“Alexandra, please.” I heard the shuffle of feet moving toward me, and Branford’s softened voice. “Don’t cry, please, Alexandra. Please look at me.”
I felt his hand against my shoulder and heard a cry escape my mouth as I tried to jerk away from him, and my shoulder scraped against the stone wall.
“Dear God in Heaven,” I heard him say quietly. “What have I done?”
I felt his hands on me again, and I tried to push myself away, but I was still up against the wall with nowhere to go. I screamed as I pushed against the hands and arms that wrapped around me. Again I wondered if his sword was clasped to his belt or if he would need to retrieve it. I futilely tried to make sense of what I could recall of Queen Sunniva’s words, but I was too overwhelmed to understand what all of it meant. Branford couldn’t have been on his knees. I must have imagined it.
“Please! Don’t kill me! Please, my lord! I didn’t mean to…”
“Oh no! No! Alexandra, no…please don’t think that.”
“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”
“Alexandra, shh…hush now.”
I felt myself being lifted from the floor and realized I was cradled in his arms. Where would he take me? Would I die tonight? Would I first be paraded down the street to an executioner’s block? It was only after a few steps that he stopped and stood still. I could not fight his grip, so I gave up instead. I fisted his shirt and tucked my head into his chest. There was no comfort there as tears flowed freely down my cheeks, but I had nowhere else to turn.
“Don’t hurt me…” I heard myself repeat the phrase as I felt my body rise slightly, and then it was lowered, and I realized Branford had climbed into the bed and now held me across his lap.
“Never, Alexandra. I won’t harm you. You are safe.”
Safe.
I had no idea what such a word meant any longer. Back in Hadebrand, I had at least known my place and what was expected of me. I acted the way a servant should and rarely needed any kind of reprimand. Here, having done nothing against them, the nobles were willing to harm me at their whim. Though before I had felt safe being held like this in Branford’s arms, he had left me alone when those two women had come for me. His arms were still warm and strong against my back, but I could no longer believe they would offer security.
I felt myself shudder as another sob broke free of my chest, and Branford’s grip tightened on my shoulders as he rocked back and forth, telling me I was safe, and I didn’t have to cry. I didn’t believe him, but I finally gave into exhaustion and let the world go black as I closed my eyes.
*****
The room was quite dark and chilled when I woke, and the fire had gone out completely. Though my first thought was to restart the flames, I found myself unable to move as I realized Branford was not in the bed with me. Indeed, the blankets on his side were quite cold.
I rolled slightly and felt the cool sheets hit my bare shoulder, aggravating the
scrape from the wall. I cringed as I realized I was still wearing the horrible garment and started to sit up so I could get out of the bed and change when I heard something from the other room. It was the soft echo of a woman’s voice just outside the doorway in the morning room and Branford’s hushed response. I craned my head and tried to make out the woman’s words.
“…where I found Ramona and the dress Alexandra was supposed to wear. Ramona is just beside herself, especially after she heard about you taking Alexandra away. I should have gone myself, but there was the disaster in the kitchen and…well, it doesn’t matter now, but at the time…”
It was Ida’s voice, I realized. She sighed heavily.
“And Ramona confirms it? Kimberly and Nelle are responsible for all of this?”
“She did.” There was a brief pause. “I know that look, big brother. You can’t…Mommy promised to take care of them…you can’t do that.”
“I swore to Alexandra I would protect her.” Branford’s hard voice rang out against the stone. “I failed her already. The very least I can do is place their heads on the castle wall as a reminder of how I feel regarding betrayal.”
“But Sunniva promised Mommy they would be cared for, Branford. You can’t…” I heard her breath hitch and her voice crack on her words. “You can’t do that. Not to Mommy’s sister’s daughters. Not to our cousins.”
“I cannot sit back and have them humiliate me and practically torture my wife.” Branford’s voice was a low growl. “My God, if Mother hadn’t come in…or if Ramona had been harmed …I can’t even imagine it.”
“Do you think executing them will fix all of this?”
I strained but could hear nothing at first. There was a long moment of silence before Branford replied.
“No.” Again, there was a long pause when no words were spoken. “Tell me what to do, Ida. I scared her. I’ve been trying to gain her trust, and I have certainly ruined that now.”
“Do you want to fix it?”
“Yes, I do.”