Present Day
Tillie was woken from a deep sleep by the change in the rhythm of the water, and by the sudden activity on the boards overhead. The wetnurse snored beside her, and Sterling lay on his back his hands fisted to either side of his head, and his silver hair gleaming in the moonlight. Tillie sat up, her heart picking up pace. Men’s voices – she could pick out Rieve’s voice amongst them, and something in his tone alarmed her.
Tillie slipped from the bed and dressed hurriedly, before shaking the Fae woman. “Wake up,” she whispered. “We’re here. Be quiet and be quick.”
“What is it, miss?” The wet nurse laced up her dress rapidly and bent over to slip her feet into her shoes. “What is happening?”
“Something bad,” Tillie replied as she laced her dress. She managed to tidy her hair just as the door opened and a group of men strode within, with Rieve following grimly behind.