The Visitors III

—Outside

The advancing troupe leading the way for the coach conveying the Blythes to pave its way into the Castle grounds proper had now advanced deeper through the Gatehouse to the extent that they were at the outer courtyard at this time. They halted barely a small distance from the threshold of the Castle proper.

It was at Zeke's command that the movement was brought to an abrupt stop.

Ezekiel knew that Elizabeth would be restricted by the King to not come out first to meet with her family because of the ups he'd been forced to give Briceus regarding how he, Zeke, had lied to Mrs Blythe by saying that Elizabeth was just a mere servant within the castle walls and as such the price for her head was the ten gold pieces he had presented to her from his majesty, the King. 

Knowing Briceus well, he knew he possibly had some other matter up his sleeves for choosing to have Elizabeth get brought into the banquet hall later.