"What?" Diana looked over at Katherine. Katherine looked back.
"But didn't the report say all of his men were dead? This…," Diana didn't know whether this could be true.
However, this was her only hope. This man could be the key to determining what happened to her husband.
"Bring the wounded man into the estate and hide him in the shack. I will go see him with you, we'll also need medical supplies," Diana instructed.
"I'll cover for you here. Go, and be safe!" Katherine said as she hurried Diana along.
Diana put on a cloak and left the room with Mossy. The kitchen maid held up a lit candle as she led them both through a series of passageways. Eventually, they made it out of the main building and walked across the garden in darkness.
Mossy instructed two other kitchen staff to help move the wounded man ahead of them. When they reached the shack, the wounded man was already there.
"Leave us and tell no one of what you saw," Diana instructed the other two kitchen staff.
"Yes, milady," they left shortly after.
Diana walked up to the wounded man. She crinkled her nose at the stench of a festering wound but pressed forward. Holding up the lamp, she was shocked to recognize the face.
"Liam?"
The wounded man forced his eyes open and looked up. It took a while for his vision to focus but when he saw Diana, he paused.
"Lady Diana?" He gasped.
"Milady, you know this man?" Mossy asked out of curiosity.
Of course, she didn't know who he was! Mossy, along with half of the kitchen staff, were hired after Cassian and his battalion had left for war. That's why she didn't recognize him.
"He's my husband's second in command."
She'd always seen him by her husband's side, especially during meetings that were held in Cassian's study or the war room. They often talked about battle strategy and even sparred together. She'd also heard stories from Katherine about how they grew up together.
Liam grabbed hold of Diana's arm, his face twisted in pain. She crouched down at once, assessing his injuries.
"Cassian…" He winced in pain, unable to say more than that.
Diana placed her hand gently on his, "He's here, but he's wounded too."
His grip on her arm tightened, causing her discomfort. She understood what he meant. He wanted to see him.
"You're in no condition to see him now, Liam. Your wounds need tending too."
Diana motioned Mossy to hand her the basket of supplies.
"Don't… waste this on me," Liam insisted, pushing Diana's hands away while she held a bottle of medicinal paste.
"It's not wasted on you, trust me," Diana added, "We need you to get better, so that we can figure out what's going on."
Liam and Diana exchanged a glance. Through her eyes, he could tell there was more that she wanted to say but couldn't. He seemingly understood her intentions, relaxing a little to let her do what she could.
"I'm not important enough for you to tend to me personally, Lady Diana," he croaked, throat parched.
Diana smiled, "I'm not that important either. I'll do what I can to make sure you don't die."
Diana dressed his wounds as best she could with Mossy's help. By the time she was done, Liam was sound asleep and resting. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.
She got up and stretched her legs a little before washing her hands in a basin of water Mossy had prepared for her.
"Would be alright?" the kitchen maid asked nervously.
"He'll be alright for now. I need you to bring him food a few hours from now. And bring a local healer to check on his wounds. Everything has to be done in secret. Can I trust you, Mossy?" Diana asked.
"Of course, milady. I understand," Mossy replied as she bowed to her.
Diana nodded silently. She took one last glance at Liam before leaving the shack. She didn't know if Mossy was trustworthy, but there were few in the estate that Diana could trust. She just had to have a little faith.
"If there's anything else he needs let me know. As soon as he wakes up, inform me or Lady Katherine directly. No one else."
"Yes, milady."
Diana returned to Lady Katherine, informing her of who she'd seen.
"Liam? Oh the poor boy," Katherine wept.
She'd watched him grow up alongside her own son. In some ways, she saw him as her own flesh and blood too.
"He's our only lead on all of this, no harm must come to him," Katherine reasoned, "I'll send someone to keep tabs on him. Until we figure out what is happening, we cannot let that woman know that Liam is here."
Diana agreed.
That night, she tossed and turned in bed unable to rest. She crept out of bed and took a walk in the garden. A full moon hung in the dark night sky. Looking up at it, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
She wiped it away quickly, holding the cloak close to her.
[Whenever I look up at night, I am reminded that we are gazing at the same moon. But nothing can be better than being there with you.]
Diana clutched the pendant over her heart. To others, those might simply be words on paper, nothing of importance. But for the last three years, it was the only thing that gave her hope.
The will to live on.
"Cassian, I promise I'll find out the truth."