The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (little red riding hood ebook free .txt) 📕

“Forgive me, Your Grace,”answered the hunter hastily. Penny leaned in to whisper in his earand he amended his statement, “I mean, Your Majesty.”

Ariadne acknowledged the apology witha faint nod before moving on, “Sir Harold, how do the menfare?”

“Awkwardly, Your Majesty. I have SirEgan, Sir William, and Sir Thomas working with them at the moment,helping them to acclimate to their new strength. Once we finishhere I will rejoin them, and I hope that Sir Cyhan will soon beable to assist as well,” he responded quickly.

“Is it really so difficult?” asked thequeen.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Harold. Heblushed mildly as he remembered his first charge while strengthenedby the earth-bond. He had nearly killed himself slamming into aceiling. “Several of the soldiers have already been injured and onewould have died if the goddess had not been present.”

“Died?”

“He leapt into a tree and broke hisneck when he struck a limb, Your Majesty,” supplied theknight.

“It really takes a lot of getting usedto,” added Penny.

“And the gods have been true to theirword thus far?” asked Ariadne.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Harold.“Doron has given any man who volunteered the strength of severalmen, and Millicenth has already healed a number of injuries, newand old alike.”

Penny broke in then, “Speaking of ourallies, how will we coordinate with the Kriteck?”

“Karenth will serve as our liaison,ferrying information and orders to them,” said Ariadne. “They willremain separate from our forces and wait until the attack has begunbefore they respond. Once the attack starts, their giant flying‘dragons’ will deposit them in the central courtyard.”

“And what of our dragon?” askedHarold.

“He has declined toparticipate,” responded the queen with a tight face. “He prefersautonomy. Moira Centyr assures me he will render assistance ifnecessary, but only when and if hefeels that it is required.”

“Damned uppity dragon,” muttered Chad,“wonder how he’d feel with an arrow in one eye?” He closed hismouth quickly when he realized the queen was staring at him.“Sorry, Your Majesty, just thinking out loud.”

The meeting continued for another halfhour, while details were discussed and agreed upon. When it wasover, Ariadne signaled to Penny to wait behind. Once the others hadleft she took the Countess’s hands in her own, and Penny started totake knee.

“Please, don’t Penny,” said the newqueen. “You know I think of you more as an older sister. Asdifficult as all of this has been, please continue to treat me asbefore, at least when we are alone.”

Penelope watched the younger woman’sface with empathy. Having been raised a commoner, she was all toofamiliar with the discomfort of newfound formality with formerpeers. “I should have known better. Forgive me, Ariadne, the stressof late—sometimes I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“That’s mainly why I held you back,”said Ariadne. “I wanted to know how the twins aredoing.”

“They regained consciousness briefly,before returning to a more normal sleep,” assured Penny. “I’ve seenit with their father a few times before, so I think they will makea full recovery.”

The young queen nodded, “I’m relievedto hear it. What about Rose? I had hoped she would come to thecouncil, but I didn’t think it right to command herpresence.”

Penny frowned. “She’s withdrawn intoherself. She’s still nursing, and she seems to be comforting Grambut she hasn’t spoken to anyone other than Elise since Doriandied.”

“Not even you?”

It was a sensitive subject, but Pennydecided to be frank, “Rose and I weren’t on the best of termsbefore the attacks.”

“I thought you two were as thick asthieves,” commented Ariadne.

“Normally, yes. She came to visit methe day that your father...,” Penny paused before rewording herstatement, “… the day Tremont showed his true nature. I think shehad come to reconcile, but everything just fell by the wayside whenthe news came.”

“It’s not really my business, but whywere you fighting?”

“My stubbornness to consider futurewedding arrangements,” admitted Penny. “She thought I should startthinking of my options before the year was up, so that I’d bebetter prepared when the pressure began.”

“I can see why that upsetyou.”

“It’s even worse now,” said Penny. “Ifelt as though she was cheapening Mordecai’s memory, but whenDorian transformed…”

“What?” asked Ariadne.

“… she went to him withouthesitation, even when he was a horror of crystal and spikes. I sawthen, that she was truer to her heart than I had been,” said Pennywith tears in her eyes. Now that she was finally confessing whathad lain in her heart, the emotion threatened to sweep heraway.

“But you didn’t know!” protested theyounger woman. “He had become a shiggreth. Even Dorian knew that hewasn’t safe.”

“But he was,” countered Penny. “He wasconfused, but he didn’t want to hurt us. I saw that later, when itbecame apparent that he had not become the monster we hadassumed.”

“Moira says he isn’t really the sameman, and that his mind is unraveling.”

Penny stared at the earth. “Moiraisn’t the same woman, but she still loves her child. I stood besidemy husband the last time we thought his sanity was inquestion.”

“You did what was necessary. You toldme that he didn’t really want to take the bond with you back then,”corrected Ariadne.

“You’re right,” agreed Penny. “I hadno faith then either.”

“You took a ballista bolt through thestomach for him. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You’ve done thebest you knew for you and your family at every turn, right orwrong,” said Ariadne as she moved toward her friend. She put herarms around Penny and did her best to comfort her for severalminutes before they pulled apart.

“I need to help Harold,” said theCountess.

“You need to talk to Rose,” counteredAriadne, “There may not be a chance later.”

“If something happens to me, then youwill have to tell her,” said Penny, drying her cheeks with onesleeve. “There’s too little time now.”

The Queen looked sadly after theCountess as she returned to her duties. “There’s never enough time,is there?” she said to herself, thinking of her mother andfather.

Chapter 38

“How will you be able to see when theyopen the gate to let the villagers in?” whispered Harold. He stoodclose behind Walter, along with Penny, and Sir Egan. Another twentymen stood with them, huddling together at the edge of the roadleading through the gate into Cameron Castle.

They were cloaked in invisibilityprovided by Walter, who