He pushed himself up, sending his chair into the wall behind him with a crash. Rose drew in a quick breath and forced herself to stand her ground, her heart beating wildly again.
“I will not abide my people trying to enforce their own justice. I’m the law here. Your friend made a serious mistake, and now he must pay for it with his life. That is all I have to say. I do not wish to discuss it any further.” He slammed his fist on the desk and took in a wheezing breath, then began coughing, a deep, chest-rattling spasm. He motioned with his hand for her to leave.
With a humble bow of her head, Rose turned and left the room.
I’ve failed. O God, what can I do now? There was no one she could turn to, no one left to help her. A weight descended onto her shoulders.
Since Rose was out of ideas, she should go see Hildy, to offer what comfort she could.
Hildy lay across her bed, but sat up when Rose came in the door. Her face was puffy, with red blotches over her cheeks. “Any news?”
Rose shook her head. The way Hildy’s face fell sent a pain through her heart. “But there’s still time. Lord Hamlin will surely come back today.” Surely God would come through for them…somehow.
“I hope I die of a broken heart. I can’t go on living if Gunther dies—because of me!” Hildy burst into sobs, sinking down into the bed and burying her face in her pillow.
Rose sat on the edge of the bed and put her hand on her friend’s head. “It’s not your fault, Hildy. Gunther certainly doesn’t blame you.”
Hildy lifted her face and stared at Rose through tear-brightened eyes. Her usually tight braid was frayed, with strands of hair hanging loose about her face. “I went to see him today, in the dungeon. I had to see him. He said he wanted to ask me to marry him, would have asked me in a few more weeks.” Hildy sniffed, a look of complete despair in her glazed-over eyes. “I wish they would hang me too.”
Rose patted Hildy’s back while she prayed silently, her throat aching. Please, God, please. Please help us.
Finally, with a vague expression of hope that Lord Hamlin would return before the morning, Rose left and went back to Frau Geruscha’s to wait.
But as the sun drew nearer the horizon, the heavy, sick feeling in her stomach increased.
Night fell. Rose tried to comfort herself in the fact that Gunther would be in heaven, where there was no pain, no parting, no night, only endless, perfect day in the light of the Heavenly Lord. Surprisingly, a measure of peace and even joy for Gunther came over her, but it was fleeting and limited at best. What about Hildy? How could Hildy ever forget Gunther? Her heart would be decimated.
Rose lay on the bed and covered her head with her hands. “O God, I can’t bear this. If you will not rescue Gunther, then give us all the grace to see something good in it.”
But what good could there possibly be?
Rose cried until the soothing darkness of sleep closed over her.
When Rose awoke the next morning, it only took a moment for her to remember that it was Gunther’s execution day.
She rolled over to face the tiny window, where the pale sunrise glowed yellow. Her whole body seemed made of lead, as though the weight in her heart had spread into her arms and legs and head. She rose slowly and put on her dress. Her fingers were so stiff and clumsy she could hardly tie the laces.
She opened the door of her bedroom and felt the tears begin again. She grabbed a handkerchief then plodded down the steps. Frau Geruscha waited for her with a sad, solemn look on her face. They walked to the castle kitchen together to take their breakfast, though Rose was sure she wouldn’t be able to eat.
The two sat on a wooden bench with several servants who were also breaking their fast. Rose looked around at them. Some were talking. A couple of maidservants broke into loud guffaws. Others seemed oblivious to their surroundings, intent only on their food.
Rose looked down at the fruit pastry Frau Geruscha had retrieved for her. How could she possibly eat? How could these people act so jolly, as if life was the same today as every day? Hadn’t they heard the workers’ hammering as they built the scaffolding in the Marktplatz? Didn’t they realize her friend would be executed in two hours?
Two hours. She wanted to curl into a ball and disappear.
“Fraulein?”
Lukas stood behind her, staring at her with wide eyes.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come to you last night, but Lord Hamlin, he came home. It was too late for me to be about—”
Rose jumped to her feet. “He’s here?”
“Yes, fraulein.”
“Oh, thank you, Lukas. You’re a good boy.” Rose grabbed him by the arm. “Come. I need you.”
She ran from the kitchen and made sure Lukas kept up as she took a shortcut across the courtyard then entered the door nearest the Great Hall, between the north and south wings of the castle. She stopped just inside.
“Lukas. Do you know where Lord Hamlin’s chamber is?”
“I think so.”
“Run and knock on his door. Tell him that Rose needs to talk to him. It’s urgent. I’ll be right here.”