‘Hooray,’ shouted the crowd, deceived by the Dark Lord’s words.
‘The only one who is speaking heresy is you,’ Aedan growled under his breath. He looked over at Nuada who looked sick with anger. His parents had been threatened and killed by this evil man – he was falsely condemning Ziah for the very thing he had done. He’s a hypocrite.
‘Who would like to see the prisoner?’ He stirred the crowd further. ‘Bring out the prisoner.’
‘Kill him, we don’t want traitors in Griswold,’ others chanted. The doors to the dungeon opened and Ziah was dragged out in chains. The crowd erupted as though they were at a sport meeting. ‘Traitor, traitor’ - the word reverberated around the castle walls like a clanging gong.
Ziah squinted, the light blinding him after the dingy dungeon. He looked bewildered to see so many people who knew nothing about him willing to condemn him on the word of the Dark Lord. So much for justice and innocent until proven guilty, he thought.
Mac and Imogene slipped through the door leading to the next courtyard while the crowd focused on Ziah’s entrance. No one noticed them leave. Mac put on the glasses so as to be ready for any unexpected surprises. They looked around momentarily trying to get their bearings.
‘Which way is it to the south tower?’ Imogene asked Mac.
‘I think it’s this way,’ he replied entering a door to the castle. ‘So far I don’t see anyone but we still need to be cautious.’ They made their way through the draughty halls staying close to the wall, keeping their ears tuned to any approaching people. This place was a mausoleum – so different to Lionsgate and they shivered at the thought of living here.
‘We need to find the stairs which will take us to the south tower,’ he said frustrated. ‘I can’t work it out. It looked so simple from the outside but I’m not sure now. There are too many passages and corridors.’
‘Shh…’ Imogene cautioned. ‘Someone’s coming.’ They looked for a place to hide and found a curtained recess in the wall. Silently they hid behind the curtain, feeling as though their pounding hearts could be heard echoing all through the halls.
‘Come on woman,’ the old man said. ‘You always make us late for things and I don’t want to miss the execution.’
‘I’m sorry Morris,’ her voice sullen, ‘but I couldn’t just leave those children without any refreshment all day. Once the feasting begins they will be forgotten and they’ll get hungry and thirsty.’
‘Maureen, I’ve told you a hundred times not to get attached to them. They are not your responsibility and the time may come when they are of no use, then where will you be if the Dark Lord disposes of them?’ Imogene clasped her hand over her mouth, a moan escaping from her throat. The thought of the Dark Lord disposing of her children was unthinkable. She knew they had to get them out tonight – it was their only chance. Mac had seen through the curtain with his magic glasses where the old couple had alighted from. If they had seen the children then that was the route to follow. Once they knew the corridor was clear they slipped out following the direction they had come from. They soon found a strong wooden door that led to a stairwell.
‘This must be it,’ he whispered in excitement. ‘Let’s get our children Imogene.’ It felt like the longest climb they had ever taken and they were relieved to finally get to the top of the stairs. A number of doors led off the top of the stairwell.
‘How do we know which door it is?’ Imogene cried in dismay.
‘Imogene – you forget,’ he said pointing to his spectacles, reminding her of the fantastic glasses he was wearing. Behind the first door was an empty room that looked musty and derelict. The second door housed excess furniture that was not being used in the castle.
‘This is it,’ Mac shouted triumphantly at the third door. ‘I can see Maddy and Aislinn,’ he said choking back tears of joy and relief. He pushed the glasses onto the top of his head as they misted up with his tears. They tried the door but found it locked – a frustrating barrier to the reunion they so longed for.
‘How are we going to get in?’
‘I’m not sure, but we haven’t come this far to let a locked door deter us,’ he said with determination. ‘Let’s look around and see if we can find a key. There must be a key for whoever brings the children food and water.’ They searched around the door frame feeling above the door ledge, alongside the door for a nail or hook that would perhaps hold the key, to no avail.
‘It’s no good,’ Imogene cried, tears bristling at the side of her eyes.
‘There’s got to be a way.’ He pulled down the glasses and looked carefully around the door. ‘I see the key behind these stones Imogene,’ he whispered excitedly but they had no way of knowing how to get access to it. ‘This can’t be happening,’ Mac said angrily punching the wall where the key was. He felt helpless and frustrated. To their delight the punch activated a mechanism and the wall shifted and creaked as though the stones were being re-arranged. A cavity opened and there before them was the key.
***
Ziah stood chained to a post as the crowds hissed and spat at him. He noticed Aedan, Nuada and Morgan as he had been brought in and they nodded ever so slightly as he passed them. It gave him courage to undergo this torture and to see this through to the end- whatever that may be.
‘Why doesn’t he retaliate?’ Nuada asked under his breath. ‘He’s the Great One’s son after all and has powers the Dark Lord could only dream of. He could save himself.’
‘Hush,’ Aedan said. ‘He does not have his keys any more Nuada, but the Great One has another plan in mind. Ziah will buy us time to release the children by sacrificing himself to let the Dark Lord think he has the victory. That’s all I can say for now – we can’t talk here – it’s too risky.’ Ziah endured abuse after abuse never once defending himself, the crowds frenzied in their behaviour.
‘So…’ Legion roared from his seat on the balcony, ‘you don’t seem so sure of yourself anymore young man. Where is this army you threatened me with earlier? It seems as though you have been deserted. Perhaps your father doesn’t quite value you as much as you thought. I don’t see him rushing in here to rescue you.’ The crowd cheered and laughed at his cuckolding. He raised his hand and a hush fell over the people.
‘Are you ready to surrender to me yet Ziah – there is still that opportunity we spoke of earlier today?’
‘I would rather die than surrender to you,’ Ziah spat.
‘Your wish is my command - then die you shall.’ A herald raised his trumpet to his lips, blasting it ceremoniously before reading from the parchment the Dark Lord handed him.
‘Ziah, you’ve been found guilty of trying to deceive these good people to follow another, and as such are a traitor to the kingdom of Griswold. The punishment for your crime is death by torture.’ The words of finality hung thick in the air, the crowd leaning forward, blood thirsty vampires. ‘Let the punishment begin,’ declared Legion with a glint of victory in his eyes. I hope you are watching Old Man – and I hope it kills you!
***
Mac fumbled with the key. The faster he tried, the clumsier he felt. Eventually he took a deep breath and slowed his steadying hand to work methodically. The key slipped in smoothly and clicked as he turned it. They pushed the door open and rushed in to see Aislinn, with chair in hand, ready to protect Maddy from the intruders. It took a few seconds for her to register who she was looking at.
‘Papa, Mama!’ she exclaimed disbelievingly, ‘We thought you were dead…’ She could say no more as the weight of all she had endured came to a climax - tears poured down her face. They wrapped the girls in their arms as though they would never let go.
‘Sorry to interrupt this reunion,’ echoed a voice behind them. Mac swung around ready to tackle the intruder. No one would separate his family again. Aislinn recognized the look of fear and anger on her father’s face.
‘Wait Papa, this is Regent. He’s from the Great One - he is the Protector of Royalty. He and his friends have helped us b
y keeping us safe.’ Mac’s countenance changed and he stretched out his hand to the stranger. ‘Then I thank you,’ he said with genuine emotion in his voice. Imogene noticed Struan lying on the bed and that he was not well. ‘Mac, Struan has a fever and looks extremely poor.’ The concern in her voice worried him.
‘Yes, Mama, he has an infection in the wounds on his hands. I’ve tried to keep them clean and his fever down, but it has not helped.’
‘You’ve done well Aislinn,’ her mother commended her. Imogene was so consumed with her oldest son she had not noticed that her youngest was absent from the tower room. It dawned on her slowly, that something was not right. ‘Mitchell! Where’s Mitchell, Aislinn?’ Her daughter’s stricken face spoke a thousand words and Imogene’s heart sank. She assumed the worst. ‘I’m sorry Mama, I tried, but I couldn’t stop them. They took him and gave him to one of the Dark Lord’s wizards.’
‘Nooo,’ the anguished cry escaped from deep within her belly. Her mind ran, out of control - she imagined her little boy being given as a sacrifice to the Dark Lord.
‘We’ll get him back Mama,’ she pleaded, feeling guilt suffocate her. Aislinn chastised herself for not protecting Mitchell better. She tried to reassure her mother but felt that no matter what she said it would not take away the crushing guilt she felt. ‘I’m sure she will take care of him, she has wanted a child for so long. We’ll get him back I promise Mama.’ Aislinn’s desperate words sank in as Imogene realized that he had not been taken for sacrifice.
‘Tell me everything you know,’ she whispered urgently.
‘Imogene, Aislinn – we must get out of here now, Struan needs immediate help and if we delay any longer we may be discovered. We will not be able to help Mitchell if we are all prisoners of the Dark Lord,’ Mac urged. Imogene mentally shook herself. He was right – they had to think of their other three children and get them to safety before they were discovered. Just when she thought this whole awful mess was coming to an end there seemed to be another twist and turn. Would this nightmare ever end?
CHAPTER 19 - SACRIFICE
Ziah was exhausted – he had been beaten, mocked and ridiculed. Now he lay tied to the rack like an animal ready for slaughter. His hair was plastered to his forehead, a mixture of sweat, matted blood and grime. Although his body looked beaten and broken, his eyes were determined and fiery. The skies above the castle darkened as thick black clouds rolled in - even the forces of nature recognized the injustice of this ridiculous trial. Dust blew in small eddying circles in the courtyard and people covered their noses and mouths with their tunics as nature protested fiercely at the day’s events.
The torturers stretched out Ziah’s body by turning the wooden handle on the bench. A jarring, scraping noise could be heard as the bench moved apart inch by inch. Ziah was determined to go through this pain with as much dignity as possible. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain of his arms and legs being pulled apart - it felt as though he was being torn into pieces – muscle by muscle. The pain was excruciating and every now and again when he passed out from the unbearable agony of it all, the torturers would fill their buckets and throw icy water over his face. Then the whole awful process would begin again. Legion was enjoying himself. He was disappointed that the weather was marring his fun, but seeing Ziah powerless and pathetic brought him more pleasure than could be imagined.
‘So Great One,’ he muttered to himself, ‘I hope you’re watching and feeling as wretched as I felt when you banished me from your kingdom. Pain is not pleasant now, is it?’ The torture continued and became so cruel that many women and children had to turn away from the brutality of it all. Morgan, Nuada and Aedan never once looked away from Ziah’s eyes. Their eyes sent him messages of courage and love as their tears flowed freely.
***
Mac and Imogene had a decision to make regarding Struan. ‘Give him some of the oil. It will heal him Mac.’
‘I know,’ Mac said, ‘but if we use even a drop then we will not be able to use it if one of us is killed during our escape. Remember what the Great One said about using it wisely.’
‘But he could die!’ she cried anguished.
‘I know, Imogene,’ he said gently, ‘but if that happens and we have all the oil we can bring him back to life with it. Do you trust the Great One’s words?’ he asked her. She hesitated only for a fraction of a second and then nodded her head, realizing the logic of his argument.
‘Now we need to find the scroll.’ Aislinn raised her head at the mention of the scroll.
‘The Dark Lord has an important scroll but he’s locked it away together with Ziah’s keys in the west tower. It’s guarded by a ferocious dragon,’ she said.
‘Great!’ muttered Mac under his breath.
‘Let’s get out of here for now,’ Regent suggested. ‘We need to get the children to safety first and formulate a plan for getting the scroll and keys back later.’ Mac scooped Struan into his arms, placed the glasses firmly on his face and headed for the door with Imogene and Maddy close behind. As they exited the door, Aislinn cried, ‘Wait…’ She rushed back into the room, fumbled in the pillowslip. She pulled out her gemstone and feather. She would always keep them with her as a reminder of this adventure and one day she would tell her children all about it. With the help of the magical glasses they made their way down the tower stairs without any problems. In the hallway of the castle they found a coat rack full of cloaks.
‘Take a cloak for Aislinn and Maddy, and another to cover Struan otherwise they may be recognized and your escape hindered,’ Regent suggested.
‘Yes, it’s a good plan,’ Mac agreed. They placed the cloaks around the girls so that they would look like any other traveling family that day. Imogene covered Struan’s weak body with another cloak. Perhaps they could pass him off as a sleeping child being carried by his father after a long, tiring day.
‘I must leave you now,’ said Regent, ‘but we will see each other again.’ Aislinn and Maddy both hugged him, thanking him for being there for them.
‘I’ll always be around, don’t you worry,’ he chuckled. They left the castle hall and headed for the stables and the secret tunnel that would lead to their freedom. Imogene hated leaving without Mitchell, but her first priority was to see her other children to safety. They needed a plan as to how they would get their little boy back. They passed through the courtyard and slowly made their way around the crowds that were pressing in to see Ziah’s final humiliation.
‘Don’t look,’ Mac whispered to Aislinn and Maddy as they passed through the courtyard. He had no desire for his children to witness any more of the Dark Lord’s evil and brutality. They headed for the stables, hoping no one would notice them or stop them. As they entered the stable, a young guard blocked their entrance.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked gruffly.
‘We are looking for a place to rest the wee ones,’ Mac replied pointing to Maddy and what appeared to be a sleeping Struan. ‘We’ve had a long journey today and the children are worn out.’
‘Aye,’ said the guard, ‘there’s an empty stall at the end of the stable. They can rest there if you like.’
‘Thank you,’ said Imogene gratefully. Slowly they made their way to the stall he had pointed out to them. They would have to wait for an opportune moment to escape down the secret tunnel - patience would need to be exercised. Mac settled the children in the stall, waiting for the guard to move off. He did not budge but remained in the entrance of the stables.
‘This could be a long wait,’ Mac whispered to Imogene. They were so close to freedom, it was unbearable. A loud cheer erupted and chants of ‘Kill him’ rang out through the crowd. The guard’s curiosity got the better of him. He stepped out of the stables, craning his neck to see what was taking place.
‘Now,’ said Mac to his family. ‘We need to move now!’
***
The air was charged with evil and Ziah knew that the end was near. He had endured torture tha
t was beyond cruel and yet still he trusted his father. He looked up into the sky, his body stretched out in the shape of a crucifix as he was laid out on the rack. He smiled at the angry sky, a raindrop falling onto his cheek like a tear from the heavens. He knew he was not alone and that he was loved. Aedan, his precious friend was there for him and his father was close by –he could feel it. He knew too, that the Hamilton children would be free by now and his heart rejoiced in that. In a final act of defiance his voice rang out strong through the courtyard, ‘Forgive them father – I’m coming home.’ Legion was caught completely unaware by this declaration. Silence descended upon the courtyard as the shocked onlookers heard those words.
‘What did he say…?’ he growled under his breath to his advisors. He was more than annoyed with this final act of bravado. He raised his hand to the executioner and let it fall swiftly to his side. At his signal, the executioner picked up a stake, raised it above his head and brought it down quickly, piercing Ziah’s heart in one motion. The crowd gasped, then began to cheer. In their minds a traitor had been justly punished. Legion sensed his victory was complete although it was marred by Ziah’s final declaration.
‘Clean up the mess, tonight we feast for Griswold is safe.’ He stood up, looked once more at Ziah’s lifeless corpse, his blood seeping into the earth below the torture slab, and headed back to his chambers to savour his victory. Aedan, Nuada and Morgan could not move from where they were standing. They were devastated at the brutality of Ziah’s death and were in shock.
‘We can’t leave him here,’ Nuada said, broken. ‘He deserves better than that.’
‘How are we going to take him without arousing suspicion?’ Morgan asked.
‘No, we need to leave him for now,’ Aedan declared. ‘This battle is not over yet – we retrieve him tonight from the castle.’ The three men made their way to the stable with the secret passage. They did not want to appear to be leaving the castle for fear of attracting attention as most travelers were staying for the great feast that night. Quickly and quietly they left the castle via the hidden tunnel to report all they had seen.