Chapter 152
Eliza figured maybe Mary really had forgotten, so she dropped the question. She wrapped the cloak around her shoulders and fastened it, just as dinner was ready.
Ross came over, carrying two large plates stacked with food.“Your Highness, Holy Lady, dinner’s ready,” he called out cheerfully.
Eliza quickly took her plate. It was piled high with all sorts of dishes, and from the smell alone, she could tell their cook had some serious skills.
It seemed they had found out the Holy Lady did not eat meat. Besides the usual vegetable dishes, someone had even gone the extra mile to prepare her a separate vegetarian soup. She poured the broth over her food. The flavor was rich and comforting.
Balancing her plate, Eliza ate slowly and thoughtfully. The past few days had been full of ambushes, but today had been strangely quiet. It felt like the calm before the storm.
“What are you thinking about?” Nolan asked, noticing how absentminded she looked while eating beside him.
JI’m wondering if they’ll come back again tonight,” she said, eyes still fixed on the fire.
“They will,” Nolan replied with absolute certainty.
Eliza turned to look at him, curiosity in her voice. “Why are you so sure?”
“Because tonight is their only real chance. After this, all our stops will be in places where they can’t easily get to us. And in two more days, we’ll reach our destination,” he explained.
In other words, if Gilbert and his men wanted to make another move, tonight was the best and only opportunity.
“Well then, guess I won’t be getting much sleep tonight.” Eliza let out a soft chuckle.
Just as Nolan had predicted, while the troops were rotating shifts and eating their meals, a group suddenly burst out of the woods.
“That’s them. Kill them.”
“Look at all that grain.”
“Gilbert was right. There really is money.”
“What’re you waiting for? Take everything.”
“Don’t let a single one of them live.”
The bandits from Onyxgrave Bastion lit up at the sight of the supply carts, especially the ones loaded with silver and food. With a roar, they charged.
The Black Flag soldiers, still in the middle of dinner, immediately dropped their plates and drew their weapons. “Protect the supplies,” someone shouted.
At first, the sudden attack threw them into brief disarray, but Black Flag quickly regained their composure. Weapons in hand, they launched themselves into the fight with practiced precision.
Then, an arrow sliced through the air, headed straight for Eliza.
Nolan moved in an instant. With one clean stroke, he split the arrow mid–flight, then wrapped an arm around Eliza and pulled her toward the carriage. “Get back in and stay down,” he ordered.
Eliza scrambled up the steps, ducked another arrow, then rolled into the carriage. From that point on, every arrow struck the body of the coach instead. Luckily, it had been specially reinforced, and ordinary arrows stood no chance of piercing it.
Besides, there was a hostage tied to the roof. None of the attackers dared to let their arrows fly freely.
1/2
From above came Sophie’s voice, tense and breathless.
Eliza let out a quiet laugh. “So, Gilbert finally decided to show himself. But if he thinks busting you out will be that easy, he’s dreaming.”
Sophie, bound tightly to the roof of the carriage, was practically burning with rage. No one knew what kind of hell she had been through these past few days.
The damned Black Flag soldiers had no sympathy. When Sophie was thirsty, they gave her no water. When she was hungry, they shoved food at her without a care. And every night, she was left tied to the roof like a sack of grain.
‘I’m the daughter of the Duke of Mowbay. How dare these bastards treat me like this?‘ she thought bitterly. ‘Once I get back, I’ll make them pay for every second of this.‘
Just then, a gust of wind brushed past her. The next moment, someone landed on the roof. Sophie turned her head, and her eyes lit up. It was Gilbert.