"Your Majesty, the baron and I never discussed the...matters of the heart. But I know that at first, he was distressed but eventually calmed down."
"I see."
"Your Majesty, I don't know what else to say."
"The truth, Count, and only the truth. Did the baron abduct Her Grace?"
"I don't know, Your Majesty."
Horatio really didn't know.
He had rented a ship, dispatched the mercenaries... The rest was up to Lofrayne. He was in charge of the operation itself.
He was present at the ambush, and he was to take the countess to the ship and pay the men.
As for what really happened...
Horatio had spent the entire morning running around the palace to avoid any suspicion.
There he is, busy as a bee, having nothing to do with any abductions!
"Did you arrange the abduction?"
"Your Majesty, I can swear before the face of Aldonai himself..."
"I don't doubt that you can. Oathbreakers are punished there, and you're still here." Richard gave him a cold, cruel glare. "Oh, you absolutely can."
"Your Majesty, I—"
"I remember, Alden. Know that only your status as an ambassador is protecting you from a slow and agonizing death."
“Your Majesty!"
"I've taken control over this matter, Alden. And if I learn that you're involved in the abduction..."
Alden shivered.
"Your Majesty, please."
"Until Lilian Earton is found, Alden, you'll be a guest of Ativerna, and be happy that you’re not a prisoner. Trust me; I won't be stopped by any diplomatic complications."
He was saying the truth, too.
"Your Majesty, I can assure you—"
"Don't assure me. I'm sending a ship after the Prancing Mermaid. If Lilian Earton is on board, Alden, then you should pray. Pray a lot."
“Yes, Your Majesty."
"I don't want a war, but I'm not afraid of it, and abducting my best friend's wife is a good enough cause."
"Your Majesty." Alden finally found the courage to speak up. "But what if the countess left by her own free will? I mean, the baron and Her Grace...if I may be so bold, she's a young woman, and he's an attractive man..."
Richard smiled, and that smile sent goosebumps down Alden's spine because what he saw in Richard's eyes was death itself.
"Pray, Alden. Pray a lot."
The diplomat bowed.
"Until the matter is cleared, I forbid all residents of the embassy from contacting the outside world."
“Your Majesty!"
"Do you want to argue with me, Count?"
“No, Your Majesty.”
"Great. You can go."
Richard made a dismissive gesture, and Horatio darted out of the room like a rock shot from a sling.
Richard waited for the door to close and turned around.
A curtain budged.
Bran Gardren was as calm as a snake full of venom, and his eyes weren't any kinder than Richard's.
"He's lying."
"Yes."
"If he didn't take part in everything, he at least arranged it."
Richard nodded again. He didn't doubt that, but a confirmation from a viper such as the Chief of Gardren was worth a lot. That man knew intrigues like the palm of his hand.
A priest of Holosh, in a nutshell.
"Where's Jess?"
"He went to August. The Virmans are there. Soon, the ships will set sailing."
"We need to get to the Mermaid, but don't forget about the other vessels."
"We'll do everything in our power, Your Majesty."
"Don't do everything in your power, Bran. Just do everything."
Bran bowed slightly. He was going to do it anyway. He had a small debt to Her Grace for helping with his son, and the Chief of Gardren never forgot his debts.
“Your Majesty...”
"Bran!"
"Fine. Richard, I suggest one more thing."
"What do you mean?"
Bran briefly outlined his idea.
Richard paused.
"So, can we get a confession from him?"
"Under torture, yes. But I think we should figure everything out first and act later."
"Well, then... Won't you get caught?"
Bran smiled.
“Your Majesty...”
It sounded quite reproachful.
Richard snorted as he looked at that bastard with his innocent blue eyes.
Angelina got lucky with a husband like him.
He didn't say that out loud, of course.
"Well, then I'm waiting for your report as soon as you..."
"It will be late at night or early in the morning."
"It doesn't matter. I’ll be waiting.”
"All right, Richard."
Richard let his brother-in-law go and stared at the wall. There was only one thing on his mind.
Bastards! Scum! Brutes!
That wasn't much of an intrigue.
Sooner or later, it was bound to happen; Lilian Earton had become too prominent, an abduction was to be expected. But such a bold one?
Well, at least Nanook had escaped.
Thank Aldonai, Lilian was smart enough to think of that. When the dog had reached Taral, it caused a real ruckus. The Virmans grabbed their weapons and ran where Nanook led them, quickly finding the trail but never managing to get to the Prancing Mermaid.
The miscreants had wasted no time, and they struck at just the right time, too.
Fine, they would patch the dog up. If only Lilian were riding a horse... In a landeau, she couldn't really get away, but an Avarian was something else.
Lidarh would have carried his mistress off. Without him, she had no other way of escaping.
That's why she must have decided to go willingly—or she might have been threatened.
She would have fought if only her own life was on the line, but women were sensitive to blackmail, weren't they?
Richard had no idea what had transpired on that road, but he was going to find out.
Tremain was already sniffing out everything, and coupled with Gardren's proposal...
It was bound to be interesting, no question about that.
***
Horatio Alden rushed out of the king's reception chamber like a scalded cat.
He was able to calm down only at the embassy, and not completely at that. Richard was scary in his fury, truly terrifying.
And for the first time, a suspicion crept into his mind. Maybe they had done something worse than a crime: a mistake.
Alas, fixing it didn't seem possible; the only thing they could do was deal with the consequences. As for what consequences may follow, Alden didn't know—but he was already afraid.
***
In the evening, Lily stretched on her bed.
Waves were softly rustling outside of the tiny window in her cabin. Lily didn't like that, but who cared? She had spent her childhood away from the sea. Now woods—that was something she knew well. She'd never lose her way in a forest.
She could swim, but only just enough to avoid getting drowned: stay afloat, maybe dive, but that was it. She couldn't swim like a duck and disliked water, except for her love for fishing.
The sea? She and her parents had been at sea several times, but that was a long time ago. She remembered a big beach, lots of people under colorful umbrellas, ice cream...
The sea wasn't her friend; it wasn't her ally. Dive into the waves and swim ashore—that just wasn't Lilian.
The only thing left to do was to wait for dry land. Avester seemed like a better place to make her escape. It had a lot of forests, and she felt at home in the woods. Nobody would find her there.
Her hand dropped on her belly. Oh, goddamn it!
Jess knew that she was pregnant. That was a good thing, on the one hand. Whatever they might cook up, her husband would never believe it. She was pregnant, and she would never abandon him. She'd never run away before giving birth
, never fall for some handsome stud...
If she had vanished, it meant that she was either abducted or killed.
The first option was better. If they presented her abduction as murder, Jess might not even look for her...or, would he?
Why would they take her body if they could just leave it right on the spot? It didn't make sense. It was illogical.
No, Jess and the others would look for her, and when they found her... Yes, it was "when," not "if." When they found her, would it be too late?
If her abductors learned that she was pregnant, they would have blackmail material. What could be simpler? She would do anything for her child. Running away would also be much harder with the two of them...
A child meant happiness, of course...generally, but not like that—not in a strange foreign country with an escapee for a mother. And then there was labor, nursing... Well, at least Lily had already given birth once, and it went pretty well. She knew what to expect. If she didn't panic, she would manage, even without a midwife, and she should have milk, too.
That would be enough initially, and after that, she'd see. Still, she'd rather avoid any upheaval. It would be best for her to get home before the final month of her pregnancy, but was that a real option? Lily doubted that.
Anyway, what mattered at that moment was not giving herself away. She had no morning sickness or visual evidence of pregnancy, and her figure was bound to hide anything for at least two more months. She was just curvy enough, and the dresses she could make might hide everything, too. Nobody must know. Nobody.
Would she succeed, though?
Lily bit her lip. It felt awful, not being in control of herself. Alone, she could do a lot: cross a forest, travel a long distance... Her father had taken her camping many times, and she often went away with Alex and then Jerisson for a few days, too. Still, she always had gear and a partner, and she was in charge of her own body.
At that moment, her body was host to a small cluster of cells, her son or her daughter, and Lily wasn't about to lose that baby.
She'd pull out all the stops for them to be safe. For her, it wasn't just an embryo but a tiny human who was scared even inside her belly.
"Don't worry. We'll make it," Lily promised either to her child or herself and went to the window.
Stars were shining in the sky, but they were different. No Big Dipper, no Orion, nothing familiar to her. She'd love to find Polaris, at least.
A tear fell on her nightgown.
One of the stars slowly rolled down the sky, as if grudgingly.
As it descended, it gathered pace, and Lily breathed out, hoping to make her wish before it fell down.
"Home! I want to go home to Jess and the children!"
Maybe it could help?
Chapter 8
Jerisson, Count Earton, wasn't looking at the stars. He was busy cursing. The people around him listened obediently, never stopping the count and not even reminding him that there were ladies in the room.
In truth, the ladies wanted to curse just as much. Alas, that was taboo. That way, at least Jerisson could express their shared thoughts.
The small but close-knit group consisted of His Majesty Richard, Jerisson, Hans Tremain, Leif, and Eric. August Brocklend had arrived from the docks, having received the urgent message, still dressed in his workwear: plain pants, a shirt, a vest... So what if it wasn't how one should appear at court in front of His Majesty?
Brocklend had other things on his mind.
Bran Gardren had also returned, weary, covered with dust, thoughtful and displeased. However, he was in no hurry to share his troubles. He was sitting next to his wife, touching her fingers, and before long, he calmed down.
The ladies had also demanded to stay, and Jess would have given a lot to see a man who dared to kick his mother out. That would be one short show, though, as that man would soon meet his maker. The Old Viper wouldn't have simply buried that idiot—he would have done that to himself.
Her Majesty Maria, Princess Angelina, Ingrid, Miranda—all of them were in attendance, and telling them to leave didn't seem possible.
Everyone gathered in His Majesty's chambers in a small drawing room called the Sun Room, either because of the bright yellow pillows and padding or for being on the sunny side—although the sun was already gone. The room was still cozy and warm, even if the people inside didn't seem to care.
Jess wasn't going to restrain himself. He had already been pacing the room like a lion in his cage, Richard barely managing to slow him down, and after learning the details of the abduction, he really let his temper go.
"How the hell did it happen? My wife was taken by Aldonai knows whom, and not a damnable soul saw it!"
It was a very dramatic sight.
"My men were killed," Eric spoke up.
"We let our guard down," Richard snapped. "It's been a while since anything happened..."
Hans lowered his head.
"It's my fault. Your Majesty, we've figured it out. In the morning, Her Grace rode to Castle Taral. There was an ambush on the way. The ruffians fired their crossbows, killed the guards, then rode up and killed the coachman and talked to Her Grace for some time. She didn't try to escape, knowing that it wasn't possible in the landeau. She did manage to kill one of the attackers, however. We found her blade at the scene."
"One?" Jess clarified.
"One," Hans nodded.
"Lilian usually carried two of them."
"Jess, sit down and stop beating about," Richard called him out. "Your fidgeting is giving me a headache."
"At once, Your Majesty," Jerisson replied sarcastically and walked to the fireplace, even stepping behind the chimney-piece to show off his obedience.
"Only one dagger was found. The second might have been taken from Her Grace as a trophy," Hans continued. "After the conversation, Her Grace got on a horse, as we've seen from the tracks, and her abductors headed to the sea, where they embarked on a ship that was waiting for them. Then they sailed off, leaving their horses on the shore."
Leif looked guilty, too.
No matter which way you looked at it, Castle Taral was guarded by the Virmans, and for the countess to be ambushed right on the road, not to mention the abductor's ship staying not that far away...
They had really dropped their guard.
After five years of peace, it made sense, but that was beside the point. Trouble always came unexpectedly.
"We've already got that," Bran said, as practical as always. "What are we going to do? Who exactly took the countess, and how will we get her back?"
Hans threw the Virman a grateful look. Really, it wasn't the time for self-flagellation. He could be punished later; what mattered was dealing with the problem at hand. After it was over, he wouldn't say a word in his own defense—they could hang or exile him for all they wanted.
"Six ships left the harbor over the last three days. I ordered them to be checked. Intelligence is being gathered..."
"Say it simpler," Leif growled, ignoring authority. Still, Richard wasn't angry. It wasn't what was important.
They were having a war meeting; he could scold the insolent Virman later. Hans was right to start gathering information. If the ship had been there longer, it would have been noticed, but just a few days was a short enough stay for the abductors to succeed, and they had, Maldonaya, take them!
Hans shrugged.
"We don't know anything yet. At least we started the search straight away, thanks to Nanook. Too bad, he got wounded, but he did deliver the message in time."
"Nanook will survive," Miranda said. "He got lucky. It's just a scratch."
It was more than a scratch, but for a large dog like him, that wound was next to nothing. He would heal like a dog.
"I have a suggestion."
Her Majesty Maria rarely spoke up, but Richard made a point to listen to her. He didn't want to silence his already quiet and humble wife.
There was one more thing, too. He might never love her, but he wasn't g
oing to allow a situation like his father's. Maria would be happy for both of them.
Or even the three of them...he still remembered the girl with eyes the color of the sea.
"Darling?"
Maria faltered, glanced at Jerisson, and blushed a little.
"Lilian wouldn't have told me that, but I accidentally witnessed what was going on. Baron Lofrayne was courting Her Grace...and he was very persistent. Every time, he was met with blunt refusal."
"WHAT?"
Jess turned crimson with rage. That said, it looked rather fetching, as red went well with his black hair.
"Lilian solved that problem...in her own fashion," Her Majesty said with a slight smile. "The baron wasn't hurt much, but he was furious. Lilian explained it to me. According to her, the baron had been making advances to her, giving out rather explicit offers. Then he tried to get handsy, got a pretty convincing reply, and backed off."
Jerisson chuckled. He could imagine his wife's response, and he already knew about the thing with the hogweed.
Miranda coughed.
"If I may..."
"Mirrie?" Richard asked, raising his eyebrow.
"The baron tried courting me as well. I had to give him a rather...strong rebuffal."
"I will kill him!" Jerisson flared up.
"Be quiet," Richard said, reining him in. "Mirrie, I'm listening. Tell us every detail."
Her explanation took a few minutes. The listeners started thinking.
"I'd say that Baron Lofrayne was trying to get closer to Her Grace and used every method at his disposal," Bran Gardren concluded. "Directly, by using his charms, through her daughter, and... Jerisson? Nobody tried to ingratiate themselves with you, did they?"
"If only. Lady Seinel," the count said with a disgusted expression on his face.
"Lady Seinel?" Bran had never heard of her.
"A lady who arrived with the Avesterian ambassador party. She leads a rather austere lifestyle," Maria explained.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
"Austere?" Jerisson was shocked. "She all but threw herself at me! I have no words!"
"You should have found some," Alicia mumbled. "I would have dealt with her."
Bran heard that and glanced at the lady, amused.
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