To her surprise, some people were pointing at her and cheering. She spotted Yulissa and her kitchen help and waved. Tearfully, they waved back.
It warmed her heart to see how much support she had, but it was still hard to forget that somewhere in the crowd, three assassins wanted to kill her.
Suddenly the crowd below her parted, and a small group of soldiers marched through the western gate into the courtyard. Captain Bougaire was in their midst, dressed in leather breeches and a chain-mail shirt, topped with a blue-and-white tunic cinched around his waist with his sword belt. In the crook of his elbow, he carried a steel helmet adorned with three white plumes.
He marched into the circle, and the crowd began to murmur about the Beast, their speculations becoming louder and louder till Luciana could hear every word.
“The Beast is going to kill you!” one man shouted at the captain.
“The Beast will fry you like bacon!” another yelled.
Luciana winced as she recalled Leo’s words from last night. I’m not a Beast! Where was he? Could he hear what these people were saying?
Shouts of alarm sounded below. People scurried out of the way as General Harden and his son, Captain Harden, marched through the south gate. After the crowd had parted to make a wide passage, Leo strode in alone.
A sudden hush fell over the courtyard. No one dared say a word about the Beast in his presence. Some turned their back to him, afraid to even look at him. Others wrapped small children in their cloaks and held them close.
Luciana swallowed hard. How long had he lived like this? Shunned and feared by people. His face was devoid of expression, but she knew he must be hurting inside.
How many times growing up at the convent had she felt rejected and abandoned? But at least she’d had her adopted sisters and Mother Ginessa. She’d received love and warm embraces. How lonesome Leo must have been over the years.
Her sympathy grew into alarm when she realized he wasn’t wearing any protective armor. He was simply dressed in black breeches and boots, a white shirt, a vest in the royal colors of red and black, and his usual black leather gloves. His left hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
General Harden exchanged a few words with him, then headed toward the west wing of the keep.
“I asked the general to watch the duel with us,” Luciana’s father told her.
Leo walked into the circle and, along with Captain Bougaire, faced Luciana and her father and bowed.
The duke raised a hand in greeting. “Lord Leofric of Benwick, Lord Protector of the Realm, has challenged Captain Alberto Bougaire to a duel. Each opponent is allowed one sword. The battle will commence at the drop of the red banner and it will end when one opponent either succumbs to death or surrenders.”
“Death?” Tatiana screeched, and Luciana started at her sister’s sudden appearance to her right.
“Or surrender,” Luciana whispered.
“My Alberto will never surrender!” Tatiana wailed. “He’s doomed. Doomed!”
“Calm down. He’ll be fine.”
“What’s going on?” Father whispered.
Luciana glanced back at the guards, then leaned close to her father on the left. “We’re not alone.”
His eyes widened. “Tatiana?” When she nodded, he asked, “Where?”
Luciana motioned to her right. “She’s—”
“Did you write the letter?” Tatiana interrupted. “Did you beg the Beast to spare my darling?”
“I asked him in person,” Luciana whispered. “He said he wouldn’t kill Alberto.”
“Oh, thank you!” Tatiana’s eyes filled with tears. “But how can we trust the word of a Beast?”
“Tatiana,” Father whispered. “My dear, please know how much I miss you and that I love you with all my heart.”
When Tatiana sniffled, Luciana said, “She feels the same way.”
“Are you two getting along now?” he whispered.
Luciana patted his arm. “We’re becoming good friends.”
“Ha!” Tatiana scoffed. She looked at the courtyard and shuddered, her image wavering. “I can’t bear to watch.”
Luciana glanced down at the courtyard. Leo was watching her, his head tilted with an inquisitive look. She bit her lip. Had he noticed her talking to an empty space?
“Good morning,” General Harden said in his booming voice as he approached them on the balcony.
“Thank you for joining us,” the duke said.
Luciana curtsied. “Excuse me, General, but is it possible to cancel the duel? I don’t want any harm to come to my betrothed.”
“Or my Alberto!” Tatiana wailed.
The general smiled. “It’s sweet of you to worry about Leo, but the duel needs to happen. It’s part of his plan.”
“What plan is that?” the duke asked.
“Oh, look.” The general moved close to the railing. “They’re about to begin.”
Luciana’s heart stilled. Leo and the captain were facing each other in the circle about ten yards apart, their swords pointed at each other. A soldier holding a red banner stood at the circle’s edge.
Tatiana sighed. “Doesn’t Alberto look magnificent?”
Luciana didn’t answer. She thought he looked rather silly wearing a helmet with foot-long plumes.
The soldier with the red banner whipped it down to the ground, then quickly moved back as the two opponents began to circle each other. The crowd cheered, and Luciana tensed. She’d never witnessed a swordfight before, but this didn’t seem right. Why did the captain have chain mail and a helmet, when Leo didn’t?