“Do not talk like that. You are here now and we shall find a way out of this.”

“Even does it cause the death of every man, woman, and child within these walls?” she asked gently.

“It will not come to that,” Iliana said firmly. “Now go get some rest. You will be of little to use to anyone without it.”

Shaking her head unhappily, Lady Wildwood turned and left the room.

“Ye must watch her,” Angus said, drawing Iliana’s gaze. “Despite the time she suffered under him, I don’t believe yer mother kens the kind of man Greenweld is.”

“What kind of man do you think he is?” she asked curiously.

“Greedy,” he said simply. “Very, very greedy. Even were she to surrender, he would not stop.”

Iliana’s shoulders sagged at that. “I hoped I was wrong in thinking that myself,” she murmured on a sigh.

“You will have to post a guard on her.”

“The men are too busy—”

“Then use the women.”

Iliana nodded.

“Arrange that, then check on the messenger.”

“Aye.” When he closed his eyes again, Iliana left the room. She found Gertie, Ebba, Giorsal, and Janna in the hallway, trying to decide who should sit with Angus to watch for fever. When Iliana asked where her mother had gone, she was told she had retired to her room.

“Good. While you are trying to decide your schedule for sitting with Angus, you might as well decide who will stay with my mother as well. I would ask at least two of you to sit with her at all times. I fear, if left alone, she will convince herself to flee and perform the supremely foolish and misguided act of surrendering for our sakes.”

While the other women looked stunned, Gertie nodded unhappily. “Aye. I feared she was thinking of something of the like.”

“She is. And because of that, she is never to be alone. Even when she sleeps at least two of you shall be in her presence. Set a guard on her, or tie her up if you must, but see that she does nothing foolish.”

She waited just long enough to see their nods of assent, then turned her attention to the matter of the messenger, asking where he had been put. She was told he was in one of the new rooms that had been built, and went to check on him. It was not a great surprise when she found the room empty, but it gave her something to think about. She returned to Angus to report the news but found him fast asleep. Leaving the message with Gertie, who sat with him, she returned to the wall to check on the activities of Greenweld’s men.

She could hear the banging and crashing going on outside the wall as she ascended the stairs. Anxiety flooding her, she rushed to Rabbie’s side. “What is it? What are they doing?”