Chapter Twenty-Seven

H er heart was being ripped from her chest as Red was led away.

He had not resisted the guards until Friar Ferrando stepped to Galiena's side and forced her to take his arm while he led her into the castle yard. Bard had tried to interfere, but the queen threatened to have him chained to the wall with Red if he did anything stupid.

"I said I would protect you, Galiena," Bard bit out. "I'll be right behind you."

Red, on the other hand, was not able to see reason as long as The Executioner was touching her. He ripped out of the hold of the restraining guards and launched himself at the friar, nearly getting to him before every guard within reach had pounced on him and wrestled him to the ground.

In the confusion during the scuffle, Galiena wrenched her hand free of the friar's and tried to get to Red, but he was completely hidden by the pile of guards holding him down. "Red, don't fight them," she wailed as fear threatened to choke her.

Bard pulled her away, yelling to Red that he had her and would get her to safety. Feeling helpless, she closed her eyes and buried her face against Bard's chest, not wanting to see what they did to Red.

The queen stepped forward once the guards had Red restrained and on his feet again. "You leave me no choice, Red." Turning to the captain, she said. "Remove his boots and strip him of his tunic. A night in the cold should cool his temper."

The castle guards ripped off Red's tunic and boots, leaving him barefooted and clad in only his shirt and a braies. They clapped irons around his wrists and ankles, chains leading from the cuffs to metal rings mounted on the stone wall of the castle yard, forcing his arms to be suspended at an angle above his head and his feet to be shoulder width apart.

It killed Galiena to see him like that, but she could see that her distress was only making matters worse for Red. Breathing deeply, she lifted her chin and met Red's furious stare. Her chin quivered and she could not speak, but she tried to tell him with her eyes that she would be strong for him.

"You will stay here until the king returns on the morrow," the queen announced.

When he was fully restrained and the guards stepped away from him, Galiena started walking toward him before she even realized what she was doing. She hesitated, fully expecting the guards to restrain her, then looked at the queen when the men hesitated to touch her.

"Please, Your Grace," she pleaded, "I fear for his safety. Let me stay with him until the morrow."

"No," Red protested.

"The castle yard is open," the queen said. "I will instruct the guards not to interfere if one of his men wish to remain, but they are not to speak with him or go too near him."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Galiena said, relief washing over her.

"Say your farewells quickly," Queen Eleanor said with a wave of her hand, "then return to your accommodations until the king beckons you on the morrow."

Galiena rushed to Red and ran her hands over his torso. "Are you all right, Red? Did they hurt you?"

"Don't worry about me," he growled. "Go with Bard and stay out of sight."

"Enough," the queen snapped.

Galiena stood on tiptoe to kiss Red quickly, then Bard grabbed her hand and pulled her away. Her heart broke in half, a physical anguish that caused her legs to weaken.

The pain of seeing him like this, not knowing if she would ever hold him in her arms again, was like molten lead burning in her belly. She managed to make it through the castle gates before her knees gave out and she collapsed against the railing of the bridge, heaving the contents of her stomach into the moat below.