Castles - Book 5 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Twenty-One

 A nightmare crept unchallenged, into Jobyna's sub-conscious.

It was so very real to her; she witnessed Cynara and Kenrik being brutally murdered by Elliad. Berg stood in the way trying to stop Julian and Brian but strong soldiers wrapped him in chains and dragged him away. Elliad held Jobyna tightly, pinning her arms behind her back. Julian pushed Cynara up on the wide stone window ledge above the northern wall of Elliad's Castle. Digging the tip of his sword into her back, she fell down, down, down, to the jagged rocks below.

Jobyna screamed out as she heard Cynara's cries in her dream. Brian forced Kenrik, his hands bound with rope, out of the window. She could hear the czarevitch yelling as he fell. She screamed at Elliad and he put his hand over her mouth. Struggling, she sank her teeth into his hand. Elliad slapped her face and her head hit against the wall. He pushed her nearer to the window, forcing to her stand dangerously close to the opening. His sword pressed into her back as her eyes viewed the rocks below and the two distorted, broken bodies...

"No, no, it's a dream!" she cried out, "I must wake up..." Elliad pushed her and she felt herself fall into black nothingness. Down... down... down... "Lord, help me, I'm dreaming." But she was falling, falling, falling...

"Jobyna! Jobyna! Wake up!" Sleven shook her. The girl was screaming out. The feeling of falling engulfed her and she was unable to rally her senses from the horror of the nightmare.

Unable to rouse Jobyna to stop her hysteria, Sleven fetched cold water and splashed it on her flushed face.

Opening her eyes to behold Sleven's face, she tried to push him away. "No, go away, you're all traitors!"

"Jobyna, wake up! It's just a dream." Sleven held her hands.

Brenna spoke to her, "Jobyna, it's Brenna! Wake up. You're just having a bad dream. Here, have a drink of milk. You didn't eat dinner. I don't wonder you're dreaming!"

Trembling uncontrollably, Jobyna realized she'd forgotten the tricks an upset mind could play, especially an imaginative one like hers. Swiveling to sit on the edge of the bed, she took the goblet to drink the milk, her shaking hands spilling the liquid down her chin.

Sleven strode out into the sitting room, poking the hot embers in the fireplace and putting logs on them.

Brenna squeezed a cloth in the bowl of icy water and sponged Jobyna's face, mopping the milk from her neck.

Pushing herself to stand, Jobyna pulled her cloak over her nightgown. Memories of her discussion with Lora were foremost in her mind. Stepping into the sitting room she saw Sleven had lit the lamps.

"Brenna, go to the kitchen and get some bread or cheese, anything. Jobyna should eat, and some milk, bring more milk." The doctor sounded flustered. He'd never witnessed Jobyna suffering such a violent nightmare. Brenna collected an enveloping shawl from her room and went to carry out her husband's orders.

Pacing back and forth, Jobyna still shook uncontrollably. She wanted to know Sleven's position regarding his loyalty to the czar but was sure she was not clever enough to get him to tell her. The doctor would be too sharp for her questions.

"Who did you go walking with today, Princess?" Sleven asked, reverting to her royal title.

Words in answer did not come, but Jobyna realized he would find out sooner or later. Other servants were in the kitchen when Lora had left with her. Also, Sleven would know Frewin had come with his company from Jydanski. It would just be a matter of minutes in the morning for him to find out it was Lora she had been with. "Let me think, please." She was stalling for time.