“Your Grace! There’s been an attack. Many are dead. You have to come with me.” As he finished, three more bloodied knights burst from the trees. All had their swords drawn. “Save the king!” one bellowed, hurtling toward Laurent. “They’re coming!” The thunder of hooves and the snapping of branches grew louder. The fog covered everything. Shadows rushed the clearing from all sides. “No!” Laurent yelled. Through a gap in the fog, I saw him grapple with a knight who was trying to pull him onto a horse. “I won’t leave Varick!”
