Threads of Gold (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 6)

by Christine Pope

  “Perhaps I do,” I replied. “But since His Majesty has seen fit to keep me imprisoned in these chambers, there is very little I can do about that.”

  “But perhaps there is something I can do.” His eyes shifted toward the window and then back to me. “Would you like that?”

  I wished I could tell him that what I would truly like was to be sent home, so I could enjoy the fresh air in my own courtyard, but I knew that reply would only annoy him. “A taste of the wind would not be unwelcome.”

  “Excellent.”

  Rashelle appeared then, holding her feather duster, and so anything else he’d intended to say, he abandoned for the moment. He did not even try to kiss my hand — for which I was profoundly grateful — but excused himself, saying he would return when he could.

  Which he did, later that afternoon after I had had a reviving noontime meal of fresh cheese and leek soup, and a lovely dish of spiced apples. By then the hours had begun to feel so dull that even the presence of the duke was not something to be despised. He was smiling as Rashelle opened the door to allow him into the suite.

  “Good news, my lady,” he said, bowing extravagantly over my hand. In the background, I could see my serving woman raise an ironic eyebrow, and my estimation of her went up slightly. At least she was not the type to be sent all a-flutter by the gallant gestures of a nobleman.

  “Indeed?” I replied.

  “Yes,” he went on, apparently nonplussed by my cool reaction. “The king has agreed that it would be better for you if you were to walk in the gardens, and so I will take you there.”

  “How kind of him.” My tone indicated that he was anything but kind, although I did feel a slight stir of anticipation within me. It would feel good to be out in the sun and the wind, even if I must do it while accompanied by Lord Edmar. I added, “It is very kind of you to take the time out of what must be a very busy schedule to do these things for me.”

  I watched as his lashes dropped over his eyes, as if he were attempting to measure precisely what I had meant by that statement. Then he lifted his shoulders. “It is the least I can do for a lady who has done so much for her kingdom.”

  There was little I could say in reply to that, not with Rashelle listening in. I summoned a smile. “Well, I thank you for it. And from what I have seen out the window, it does look to be a fine day.”

  “A very fine day, my lady. Let me show you.”

  He offered me his arm, and there was nothing I could do except take it. I must confess that it felt strange to step out of the rooms that had been my prison for the past few days, to walk through the corridors of the palace as if I truly belonged there. Curious glances came my way, especially from the ladies of the court, as if they were attempting to discover who this strange young woman with the duke might be.

  In that moment I was glad that Rashelle had taken a good deal of care while dressing my hair that morning, and that I wore a gown in a warm dark teal color, flattering to my mahogany hair and hazel eyes. I did not think any of these fine lords and ladies would have been able to guess that I was only a simple merchant’s daughter.

  Well, not so simple, perhaps. I was, after all, hiding a very great secret.

  For some reason, I recalled the way Rumple’s arms had felt around me the night before, the strength of him. He had made me feel safe and protected in a way that my father most certainly never had. Actually, the mage’s touch had made me feel things I had never experienced before…sensations I wasn’t sure I should be feeling.

  And certainly not thinking of while in Lord Edmar’s presence.

  To my relief, he did not seem to notice my preoccupation. We went down a corridor narrower than the one we had been traversing previously, and from there out a set of double doors that opened on a wide, shallow set of steps. Before us stretched the palace gardens, what seemed like acres of green lawns and carefully clipped hedges. The stately poplars were columns of fluttering gold in the brisk breeze that danced across all that manicured loveliness, touching my face like the caress of a lover.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said.

  “The king is very proud of his gardens,” the duke said. “And this is only the beginning. Come with me.”

  He had held my arm this entire time, and I had dared not pull it from his while we were surrounded by others. Now, though, after we descended the steps, I gently slipped away, pretending eagerness to walk ahead. He did not protest, although I noted how he lengthened his strides so he could catch up to me.

  “If you go down this central path, and then take the spoke that leads off to the left, you will be able to see something very fine.”

  I did as he directed, mostly because I did not know the gardens, and he did. They were not completely unoccupied, either; I saw members of the court walking here and there, getting their own fill of the mellow autumn air. In less than a month, it would be too cold to walk thus, but for now everyone was enjoying the season while they could.

  Where we were headed, however, seemed to be empty enough. The hedges gave way to what were probably spectacular beds of iris in the spring, but now were only clusters of tall sword-like leaves. Past the soft rustle of the wind in the foliage, I heard a low murmur, as of water over stones.

  The path ended at a small pond, where a stream fed into it on the far side. Swans glided across the water, pale and proud. I had only been in the country a handful of times, and yet here it seemed was a small piece of it captured within the palace walls, a place to go when the crush of city life became too much to bear. I wondered that all those who walked in the garden had not come here directly, because I could not imagine anything more beautiful.

  “It’s lovely,” I breathed, going as close to the edge of the pond without muddying the hem of my gown as I could.

  “I’m glad you think so.” The duke wore high, fine boots, but I noticed he stood some ways off, as if he did not want to risk dirtying his footwear. “An antidote, I hope, to all those hours you spent in your apartments.”

  “Yes, and a welcome one.” I paused then and watched as one of the swans took flight, beating against the air with its great strong wings. In fact, it launched itself so fiercely that it splashed water in my direction, and I hastily backed away.

  “I fear I don’t have much experience with swans,” I added.

  Lord Edmar smiled. “I find them to be quite a nuisance, but the king enjoys them.”

  His manner was so easy, so relaxed and friendly, that I almost wanted to let down my guard. I knew better, though. He was only pretending to be kind. What he desired from me was perhaps different from what the king wanted, but to both of them I was only someone to be used.

  Whether something in my aspect shifted then, I could not know, but I saw the smile fade from the duke’s face, and the familiar crafty glint entered his eyes. “I am curious, my lady. How precisely do you do it?”

  The breeze was fresh, but not cold. Despite that, I felt a distinct chill along the back of my neck. “Do what, Your Grace?”

  “You know what I am asking, Annora. Do not bother to play games.”

  I gave what I hoped was a negligent lift of my shoulders. “Nothing in particular. I suppose I merely think of how the straw is golden, and how it is so close to true gold, and as I spin…it just becomes the real thing.”

  One eyebrow went up at a sardonic angle. “You expect me to believe that.”

  No, I really didn’t. Even to me, the explanation had sounded quite foolish. I couldn’t tell him the truth, however, and so I was left with whatever makeshifts I could concoct. “Truthfully, Your Grace, I do not know how it works. It happened to me one day, and ever since then I’ve been able to spin gold. Not a lot, not so much that it would attract attention, but….” I stopped there, thinking of how my words were an echo of what Rumple had told me the previous night. In that moment I thought I understood the importance of not attracting attention.

  Too late for that, however. My father had brought that unwanted attention down upon my
head, and now I had to do my best to survive its consequences.

  The duke regarded me for a moment, expression blank. In the bright afternoon light, I could see glimmers of silver in his dark hair, the laugh lines in the tanned flesh around his eyes. No one would deny that he was handsome, even though he was twice my age.

  As I gazed back at him, wearing my best guileless expression, I watched his mouth purse slightly, as if something had just occurred to him. He moved closer, and laid a hand on my arm. Startled, I began to jerk it away, but his fingers tightened on the limb, and I could not move.

  “Tell me, Annora,” he said. That he had addressed me by my first name was not lost on me.

  “Can you do these things because you are a mage?”

  Chapter 7

  The world seemed to go very quiet. The wind in the trees, the low murmurs of the courtiers taking their afternoon constitutional on the garden’s pathways…those all seemed very far away. All I could hear was the painful thudding of my heart within my breast.

  Then I took in a quick, sharp breath, and let out what I hoped was a convincing chuckle. “A mage, Your Grace? I am only a simple merchant’s daughter.”

  “Who can spin straw into gold.”

  “And that is all,” I replied. His grip on my arm was almost painful, but I dared not show him my discomfort. “A peculiar gift, I am sure, but that is all it is. If I were a mage, could I not have escaped from my suite? Could I not have avoided capture in the first place? I know little of these matters, but I have always read that mages were great, fearsome creatures with all sorts of diabolical powers at their command. I am most certainly not anything like that.”

  For a long moment, he said nothing, only watched me with those sharp, hawklike eyes of his. Then at last he let go of me. I resisted the urge to rub my arm where he had grasped it. “You may say that, my lady, but you must admit there is something very peculiar about this ‘gift’ of yours.”

  “I will not deny that it is strange. Perhaps it is something given to me by the gods. As I am only a humble young woman, I dare not venture a guess.”

  That seemed to set him thinking. Whether he would believe the gods had blessed me with the gift of spinning straw into gold, I could not say. In these worldly times, the gods were given lip service more than anything else — an offering laid on an altar at harvest, a deity’s name invoked when good fortune in a business dealing was desired. But whether most people truly believed the gods existed…that I could not say for sure. I must confess that most of the time I myself was skeptical at best. Now, though, having seen what Rumple could do, I did not know what I believed. His powers had to have come from somewhere. The gods? Possibly.

  But it seemed as if my remark had thrown Lord Edmar off somewhat, or at least had given him something new to consider. He gave the faintest of nods, then said, “Perhaps. It is said that the gods once walked among us, and bestowed miracles upon those they found worthy. You, my lady, may be the recipient of such a gift.”

  “One that I am glad to put to the service of the realm,” I responded. “Only….”

  “Only?”

  “Only I cannot help wondering how much gold the king truly needs,” I said. “Our land has been at peace these many years. Of late the harvests have been good. So what is he going to do with all of it?”

  The duke shook his head, then gave me an indulgent smile. “I cannot expect a sheltered young woman such as you to understand matters of state. But you must have heard that the Hierarch of Keshiaar lately married the sister of the Emperor of Sirlende. When two such great powers ally, the rest of us must be on our guard. Purth especially, as we share a southern border with Keshiaar.”

  On the surface, that explanation sounded logical enough. However, I knew that Keshiaar was a far, far greater power than my own homeland of Purth could ever hope to be. Because of that discrepancy, I did not think it would matter how much gold King Elsdon stockpiled. If the Hierarch truly wished to wage war upon my land, then he would fall upon us with the force of one of the great sandstorms that swept the deserts in his empire’s southern reaches. Not that I thought such an attack was terribly likely. I could not profess to be an expert in politics, but from what I had heard, the Hierarch seemed to be a peaceable sort, not given to unwarranted acts of aggression.

  “I see,” I told the duke, since it seemed obvious that he was waiting for me to make some sort of answer. And I did think I understood, although not in the manner that Lord Edmar most likely guessed. With some, it mattered little how much wealth they accumulated. They must always have more, no matter what.

  I did not say such a thing to the duke, of course. He would only see that sort of remark as a criticism of the king, something a woman of my standing should not dare to do. What his lordship sought to gain from all this, I did not quite know. Perhaps King Elsdon had promised him a small share of the golden thread I had spun in exchange for riding herd on me, or perhaps the promise of my person was enough for him, since it seemed to me his covetousness lay in different areas than in merely accumulating wealth.

  A shiver passed over me then, thinking of what the duke might have planned for me. Apparently seeing the tremor, he said, his tone all solicitude, “Are you chilled, my lady? Should we go back inside?”

  In truth, the mild afternoon air was comfortable enough. But I was glad of the excuse to have him take me back inside, for by then I had had quite enough of his company. “Yes, Your Grace, if you please,” I replied. “The wind seems to have picked up a bit.”

  “Of course.”

  He offered me his arm, and I could not refuse it. I had to let him guide me back into the palace, and on up to my chambers. Once again I was glad to see Rashelle waiting for me inside, for it meant that the duke would most likely not press his suit. No, he preferred to take advantage of me when I was alone.

  He did linger, however, pausing by the door and saying, “If you feel the fresh air has done you some good, I can come again tomorrow afternoon. Would you like that, my lady?”

  Actually, I wouldn’t like that, not at all. Right then I’d felt as if I’d had enough fresh air — and enough of Lord Edmar’s company — to last me for days. Refusing him, however, did not seem to be a particularly wise thing to do. “That sounds lovely,” I replied, hoping I sounded more enthusiastic than I felt.

  Apparently I did, for he offered me a smile before bowing over my fingers once more. Then he slipped out the door. I had to thank the gods that he hadn’t tried to kiss my hand. Perhaps he hadn’t wished to, not with Rashelle hovering in the background, wiping down the marble surround on the hearth in the main salon.

  Whatever the reason, he was gone without further incident. I shut the door and fought back the urge to sigh with relief. Instead, I came farther into the apartment, then went over to the side table, where a pitcher of water and a pair of silver goblets sat. As I poured some of the water for myself, Rashelle came closer, pausing a few feet away.

  “He is a very fine man, is he not?” she said.

  I lifted my shoulders. “I suppose many would say so.”

  “But you would not?”

  “I did not say that. He has certainly been very…thoughtful.” I paused then, as I did not know how much of my circumstances she had even been told. Certainly not the whole truth, but did she know that I was only the daughter of a merchant, and not someone who, under normal circumstances, would have had cause to spend any time in the company of one so exalted as Lord Edmar?

  Her expression was mildly inquisitive, but I could see nothing more in it than simple curiosity. However, that meant very little. I did not know her, and it was entirely possible that the king — or his steward, more likely — had placed her here as a sort of spy, to see what kind of information she could glean from me when my guard was down.

  What none of them understood was that my guard was almost always up. It was a practice that became necessary when raised by such a one as my father.

  “The fresh air has wearied me somewhat
,” I told Rashelle then. “I think I will lie down for a while.”

  At once she became concerned, asking if I needed a cool cloth for my head, or perhaps some tea rather than the water I had been drinking. I turned down both of these offers, then went into my bedchamber and shut the door. Of course it would take more than a half-hour of fresh air to tire me, but the excuse seemed the best way of getting myself some much-needed privacy. I would lie down for a while, and then she would bring me my supper.

  And then eventually night would arrive, and she would go. And Rumple would come to me once more.

  I did not quite want to admit to myself how much I looked forward to seeing him again.

  * * *

  He appeared as I had expected him to, some time after Rashelle had excused herself for the night, and I felt the palace dreaming and quiet around me. Perhaps somewhere far below, people still drank and danced and flirted, but I heard nothing of that if they were. And I knew little of such things as well; in my mind, palace life had always seemed to be a whirlwind of social activities, but I knew it was quite likely that I had formed the wrong impression. The king was not a young man anymore, and his son, Prince Harlin, was by all accounts a fairly sober type, much better suited to sit on the throne than his father. I did not want to wish anyone ill, but neither could I quite banish from my mind the notion that I — and the kingdom itself — might be much better off if it was Harlin who ruled over the kingdom of Purth, rather than King Elsdon.

  I was already waiting in the study when Rumple appeared. By now, I was not so concerned about meeting him in my dressing gown and with my hair down in a plait. The gown covered my chemise completely, and it did not seem that the mage cared one way or another what my hair looked like, or indeed seemed to even notice that I was female. Yes, he had held me the night before, but he had done so to offer me comfort, nothing more.

  “You have survived another day, I see,” he said as he stepped into the center of the room, once more seeming to materialize from the shadows.