Chapter 35

Kenna had lost sense of time, when the men suddenly stopped their horses before a cabin.

The leader descended from his horse. "We have reached our destination." he said and turned to Kenna. "Get down!"

Reluctantly, she dismounted from the horse and looked around. They were not in the forest anymore but in a village. Partially, she still could see the ruins of the cabins, which were burnt down because of the plague. Some cabins were still completely intact but looked poor and in a bad state. Kenna wondered why they brought her here? Did the men want to hold her captive at this place, until Mary would pay the price for her? And if Mary would pay, would they set her free then? But her thoughts were distracted, as she felt a push on her back.

"Come on! Go!" The leader opened the cabin door and shoved her rudely inside.

Kenna blinked. First, she had to adapt to the darkness inside the cabin, but eventually she saw enough to orient herself. But what she saw caused a knot in her stomach. She saw a woman, who was standing in front of a fireplace, stiring in a pot. Her long dark hair hung down in tangles, and the dress she was wearing, was much too big for her to fit. Three little children, dressed in rags, were sitting on a small wooden table. The woman's eyes widened when the door opened. Fear, Kenna noticed. She was afraid of the man.

"Victor!" exclaimed the woman and instinctively stepped back from the fireplace. "I... I haven't expected you back so soon. The food has not been ready yet." She stroked a strand of hair out of her face, while she looked at Kenna nervously. "Who is that woman?"

"We found her in the forest." the man replied, known as Victor. "She was travelling in a Royal carriage."

Kenna felt the woman gazing at her, with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

"She stays with us, until the Royals pay a price for her."

He went up to the woman and grabbed her hair brutally, that she started to scream. "I know that your mind is not clear, but you just need to understand that you have to take good care of her. Should she escape, then..." He pulled her head back and stared her in the eyes. "I think you do know what will happen then?" He grinned diabolically.

The woman nodded, while tears were running down her pale cheeks.

"Good." He abruptly let her go. "You understand very quickly, considering you're not very bright." He looked at the children. "And you help your mother to take care of that woman. She is worth a fortune. Don't spoil that! But first, I need ropes and something I can stuff into her mouth."

Kenna felt a cold shiver ran down her spine. The man spoke about her. He wanted to tie her up and gag her! "Please don't!" she stammered. "I... I'm staying of my own free will. You don't need to tie me up."

The man quickly turned to look at her and grabbed her chin. "I said, hold your tongue! You annoy me! And if I'm annoyed, then I probably do things that you don't like."

Kenna glanced at the woman, seeking for help. But she kept her head lowered and avoided any eye contact.

Victor grabbed Kenna's arm. "Sit down!" he ordered, and dragged her to a chair. "You will learn to obey me, otherwise..." He took his knife and let the blade slowly slide along the contours of Kenna's face. "It would be a shame to destroy such a pretty face."

Kenna dared not breathe, although her heart throbbed wildly.

Victor looked up when the children entered the cabin with a rope and cloth strips. "Very good! You will become good soldiers one day, just like your uncle." He put the knife back into his pocket.

The children were not his, Kenna thought with relief. She felt sorry for the poor children. And the woman as well. But she didn't know, how she could help them, because she was in a desperate position herself.

Victor took the ropes and started to tie Kenna's arms and legs to the chair. She allowed it, because she didn't know what would happen if she tried to fight back. But her anxiety grew by the minute. She thought of Daniel and Bash. Would she see them again? And she thought of her unborn child, that hadn't gotten the chance to live yet. Her eyes filled with tears.

"No reason to cry! If you do what I say, nothing will happen to you." Victor walked slowly around her and checked again, whether all cords were fastened. "Emeline will give you food and water." He pointed to the woman at the fireplace. "She will also make sure you stay here. I will talk to my men now. how to approach your Queen with the circumstance, that you are under our control. If you prove yourself valuable for her, I'm sure she will pay any price we demand." He turned to Emeline. "You know what to do?"

She nodded.

"Nobody, except me, can enter the cabin. Should she try to escape..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the knife again, ... kill her!"

"I... I've never killed anyone before." she stammered in a frightened voice.

"There is a first time for everything." He walked around her and stroked her cheek lightly. "If she is gone when I return, then you will die in place of her. Do you understand?"

Kenna was rigid with fear. He would not actually kill his own wife, she thought. And yet, he was capable of doing horrible things, she was certain. His behavior was frightening and unpredictable.

Emeline nodded. "I... I do understand." she stammered and took the knife from him with wavering hands.

Her anxious gaze wandered to Kenna, and the first time, she looked directly into her eyes. Kenna could recognize the plea in her gaze. The plea, not to escape, because she didn't want to use that knife.

The first time, Kenna clung to the hope, that her situation was not completely hopeless. The young woman was not a murderer and didn't look insane. She was just under his spell, it seemed. And he would leave them soon.

The door slammed and Kenna breathed a sigh of relief. She was alone with Emeline and the children.

She looked at the young woman. "Nice to meet you!" she said with a trembling voice. "I think I should introduce myself first." She cleared her throat. "I'm Kenna."

Bash was already some miles on his way, when he came across something that caught his attention. He rode closer to identify the subject, that crossed his path, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw, that it were scorched remains of a horse-drawn carriage. A wheel was still completely intact, as well as a part of the carriage tongue. Gangs were probably behind it, Bash thought. He tried to convince himself, that it could not be the carriage, Kenna had travelled to Scotland. But an uneasy feeling remained.

He got off his horse and examined the ashes more closely. There was nothing that could be used. There were also no bodies or other evidence, that led to conclusion, what had happened. He wanted to mount his horse, as an object on the ground caught his attention. In contrast to all other things, this one was spared from the fire. His heart skipped a beat, when he recognized it as one of Kenna's hair bands. He knelt down and picked it up.

"Kenna..." he whispered faintly, as he clung to it, while unnoticed tears were running down his cheeks.