D.D. Ward is Writing

Lynn knew where Duke Xander’s office was located and led us there. Two guards sat outside the door. And they started and drew their swords as we approached. Fiona drew her flintlocks and stared at the men. They stopped. “Gentlemen, if you could tell Duke Xander that he has guests.” Fiona said. One guard turned and bolted down a side corridor. Fiona fired, but the man had rounded a corner and the shot tore a chunk of stone from the wall instead. She dropped the flintlock and produced another pistol. She pointed both at the remaining guard.  “We are now pressed for time. I would rather not kill you. Do not give me reason to do so.” Vincent scooped up the dropped pistol and began to reload it. The guard nodded and knocked on the duke’s door. The door swung open, and Duke Xander emerged in a rush. “Who is shooting?” He yelled. Then he saw us and stopped. “You are here.” I nodded, “You have our Duke. There is going to be an attempt made on his life. It may have happened already. We aren...

Duke Xander left and once he was gone, we emerged from our hiding places. “So, this is all terrible.” Lynn said. “We are out of options.” Fiona said. Fiona’s voice always had a flat affect to it. She spoke as though she were reading numbers from a bank statement. Now though, there was a quaver to her voice. I had never heard it before. “There are always options.” I said. “We need to find them.” “If I had not acted so rashly. But I could not let them harm you.” Fiona said. “We will find a way, and -” The world began to swirl and I staggered. A vision was arriving. “Catch me.” I managed to say before the world went black. I could only hope that somebody did. I wouldn’t know until I woke, and then I could have a concussion. “Your grace. The foreign duke. Something is wrong.” The voice was male with a Hyperborean accent. “What is wrong?” That voice was Duke Xander.  “He seems sick.” A pause. “Perhaps poison. He is vomiting.” “Damn. Summon a doctor. Immediately.” “Ren? Can you hear me?”...

“What do we do?” Vincent looked at me as he spoke. “I turn myself in.” I said.  “No.” Fiona said. “They will execute you.” “But I’ll be enough. They can use me as their scapegoat. They won’t be as concerned with the rest of you if they have the She-wolf of Ys.” “Nobody here is going to let you do that, are we?” Amy asked.  They shook their heads. I sighed. “Then what do we do?” Lynn set her shoulders. “We turn me in. Nobody else is going to die for me. Hide the rings. That way Monique can’t be remarried.” “No. We aren’t doing that.” I said. “First, we aren’t abandoning you. I abandoned my mother. I won’t abandon you. Second, without a duke for clan Wulfling, Hyperborea will still declare war on Ys. And that means that you wouldn’t be enough. We’d need the ducal signet ring as well.” “What do you mean you abandoned your mother?” Fiona asked. “She abandoned you.” I flinched. I had meant my mother back on Earth. “Not from my perspective,” I deflected. “But there is no male heir l...

We listened until the hallway was quiet again. Lynn had her hands in her hair. She paced the room. “Why would he do that? Why did we let him? Why did I do this?” She said as she paced. “We’re going to save him.” I said. “We can’t. No without turning you in. And I can’t do that either.” Lynn grabbed my shoulders. “We will find a way.” Fiona said. “I can’t deal with this. This is my fault. This is all my fault. Oh god. I didn’t think this through.” “We all asked him to pretend he hadn’t seen us.” I said. “No. You don’t understand. I did this. I did all this. This is my fault.” “How in the hell is this your fault?” I asked.  Lynn stopped and then reached into her bodice. She produced a pair of gold rings. One looked like a wedding ring. The other looked like a signet ring. “Lynn.” I said. “Are those what I think they are?” Lynn nodded. “How did you get them?” I asked.  “How do you think I got them?” Lynn asked. “I don’t think I want to know.” I said. “I took them after you finish...