Colin’s face turned pink while he and Lady Margaretha explained what happened. Apparently Colin had been distracted by Lady Margaretha, and Claybrook had come up behind him with a raised sword. But Colin defeated him in a brief sword fight, shortened by the fact that Claybrook had been poisoned the night before by the maidservants. In fact, many of Claybrook’s knights had been poisoned by the kitchen servants and were too sick to fight well. That was one story he was anxious to ask Rapunzel about. She no doubt had a hand in that brave act. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see Frau Adelheit standing just behind him. “Sir Gerek, I am sorry to interrupt your meal, but Rapunzel is missing. None of us have seen her since she went to change her clothing, and that was before the preparation of the meal.” Gerek stood and stepped over the bench where he was sitting at the raised dais with the family.
