A/N: Cassandra telling Duncan about Lina!

alice1529: It was very sad to write. You can blame Raider.

Alex the Rogue: Halt and Crowley are definitely a tag team :)

NOTE: I'm not John Flanagan.

039: Wrath

"Did Lina arrive with them?" Duncan demanded as he walked with Will and Alyss. They'd just informed him of his daughter's rescue. His rage and concern had kept them from being able explaining Lina's innocence.

"She'll be here soon," Will assured him. "Halt's with her."

"Your Majesty, things…" Alyss tried to begin for the fifth time. As with the other four, Duncan cut her off.

"Why didn't you stay back, Will? The girl's dangerous. We may lose Halt now too if she's alone with him."

"Liam's with her."

"If Cassie's hurt in any way…"

"She was roughed up but…"

"Go back, Will. You and Halt drag her to the dungeon and guard her until I'm there."

"King Duncan, I…"

Duncan spun and sized Will up. "Are you questioning an order from your king, Ranger?"

Will sighed, looking to Alyss for help. She had none to offer.

"Your Majesty," Alyss calmly went on before Duncan could banish Will from Araluen for his hesitation. "May I suggest you see your daughter first? Getting a full report on her would give you more…um…"

"More information as to how to handle Lina's punishment," Will finished. Alyss nodded in agreement.

"Yes sir, more information for her punishment."

Duncan seemed to accept this. He stormed, Will and Alyss close on his heels, the rest of the way to the healers' wing. Physicians and nurses bowed to him, silently pointing to the room his daughter was in. The door was open so Duncan marched on through.

"Father," Cassandra greeted him from the table she sat on. A midwife knelt in front of her holding her hands to Cassandra's stomach while a physician stood on her other side checking vitals. She still wore the dirty sleeping gown she'd worn when they found her. No one in their party had anything big enough to accommodate her pregnancy for her to get new clothes. Horace stood behind her, rubbing her back. He silently stepped aside for Duncan to hug her tightly. The physician and midwife paused their work, allowing a short reunion before going back to their checkups.

"Cassie, are you okay?"

Cassandra nodded. "I'm fine."

"The baby?"

Cassandra rested her hand on her stomach, careful to stay out of the midwife's domain. "Kicking."

Duncan kept his arm around Cassandra as though he were afraid she'd be snatched away again. He glared at a nurse. "Why has she not been given clean clothes?" he barked.

"She only just arrived, Your Majesty," the nurse answered calmly. "A gown has been provided for her to change into the moment all of you give her privacy." Working in the castle's medical wing must have made her immune to superiors snapping at her. Naturally, Cassandra's privacy to change into a clean gown wasn't very high on Duncan's list of priorities.

"Were you hurt?" Duncan went on with his fatherly interrogation. Cassandra shook her head.

"Just some scratches and bruises."

"Your Majesty," the physician stepped in. "Once she's had a good meal and some water she'll be fully recovered."

"And some rest," the midwife added. "It seems she'll deliver early."

"Deliver early?" Duncan panicked. "Early? Is this because of travel? I swear…"

"Father," Cassandra pleaded. "Daddy, calm down."

"Ranger Will?" Duncan barked.

"Yes sir?"

"Put Lina in our dungeon as soon as possible. Inflict whatever pain you can."

Will's eyes widened. Alyss jabbed her elbow at Horace for help.

"Duncan…" Horace attempted.

"Why are you standing there, Will? Go get her! Don't you see what she did to Cassie? She's your Princess Royal, if I must remind you! And your friend! Why aren't you going after the witch who did this? Why are you ignoring orders? Go!"

Will took a step back, obviously unsure what to do next. Just as Alyss mentally strung together a distraction, Cassandra wailed.

"Cassie!" Duncan gasped. Horace leaned in, wrapping his arms around his wife from behind. He partially blocked Duncan as he rested his hands on her stomach. "Cassie, what is it?"

Then the tears came. Cassandra sobbed against Horace uncontrollably. Alyss stepped in, rubbing her friend's arm with a glance to Will who still wavered in the doorway. Duncan stepped closer to Cassandra. His tone fell several decibels as he leaned close to his daughter.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

Cassandra whimpered like a child who didn't get her way. "You're going to...h-h-hurt…the person who s-s-s-saved me."

Horace, Alyss, and Will shared a knowing glance and fought the urge to grin. Their attempts had fallen on deaf ears but Cassandra playing up emotions? Duncan couldn't ignore her.

"Saved you?" Duncan asked. "Will?"

"No," Cassandra went on. "Lina."

Duncan's blue eyes widened. "Lina?"

The princess nodded. Will and Alyss had to turn their faces away from Duncan. They couldn't hide their smiles.

"Lina…kidnapped you…"

"Yes, to save me from the Sunrise Warriors."

"What do you mean?"

Will stepped out so he could snicker out of earshot of the king. Horace pretended to kiss Cassandra's hair when really he used the mess of blonde to hide his grin.

"She helped me, Daddy. She got me out and away from the attack. I thought Malcom would be the best place to hide, but…they found us anyway. I guess someone tracked us…we were there just a few days before they appeared."

"Cassie, you were found as a prisoner…"

"Yes, Daddy. That was because of Lina."

"So she did…"

"No. She lied to them. They had us bound and they to kill me. She convinced them I was just some patient of Malcom's and they made a mistake."

Duncan paused. "They had…Lina bound?"

Cassandra nodded, her fake tears dry. "They beat her…they were interrogating her…demanding why she faked her death in Hibernia and…something about Halt and…Daddy, she could have given me up but she didn't. She lied to them until we were rescued."

Duncan turned to Will, who had returned to the doorway once composing himself. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

Will opened his mouth, not quite sure how to form a respectable answer. Luckily Duncan didn't wait for one. He turned back to his daughter.

"She was beaten?" he asked in a much calmer tone.

"Horrifically."

Duncan, keeping a hand on Cassandra's shoulder, turned to the physician still in the room.

"Prepare one of the private rooms for Lina O'Carrick. Be ready to take her as a priority patient."

The physician nodded and motioned for his nurse to follow him across the hall.

"Will, Alyss, you two go alert the guards and staff. Lina is to be brought to me directly the moment she arrives. Understood?"

"Where will you be, sir?" Alyss asked. "They will be several hours, if not a day, behind us at the very least."

"I will be in the throne room. I will not leave until I have seen her."

Will and Alyss both bowed and exited the room. Duncan turned to the midwife next.

"You say she'll be early. What does that mean exactly?"

"She grown quite a bit, Your Majesty," the middle-aged woman explained. "The baby's low. She's been away for quite some time, but looking at her now I'd guess she was farther along when she left than we anticipated. I'd say she could go at any time."

Duncan nodded. "Make sure she gets what she needs."

"Father," Cassandra cut in. The childish ploy ended. "I'm going to wait with you in the throne room."

"Out of the question. You need rest."

"Then I'll rest in the throne room. Lina saved us, Father."

Duncan, spent of arguing, threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine. Madam, bring whatever she needs to the throne room."

"Just after I help her change, Your Majesty."

"I'll help her," Horace volunteered. "We'll see you in the throne room, Duncan."

Duncan nodded and, with a kiss on Cassandra's forehead, left with the midwife in tow. Horace left the table to close the door and collect the gown provided. Cassandra slid off the table and lifted her dirty shift over her head. A nurse had provided a bowl with cool water to wash up with before Duncan's entrance. Horace soaked a cloth in it and wiped it gently over his wife's face, kissing her as he cleaned her lips.

"Well done," he told her, resting his hand under her stomach. She had gotten big. He grinned as he felt the baby inside move. "He's a fighter, just like his mother."

Cassandra laughed. "Or her."

Horace brought the gown over Cassandra's head. She adjusted it as he continued wiping her exposed skin with the damp cloth. Cassandra laced her fingers together behind his neck, grinning up at him.

"I kind of want a boy," she admitted. Horace lay the cloth aside and lifted her up. Her extra weight forced him to put more effort into holding her but his strong arms could handle it. Cassandra grinned as he opened the door with his elbow and carried her through the medical wing back towards the throne room.

"I kind of want a girl," he told her. She laughed and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Horace."

"And that is what makes me the luckiest man in Araluen."

Cassandra teased his hair. "Yeah? Because my love gets you a crown?"

Horace shook his head. He nodded down to her stomach. "Because your love got me that."

"I think it works the other way around."

Horace blushed bright pink. Cassandra giggled and kissed his shoulder.