Page 89 of Legacy of Glass
Whatever Marigold’s parents thought about her choice, they were going to have to deal with rumors of it flying through the capital soon. Given her rank, manner, and appearance, Marigold had always attracted attention and was a favorite with the public. It was probably the reason the queen had thought her a reasonable choice for Julius despite her casual manner.
“I need you to send one of your men to the closest garrison for horses,” Julius told the sergeant. “We’ve obviously attracted attention here, so a crowd will likely gather. I want us on horseback for the trip back to the palace. Five mounts, if you can manage it.” He glanced at Olivia. “Daphne can ride?”
“Passably.” Daphne sat up on her improvised sofa. “Are we finally leaving, then?”
Olivia stifled a laugh at the bewildered face of the sergeant.
“Ah yes, Your Highness,” the distracted sergeant managed. “We should be able to provide five horses, though they might not be of the same quality you’re used to.”
“Any horse trained to take a rider will be fine,” Julius said. “The rest of you should secure these men and escort them to the palace as soon as possible.” He eyed the medic who was shaking his head over one of the men. “Those who are able to be moved anyway. We’ll want to question them without delay.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” The sergeant saluted him before turning to bark orders to his men.
Olivia put a hand on Julius’s arm. “Have the horses meet us at the rendezvous point. The first thing we have to do is get Elisabeth there to meet her parents. They’ll be desperately worried if she’s not there at the appointed time.”
Elisabeth burst into tears at the mention of her parents, and Daphne hurried back to her side, taking her arm in a bracing way.
Julius eyed her warily but agreed, clearly having no desire to prolong the Larkins’ suffering unnecessarily.
After relaying the revised order to the sergeant, he led the group of six out of the warehouse. The sergeant tried to send guards with them, but Julius refused. As it was, they were only leaving five guards and one medic to deal with five severely wounded but hostile men.
Outside, only a small crowd had gathered, and they drew back at the sight of the nobles, whispers breaking out in every direction. Julius hustled the others along quickly, and they reached the rendezvous point only a few minutes late.
“Mother! Father!” Elisabeth shouted as soon as her parents came into view. She broke away from Daphne and sprinted across the small courtyard to throw herself into her parents’ arms.
The rest of them followed more sedately.
“Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?” Larkin asked as his wife held their crying daughter.
Julius’s mouth twisted. “We were able to use the information you provided to guess where the abducted women were being held, so we decided to move at once and stage a rescue.”
“Women? There were more taken than just my Elisabeth?” Larkin asked sharply, his eyes surveying the group and fixing on Marigold. They grew wide and then wider again as he took in Cade’s protective arm around her. “I don’t understand,” he said weakly.
“For now, all you need to know is that your daughter is safely returned to you,” Julius said.
“Elisabeth didn’t fight them,” Marigold said in a subdued voice, “so they didn’t hurt her. I told her they wouldn’t as long as she didn’t resist her imprisonment.”
“Thank you!” Elisabeth cried from the safety of her mother’s arms. “I would have been terrified without you.” Her voice dropped. “More terrified, anyway.”
Marigold smiled. “I consider us sisters in captivity, and I hope once you’ve recovered, you’ll visit me.”
Both Larkin and his wife’s brows rose in unison, and they exchanged a look.
“There’s no longer any need to flee the city,” Julius said. “The perpetrators of this crime will be uncovered and brought to justice. I swear it.”
“I see…” Master Larkin’s eyes lingered on Marigold, nestled in the circle of Cade’s arm. “In that case, we’ll take our daughter home.” He bowed low, gesturing to his wife and daughter, who let go of each other to drop into curtsies.
“We’re so sorry for the ordeal you’ve endured, Elisabeth,” Olivia said. “We’ll be sure to keep you all updated on any developments.”
Two guards entered the courtyard, leading a string of five horses. Julius signaled to them, and goodbyes were said quickly as the five bound for the palace quickly mounted.
Cade and Marigold looked reluctant to separate, but at a look from Julius they did so, each mounting their own horse.
Just before Cade swung onto his, Julius clapped him on the back. “That was an excellent guess, by the way. I don’t think I’ve congratulated you on it yet. Just try not to get us all killed alongside you next time, please.”
Cade gave him a tight smile as he mounted, not bothering to answer. Olivia couldn’t imagine he felt any regret for his rash actions given how everything had turned out.
She just hoped they would be equally successful at identifying the culprit behind the abductions and ensuring there were no more victims.
