The King's Artist

Ch 22: A Hint

It took longer than desired to summon back the remaining soldiers that were still scouring the city for Henry. Marcus and Anthony, the two soldiers who had been accompanying Kayden, reported back to Jasper immediately, while Kayden snuck back into the city to track down the remaining soldiers.

Glancing between them, Adelaide looked over both Marcus and Anthony carefully. They were uninjured, but like her, were covered with blood. Marcus's clean-shaven face was etched with stress lines despite his young age, and his broad chest heaved slowly as he sought to calm himself. Sweat shinned on his forehead as well as the top of his head, where very little hair lived. Anthony towered next to him, his head craning from side to side, watching their surroundings with his yellow, hawk-like eyes. Anthony was skinner than Marcus, with a well-kept beard and a thicker jaw that made him appear older than the other man.

Adelaide, while eavesdropping, learned that the two of them had been able to quietly and discreetly kill off some of Henry's kidnappers, before running into Kayden, who had already checked the harbor. Marcus warned, though, that it most likely wouldn't take long before the enemy's bodies were noticed since they hadn't been given enough time to hide the deceased. After the quick report, the two had disappeared after Kayden.

"Uncle," Henry whispered as soon as the guards departed. Jasper, with tears in his eyes and his throat constricted, embraced his nephew in a suffocating hug. Henry returned the gesture, holding back tears of his own. Both their knuckles were white with the pressure of their holds, and they both shook slightly. Adelaide pretended not to be paying attention as they reunited, but her own eyes were blurry and unfocused as she gazed out at the ocean. The salty air stung her eyes, and she could taste the sea on her tongue. "I knew you would come for me."

"Of course," chocked Jasper. He held Henry at arms distance looking him over from head to toe. Jasper brushed Henry's sweaty hair away from his face and seemed unwilling to let him go as the minutes drifted by. "I promised your mother I would take care of you, and until the day I die, I plan to carry out that promise."

Henry nodded his head, unable to speak, and leaned into his uncle again for comfort. Jasper's shoulders relaxed as he exhaled. Adelaide could see the tension fade from both of them as the imminent danger of Henry's execution drifted out of frame.

"So, what now?" Henry asked as he and Jasper stepped away from one another. Feeling included again, Adelaide stepped back towards the pair.

"We're going to head back to Chateau de Suscinio," responded Jasper with an unnecessary nod of his head. "We can set up a defense there and hopefully stall long enough for the Duke to recover. And, if he doesn't, we'll have to hope the castle walls hold. The men are preparing the fortress as we speak, and once we return, the men are ready to fight off anyone hostile who approached our doors again."

Before the conversation could continue, more of Jasper's and Henry's men returned, emerging from the shadows of the building. Some were covered in blood like Kayden, while others were clean and untouched. There was an intensity to their gaze, however, and an urgency to their steps that told Adelaide they weren't out of harm's way just yet. Kayden led some men, as well as Marcus and Anthony. With a quick head count from Jasper, they concluded that everyone was present, just as shouting erupted from within the city.

"That's our cue to go," Jasper announced, already turning to begin their run towards the horses. Adelaide only glanced behind herself briefly, before dashing off after the others. Kayden was alarmingly close to her as they ran, with his body positioned only a few steps behind her. She shot him a bizarre look just as an arrow came sailing past her face and into the center of the running group. She felt her stomach jump into her throat and a new wave of adrenaline coursing through her. With a firm and guiding hand, Kayden placed his palm on the center of Adelaide's back, pushing her faster. He still kept her body concealed for the most part, but her legs were beginning to slow.