinguished and he was forced to stop for a moment while Antony re-lit it.
And all the time, not a single trace of her.
Not a footprint, not a hair.
I didn't really know what I was looking for. I presumed something that would look like there had been a fight. Scarlett wouldn't have let Nerissa take her without a struggle.
I searched the ground for a snapped twig, a scrap of cloth…even blood.
But nothing.
The Wall around the palace loomed before us. It grew larger and more daunting with every step.
The end of the line.
She was not here.
'No!' Alexander cried, finally loosening his relentless pace a little. 'No, no, no.'
He handed his torch to me as he slowly made his way to the wall.
The solid sandstone before us stretched all around the palace. There was no way in, other than the permanently closed and guarded gate.
My brother lay his hand against the wall as his head fell forward.
'No!' He cried again, smacking his hand hard against the stone.
'She might still be in the other direction.' Antony suggested, trying desperately to lift the tone a little. As much as I appreciated his effort, it wasn't helping.
My own heart began to sink. I had hoped that we would find something. Anything. Some small scrap of a clue.
But, it wasn't to be.
'She's not here!' Alexander ground out.
'There's men everywhere. Someone will find something soon.' Antony said encouragingly.
My brother grunted in respond and smacked the wall again.
'I need her back now!' He said, turning around to face us. Even in the low candle light, it was clear that he couldn't stop the tears from falling.
'We will find her soon.' I offered, trying to swallow the rather uncomfortable lump that had risen in my throat. We just had to find her soon. I didn't know how much more I could take.
I was so scared for her. She didn't deserve this. And I wanted her back with us more than anything.
'Then we keep going.' Alexander informed us, turning to his left. He didn't even wait for a response before he took back his torch from my hand and began to storm back off into the trees.
Before I could move, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
'Marion, are you alright?' Antony asked, pulling me round to face him.
I shook my head.
'No. Nothing about this is alright.' I told him honestly.
Antony nodded, but then bit his lip.
'I meant, you're still panting. Do you need to rest for a minute?'
At that moment, I became acutely aware of how badly I was breathing. And my throat felt on fire from lack of water.
I had completely lost track of how long we'd been running through the forest for. My only thought had been of Scarlett. I had pushed down any need for water or rest.
'I'm fine.' I insisted.
'No, you're not. You're exhausted. Marion, you look like you're going to collapse any moment.' Antony told me.
'I'm fine.' I repeated.
'Marion, stop. You're no use to anyone like this. You're just draining yourself for nothing. Go back to the camp and get some rest.'
'No I'm not!'
'Yes you are!'
As much as I hated to admit it, I was utterly exhausted. We had been searching for hours in the dead of night.
'But, Alexander…he's more in need than I am.' I told Antony, trying to supress a yawn.
'Alexander's going to drive himself to brink soon. But I doubt he's going to stop until morning, at the earliest. There is no way in hell we are convincing him to rest. But you need to get some sleep. We need some people awake tomorrow to go looking with fresh eyes. People make mistakes when their exhausted, and we can't afford to make mistakes.' Antony explained.
I didn't want to go. Alexander's torch was getting dimmer and dimmer in the distance.
'Marion…he would tell you the same.' Antony said finally.
I didn't need him to explain who 'he' was.
'He'd want you to look after yourself. Trust me, please.' Antony continued.
If I hadn't already been so drained, physically and emotionally, I would have fought back. I would have told him that I was going to find Scarlett tonight.
But I knew, deep down, that he was right.
I was no use to Alexander or Scarlett in my current state. I would only be a burden. I could scarcely stand, let alone search the ground for a trace of her.
And so, I reluctantly agreed.
'Stay with him. Don't leave him alone. And don't take anything he says to heart. He can be…difficult when upset, and well…you can see him now.' I warned Antony.
He nodded in response.
'Noted. I'll try my best.' He said, before turning and running off after my brother, who had gotten a rather long way ahead.
I, on the other hand, turned back to the camp, and began to walk.
My feet ached, and my head spun. I wasn't sure if it was from exhaustion or from lack of water or…some other strain. But I made it back to the camp. One foot in front of the other. Ever steadily making me way back one step at a time.
It was strange. To see the camp almost deserted.
I had become so used to the bustle of life between these rows of tents. There was noise constantly, and smells, and just a sense of community.
But now, there was hardly anyone.
There were a few guards set up around the perimeter, and a few boy soldiers who sat tending to the fires. Antony had been right, we did need fresh eyes for the morning, when the light was better. A few slept, a few stayed on watch.
I stumbled my way past familiar row on row of the camp, until the much appreciated sight of my own tent came into view.
I should have changed. I should have taken my boots off. But in that moment, all I could do was collapse onto my cot, and let the sweet release of darkness take me.
The night had yielded nothing.
No one had found anything. Not a trace.
Scarlett was still missing. And we were no closer to finding her.
I wandered through the trees, the muffled sunlight obscured by clouds and leaves. But in truth, I didn't care. My gaze was fixed solely on the ground, looking for anything that might suggest that Scarlett had been taken this way in the last few hours.
It was mid-morning, and the men had returned hours ago. Most of them were irritated and exhausted and had gone straight to sleep. Alexander had only returned less than thirty minutes ago, and only because Antony had dragged him back. I had never seen him in such a bad state. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was sporting many fresh bruises. Antony had said that he tripped several times, and had run into a branch. I wouldn't have believed him, but the evidence was there on his skin. He too had succumbed to sleep, but I didn't think it would last very long. We had a few hours at most before he awoke and remembered his wife was still missing, and that we had convinced him to rest.
It was approaching ten hours since she had disappeared.
Who knew what Nerissa had done to her in that time! Were we already too late?
What if Scarlett…was already….
I stopped myself thinking in such a way.
Scarlett was going to be fine. She was going to come home with us.
I couldn't face anything else.
I simply couldn't.
She had to be alright.
She, and her baby.
She was coming home with us.
Looking around, I desperately hoped for some sort of clue. Something all the search parties last night had missed.
Even Bianca had been forced to come back to camp to sleep, as much as she hated it. Like Alexander, I didn't think she would sleep for very long before setting out again to track her sister. She had mumbled something about waking her up in a few minutes, but I knew I was going to let her sleep. She needed it.
Bianca was determined to get her back. Possibly more than Alexander was.
After so long apart, was it really any wonder that these sisters would go through hell just to save the other? To ensure that the other lived another day, to fight for what they truly believed in. To fight for their own right to rule. For their own right to live.
It was only a matter of time before Bianca woke up and came to shout at me for making her sleep. But I had bigger problems than her anger.
I had to find something. Anything.
Any small clue.
But the ground was now covered in footprints from the search last night. Nothing else out of the ordinary.
The forest was just as bear as ever.
The silence was interrupted by the occasional shout. There were other men looking for her, the ones who stayed back last night. Philip himself was out here somewhere.
He had been forced to stay behind last night. There needed to be someone in the camp to report to. But as soon as Christopher had returned last night, he had taken it upon himself to go out and look.
I wandered around, trying to rack my brain for the small detail I might have missed last night. But nothing.
She was just gone. And no one seemed able to trace her.
Behind me, a sound echoed through the trees, and force me to turn around.
It wasn't a cry, or a shout.
But rather, hoof beats.
Someone was riding nearby. And by the fact it was getting louder, I guessed they were coming towards us.
Towards the camp.
I spun, and craned my neck to try and see who was approaching through the trees.
Maybe it was a messenger from the King and Queen.
Or maybe one from Nerissa.
What if she had terms, and would give us Scarlett back?
Or better yet, what if it was Scarlett, who found a way to escape? And somehow acquired a horse?
Hope rose in my chest.
Maybe she was back, safe and sound.
Without thinking, I ran forward to try and intercept the horse.
Closer and closer I ran, until a blur through the trees finally became visible in front of me.
And my heart sunk.
No red hair.
It wasn't even a woman.
But a man.
However, it was a man I had seen before.
I stood in shock for a moment, as Lord Edward Knighton pulled his horse to a halt in front of me.
'Lady Marion?' He asked, a little surprised.
I couldn't find words to respond.
Lord Edward was here?
What on earth…
How…
'Lady Marion, are you alright?' He asked, jumping down from his horse.
Snapping out of my daze, my mind went racing.
I hadn't seen Lord Edward in over a year. And that was the only time I had ever met him. He had been at Ella's ball, with his wife.
His wife, who was the reason the curse on my family was broken last year.
I hadn't heard from Lady Annette either in the months that had passed.
And he was here?
What?
'Lord Knighton?' I asked, my voice sounding foreign to me.
'Yes, I'm here at the request of Duke Christopher. I brought men with me.'
At that, he gestured behind him, where there was indeed a long line of guards quite a way back down the path.
'I was riding on ahead to talk to the Duke about lodging and such.' He explained.
'You're here to help?' I asked incredously.
He nodded.
'Yes, I thought you knew I was coming? Did Christopher not-'
'No.' I interrupted.
'My letter must have only arrived yesterday. Maybe he hadn't had chance to tell you all yet.' He continued.
The moment he spoke those words, I remembered all about Scarlett, and the entire reason I was here in the forest in the first place.
'No, he didn't. But we've all been a little busy since last night.' I informed him.
Lord Edward cocked his head to the side at my words.
'Why?'
I exhaled.
'My sister in law…Scar…She was taken last night. By Nerissa.' I managed to get out, regardless of the rather painful lump in my throat that had risen.
Lord Edward stepped back at that.
'What?' He shouted.
'We've been looking all night.' I told him, my voice wobbling from emotion. 'And nothing.'
'Oh hell.' Lord Edward breathed. 'Is that Lady Scarlett you speak of? Nerissa's stepdaughter?'
I could only nod.
Speaking it out loud, it made me lose my composure. Scarlett was gone, and was in grave danger.
She was probably terrified, and all alone.
This was the woman who had tried to have Bianca arrested and put to death for murder. Who had tried to marry Scarlett off to someone completely in her control, and make him unspeakable things to her.
She could be locked in a dungeon. She could be in pain right now. Scarlett knew almost everything about the camp, Nerissa might try to attain that knowledge somehow.
What is she was chained and screaming right at this second?
Lord Edward didn't miss a beat. He quickly jumped back onto his horse, and told me he would return in a moment.
I watched as he forced his horse to gallop back to towards his men, who were slowly marching down the path. It didn't take very long for him to catch them up, and I could do nothing but stare as he shouted some orders at them, making them all split off into different directions and search the area.
I felt almost sick with relief as Lord Edward returned.
I had no idea what I was looking for. I didn't know the first thing about tracking people in a forest. But at least some of his men might. And they probably had a greater chance than I did in finding something meaningful.
And although they were no doubt tired from their journey, they were not exhausted because they had been searching all night.
Lord Edward stopped just in front of me, and lowered his hand.
'I'll give you a ride back to the camp. Tell me everything that happened.'
I reached up and closed my hand around his gloved one, and jumped while he pulled me up. Somehow, I managed to perch on the back of his saddle with my arms holding tight onto his shoulders as we began to gallop back to the familiar rows of tents.
While we rode, I informed him of what exactly had happened since last night. How quickly everything had turned on its head.
We had been so careless, thinking ourselves safe, with our guards and the large wall between us and Nerissa. But we had been so horribly wrong.
He also asked about Bianca.
The last time we had met, he had produced that curious piece of paper that contained my family's names, as well as Bianca, Scarlett, James, and some other person named Jack.
I hadn't dwelt much on the other name.
Even though I knew I should have.
But in the year that had passed since discovering that piece of paper, and the mysterious ring that appeared to have belonged to him, I hadn't had the time or energy to look any further into it.
And it was even worse because that name was the subject of one of the last conversations I had ever had with James. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Not yet anyway.
And especially not now. I was in the middle of a war, there was no time to think on 'Jack' now.
But I told him about Bianca, and her struggle. I had already told him most of it the last time we had met, but now I filled him in on what had happened recently to start this war.
He listened carefully, asking question to try and comprehend what I had just said.
But then he asked about Scarlett. As it turns out, he had already met her once. He lived in Bianca's lands, and had attended Nerissa's court briefly. So he had seen Scarlett from a distance, and knew what Nerissa was like.
At the mention of Scarlett's name, all the fear I had pushed aside came flooding back.
And I fell silent.
Lord Edward didn't push it. He just turned his attention to the path before him, and we rode in silence for a few more minutes until the tents came into view.
I told him where to go, how to get to the royal tent. Philip was still out looking, but Christopher should have been there.
We reached it, hardly encountering any of the soldiers. That was mainly because they had all fallen asleep after being up so late last night. Not that I blamed any of them.
We dismounted and Lord Edward began to tie up his horse, when I grabbed his arm and made him turn to face me.
'Why are you here? Truly?' I asked.
It was something that had been irritating me since the moment I had seen him again.
People didn't just bring their men and guards with them for no reason. Christopher was here because Philip had asked him, and in James's memory.
But Lord Edward had no such ties to us. So there was something larger at play here.
'I'm very grateful that you are here. But why? It makes no sense.'
Lord Edward sighed.
'Really, Lady Marion? You don't know?' He asked.
I shook my head with my honest answer.
He gave me an exasperated smile.
'I'm here, because of you.' He said simply.
Once again, I stood stunned.
'What?' I asked.
'You helped save my son. I know you did it unknowingly, but I meant what I said when I told you I would be grateful for the rest of my life. You helped us figure out how to stop that faerie, and without you, we would have lost our little boy. So, I am here to try and repay that debt.'
'But…What…' I stuttered.
My mind spun.
He was here, because I had read a part of a book and written a letter to Ella, that then somehow reached him and helped Lady Annette trap and kill that faerie.
This was mad. Utterly mad.
'I did nothing…Lady Annette, she was the one…the one who…I should be indebted to her!'
'I also heard about your husband.' Lord Edward continued kindly. 'Such a tragedy. I liked him, he seemed like a decent fellow. I know that if it had been me; if I lost Annette…I would want people to support me. You must have gone through hell, and yet your still here. So, I'm here to offer what little I can, to try and make some good out of this situation. For all that you've done for us.'
I froze.
I hadn't done anything, and yet here he was.
It still didn't make sense.
He was…too kind. People didn't just do this for no reason.
And as much as I wanted to believe that he was simply the greatest person on earth, who had done this for us, I highly doubted that was the entire reason he was here.
'As well, there's-' Lord Edward began.
'Lord Knighton! I thought I heard your voice!' Interrupted Christopher, striding out of the Royal tent.
But when he saw me stood there, next to Lord Edward, he paused.
'Any news?' He asked.
I shook my head.
'No, nothing.' I replied, and felt my own heart sink with the admission.
But in truth, I had no idea was I was searching for. I was just so desperate to get Scarlett back, that I was simply hoping that something would present itself to me, and I would know what had happened.
In reality, I had been staring at the ground, not comprehending what any of the shapes in the mud meant. What if I had walked over a clue, and discarded it.
I just felt so useless. There was almost nothing I could do but sit and wait. I could go back out into the forest and look, but I once again had no idea what I was looking for. And all the while, Scarlett was still gone.
Christopher turned his attention to Lord Edward, and brought him into the tent to inform him of what the current plan was. I also joined them, and listened, but I had nothing to add, no useful ideas or input.
I was just too far out of my depth. And I didn't know what to do.
So, I just listened. I knew Bianca would wake up soon, and she no doubt would need to know what was happening.
I passed the hours by staying with Christopher and Edward until Edward went to re-join his men and inform them of their next orders. Then, I made my way to Mr Johnson's tent.
There were more men there than I expected. As it turned out, there were several men who had tripped in the dark and hurt themselves. Not seriously, but a sprained wrist or ankle here and there. Mr Johnson noted my arrival, and immediately set me to work bandaging up limbs so they heal in the correct position.
I was grateful for the distraction. At least here, I knew I was helping. Out in the forest, I could have actually hindered them. As much as I wanted to be out in the forest trying to find her, I knew I would be far more help to the men here, and not out there looking.
Doing what little I could, brought me at least some comfort. And some of the men were actually quite interesting to talk to. They all had different stories as to how they had ended up in the royal army in the first place. Some had joined as young boys, hoping for adventure. Some had seen it as a way to prove themselves. And some had just discovered that fighting was what they were good at, and had joined because they had nothing else to do.
Some were rude. Others polite and courteous.
No two soldiers were the same. And that rather fascinated me. I had never before been somewhere where there were so many different kinds of people. My almost my entire life, I had lived in villages, where most people were born there, and lived there until they died. Occasionally people moved, like I did to Milton, but generally no further than that.
But this camp…
It was such a mix. There were penniless lowborns sat next to younger sons of knights and lords. And in the royal tent, there was the crown prince, a duke and a Duchess.
And then there was me.
I truly didn't know where I fitted in. Was I a highborn, because I was now a lady? But apart from those three and a half months with James, I had been a lowborn with no money or rank. We had almost been on the brink of starvation in that month after father had died. And yet, I had been a guest at the royal court.
My life truly made no sense. I had no place, no role.
But, when one is in a war camp, one doesn't have much time to contemplate such matters. Especially when one's sister in law had disappeared.
Afternoon arrived, and I slowly made my way to Bianca's tent.
She had slept for about five hours, so it wouldn't be long before she awoke. If she wasn't already awake.
Bianca was going to wake up to discover that her sister was still missing, and still in their murdering stepmother's grasp. Nothing had happened while she slept.
She was going to explode.
Bianca had been on edge almost the entire time we had been at the camp. She took everything on herself, blamed herself anytime something went wrong. I knew it weighed on her. It was killing me to see her like this.
She was so much better than this. Philip, Christopher and Antony were a little scared of her, and with good reason. Antony, I think, was more…intrigued than scared. She hadn't exactly made it easy on them.
But she was scared. And this was all new for her. She had been an outlaw in the forest for almost five years, talking to hardly anybody, and hiding away from anyone who could turn her in. Was it really any wonder that she found her manners were a little rough around the edges.
Finally, I arrived, and pulled back the tent flap.
I had become very familiar with Bianca's tent. I had slept in here on several occasions, and we had spent hours and hours trying to make sense of Philip latest plan.
Although they knew she had been an outlaw prior to this, it was painfully obvious that they didn't expect her to arrive with only the clothes on her back.
The tent had been almost bear. Other than a cot, there was very little else. Was it the usual practice for Dukes and Duchesses to bring furniture with them? I didn't know, having never had the need to find out. Maybe it was something to do with the quality of the furniture that was given to the soldiers.
But regardless of the reason, Bianca had managed to acquire some of the standard issue furniture; a table and some chairs, and a trunk that could be used as a table or a chair. It was more that she had in Rault, but it still wasn't very much. And the lack of items was only made more painful when there was a stark reminder of exactly what she was owed only a few minutes away.
I sighed, as I stepped through and let the flap close behind me. Bianca had been sleeping soundly, her front pressed into the cot, and her head turned to one side. However, the rustling sound of the tent flap being closer managed to jolt her awake. I silently cursed myself for not being more careful. She had lived in the forest for years. Of course she awoke at the smallest sound.
'Arry?' She asked in a sleep muffled voice as her eyes opened.
'Yes, it's only me.'
Bianca groaned, and looked like she was going to roll over, but suddenly jerked back, and sat up, her hand going to her chest.
'Scar!' She cried, as all the memory of last night came flooding back to her. It was heart breaking to watch all that pain drift across her face.
'Any news?' She asked desperately.
Sadly, I shook my head.
'No. I'm so sorry Bea.'
Bianca didn't waste a moment. Climbing out of her cot, she picked up the discard cloak from the floor.
'What time is it? How long have I been asleep?' She demanded, tying her cloak around her shoulders.
'It's only early afternoon.'
'What! You let me sleep for hours!' Bianca screamed.
I knew it should hurt, to know that Bianca was lashing out at me. But she had needed the rest, so I didn't regret my decision to let her sleep one bit.
'You were exhausted- are exhausted.'
'Scarlett's out there, under Nerissa's control and you let me sleep until the afternoon!' Bianca shouted back at me.
'Bea, you'll be no help to Scar if you can't think straight. Or even walk straight!' I argued back, but Bianca wouldn't be satisfied.
'I can't believe you. I told you to only let me rest for a few minutes, and you left it hours! Anything could have happened to her in that time!'
'There are men out looking-'
'They're all idiots, they couldn't find a haystack, let alone a needle!' Bianca spat.
'That's not fair. They're all trying. We all want Scarlett back.'
'Where's Alexander?' Bianca demanded. 'I presume he's still out looking.'
'No. Antony dragged him back and made him sleep. He's distraught.'
'You made him sleep as well! By hell Marion, do you want Scarlett to never be found? He was the only other person who would look as hard as I would, and you made him sleep!'
'Bea, please try and see-'
'NO! No I will not!' Bianca screamed at my face. 'I'm going to find my sister. Don't follow me. I can't look at you right now.'
Those last words hit my heart.
'Bea, please! I want Scarlett back, just as much as you! But you were going to drive yourself mad if you didn't rest!' I shouted at her as she marched out of her tent
'You don't get to decide what's right for me!' Bianca cried over her shoulder. 'What is right for me, is Scar back here and safe. It doesn't matter what it takes to get her back, I will do it. Losing a few hours' sleep is nothing.'
I knew she was right. But she hadn't just lost a few hours' sleep. She'd hardly slept since coming to the camp. The stress had weighed heavily on her. She was thinner than I had ever seen her, and she constantly had heavy dark bags under her eyes.
She wasn't looking after herself. And driving her body to the brink of exhaustion by looking for Scarlett certainly wasn't going to help.
'You needed to rest! I only did it because I care about you!' I told her, trying to keep up with her brutal pace.
'If you truly cared about me, you would know that the only thing that matters is getting Scar back!'
We rounded a corner and another familiar tent came into view. I was too far behind her to stop her before she ripped back the tent flap and marched in.
The startled sound of my brother waking up suddenly filled me with dread.
It was bad enough when it was only Bianca. But now, Alexander had awoken.
'Move! Scar's still missing, and this idiot thought it was a good idea to sleep it off.' Bianca told him, throwing a pair of shoes at him.
I finally caught up to her, and stopped just inside the tent, panting.
'What? Arry? Where's Scar?' Alexander asked, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes.
'She's still missing.' I told him in the calmest voice I could muster.
'Thanks to you.' Bianca mumbled bitterly.
At that, something snapped.
It was one thing to lash out at me for trying to help her.
It was another to blame me for Scarlett's continued disappearance.
I was not to blame. I had simply done what any person would when their friend was exhausted to the point of breaking.
I wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion or what, but my anger rose to unreasonable levels.
'How dare you!' I shouted at Bianca.
'If you'd woken me up, as I asked, she might have been found by now!' Bianca yelled back.
'Oh yes, because the person who could hardly stand upright was going to find her after a few minutes' sleep. You were no use to anyone! And I truly hope you're still not thinking straight, because blaming me for trying to help you is just not acceptable Bianca. You might be a Duchess, but you do not have the right to pin this on me! I have done everything I can to help get Scarlett back!'
'No you haven't! You would have woken us!'
The anger inside me was rising with every passing second. How could she blame me for this? After everything I had done….
'Fine! Go on your search! But don't come complaining to me when you don't find anything because your hallucinating from exhaustion. Or when you miss something obvious that you would have seen if you had been given more time to rest. After everything I have done for this family, don't you dare blame me for this. Don't you dare Bianca Knox!'
My throat felt raw from screaming at her, and my heart empty. I didn't wait a moment to see if she responded. Instead I turned on my heel and marched out of the tent.
How dare she blame me for trying to help?
After everything I had done, she blamed me for not waking her up so she could drive herself to edge of her limit.
I truly was a terrible human being for caring!
And besides, there were men out looking for Scarlett.
Especially now, Lord Edward's men had joined the search.
Men who had come because I had helped Lord Edward.
Not Bianca, me.
I had gone to the palace and gotten Philip to agree to lead this army. Christopher had come here to support me, not Bianca.
And she had the nerve to say I hadn't done everything I could to help?
She wouldn't be here, so close to her father's title if it wasn't for me.
But no, why would any of this make a difference to her? She knew exactly what was right. She knew that only she herself could find Scarlett, after only five hours sleep.
Brilliant plan. Flawless.
I'd had it.
I had done everything right, and still that wasn't good enough.
She was her own free person now. She could do what she liked. And I hoped that it didn't include talking to me in the next few days, because I didn't think I would be able to speak to her in a tone that wouldn't deafen all the nearby soldiers.
I needed to calm down. I needed to distract myself.
Bianca and Alexander could do what they liked. Go and search every inch of the forest, until they collapsed under the strain.
I was going to go somewhere I could actually make a difference. And leave the searching to someone who knew what they were doing, who had a much higher chance of finding something useful.
Storming in Mr Johnson's tent made serval pairs of eyes glance my way. I mainly ignored them as I went to wash my hands so I could begin helping. There were very few men left now. Only the ones who had broken a bone, and the guard who had been knocked unconscious the night before. He had been hit on the head rather hard, and had finally woken with a tremendous headache. Mr Johnson seemed to think it was worse than it appeared, and was keeping him close by in case anything changed.
Mr Johnson set me to work in the corner of the tent, distilling lavender oil from flowers. In some small way, I was grateful I was allowed to use the mortar and pestle to grind some poor innocent flowers to pieces. I needed to take my anger out on something.
How dare she blame me for Scarlett's disappearance. Blame me for prolonging it?
They wouldn't have been able to find her in the state they had both returned in. They were practically delirious. They were both worse than useless when it came to helping.
But no, apparently it was all my fault.
Me, the person who had tried to help them have the best chance of finding her.
I ground the flowers of lavender with more and more force, gritting my teeth as I did.
I was trying to be useful. I was helping more men get back to looking for her. Men with the actual skills to track her down.
'Marion, could you fasten that bandage for Robert please?' My Johnson asked, as he quickly moved to tend to some stitches that had just come loose.
I placed down the mortar and pestle, with as much gentleness as I could muster, and moved over to where Robert was waiting. His arm was in a sling, after having fallen over some tree roots and fractured his shoulder.
He was fairly young, with dirt blonde hair but hardened features.
His bandage had fallen loose, and he looked a little embarrassed that he needed someone else to do it for him.
I practically dropped onto the stool and huffed a sigh.
'Bad day?' He asked, as I reached forward to grasp the ends of his bandage.
'You could say that, yes.' I told him.
'I'm sorry about your sister.' He said.
I ground my teeth together in frustration.
'We just want her back. And then maybe Bianca could stop acting like an idiotic twit.' I managed to utter under my breath.
Robert raised his eyebrows in shock.
'Are you alright?' He asked carefully.
'I will be. Once I can think straight again.' I told him, my mind still reeling over my fight with Bianca.
'Anything I can do?'
I pulled his bandage into a tight knot.
'Distract me.' I told him honestly. 'I need to think about something else. Anything else.'
He paused for a moment, glancing around, before his gaze fell back on me.
'My sister wants to be like you, a healer.' He admitted.
At that, I stopped.
'I'm no healer. Mr Johnson is the physician. I just help out.' I informed him.
'Well, you're doing a good job of hiding it. You were the one to stitch up William's cut.'
I shook my head.
'I needed the practice. In truth, I've never done anything like this before. I mainly fold bandages and organise bottles.'
'So, what do you do normally?' He asked.
I was quite taken aback by his question.
Not that the way he asked it, but by the fact that I truly did not know the answer.
'I…I, uh…I don't really do anything.' I admitted.
He smiled.
'You're a lady right? Don't you plan dinners, and attend parties and all that?'
I shook my head.
'I'm a lady in title. Not in lifestyle.'
'How come?'
I took a deep breath.
'My late husband gave me the title. But in truth, I'm a lowborn. I have been all my life. No money, no status. In fact, I was Duchess Howards' servant for many years.'
He seemed a little taken aback by that.
'Oh, I just assumed…'
'Assumed what?'
'Well,' He paused, 'You are related to Duchess Knox, and you know the Prince as well. And Duke Howards. I simply thought that, you were a lady of consequence with connections. But there are not many ladies that I know that would roll up their sleeves and work fixing bandages, or deal with vomit, and give men stitches. You don't really fit the model.'
I smiled a little at that. I had no desire to fit the highborn model, so if I didn't, that was just fine.
'You know; I have a brother with your name.' I said, as I tucked the end of the bandage into the sling.
'I though your brother's names were Daniel and Alexander?' He asked.
'Another brother. He's still at home; he's only eleven.'
'Three boys and one girl? No wonder you're tough.'
'Actually, three girls and five boys.' I told him.
He huffed in surprise.
'Big family.'
'We are rather.'
'So, what's little Robert like?' He asked.
'He hates the name Robert.' I began. 'We've called him Robbie his entire life. I don't think there will ever be a day when we actually call him by his given name.'
'Then, why did your parents name him Robert then, if you never call him it?'
I shrugged.
'I supposed they decided it before he was born. But he was always too small to fill the name Robert. So, he's always been a Robbie. Have you always been a Robert?'
'I suppose, yes.' He replied.
He glanced down, and noted that I had finished tying his bandage up.
'So, did I manage to distract you enough?' He asked with a smile.
I froze.
I had been distracted.
I hadn't thought about Bianca or Scarlett or Alexander or any of them in the last few minutes. And it had been…nice.
Was it bad of me to not be worried out of my mind about Scarlett? To have been able to smile for a moment while she was still missing?
Maybe Bianca was right, and that I didn't care enough.
But I had cared, and I still did. I felt awful that Scarlett was still in Nerissa's grasp. I was truly terrified for her.
But, for a moment, I had forgotten that.
'Yes, you did.' I said, pushing myself off the stool.
'You know, worrying about her won't help. You'll just get worked up, and she'll be found in the same time either way.' Robert said. 'You can't do any more.'
I glanced around, and found that the tent was nearly deserted. Only Mr Johnson, the guard, Robert and two other men remained. There was no more work to be done. Nothing else to distract me with.
'Might I trouble you for something to dull this pain?' Robert asked, wincing as he moved his arm a little. I'd never had a fractured bone, so I didn't know what the pain was like, but it did not look pleasant.
'Um…I think willow bark tea will help?' I offered, trying to remember what Mr Johnson had prescribed in the past.
I glanced over to Mr Johnson, to find him…nodding?
So, I guessed I was right.
'I'll make some up.' I told Robert, before moving over to the table that held Mr Johnson's box of herbs and potions.
Was Robert right? Worrying about Scarlett and freezing with terror wouldn't help anybody.
And I knew, deep down, that there was nothing more I could do to help. I did not have the skills or knowledge to find her.
But at least here, I could do some good. Accomplish something.
Scarlett was still constantly on my mind. And as soon as there was news, I would spring into action.
But all I could do here was wait.
Picking up the pot, I brought it outside and hooked it over the small fire that we used to boil water. I tipped the waiting bucket of water into the pot, and left it.
As I tipped some willow bark out of its small glass jar, I turned to Robert.
'Tell me about your sister. I need some more distracting. Please?'
In truth, my heart was hammering, deafening in my ears. All this panic about Scar was making my hands shake.
I felt genuinely sick, but I had to fight through it. The moment I gave into the fear; I knew I would just freeze.
Robert grinned a little, and then began to tell me about his little sister, Amy. I worked and listened, and tried to follow along to not think about my fear.
He wasn't the best storyteller in the world, but that didn't matter.
It began to work, slowly.
As he spoke about his sister passion for fixing broken things, I did find myself pleasantly distracted. She apparently would find birds with broken wings, and nurse them back to health, creating tiny makeshift braces for their wings while they healed. Robert had spent many mornings trying to help scrub bird poo off the floor before their mother could notice and scold her for letting animals inside the house.
I finished brewing his tea, and sat with him while he drank it. Robert didn't care much for the taste.
'My Husband didn't like it either.' I told him as the unhappy memory rose in my mind.
'What happened?' Robert asked kindly.
'He caught the fever just over a year ago. There was nothing anyone could do. His physician gave him Willow tree bark to help ease his suffering…and he really didn't care much for it.'
'I see why! It's foul!' Robert told me, finishing the last of the cup in one large gulp.
Setting down the cup, he grimaced.
'Is there any water? I can still taste it.'
I nodded, and stood to go and fetch him some water, when I heard something that made my heart stop.
I froze.
Robert instantly looked behind him, out of the tent, but saw nothing.
There were no men moving, no commotion to suggest anything had changed.
Yet, I knew.
'What? What is it?' He asked.
I didn't reply, but marched out of the tent, my head tilted up to the sky.
For, there above us, the birds were singing.
In tune. Together.
To anyone else, this might have just been a strange coincidence.
But I had lived with Bianca and Scarlett too long.
They were trying to tell us something.
They were shouting.
Which meant either Scarlett or Bianca was using them to communicate.
Someone was in trouble.
As quickly as I could, I ran down the path towards my tent. Throwing back the flap, it revealed that it was empty.
Daniel wasn't there.
Bianca and Alexander were out looking for Scarlett, so there was only Daniel left who would know the significance of the birdsong.
One of them was in trouble.
It didn't sound like the usual cry for help; the one Bianca had made us all memorise in case she was captured.
In fact, it was a melody. And melodies generally meant that there was a message being conveyed. I'd seen Bianca send messages to Scarlett across the village on the days she couldn't leave the house in case of being spotted. And the same bird had usually returned singing another song that Bianca understood.
The birds were singing now.
One of them was trying to get a message to the other. Was it Bianca crying out for Scarlett, or…
Had Scarlett found a way to escape and was waiting for Bianca to find her?
Could it be?
Turning away from my tent, I sprinted down the muddy track to the royal tent, not caring that my dress was covered in mud and I was still wearing my apron from Mr Johnson's tent.
I almost collided with the nearest chair as I halted just inside the tent, breathing heavily, and shaking.
Philip, Christopher and Lord Edward all turned to see what had caused all the commotion.
'Marion? Is everything alright?' Christopher asked immediately.
'The birds…'I managed to get out.
'Birds?'
'They're…singing. Bianca…or Scarlett…trying to get a message to us…' I panted.
'What?' Philip asked. 'Birds are singing?'
'Yes!' I cried. 'Scarlett might have…gotten away!'
'Marion, you're not making any sense.' Philip told me.
I tried to catch my breath so I could think of a way to explain this.
Luckily, at that moment, Daniel burst through the tent flap.
'Arry, there you are! The birds! They're all-'
'Singing, yes, that's what birds do!' Philip said, his face showing his confusion.
'No, singing in unison! It's the same melody!' Daniel told them.
Christopher frowned and pulled back the tent flap to listen. We all fell silent and let the sweet notes of the bird's filter through the air.
'So they are!' Christopher said, amazed.
'Of course they are! Do you think we make this up!' Daniel cried frustrated.
'What has this got to do with Scarlett?' Philip asked.
'Scarlett and Bianca can talk to animals. And they use birds to communicate.' Daniel explained.
Lord Edward's jaw dropped, and Philip looked like he was going to interrupt when Daniel raised his hand to stop him.
'I know it's mad, but leave questions until the end. They can talk through birds. That isn't a call for help. Arry, Alexander and I all know that sound, and it's not that. But if it's a message, that means either Bianca is trying to get hold of Scarlett, which is likely, or…'
'Scarlett's found a way to get a message to us.' Christopher completed.
Daniel nodded.
'We have no way of knowing which it is until one of them comes back.'
Then, I heard something else that made me want to fall to my knees in relief.
'Shhh!' I cried, peeling back the tent flap again.
'What is it?' Christopher asked.
'Shh!' Daniel repeated.
There it was again.
The same sound.
Relief poured through me.
I knew what it meant.
I understood.
'What is it?' Philip demanded in a whisper.
'Do you hear that?' I asked.
'Hear what?'
'The counter melody. It's a reply!' I told him with a tremor in my voice.
A reply.
Which meant…
The two sisters were in touch.
Scarlett had either found a way to start the conversation, or to reply.
Either way, she could talk to Bianca.
Scarlett was alive! She wasn't dead.
It didn't tell us much more than that, but it was a start.
Scarlett might not be safe, but at least she wasn't dead.
We had time. Bianca and Alexander had time to get to her. There was still hope.
Daniel informed the other three as to what it meant, but I stayed listening at the entrance.
She was alive. Alexander could still get his wife back. And Bianca could see her sister again.
All we could do now is wait.
And wait we did.
For another two hours.
The birds kept repeating the same messages; more of a taunt now than hope. It was in a language no one could understand. It could be dreadful news for all we knew.
But it was the only hope we had. So we clung to it.
I briefly went back to Mr Johnson's tent to inform them of what had happened, and to apologise to Robert for running off so abruptly. He told me to think nothing of it, and that if I ever needed distracting again, I knew where to find him.
There was very little else to be done in the tent, so I went back to the royal tent and waited with Philip for news.
Lord Edward and Christopher had gone back out to see if they could find Bianca to get her to translate the message.
Daniel had gone too, to find Alexander. No doubt he also knew what the birdsong meant. But, after almost no sleep, we had no idea what state of mind he would be in now. He had barely been able to stand this morning, and had only had a few hours' rest before running back out into the forest. We hoped he would be with Bianca, but that was by no means a guarantee.
Philip and I waited mainly in silence. The only time we really talked was when he asked me more about this bird talking skill Bianca and Scarlett had.
I did realise that maybe I shouldn't have blurted out one of Bianca's secrets, but it had been necessary. I avoided telling him as many details as I could, not quite knowing what Bianca would want as public knowledge. Eventually Philip stopped asking.
I wasn't in the mood for talking anyway.
The bird's just kept repeating and repeating. Mocking me for my inability to work out what it meant.
Was Scarlett safe? Had Bianca found her?
What had happened.
After two hours, I could hardly take more waiting.
However, I didn't need to.
Because at that moment, voices began to accumulate.
They got louder and louder, until Philip and I noticed, and peered out of the tent to see what was happening.
A large group of men had gathered at the end of the path, right by the entrance.
Without thinking, I pushed myself to my feet and began to rapidly make my way down the path.
Hope grew, large and brighter and truer every step I took.
Most men stood aside to let me past, however some, I pushed out of the way, jamming my elbows into their sides.
Until finally, I broke through to the front.
And almost fell to my knees.
As there before me…
Stood Scarlett.
She was back.