You Have My Heart, Lady Illea (A Lady Illea Novel)

Chapter Two

                                                                          Will

"There better be a damn good explination for this." Will said to Godfrey as he adjusted his tie.

   Godfrey too was wearing all black. Will's best friend was always the dashing type, no matter what he wore but for some reason there seemed to be a somber look on his face. Will wasn't sure where he was being led but he followed the guards wherever they went. If Godfrey was there he was safe.

He would always be safe.

Godfrey let out a deep breath and they turned a corner down the corridors. "I had just hoped things would turn out differently."

Will glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "You sound particularily morbid my friend." he punched Godfrey's shoulder. "This can't be anything more than ridiculous New Asia war drills."

Godfrey swallowed but didn't speak. "This way your majesty."

      Godfrey extended his hand to guide Will but the prince sensed something was off. He stopped walking and adjusted his cufflinks. He looked at Godfrey and with a flick of his wrist Will sent the guards up ahead of them.

"Godfrey," Will said sternly. "What's wrong."

"Nothing" Godfrey insisted. "Let's go."

"What aren't you telling me!" Will demanded.

"William as your friend-"

"And as your future king I demand you tell me, Godfrey."

Godfrey gritted his teeth. "I'm under direct orders from the Queen not to say a word."

       Will clearly annoyed stomped ahead to catch up with the guards. The rhythmic sound of their stomping in unison sent a shiver down Will's spine. They sounded like they were going off into war.

"One day," Will looked at Godfrey. "You will serve me. No her."

"As of now its my duty to protect you." Godfrey shot back fiercely. "And I don't want you getting hurt by two timing gold-"

Will stopped abruptly. "What do you mean?"

   Godfrey kept his gaze glued ahead as he clenched and unclenched his fists. His crytic way of speaking was starting to grate on Will's nerves.

"Stop" he ordered and the guards ahead stopped. "We are notmoving until Godfrey speaks."

    All eyes turned to Godfrey. "Men keep going." he ordered.

   The soldiers turned around to continue on the path they were going.

"Stop!" Will commanded.

"Men that's an order!" Godfrey rored. "Keep going!"

"You answer to me!" Will boomed. "The guards stay."

"I'm their commander!"

"A title I can take away."

     The breathing in the narrow corridors was heavy as Will and Godfrey faced off. It wasn't a matter of who had more power, because the guards were frazzled moving to and fro in the hallway,  it was a challenge and a test. It was a test to see who's loyalties lie where.

"The girl." Godfrey spat out finally. "Its the bloody girl. Now let's go before the King has my head on a silver platter for saying anything."

     Will frowned at Godfrey for a moment. Immediately his worries swarmed to Cecilia. She had not been in the greatest modd the night before having had an arguement with a family member and then fighting with Tiny over something he did not know about. But from the look on Godfrey's face he knew this was worse. Much worse.

All black.

Being lead down narrow corriodors.

No one has uttered a word to him.

Oh God, he thought. What has she done?

  In a quick, brief moment Will had Godfrey by the collar and he was pinned against the wall.

"Where is she?" he demanded. "Where is she Godfrey?"

WIth on hard push Godfrey flung Will off of him and the guards hovered over them. Some grabbed at Godfrey's wrists as the others held Will by the shoulders.

"Bring him outside." Godfrey ordered. "And don't utter a word."

          They were in a stadium Will realized. Moments later he was lead to the surface, after a pretty well fought fight. Guards litered the arena like stars in a night sky. Will knew it was something serious when he saw his sister sitting on his mother's side at the royal throne. His father looked unreadable and his mother's face had a strange mix of disappointment and pleasure.

"What in God's name is this?" he muttered to himself.

Godfrey looked at him. "A conviction."

"Will!"

    His sister Rosie ran up to him with her skirt clenched tightly in her fists. His sister Rosie was always an alluring beauty. Long dark hair, almost black, chocolate brown eyes, ivory skin, and lips the color of blood. Her hair was the done the way she always liked it, down in waves with her tiara set on top. She was wearing a black silk ballgown that hugged her curves in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. His little sister should not be dressing like a caberet woman.

"Grandmother and grandfather are talking to father" she said.

"what about?" Will demanded quietly. 

   Rosie extended her hand to him and he lead his sister off to the side to speak quietly.

"Its a conviction." his sister whispered hurriedly. "No one has seen or heard of one of these for decades. Not since grandmother's selection."

"What is the purpose of a conviciton?" Will asked.

Rosie swallowed and she looked around, making sure she was not heard. "Supposedly grandmother and grandfather eased up the rules on the conviction to the point that it became illegal. Mother and father signed a paper late last night enforcing the rules that lead to a conviction." she said at a rapid speed. "A conviction is held most commonly, in our situation, when a selected has been caught commiting treason."

"Treason?"

"Yes, treason. All different forms of treason." she explained.

"What's the penalty?"

Rosie shook her head and offered her brother a look of sympathy. "Depends on the crime. I did not hear much. Although it is severe no matter what."

   Little did everyone know Rosie and Will were secretly partners in crime. They may not have been close in recent months due to Rosie's quarrel with their parents over marriage but under other circumstances they were inseperable. It hurt Will that she wasn't as active in his selection as he wanted her to.

He needed his sister's guidance.

"Is this part of the punishment? Public humilation?" he said with disgust.

Rosie nodded. "Back during the days of the castes part of the penalty was an immediate drop in castes to eights."

"God." Godfrey muttered.

"I need to speak with the girls," Will said hurriedly. "Where are they?"

Rosie pointed. "Down there."

   Will followed Rosie's hand and she was pointing to a row of seats near the bottom of the stadium. All the girls were dressed in black and Will had noticed that even Ora sat with them. Although, Alessa was not amoung the group of girls...

   That was when the doors opened. 

   And that was when the conviction began.