Game of Pawns

Chapter 15

No one was there to greet them when they arrived on the streets of London's outskirts with the orange of a new day staining the indigo skies behind them. Selwyn had even sent a runner ahead to declare their homecoming. Overall, they had made good time. Had it not been for the horses and the wagons to help cart them between Bristol and London, Grim feared they would have still been walking. The silence of the streets, illuminated by the rings of light from the metal lamps, was the same as the day Grim departed from Kensal.

Grasping the horse's reins, Grimhild eyed the alleyways. The animals were as weary as everyone else, and their breathing became more labored as they struggled to pull the wagons loaded with supplies and passengers along the cobbled streets of London.

"You made it," she said giving the horse a loving pat on the snout, "when your masters didn't."

She'd wanted to go back for Junius and Zander. She truly did. But Commander Selwyn had convinced her that there was nothing she could do. The distance was too great, the men too haggard. Whatever had ensnared the Mage and King was nothing they could defend against at this rate. Reluctantly, Grim went along with what Selwyn said.

Let them be safe.

The sun's light started to reach London's roadways as they pressed onward towards the palace, and more and more residents started to appear upon the porches of their townhouses. Windows brightened with lamps and candles. Gradually, the streetlamps flicked off, one at a time down the road. Grim gestured towards the street that would bring them through the parks, where the pavement was smoother. Silent since their tiff about whether to abandon Junius and Zander, Selwyn merely bobbed his head in agreement. Flags adorned with Aragon crest fluttered from signposts around the perimeter of the park.

A new addition, Grim noted.

Though it seemed like only a few days since taking up the mission, due to how everything merged together in her recollections, Grimhild then realized how long it had really been. Freya had given her until the end of the month to return to the guild house. At this rate, she was cutting it criminally short. Grim thought about her sisters, about the books from the library in Prolozia she had acquired for the children, about the stories of the Scars she needed to tell Bryn and Svan, and about the dainty cutlery inlaid with golden filigree that Jun had given her to present to Freya. Her mind cycled back to Junius and Zander, making her sigh.

At the place where the road intersected with a traffic circle near the construction site of the new palace, several soldiers were lined up around uncut limestone, piles of logs, sand bags, and other building materials. The walls of the white palace were taller than ever, and the portals where the windows would be looked austere in the early morning. Some of the Royal Guardsmen were roused by the sight and started talking about how long they had been gone from home and how some couldn't wait to see their families.

"Aye, but first we must deliver the unfortunate news to those waiting for someone who isn't coming back," said Selwyn, halfway glancing back to his subordinates with steely eyes. Then he separated from their group to meet the men guarding the construction zone with a salute. Grim saw their alarm despite the closed helms and heavy plate armor. Did the messenger not make it? Surely, if the monarchy knew the Royal Guard was bound for home, they would have sent a party to greet them. The Crown was known for pragmatics, but Grim had hoped that they would be acknowledged for their service publicly. No such luck, it seemed. Selwyn split from the other group and returned to the wagons.

"I must make a report to the Queen along with Miss Omdahl," stated the Commander, sounding strangely unsettled.

The formality made Grim cock her head to the side. The other men caught on immediately. One even raised a hand to ask, "And what of us, sir?"