Read Online By Queen's Grace by Shari Anton - Free Book Online Page A

declared, and jerked her hand from his grasp. “I care not why you wish to join the rebels. I swear to you, Corwin, if you join them, I will ensure you are punished in suitable fashion.”
    The man had the gall to smile. “Chopped to bits and then hanged, or was it the other way around?”
    She forced away a vision of Corwin hanging from a rope, not wanting to imagine the rest. How could she save him from that dreadful fate when he wouldn’t listen?
    “‘Tis a gruesome punishment you risk, no matter the way of it.”
    Judith flinched when he put his hands on her shoulders.
    He frowned and released her. “To my mind, the best way to thwart this rebellion is to join it. I need to learn everything I can-in particular the camp location, their numbers and the leader’s name-before going to KingHenry. I could use your help, Judith. The more quickly done, the more quickly over.”
    Corwin pretended to join the rebellion? Judith wanted so badly to believe him her heart ached. Except last night he’d made very convincing arguments to the contrary. She could have sworn he truly intended to join the rebels. Did he lie to her now?
    “Help in what way?”
    “I ask you to do no more than make this journey easier by not trying to escape. I cannot do what needs be done if I must chase after you each time you take it into your head to flee.”
    She’d been seized by strange men, bounced around on the back of a horse until her backside bore bruises, been forced to sleep on the ground-known fear and anger such as she’d never known before. Corwin now asked her to allow further indignities willingly. Of course, if the villains need not worry over her, the journey would go faster. But to what end?
    “You want me to assist these knaves?”
    “Only until I obtain the information I need.”
    “And how long might that take?”
    “Depends upon how soon I can get them to trust me.”
    Judith voiced her greatest fear. “What if that never happens? What if you learn nothing of import until we ride into the rebel’s stronghold?”
    Corwin took a deeper than normal breath. “I am hoping that will not happen. I have no more wish to ride into their stronghold than you do.”
    “You only hope. There is no certainty,” she said. “Last eve, Thurkill vowed to tell me no more of his lord or the rebels’ plans until after we arrived at wherever we are going. I doubt he. will reveal more to you, either. Then what,Corwin? After we are in the rebels’ camp, we may both be trapped.”
    Corwin shook his head. “I will not let that happen.”
    Judith scoffed. “So you say.”
    “So I give you my oath.”
    Last eve, he’d vowed to serve the rebels’ leader in exchange for the reward of Wilmont. Which oath did Corwin truly mean to keep?
    “Please, let us go now. We know enough to set the king’s men on their trail. Let the soldiers find the camp and stop the rebellion.”
    This time, when he put his hands on her shoulders, Judith didn’t flinch, merely accepted the comfort offered in his massaging fingers.
    “I know you are frightened,” he said softly. “I would take you away from here now, if I could. But Judith, if we flee, Thurkill will hunt us down to the ends of the kingdom if need be. And what would we tell the king if we managed to get to London? That we know of three men who say there will be a rebellion, who may have a large army gathered somewhere, with a leader who might be capable of leadership? I promise you, as soon as I know more of this rebellion, we will escape.”
    He sounded so sure of himself, so reasonable. Yet.
    “So we wait to make our escape until there is an entire army at hand and eager to hunt us down.”
    “We wait until I have a solid plan and we both have horses. Try not to worry, and think on this. This Saxon noble they follow. Very likely he is, or was, connected with the court of the Scots. Have you any idea who the man might be?”
    “Nay, I.” Oh, dear. Shocked, Judith realized Corwin might have