And as Macrinus rushed back into the sanctuary, moving swiftly toward his prince, and Cassius seemed to be attempting to stop Elena from coming up from her seat, at the back of the balcony, twenty men wearing dark-gray robes, black hoods with eyeholes and carrying longbows rushed in and lined the back aisle.

There was barely time for the murmurs and frissons of surprise of those seated in the balcony to register on the rest of the congregation before, as one, the assailants raised their bows aimed toward the front of the sanctuary.

And as the Wohden priest declared the joyous news that the Crowned Prince, True Axelsson of Wodell was now married under the gods and in the eyes of all in the land to the Lady Farah of Firenze, now Princess Royal of Wodell, Macrinus reached Cassius and told him something with great urgency.

Cassius’s face turned to stone.

Elena’s expression registered grave shock.

Aramus, Ha-Lah, Mars, Silence, Frey, Finnie, Apollo and Maddie looked on grimly.

Gallienus, however, looked smug.

And a shout was heard from the balcony.

“Long live The Rising!”

True turned instantly.

But it was too late.

The arrows were threaded, the strings pulled back.

Swiftly, he turned his back to the archers and fell on his wife, taking her to the ground with him on top.

In a flash, Alfie saw the aim and began to race across the nave.

True’s other men raced to Farah and True.

Wilmer noted the threat and threw himself to the floor behind the railing of the pew.

Screams were heard.

Shouts.

Mars, also noting the aim, and after shoving his wife to the floor, attempted to leap from his place in the pew just down and behind the King and Queen of Wodell.

But the arrows had flown.

One struck Sir Bram in his back right side.

One rooted in the side of Sir Florian’s left thigh.

Two hit Sir Alfie in the back.

One hit Queen Mercy in the clavicle.

Four hit her in the chest.

One struck her in the neck.

One seared through the shoulder of True’s dress greens.

And embedded itself in his bride.

The plan had commenced.

Its mission accomplished.

The End of Part Two

To be continued…

About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KRISTEN ASHLEY IS the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty romance novels including the Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain, Dream Man, Chaos, Unfinished Heroes, The ’Burg, Magdalene, Fantasyland, The Three, Ghost and Reincarnation, Moonlight and Motor Oil and Honey series along with several standalone novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold over three million books.