Page 77 of Veil of Winter

“I bear the sword of a Valkenfeld prince!” Bertold had a flair for creating a spectacle, apparently. He unsheathed his sword with a flourish and brandished it over his head, letting the light of the sun glint on the blade. “Behold the crest of Valkenfeld!”

The Valkenfeld guards had varying looks on their faces of suspicion, confusion, and astonishment, while King Claude’s guards glared and prepared to draw their swords.

Bertold suddenly leapt from the fountain and ran down a side street. And as they had hoped, the Valkenfeld guards and some of the Montciel guards raced after him.

The villagers of Montciel stood looking around at one another, mumbling and scratching their heads. Now it was Gerard’s turn. He was much less inclined to make a spectacle, but he jumped up on the wall of the fountain and raised his arms to get the people’s attention.

“Men and women of Montciel, listen,” Gerard said in German. “Your own sovereign king, King Leandre, has sold you out to King Claude of Valkenfeld.”

When he said that, a murmur went through the crowd. Most of them, undoubtedly, had heard about the people who were being forced to dig the new mine inside the Montciel border.

Gerard motioned to Jacob to climb up beside him, then asked him to translate.

“But you have someone who wants to save you from being forced into slavery in Claude’s underground mines. She is your own princess, Elyce of Montciel,” Gerard declared in English, pausing every few words so Jacob could translate.

“What has the princess ever done for us?” shouted a strident voice.

“Why should we trust her more than the king?” another voice called out.

More murmuring went through the crowd.

“She put herself in danger. She feigned her own death and went to King Wenceslaus for help because she was not willing to sacrifice your freedom for wealth or an alliance with this foreign king, King Claude.”

The people looked surprised and glanced around at one another.

Jacob shouted, “It is true! I helped her run away. She was trying to get help to keep King Claude from taking over Montciel and forcing you to be slaves in his mines. Do you want to give up your peaceful lives in the sun to go work in King Claude’s mines?”

A louder murmur went through the crowd, with people shaking their heads and looking disgruntled.

“King Leandre would sell you to the King of Valkenfeld for his own gain,” Gerard went on. “But Princess Elyce would not. She wants to save you from that. Even now she plans to defy the will of King Claude and refuses to marry his nephew, Count Rodrigo. He’s trying to stop her from getting help from King Wenceslaus and other noblemen. King Claude is holding her captive, and now you must do your part in staving off his control.”

“What can we do?” a man shouted. “We are not soldiers.”

Gerard noticed that several more of Montciel’s guards had entered the area. They listened attentively, making no move to stop them.

“You must decide who you are loyal to, your king or your princess. Choose wisely, for if you choose the king, you will find yourself, or your son or your husband, deep in a dark hole, mining the wealth of your country for two selfish kings. But if you choose the princess, you will have to be willing to fight both King Claude and King Leandre.”

He motioned toward a side street that opened into theMarktplatz. King Wenceslaus’s soldiers stepped out and moved into the open cobblestonePlatz.

“You will have help from these men, King Wenceslaus’s soldiers that he sent to aid you. And you will have the guards from Valkenfeld who are willing to side with King Claude’s brother, Prince Bertold. He will be a good and noble king, not like King Claude. Just as Princess Elyce will be a good and noble queen when given the chance.”

The people were still glancing around and mumbling to one another.

“Do you want to serve King Claude? Or will you stand up for yourselves, your families, and your way of life?”

“I’m not a soldier! I don’t want to kill anyone,” a man said.

“You won’t have to, God willing. You will simply have to make it known to King Leandre that you are not willing to work in the mines and that you are opposed to his agreement with King Claude.”God, I hope and pray I’m right.

“I will fight!” A young man from the middle of the crowd pumped his fist in the air.

“Come up here!” Jacob motioned the man to come to the fountain. Taking him by the hand, Gerard helped him up. “You are Ysabeau’s brother, are you not?”

“Yes. I am Matthias.”

“Tell them what King Claude did to your younger brothers,” Jacob said.

Gerard’s spirit lifted. This was the very man they needed! And just as Matthias began to speak, Bertold returned with the Valkenfeld guards right behind him. They stood at the back of the crowd and listened.