Three times now someone within his palace had been attacked and now he would find the fool that was hiding behind the assassins that now roamed his palace.

"Charles."

"Yes your majesty?"

"Have you seen Lady Brice today?"

"Not as of yet."

"Normally she would be heading for a morning ride, see if she has left the grounds."

"I can, do you need to speak to her?"

"No, I know she can defend herself but I want someone to be with her, she refuses guards but maybe she will allow you to accompany her your grace."

"I will go right away your majesty." Charles said bowing and leaving the room. Henry would find who was threatening anyone in his court.

"What?" Henry asked looking at the young man that had just entered.

"Two of the men that had attacked Lady Brice last evening have been captured."

"I want them brought to the tower I want to know why they are in my kingdom and why they are choosing to attack Lady Brice."

"Yes your majesty."

Henry knew he could go to the tower during the torture and questioned. But he knew they would get the information he wanted.

Charles walked up to one of the guards.

"Has Lady Brice gone for her daily ride?"

"Yes your grace, she left an hour ago."

"I will need my horse. His majesty does not want her alone but knows she will refuse guards."

"One left here following behind her."

"Who?"

"I am unsure your grace."

"Damn it." Charles quickly mounted his horse and tore off out of the courtyard and headed in the direction he hoped Brianna had gone.

Brianna held her shoulder as she pulled the arrow from it, she grabbed her sword as she stood, she could barely grip the sword but with the large group that had formed that included one man that was dressed like one of the guards from the palace.

"You will die by my hand. All of you will." She said to them, they had her surrounded and she knew it would take her a while but she could dispatch them all. She tried to keep her senses about her trying to keep track of where they all were. She turned but not fast enough before one hit her in the back of the head and she collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"What are we to do with her?"

"Teach her a lesson. Bind her wrists and tie her standing to the tree."

"And then what?"

"Make sure she's gagged because she will wake screaming."

"Yes sir."

They tied her wrists and stood her so her arms were above her head and her feet barely touched the ground below her. The first whip hit her back and no reaction but each time the whip hit her back she finally reacted her screams silenced by the gag in her mouth. She was barely conscious when they had finished with their torture.

"Someone is coming."

"Leave her."

Charles followed what he thought was talking and as he came to a large tree and jumped from his horse and pulled his dagger to cut Brianna down, he caught her before she fell to the ground. His eyes looked around as several men stepped out and looked at him.

"It seems you find yourself in the middle of a clan war."

"And your king will have your head."

"We could just kill you both."

"Give me my sword." Brianna said to Charles. Charles looked down at her, and nodded and slid his sword into her hand, he helped her stay standing as she held it out definantly.

"You will leave or I will show the king where your clan lives and he can end all of you."

"You would bring shame to your clan."

"You bring shame to your own clan by coming here after your clan leader's son was returned dead. Leave now." Brianna said, if it wasn't for Charles she would not be standing. They backed away and disappeared into the darkness of the trees, she heard their horses and them leave, Charles held her up as her knees buckled.

"My lady, we need to get you back to the palace."

"I know. I have to stay conscious long enough to try."

"You are one strong woman."

"Thank you. But I fear you will need to be the hero today your grace." Brianna said, her eyes rolled back and she went limp, he kept her upright as he looked around.

"Henry?"

"Charles."

"Oh thank god. We need to get her back to the palace."

"What happened?"

"She was attacked and beaten. We need to get her back. She is a strong woman."

"If she held her own as long as she did. Guards help bring Lady Brice back to the palace and fetch the physician."

Charles let go of her as the guards took her from him. He looked at Henry and mounted his horse.

"Where are they?"

"With the threat of their own death Lady Brice sent them on their way, told them if they returned she would show you where their clan lived."

"They best heed her warning."

"I believe if they hadn't hurt her the way they did she may have killed them."

"How did you find her?"

"She was bound standing with her arms above her head, they gagged her so if any of us was near we could not hear her screams, then they whipped her. I found her alone and cut her down."

"Then she best live or I will find them personally and kill each of them."

"I would assist you on that."

"Come let's see if she has been seen by my personal physician. I believe this time she will be in her bed longer than this last time."

"I agree."

Charles and Henry headed back to the palace. Charles walked toward Brianna's chambers, the guard stepped aside and let him and Henry into the room.

"How is she?"

"Badly beaten. She will need a great deal of rest and the ladies have been shown how to change her bandages. They must be changed often and the wounds need to remain clean. But it looks as if she has been beaten before by looks of the large amount of scars across her back, shoulders and legs."

"She is a warrior it would not be a surprise to see healed wounds."

"She will need rest your majesty."

"I will be sure she is getting it."

Charles looked into the other room, the doctor had left her laying on her stomach while one of the ladies finished cleaning the wounds and covered them. Maybe now that she was on bed rest he could get her to talk to him.