Cursed by Bandits (Once Upon A Curse)

34. Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four

W hy is there always incessant pounding on my door at a god-awful time in the morning? I covered my head with my pillow, willing whoever was at my door to disappear.

“Whatever it is, it can wait until I’ve slept for a few weeks,” I hollered at the door, cursing whoever was there under my breath.

“Rowan, if you don’t open this door, I’m going to get Winnie. And I promise you, you will not like how I get you out of bed,” Jane hissed, each word sounding more and more like a threat she would follow through on.

“Fine!” I threw everything I had used to block out the noise to the floor before climbing out of bed. My body protested every single movement I forced it to make as I hobbled to the door.

I unlocked the door, stepping out of the way as Jane barreled through, holding parchment and an old journal in her hand.

“What is so important that you couldn’t let me sleep?” I folded my arms across my chest. The cold was seeping into my sore muscles that were no longer under the blankets I had been enjoying thoroughly.

“This.” She shoved what she was holding into my hands, then walked out the door.

I stared at the open door. “What . . .” Did she really just come in here, thrust papers at me, and leave?

I went to rub the sleep from my eyes, forgetting that my hands were full, and hit my head with the journal. It was too early for any of this.

“I ordered you a bath.” Jane walked through the door, talking like I was supposed to be paying attention to her already. “The nurse wrote again, and I relieved your uncle of some of his journals. That one has all the information we need. ”

“What . . .” My brain finally caught up to the present and what Jane had said. “You found proof? Where? What does the nurse have to say? Can we go see her?”

Jane smiled; she was used to these moments. “Eleanor is coming here. She told us the name of the poison, antidote, and some of the effects of both, which include loss of memory and the melancholia.”

I sat on the edge of my bed. “What causes such a thing?”

“Well, Eleanor thought it was some combination of amnesic shellfish poisoning and Henbane. She started giving him an antidote that’s supposed to be good for everything. That’s where her letter ends. But I found the journals you were talking about. Better yet, I found ledgers .”

We sat with our heads together, poring over the evidence she found. I barely noticed the tub come in and the servants filing in, bringing the hot water. The ledgers enthralled me. Who would write down what they were actually buying when they had such nefarious purposes? Apparently, my uncle.

“Lady Rowan, I’m sorry to interrupt, but your bath is ready.” Winnie dipped in a slight curtsy.

My squeal of joy turned into a groan as I moved before my body was ready. “I’m getting in; it’s the only way I’m leaving the room today. But let’s continue going through what you’ve found. There’s no time to waste. ”

This was especially true now. My uncle was hosting the awards ceremony for the tournament this afternoon. Which meant the charade ended today.

My emerald green gown swirled around my feet as I walked beside my uncle on to the dais. It was time to announce the winner of the tournament and my hand in marriage. I couldn’t help but giggle at the thought. My uncle turned and glared at me.

“This is no time for levity, Rowan. You’re about to meet your future husband.” He spat out the words, turning away from me as he sat. “And in an unexpected twist, it is a peasant. I should have banned them from the contest completely.”

I rolled my eyes behind his back. “It’s too late to change the rules now.”

His head whipped around. “You don’t think I know that? Now I’m stuck giving my gold to some nobody. I don’t know who he is or where his loyalty lies. I can’t believe Montfort lost to that slip of a man.” He turned back to the arena in front of him, his brow furrowed, and his fingers steepled in front of him.

I watched my uncle until he appeared completely absorbed with the ceremony, awarding prizes for individual events. I watched as Erin, dressed as Robin, stepped to accept the quarterstaff prize. The only thing we had in common was our height, but she wore the same clothing I had been in all week, including the cloak with the hood up. I hoped it was enough to fool everyone watching until I could take her place.

Jane squeezed my shoulder, our sign that everything was in place. I slipped away, and she sat in my chair wearing the same color as me. No one would confuse us if they actually looked, but we were in the background at the moment. It was my belief that my uncle would only see the color of her dress, not that she was tall and willowy while I was short and curvy. I really hoped I was right.

Will was waiting with my clothes, an exact duplicate of what Erin was wearing right now. I stepped out of one costume to put on another, pulling the cap low on my head to hide my hair, then covering that with the hood of the cloak. By the time I was done, only my green eyes could be seen.

I passed Milo, whose eyes were filled with concern. This next part was necessary, but also pretty risky considering what I was going to do during the ceremony. I nodded towards him and he took off to let Erin know I was ready for the switch to happen.

Erin filed in behind the other competitors, leaving the arena to make room for the archery event contestants. I looked back to see Erin take off the cloak and cap, her curls bouncing in every direction as it was freed. She shoved the items behind a hay bale before passing the trophy to Tuck, who scurried off to hide it in our agreed upon spot.

Inhaling, I rolled my shoulders back and stepped into the arena. The colorful flags moved with the breeze as the crowd’s cheers grew louder until I could barely hear myself think. Who would have thought so many people would arrive to watch other people be given prizes?

The archery contestants made their way to line up in front of my uncle. His gaze passed over us, but I don’t think he truly saw anyone. He called up Prince Connor who had taken third in the event, then Montfort, and finally Master Robin. I stepped forward and my uncle’s eyes locked with mine. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw a gleam of some sort in his eye.

“Thank you.” I kept my eyes down as I took the proffered item.

The group of archers made their way out of the arena .

I kept my eye on my uncle. He was so absorbed in what was going on in front of him he hadn’t noticed I was no longer sitting beside him, watching him watch me and the other competitors file back into the arena. It was time to announce the winner of the tournament.

Excitement coursed through me, running up my spine and causing me to shiver. It was finally time to reveal myself and take control of my life. Removing my uncle’s power to marry me off to the person of his choice would allow me to focus on taking my rightful place here, and punish my uncle for poisoning my father.

I held my head high as the competitors approached the dais. My uncle called out Milo’s name first; his success with the staff had barely edged out Connor in the final score. The crowd clapped politely as he received his award. I hoped it was enough to finance the school he wanted to open. To my dismay, Jocelin Montfort, the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, was called up next. His smile sent a different type of shiver up my back, and it wasn’t pleasant at all. When he made eye contact with me as he walked back, I tried to smile, instead of shuddering under his smug gaze. As much as I wished it didn’t, his presence unsettled me. I rolled my shoulders back in an attempt to settle my nerves, reminding myself that right now was my moment .

My uncle raised his hands to quiet the crowd, insisting on the attention of everyone in the arena. “And now, in a shocking turn of events, the champion of the tournament, the winner of the grand prize and my niece’s hand in marriage, a veritable unknown, Master Robin!”

The crowd’s cheers made it impossible to hear anything else, their excitement contagious. I strode forward as Robin, attempting to convey confidence in every step. In reality, my palms were clammy and my heart was trying to pound its way out of my chest, but I kept my face composed. This was it, the last step in this part of the plan.

“Master Robin”—my uncle’s deep baritone quieted the crowd—“step forward and claim your prizes.” There was an edge to his tone that I wasn’t used to hearing.

I stepped up, feeling the weight and the thrill of the moment. My hands shook with anticipation of the reveal.

My uncle tossed the gold at my feet. “And of course, Lady . . .” Uncle Jonathan looked back towards my chair for the first time. “Where is my niece?”

I removed my cap and shook free my long red hair. Gasps echoed through the crowd as they recognized me.

“Lady Rowan?” My uncle’s voice shook with a mix of shock and fury. “What have you done?”

I met his gaze, no longer willing to cast my eyes down when he spoke to me. “What I’ve done is win this tournament fair and square, and I’m claiming this prize money to support the people of Lockersley.” I picked up the sack of gold. “More than that, I reclaim my right to decide not only who I marry, but my future.”

Whispers ran through the crowd as they processed what was happening in front of them. Then the cheers started and spread like wildfire. I stared at my uncle as he turned the most unnatural shade of red I had ever seen.

“What you’ve done is outrageous!” he shouted.