Free The Marus Manuscripts by Paul McCusker Page A
Authors: Paul McCusker
emphatic about what he wanted done. General Liddell finally saluted and marched out of the room.
The king staggered to the side of the bed and threw himself facedown onto the thick cushions. The room was still for a moment. Then a shadow moved in the window. The curtains parted, and a woman Anna had never seen before stepped out. She glanced nervously at the king on his bed, then crossed the room and leaned against a wall next to a bookcase. Watching the king closely, she reached over to the chair rail that lined the wall and pressed something along the top. A secret door in the wall opened, and sheslipped out of the room. The secret door closed, and the wall looked as solid as it had before.
Anna trembled for a moment, and then the room disappeared, replaced by her face in the mirror. She looked pale. Her knees felt weak, and her arms ached from clutching the washstand tightly. Composing herself, she splashed water on her face again, dried off, and then stepped into the hallway to go to her room.
The Old Judge stood there, waiting for her. “Are you well?” he asked.
Anna swallowed hard. “Yes, sir, I am,” she said.
“You look shaken,” he said.
She avoided his gaze as she walked past him. “I’m all right,” she affirmed.
But she knew his eyes were on her as she slipped into her room. In bed, she pulled her pillow close. What are these scenes I keep seeing? she wondered. Why am I seeing them? She eventually closed her eyes for a night of restless sleep.
A t home once again, Darien sat down at his piano and played songs that were alternately mournful and passionate. Kyle sat nearby and watched him. Darien’s playing wasn’t an idle amusement. He was thinking as he played, trying to decide what to do next.
Kyle shifted in his seat nervously. “What are you going to do?” he eventually asked.
“A very good question, lad,” Darien said. He stopped playing, closed the lid on the piano, and rested his elbows there.
“If you think the king tried to kill you, you’d be crazy to stick around,” Kyle said. “Shouldn’t you escape while you can?”
Darien shook his head. “What about the wedding tomorrow?” he asked. “I can’t simply disappear in the night without an explanation. What would I say? ‘Oh, sorry, but I couldn’t marry the princess because the king tried to kill me with a crossbow.’ It would be an accusation—my word against the king’s.”
“What if you just don’t show up?”
“Another scandal. How could I insult the princess and her royal family like that? The entire nation would be up in arms.”
Just then, they heard a light tapping at the French doors leading to the garden.
Kyle’s face brightened. “I’ll bet it’s Prince George,” he said. “He’ll know what to do.”
Darien crossed over to the doors but didn’t open them. Instead,he stood next to the wall and carefully lifted the curtain for a peek. His face registered surprise, and he quickly opened the doors. Princess Michelle, dressed in a black cloak with a hood, rushed in. Kyle, also surprised, stood up.
“What brings you here, my princess?” Darien asked.
“We haven’t much time,” the princess said. “They’re on their way.”
“Who is?” Darien asked.
“General Liddell’s guards. They’ve been instructed to arrest you.”
“On what charge?”
“Treason.”
“That’s insane!”
“Insane or not, it’s what my father wants.”
Darien fumed. “No one will believe it,” he insisted. “How could they prove such a thing?”
“You underestimate my father. He has it all worked out. They’re going to claim that the man who tried to assassinate you outside Krawley had learned that you were hatching a plot to overthrow the king. You had him killed to keep him quiet.”
“I didn’t have him killed! The soldiers there will attest to that.”
“What soldiers? General Liddell’s soldiers?” the princess asked, shocked at Darien’s naïveté. “They’re duty bound to
The king staggered to the side of the bed and threw himself facedown onto the thick cushions. The room was still for a moment. Then a shadow moved in the window. The curtains parted, and a woman Anna had never seen before stepped out. She glanced nervously at the king on his bed, then crossed the room and leaned against a wall next to a bookcase. Watching the king closely, she reached over to the chair rail that lined the wall and pressed something along the top. A secret door in the wall opened, and sheslipped out of the room. The secret door closed, and the wall looked as solid as it had before.
Anna trembled for a moment, and then the room disappeared, replaced by her face in the mirror. She looked pale. Her knees felt weak, and her arms ached from clutching the washstand tightly. Composing herself, she splashed water on her face again, dried off, and then stepped into the hallway to go to her room.
The Old Judge stood there, waiting for her. “Are you well?” he asked.
Anna swallowed hard. “Yes, sir, I am,” she said.
“You look shaken,” he said.
She avoided his gaze as she walked past him. “I’m all right,” she affirmed.
But she knew his eyes were on her as she slipped into her room. In bed, she pulled her pillow close. What are these scenes I keep seeing? she wondered. Why am I seeing them? She eventually closed her eyes for a night of restless sleep.
A t home once again, Darien sat down at his piano and played songs that were alternately mournful and passionate. Kyle sat nearby and watched him. Darien’s playing wasn’t an idle amusement. He was thinking as he played, trying to decide what to do next.
Kyle shifted in his seat nervously. “What are you going to do?” he eventually asked.
“A very good question, lad,” Darien said. He stopped playing, closed the lid on the piano, and rested his elbows there.
“If you think the king tried to kill you, you’d be crazy to stick around,” Kyle said. “Shouldn’t you escape while you can?”
Darien shook his head. “What about the wedding tomorrow?” he asked. “I can’t simply disappear in the night without an explanation. What would I say? ‘Oh, sorry, but I couldn’t marry the princess because the king tried to kill me with a crossbow.’ It would be an accusation—my word against the king’s.”
“What if you just don’t show up?”
“Another scandal. How could I insult the princess and her royal family like that? The entire nation would be up in arms.”
Just then, they heard a light tapping at the French doors leading to the garden.
Kyle’s face brightened. “I’ll bet it’s Prince George,” he said. “He’ll know what to do.”
Darien crossed over to the doors but didn’t open them. Instead,he stood next to the wall and carefully lifted the curtain for a peek. His face registered surprise, and he quickly opened the doors. Princess Michelle, dressed in a black cloak with a hood, rushed in. Kyle, also surprised, stood up.
“What brings you here, my princess?” Darien asked.
“We haven’t much time,” the princess said. “They’re on their way.”
“Who is?” Darien asked.
“General Liddell’s guards. They’ve been instructed to arrest you.”
“On what charge?”
“Treason.”
“That’s insane!”
“Insane or not, it’s what my father wants.”
Darien fumed. “No one will believe it,” he insisted. “How could they prove such a thing?”
“You underestimate my father. He has it all worked out. They’re going to claim that the man who tried to assassinate you outside Krawley had learned that you were hatching a plot to overthrow the king. You had him killed to keep him quiet.”
“I didn’t have him killed! The soldiers there will attest to that.”
“What soldiers? General Liddell’s soldiers?” the princess asked, shocked at Darien’s naïveté. “They’re duty bound to