Vargan seized on this new opportunity the way a snake might snatch a mouse. He would force me to act, but I didn’t know how to fix this. It would have been hard enough to get both Tobias and myself out of here. Now Harlowe too? How many others from my kingdom would collect in that dungeon? I didn’t want their company, not here, and no matter how hard they tried to help me, it didn’t make anything easier.
The key to my chains was still hidden inside my coat, but I’d have no chance at freedom before one of the many vigils here killed me, and then Harlowe next. So I stood silently and in full cooperation. For now.
“You wish to have Jaron’s body?” Vargan said to Harlowe. “For what purpose?”
“His title is King Jaron,” Harlowe replied calmly. “And naturally, we wish to bury him, according to Carthyan traditions.”
Vargan let a long silence pass, probably in some attempt to intimidate my prime regent. Well, he could stare at Harlowe for as long as he wanted, but I knew Harlowe wouldn’t blink. Eventually, Vargan gave up and said, “It’s a pity Jaron’s dead. Otherwise, I’d have offered you the chance to trade places with him, to give your life for his.”
“And I’d have accepted,” Harlowe said.
“Yes, but would Jaron allow you to do that?” Vargan’s laugh was dark and coarse. He was speaking to Harlowe, but his message was for my ears. “Would he let you die to save himself?”
“I would insist on it,” Harlowe said. “If Jaron were here, I would beg him to find a way to remain alive, even at my expense.”
“And if he were here,” Vargan said, “I would offer him a way to save you both. Bring him out!”
The vigils at my sides shoved me back through the curtain and into the main room. I hadn’t been prepared to move so suddenly, and so although I was in bad shape, stumbling into the room probably made my condition look worse. Harlowe sat up straighter when he saw me, but the expression on his face was one of deep sadness, not surprise. I tried to understand that. Obviously, he must have known all along that I was alive, but how? Harlowe immediately left his chair and bowed at my feet, a move that infuriated Vargan.
“You will bow to me before this is finished!” Vargan growled. “Both of you will.”
Harlowe rose again and in his anger seemed to have grown in size, towering over Vargan. He gestured at me with his hand. “Look at him, the suffering he’s clearly endured here! If you allowed such treatment of a royal, then you are not worthy to demand anything of him!”
“He illegally entered Avenia and attacked this camp,” Vargan countered. “Are those the actions of a king or a mercenary? Jaron is my prisoner, and believe me, he has received far more kindness than he deserved.”
Harlowe stepped forward to further the argument, but I mumbled his name to get his attention. Shaking my head, I said, “Go home, now, while you can, and let me handle things here. Tell the people I’m well.”
“But you’re not,” Harlowe said. “I will not leave your side.”
Vargan chuckled. “Noble words from both of you, but about choices neither of you have.” He tilted his head in an order for his vigils to advance on Harlowe. They pulled his arms behind him and almost instantly had him in chains similar to mine.
“King Jaron, just before your regent arrived, I was about to give orders concerning you. Can you guess what for?”
“You want to set me free, to save yourself any embarrassment after I escape.”
His eyes narrowed. “I was about to order your execution. But I suggest we start with your prime regent instead. Your younger regent will follow.”
“No!”
“Then do as I say! Sign the papers making Carthya a tribute to Avenia.”
I glanced at Harlowe, but read nothing from his expression. He had to know I couldn’t sign them.
At Vargan’s gesture, the man holding Harlowe withdrew a knife and placed it at his neck. Harlowe cocked his head away, but his eyes were on me. They were calm, or at least, more at peace than I felt.
Then Vargan said, “You will watch him die, Jaron, here and now. And you will know that all of this could have been prevented if you would only bow to me!”
Still, I did not respond. Finally, Vargan said, “Kill him.”
“I need time!” I shouted. “King Vargan, you ask everything of me. The least you could do is give me an hour of privacy with my two regents to discuss your proposal. I need their advice.” Vargan looked unconvinced, but I added, “I promise to make the best possible use of that time.”
Vargan waved us away, back to the same prison where I’d been held before. Vigils led me away first, with Harlowe not far behind. Terrowic, the man from whom I’d stolen the keys, suddenly began patting around for them.
“I’ve lost my keys,” he said to the other vigil with me.
“Again? The king will have your head if he finds out.”
“My vigils never lose their keys,” I muttered. “In Carthya, we’re not that stupid.”
He dug his fingers deeper into my arm and picked up his pace. I nearly lost my footing with the increased speed, but managed to keep up. I didn’t want to stumble again and worry Harlowe. He already seemed concerned enough.
There had only been two sets of chains attached to the wall. Tobias was still bound to one, and when I walked in with Harlowe, he sat up in surprise but said nothing. They returned me to the other chains. With no other alternative, Harlowe was taken to a corner and ordered to sit and not move. Quite pleased with themselves for having taken an additional member of my court, the vigils folded their arms and stood back against the wall.
“We won’t speak a word until you’re gone,” I said. “Your king promised us an hour of privacy to discuss his proposal. Do you want to explain the delay, or shall I?”
The vigils looked at each other, then exited. When I was sure they had gone, I immediately asked Harlowe, “How did you know I was alive?”
“Mott has stayed hidden close to the camp all this time, but he couldn’t get anywhere near you. We didn’t know about Tobias, but I’m glad he’s been here to help you.”
“I’d have done more for him, if I could have,” Tobias said.
Harlowe smiled at him. “And for that, you have an entire kingdom’s gratitude.” Then he turned back to me. “We couldn’t rescue you, so we decided to force you to rescue yourself.”
“If I could escape, I’d have done it already. You sacrificed yourself for nothing!”
“I’ve made no sacrifice, Your Majesty. We will all escape here safely. I know you well enough to see when your mind is working. Now, tell me your plan.”
My last plan had ended with Imogen’s death. I didn’t trust that I could do any better for Harlowe and Tobias this time. However, doing nothing had a very definite outcome for us all. Something had to happen.
Although it required a bit of maneuvering, I was able to withdraw the key from my coat and free myself. Then I freed Tobias, who crept over to Harlowe and set to work at his chains.
“Can either of you fight?” I asked. “I’m afraid I won’t be much help to you here.”
“You know how I am at fighting,” Tobias said. “But I’ll do what I can.”
“Then I’ll be strong enough for all of us,” Harlowe said.
When the guards returned an hour later, we were back in our places, chained to the wall. Or rather, the chains were around our wrists, but not locked.
As soon as they entered, I asked Terrowic, “Did you find your keys?”
He scrunched up one side of his face and moved farther into the cell. “Why?”
“Because if a prisoner found them, you’d be in a lot of trouble.”
Then he understood. He lunged for me, but I rolled away and he hit the wall. From where he had been hiding behind the door, Tobias leapt forward and swung the chains he had worn at the vigil’s head. With a large cracking sound, Terrowic tumbled to the ground, unconscious.
“Did you see that?” Tobias asked. “I did that!”
Harlowe quickly helped Tobias remove the man’s livery, and Tobias slipped it on over his clothes.
We started for the door, but footsteps pounded down toward us from other vigils who had heard the commotion. We were trapped.