The Heiress Queen (Season Series Prequel)

Chapter 41

It took Sam Winters one kick to break down the door to Isabelle's bedchamber. Graham didn't remember entering, nor did he remember drawing his sword, but he did remember the three things he noticed first.

The priest with a knife to his throat. The prince with murder in his eyes. The duchess, sagging unconsciously in some foreign brute's arms.

Graham didn't have time to think before his body moved.

Unfortunately, Leopold had the same thought.

The point of the foreign prince's sword nestled itself between Isabelle's collarbones, dimpling the delicate skin of her neck and halting Graham in his tracks. Behind him, Sam grunted as one of Leopold's three men crumpled to the ground, the northerner's blade slick with blood as he yanked it free from the man's belly.

"One more move and she joins her father," Leopold said, eyeing his fallen man. Sam whirled at the sound of the prince's voice, his entire body tensing as he took in the sword pressed to Isabelle's neck. Leopold backed around Isabelle, the edge of his blade drawing a trickle of blood as he positioned himself behind the man still holding her.

"Let her go and I'll let you walk out of here alive," Graham said, his knuckles white around his sword.

"I daresay you're in no position to negotiate, your Highness," Leopold drawled. "She leaves here with me or she leaves this world."

Sam growled as Graham's mind raced. He didn't doubt that one wrong move would have Leopold spilling Isabelle's blood all over the floor of her bedchamber. That sheer knowledge alone had him battling down the bloodlust that tore through his veins, screaming for Leopold's head.

"You've killed a member of my king's court and are now threatening to murder his daughter and heiress as well," Graham said, his voice deadly calm. "I daresay you'll be lucky to escape here with your head still atop your shoulders."

"If I don't return to my camp by sunrise, my forces march on Inverloch and we go to war," Leopold spat. "Can you afford that, Graham? Or will your father cower in his castle while his border lords turn on him for abandoning Kentshire?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, this town is swarming with my men," Sam snarled. "I'd pit a hundred Umberwood men against a thousand Germanian bastards any day!"

Leopold laughed, if only to goad the northerner. Graham bit his tongue and wished that Sam would do the same.

Isabelle's life hung in the balance.

"Look around, you pathetic oaf," Leopold said. "Your useless scouts were the ones who provided us a means of entry. It was far too easy to separate them from their uniforms, something I daresay none of you noticed. There's so much damned red tartan in this town that it was almost too easy for us to slip in and ambush her."

"I will kill you for this," Sam swore. Leopold laughed once again, sliding his sword ever so slightly against Isabelle's neck. A bead of blood bloomed along the edge of the blade and Graham's thoughts narrowed to one.

He was going to kill Leopold.

The sting of the sword had Isabelle's eyes fluttering open. Graham's heart stopped, hoping she wouldn't move and alert Leopold to her wakefulness. Thankfully, she blinked herself aware of her surroundings, still limp as a rag doll in the Germanian thug's arms.

"Not before I kill your beloved future queen," Leopold said, baring his teeth. "Or did you think I hadn't figured out why you'd come rushing in here to save her?"

Graham forced his eyes away from Isabelle, relieved that the blow that had knocked her unconscious hadn't killed her.

"You're wrong," Graham said, wrapping his mind in the icy calm he needed to succeed at manipulating the situation back into his favour. "I made her a duchess so she would remain in Pretania of her own accord. I didn't have to force her hand, as you no doubt tried to, what with having a priest here and all. Speaking of whom, I would counsel you to release him, unless you plan on eternally damning your soul."