Page 12 of Lost with a Scot
Aiden saw what the doctor meant as he examined the map.
“What does Ruritania have to do with Anna?”
“Possibly everything.” The doctor’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “I was planning to visit ye and Miss Anna this evening. I heard this afternoon the name of our wrecked mystery ship that we believe Anna was on. One of the local fishermen found a piece of the vessel that was painted with the wordsRuritanian Starin Danish and English. I made some inquiries, and it seems that it’s a royal merchant ship from Ruritania.”
Aiden frowned as he imagined Anna being tossed from the ship into the icy water. How strong she was to have survived to reach the shore when it seemed others, at least so far, hadn’t.
“Do they speak a different language there than English?” Aiden asked.
“Yes, they speak primarily Danish, but also French and German. The country is small but quite wealthy. It’s possible Anna came from that ship.”
“She first spoke to me in a tongue I didna recognize, but I thought it might be Danish. If she is from Ruritania, that would explain it. But she speaks English.”
“That’s not so surprising. England is one of Ruritania’s trade partners. Many of their countrymen would likely learn English. I ken a bit of Danish myself.” When Aiden sent him a surprised look, the doctor chuckled. “I studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but I have a passion for languages.”
That was a relief to Aiden. Although Anna seemed to understand him just fine, he wondered if hearing Danish spoken to her might bring back some of her memories.
“Would ye come see her now?” Aiden asked.
“Yes, I shall. I would very much like to examine her head again, and also try my hand at speaking her language, if I am right.” The doctor retrieved his bag. “I’ll follow ye.”
Aiden was glad he’d connected one more piece to the puzzle, but if she came from another land, it would make it even harder to find out who she really was.
* * *
Alexei Zelensky,crown prince of Ruritania and second of his name, crouched in the underbrush of the vast ancient area of woods known as the Dark Forest, which lay north of the ruins of the royal Summer Palace. At his back stood William, who had been elected as the new captain of the now renegade royal guards that had stood with Alexei. William was his most trusted friend. They had fled the Summer Palace as it burned. The gutted remains of his former home were all that was left of one of Europe’s finest jewels of royal homes. The last few moments he’d spent there on the once beautiful grounds had been marred with sweat, blood, and tears as he’d been forced to flee with his men.
It had been two long weeks since the palace had fallen and he’d sent Anna toward the harbor to sail to England. Two weeks of his men living in the woods and eating whatever they could catch in snares or shoot with longbows.
Alexei knew that his uncle’s top priority would be finding him and his rebel men in the woods. No heirs to the throne could be left, and no challenge could be made if Alexei was dead. The thought of his uncle filled Alexei with fresh rage. He tightened his hand on the sword that he held ready.
“The caravan will be coming soon,” William whispered behind him. William had been born in England, but his parents had moved here for trade when he’d been a lad. He and Alexei had been friends since they’d been old enough to run about the castle unsupervised. Alexei wouldn’t have trusted any other man with the fate of his country.
Alexei nodded. “We attack on my signal.” William passed the order along to the other loyal guards waiting in the woods using hand signals.
Between the guards and servants who’d escaped the massacre at the palace, Alexei had managed to bring a hundred and fifty others with him. His uncle’s followers had killed every man, woman, and child they could find, along with Alexei’s parents. Ruritania’s three hundred years of peace had been overturned by one man who believed Alexei’s father was weak and that Ruritania needed to conquer its neighbors in order to survive. Alexei had never trusted his uncle, but he would never have foreseen that the man would take so many innocent lives to become king.
At least Anna was safe in England. If she was here, he’d be terrified for her safety at every turn, even though she had trained alongside him all these years in the arts of sword and pistols, even arrows. But it only took one lucky shot by the enemy to kill someone, and he couldn’t risk his twin. Once he defeated his uncle and restored peace to the land, he would send for her to come home.
Ahead of them, a caravan of soldiers in bloodred uniforms marched down the road through the woods. Alexei knew the wagons would be heavy with gold and food, and he aimed to take both. Already in a short time, his uncle had raised taxes and confiscated livestock and crops all over the country. Alexei’s people were starving. He couldn’t let them suffer much longer.
A number of guards bearing the Red Wolf on their uniforms passed by on horseback. Two wagons came after them, and a rear guard followed behind. Alexei raised his hand slightly and then pointed forward. The signal given, they then leapt from their hiding spots and charged the caravan. The cries of his men shouting, “TheWhite Lion forever!” buoyed his spirits. Shots rang out as men fired pistols and rifles before turning to swords. Alexei and his men fought his uncle’s soldiers in a clash of violence and steel.
The first wagon bolted through the chaos. Alexei climbed up on a free horse and chased the wagon down, climbing onto it and stopping the driver with a blade to the man’s throat.
“You shall go no farther,” Alexei warned, and gestured for the man to abandon his seat. The man got down to the ground, arms raised.
“Tell my uncle I’m coming for him. His days as a pretender to the throne are coming to an end. The White Lion will roar once more.” The man nodded frantically, eyes wide with terror as he ran off into the woods. He would either become lost or find his way back. Alexei cared not which.
Alexei’s men broke into a cheer behind him as the last guard was subdued and the wagons were taken off the main road.
When they met up once more at their camp hidden deep in the forest, William came to greet him. “What are your orders, my king?”
Alexei flinched at the title.King... He didn’t feel like a king. He felt like a young man who’d been forced into a role he hadn’t planned to take on for another twenty years or more. Now he was carrying the weight of a crown and the hopes and dreams of a people that were being threatened by his uncle. He would have given anything to go back and save his parents, stop his uncle, and return to the life he’d had before... a life of innocence. He wished Anna was there. She always knew what to do in difficult situations.
He drew in a breath, calming himself as he planned his next move.
“Set aside enough food for the men for the next few months and as much coin as we need to secure better equipment. Then distribute the rest to the people, starting with those most in need.”
