“No!” Gisela took another step back, then perceived his two henchmen hovering just behind her. “I don’t have any weapons. I was at a ball.” She had the urge to call the man a number of unflattering names, including lack-wit and jackal-pate. “What would I be doing with a weapon at a ball, where I’d planned to dance all night?”
“She got the dagger from me.” Valten looked almost bored, as if the answer should be obvious. “But that was the only weapon I had.”
“Search him,” Ruexner ordered.
The other two men cautiously approached Valten. Even with his hands tied, he looked dangerous. But Valten stood still while the two men searched him for weapons. They made him sit down, and they took off his boots and looked inside them, but found no more weapons. After all, he’d been at a ball too.
They allowed Gisela to help Valten put his boots back on.
“Since you have both obviously had enough rest,” Ruexner said with false cheer, “we shall get back on our horses and continue on our journey.”
Gisela felt as if she’d hardly taken more than a two-minute nap, but she clamped her lips together and walked to the horses. Ruexner’s men held Valten’s reins and the lead rope while he mounted his horse. Then Ruexner mounted and pulled Gisela up in front of him while one of his men lifted her by her waist.
God, let this nightmare come to an end soon.
Chapter
21
They rode the rest of the day, but stopped at Gisela’s request to rest the horses. Valten knew better than anyone else that Gisela truly was concerned about the horses. He was only surprised that Ruexner would listen to her.
Valten kept his eye on Ruexner and Gisela. Ruexner’s allowing Gisela to talk him into sparing the horses was a sign that he might have a soft spot in his black heart for her — a soft spot Valten could well understand. She was beautiful, strong, capable, and brave, sweet and compassionate; how could any man not fall in love with her?
It was unfortunate their earlier escape attempt had failed. Not only were Ruexner and his men more watchful, Valten had lost his only weapon when Ruexner took his dagger. But Gisela had done her best. It chafed to have her see him at Ruexner’s mercy, tied up and vulnerable. But that didn’t matter so much. Her safety was what mattered.
God, let me not show weakness in front of her. But more importantly, keep her safe.
And even though he knew she had only been trying to save him from a beating that morning, it galled him to hear her offer to marry Ruexner. Didn’t she understand how her saying such a thing would eat at him?
Women were strange creatures. But he already knew this, having so many sisters. His father had admitted as much to him one day, but had added that when he found the right woman, she would be worth any confusion she would cause him.
He was right. Gisela was worth it. Even her strangeness somehow endeared her to him. The way she looked at him sometimes, especially when they had danced together, made him feel like a king. And the way she’d put her arms around him to keep Ruexner from hitting him was imprinted on his memory.
But if Ruexner had wanted to cause him to suffer, he’d found the perfect tactic. Thinking of Gisela being forced to marry Ruexner made Valten physically ill and filled him with thoughts of the justice he’d like to bring down on Ruexner’s head.
As twilight descended, Ruexner stopped to make camp again. One of Ruexner’s men had stolen a mince pie and bread rolls stuffed with cabbage from a house at the edge of a village they had passed. They ate the fresh food along with their dried fruit, jerky, and nuts. As before, Gisela made sure to give food and drink to Valten, since their captors would not.
Just as Valten had hoped, Ruexner forced Gisela and Valten to once again lie down in the middle with the three men surrounding them. Ruexner made Malbert stand guard, since he’d had the most sleep that morning. He kept his hand on his sword hilt and his eyes on Valten and Gisela.
“Are you well?” Gisela whispered as soon as Ruexner began to snore.
“Yes.”
“Your eye is swollen.”
“I am well. Are you?” He could see her face but faintly in the moonlight filtering through the trees. She looked tired.
“I am.”
“Get some sleep.”
“Do you have a plan to escape?”
Her question took him aback. “I have no weapon, you have no horse, and my hands are tied. I’m not familiar with this place, and we have only seen one village. No, I have no plan.” It hurt his pride to admit that.
“If the men all fall asleep, perhaps we could sneak away on foot. Or we could take Sieger and another horse and get away.”
The guard was eyeing them suspiciously, probably trying to hear what they were saying.
“I don’t want to endanger you. For the moment, I think it’s better to be patient.” If only they’d been able to get away earlier. But with no weapon or way to cut themselves free now, it seemed impossible.
“But if the guard falls asleep, perhaps I could steal his sword.” Gisela’s soft voice vibrated with excitement.
“No. If he falls asleep, tell me, and I’ll steal the sword.”