Free The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette Page A

be alone. There are many servants in the castle already, but be sure not to tell them anything about the rebels or the real reason you’re there.”
    “How are you going to get me in?” asked Mally, suddenly nervous.
    “I’ve got my connections,” said Ivan with a wink. “Leave it to me.”
    “Will I meet the other members of the group?” Mally asked.
    “I don’t see why not. They’ll need to recognize you if they need to send you a message personally and I’m not able to.”
    “Why wouldn’t you be able to?” Mally cringed inwardly at the panic in her voice.
    “Things happen,” Ivan shrugged. “My mother, as you already know, enjoys sending me on wild goose chases in hopes that I’ll fall madly in love. I may not be available all the time.”
    Mally nodded and twirled some of Sam’s silvery gray strands of mane around her finger.
    Ivan laughed suddenly and Mally looked at him curiously.
    “Wouldn’t my mother be pleased!” Ivan grinned rather wickedly. “Sent off to get a girl and I return, in fact, with a girl, but not at all the one she wanted! She’d be furious if she found out!” He sounded positively gleeful.
    “Is it likely that I’ll meet you mother?” Mally asked. Mrs. Fi nley didn’t sound like the warmest of women.
    “You might, but it would probably be best if you sleep in the Lone Candle until I get you into the castle. And you’ll be able to meet Galen! He’s a good friend of mine and he’s in the rebel group as well. His mother runs the Lone Candle. You’ll like him. He’s your age.”
    It was comforting news to Mally that someone her age was in the rebel group. She had pictured them all as gruff, angry men.
     
    The sun had begun to set, bathing the sky in soft waves of pink and apricot. An hour before they entered Bosc, Ivan stopped Arrow and turned to Mally.
    “Let’s take a break for a little while; I want to tell you a few things before we get to Bosc.”
    They moved a little ways off the large road and sat amongst a patch of trees.
    “I want you to stay as far from the knights as possible,” Ivan said without preamble.
    Mally snorted. She thought this was a rather ridiculous request.
    “Ivan, how am I supposed to stay away from them if I’m going to live with them?”
    “I know, I know,” he said nodding his head, “and I’m sure the other servants will help you figure out how to deal with the knights, but I want you to be on your guard.”
    The seriousness of his gaze sent chills down Mally’s spine. For the first time she sensed the danger of the situation.
    “I’ll keep my head down,” Mally assured him. “I’ll be careful.”
    “If anything happens—”
    “If anything happens I’ll tell you immediately.”
    Ivan seemed pleased at that and relaxed against a tree trunk.
    “Good. I don’t want your mother chasing me around Lenzar with a carving knife.”
    They returned to the road, which was becoming much more congested. Sam tossed his huge head from time to time in agitation. He wasn’t used to so many people and horses in such close proximity. Mally rubbed his neck gently and whispered softly in his ear. The last thing she wanted was to lose control of Sam.
    They rounded a corner and Mally felt a burst of sea air. Bosc was an extremely large port city. Fishermen sold their catches on the docks and expensive jewels and cloths were brought in from distant countries. Mally had never seen the ocean, but her mother and father had talked glowingly about it.
    Mally’s throat suddenly went dry. A huge stone wall, twenty—or thirty—feet high, towered before them. It was the outer wall of Bosc and encircled the entire city. She looked up at the top and spotted knights strolling slowly, almost lazily, up and down, bows draped over their chests and swords swaying from their waists. Mally quickly looked down as a knight from above noticed her.
    The wide road had narrowed, forcing Mally and Ivan into a line that had come to a halt. A knight was standing