Chapter 172 - Royal Guard Attack

Delaney and Ilona went to the dressmaker together, with Ms. Bird along to help if needed. Ilona stood and let herself be pinned, poked, and prodded as the women at the shop got all her measurements and worked to find the perfect dress shape for her. They had been shocked when she had first walked into the building in her strange clothes. Seeing she was with the Duchess of Edgewood however they had been wise enough to say nothing.

All types and colors of cloth were brought out for them to inspect and Delaney closely examined each one to make her selections. Ilona looked at them too but she didn't have an eye for that type of thing like the duchess did. She rejected a few because she felt they were too extravagant and Delaney smirked but didn't protest.

The duchess of Edgewood was also involved in the designing of the dress and the women at the dressmaker's shop were impressed. She saw them scratching notes and knew that soon she would see her designs on other women because of this. She didn't mind.

Delaney got so carried away with picking fabrics and coming up with designs that soon she realized they hadn't just designed one dress but now had many dreamed up and waiting to be made. To ensure they were all done, Delaney paid for the dresses herself. Ilona protested but Delaney said simply that Ian would never take payment from them so she could consider the dresses bought with her brother's money. 

Once they'd finished Delaney paid and left the address for the dresses to be delivered. She paid extra for one of them to be ready as quickly as possible so Ilona could wear it when they went to visit with the queen. The sooner they got that out of the way the sooner they could all be on their way to their homes.

Since the weather was nice, the women walked home along the cobbled streets, talking about the fabrics and details of the new dresses that would be made. Ilona mostly listened but smiled and commented here and there. She was thankful that if she had to wear a dress, it would be one designed by Delaney Adair.

As they drew closer to the house they both fell silent, noticing there was something going on there. They hurried on and soon they realized the house was surrounded by royal guards. Men on horses were all around the city house, on the lookout for anything that might bring harm to whoever was inside.

"What's going on?" Ilona asked Delaney quietly as they walked up the path to the door.

"I don't know," Delaney replied, "There have never been so many guards here like this before. I wonder if it's Sophia or Daniel. This is the number of guards you'd send for the King or Queen."

"Why would the King or Queen be here?" Ilona looked around suspiciously.

Before Delaney could answer, a tall, greasy-looking old guard stepped in front of her, barring their way to the door.

"The Duke of Edgewood is occupied at the moment ladies," he spoke, "You'll have to come back later."

"Excuse me," Delaney was flabbergasted, "I am the Duchess of Edgewood. Now, move out of my way."

The guard smirked, "No Duchess would be walking along the street like a commoner. Especially not in the company of a pirate."

"If you know I'm a pirate then you should know I will cut you to ribbons if you don't move out of our way and let us in," Ilona snarled, hands going down to rest on the hilts of her twin blades.

Delaney was now thankful the woman had insisted on bringing them.

"A threat against me is a threat against all the men here," the man glared at her, hand going to his own heavy blade, "Now move back and be on your way!"

"I will not be forced to walk away from my own home simply because you're too stupid to realize who you're talking to," Delaney snapped, "Now move!"

Delaney took a step forward and in an instant, the man was drawing his sword to strike her down. He was never able to finish his task however because before he could even get his sword completely from its hilt, there was a flash of silver behind him and he cried out and stumbled forward.

Ilona and Delaney jumped back as the man fell to his knees in front of them, shouting to the other guards as he went. Delaney looked down and saw there, sunk deep into his shoulder, was a knife with a familiar hilt. The women looked up and saw Ian and Vincent hurrying to them looking angry. A space on Ian's thigh where he usually had a knife strapped was empty.

Vincent got to Delaney and pulled her back from the bleeding guard. He studied her with worried eyes and when he was sure she was alright he turned and looked on in shock at the scene before them.

Guards had quickly surrounded Ilona, assuming she was the threat, and had swords drawn inches from her throat. Now more were surrounding Ian as they had realized he was the attacker. Both Blacks raised their hands in the air in surrender, recognizing they were outnumbered. Delaney looked back and forth between their matching chocolate eyes full of anger.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Vincent shouted. With a quick movement, he drew his own sword he had taken to carrying ever since the pirate attack at the ocean house. He swung it hard, knocking the nearest blades back from Ian and sending the men holding them to scramble out of the way. The others near Ilona were so surprised by this they hadn't moved so their swords were his next target. He moved fast and in one fluid movement had knocked the blades aimed at her throat to the ground.

"Lord Adair," the bleeding royal guard scrambled backward with wide eyes, "These women were trying to get into your house!"

Delaney watched as her husband's fury turned on this man and a silver streak went through the air. There was suddenly the tip of Vincent's sword against his throat, pinning him to one of the columns in front of the house. The green eyes of the Duke were now dark.

"That woman," he hissed, pointing a finger towards Delaney, "Is my wife! Lady Delaney Adair, Duchess of Edgewood, which is exactly what she told you."

"H-h-how could I have believed her your grace? She was walking on the street with a known pirate and..."

"You could have asked anyone inside my home instead of threatening her and then attempting to draw a blade on her. Count yourself lucky that she is unharmed because if you had so much as touched my wife I would slit your throat right here where you stand."

"Y-y-yes your grace," the man squeaked, "I-I-I'm sorry!"

"Apologize to them," Vincent lowered his sword and grabbed the man by his injured shoulder, jerking him forwards toward Delaney and Ilona. He fell to the ground on his hands and knees and looked up at them with wide, fearful eyes.

"I'm sorry my Lady," he said to Delaney before swallowing hard and turning to Ilona, "I'm sorry miss."

Delaney and Ilona both nodded but didn't dare say anything. The air was thick with tension and they worried it would snap.

"I want all of you to the farthest edges of my property," Vincent ordered, "No one is to draw a blade unless they are physically being attacked by someone else and even then you better make sure I would deem that person as a threat."

The guards still looked fearful but they nodded and did as the Duke commanded. Not only was Vincent a nobleman and greatly outranking them, but he had also been the captain to most of them during the war and they still respected him for it.

The guards moved away and the one on the ground that had caused all the trouble got to his feet and moved to follow them. He hadn't made it more than a step however when Ian moved to him, grabbing the blade in his back and jerking it out. The man yelped and spun around with eyes full of anger. The moment he saw it was the pirate captain who was friends with the Duke, he quickly dropped his gaze.

Delaney watched as her friend stepped to the man and grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking it up. Ian took the fabric in his hands and while smirking at the guard, used it to clean the blood from his blade before he slid it back into its place on his thigh. The man looked up at him and although he was trying to hide it, there was no mistaking the hatred coming from him.

"You'd better go have that looked at," the pirate spoke cooly, his face dropping back into its usual expressionless mask, "You're not very smart. You're going to need to keep your strength or you'll have nothing."

The man stared at him for a moment longer before turning and walking away.