The Kingmaker Series, #1

by Gemma Perfect

  Halfreda nods. “No damage done. If we hadn’t found her she would have died, probably been sick and choked on it, but she’ll be fine. It wasn’t a clever thing to do, though.”

  Lanorie looks at Halfreda and then drops her head. Halfreda hands her another drink. Lanorie takes it but sniffs at it, suspiciously. “It’ll perk you up. Make you feel better.”

  Everleigh takes off Ginata’s cloak and settles by the fire with Lanorie, holding her hand. Archer is pacing the room. Halfreda and Ginata are whispering together. It has been a strange and unsettling and upsetting night.

  “I think you all need to sleep here,” Halfreda says. “I will wake early and go to Everleigh’s room with you Lanorie.”

  Lanorie looks up. Everleigh explains the plan. “Macsen killed the King and he thinks he’s killed me. We want him to believe he has succeeded. Then on Saturday Halfreda will lead his coronation, but, with Archer’s help, we will swoop in and steal the crown. I will be Queen. And avenge my father’s death.”

  “Or,” Archer butts in. “I could kill him now. Save all the drama. Just kill him.”

  “No. Whatever he has done I will not lower myself to be the same.”

  “But it would be so much easier.”

  Halfreda is watching Everleigh. Is this the right move? Kill Macsen before he has another chance to kill her. Or play it clever, let him think he has won and then lock him away where he cannot do any more damage?

  “No.” Everleigh’s voice is clear.

  Ginata touches her sleeve. “Forgive me for telling you what to do, but murder will change you. If you kill Macsen then you become like him.”

  Everleigh nods. “Self defence is one thing, but despite all that he has done I will not be cowardly and kill him. Let him declare himself King, let me challenge that, let me fight with honour for this. Sorry Archer.”

  “Right. So why not just crown Everleigh then? Crown her now, before he has a chance to be King.”

  Halfreda shakes her head. “If it were only so easy. A coronation must have witnesses one hundredfold or more for it to be valid. Or else any madman could blackmail a wise woman to crown him. We would have one hundred Kings.”

  Archer shrugs as though he isn’t bothered either way when the truth is, he would kill Macsen in a second for what he had done to Everleigh and he is so frustrated with the ridiculous laws of the land he could scream.

  “So Lanorie and Halfreda will go to my room in the morning.” Everleigh has decided.

  “Why do I need to go with Halfreda?”

  “I need Macsen to believe me,” Halfreda says. “If I have a witness he will cease to see any more threat. Maybe the bloodshed will stop.”

  Lanorie nods reluctantly. She doesn’t want to spend any time alone with Halfreda, but she will do anything now to show Everleigh that she is sorry.

  “Ginata will stay here tonight too, and Archer can stand guard.”

  Archer nods. “Will do.” He touches his sword, as if checking it’s there or reassuring himself that he could indeed guard them all.

  Halfreda

  AND SO, THE WHOLE WORLD has shifted again. I wanted to crown Everleigh today but instead I will have to pretend that she is dead. Macsen is far more evil than I could have imagined.

  When Ginata told me that someone had requested the death draught, the scales fell away from my eyes and I knew, but I had not seen the extent of his betrayal, everything that he was capable of.

  Last night our King was murdered and our Kingmaker, princess, Queen was in mortal danger. The fool’s boy saved her life. Who would have thought he had it in him? Maybe he is wiser than us and we are the fools. I certainly feel like one at times.

  Lanorie, like a spoiled and ignored child has had a tantrum and made a feeble effort at taking her own life. As though that would help anyone at all. Did she think Everleigh would hear that she was dead and realise how sorry she had been for betraying her. Nothing says please forgive me like a dead body. Silly girl. Like we don’t have enough to deal with now.

  And then, poor Everleigh, when I awoke in the night for a drink, she was heartbrokenly sobbing in front of my fire, with Archer smoothing her hair. I didn’t interrupt them, she needs more time to grieve and yet with so much going on, how can she?

  Oh, I am not feeling generous of spirit today. I must face the day and tell everyone that Everleigh is dead, that I have found her body. I know her maid is only a young girl, and foolish with it, but look at the actions of the fool in the making and the princess’s handmaiden. What a difference.

  There is too much going on for me to feel anything much for her though. Everleigh has lost her father and barely had a minute to grieve for him. Her own brother tried to kill her so she has lost him too and has not had a minute to grieve for that either.

  I have Ginata out of her mind with worry that Macsen as King will expect her to turn to the dark work.

  And I have Will half dead. I think that Ginata is right, he will live, but it saddens me that my gift is slipping. All I knew has been lost to me.

  Since the day I embraced my gifts I have felt, and this is not good to admit, superior. I am superior to other people. My gifts make me special; not unique, but special. Most people are normal, average, many are less than that. I had something that made me different. It gave me an edge in life. I had skills and knowledge and intuition above and beyond most others and it has served me so well.

  Without my gifts, I do not feel like myself.

  I wake Lanorie up, shaking her not too gently on her shoulder. She groans and turns, trying to stay asleep, so I poke her in the arm. She jumps up, panic on her features for a second.

  “Come, we have to be the first in Everleigh’s room.”

  It is before sunrise, but we need to be early. If anyone finds her bed empty before us, our plan will be spoiled.

  We scurry across the courtyard, our breath frosting before us, cloaks wrapped tightly around us. It is a cold morning, a bleak morning and it fits my mood. This safe and warm castle has become a stranger overnight.

  We step over the little maid at her door, luckily still sleeping and slip into Everleigh’s room. The bed, covers and floor are saturated with Will’s blood. It is dry but frightening. Lanorie has a hand over her mouth, making heaving noises. “Pull yourself together,” I tell her, a little more sharply than I intended.

  I root through one of Everleigh’s chests, find some bed linen and throw it over to Lanorie. “Make a body shape, on the bloody sheets.” I want to find something suitable to wrap her in. She’s a princess after all, and I would never let her be taken to rest in dirty old sheets. It’s not unusual for a body to be fully wrapped, especially if they have suffered an injury. Besides Macsen killed her himself, or so he believes, he will need no proof and there is plenty of blood to convince anyone else.

  I find a beautiful blanket, heavy and embroidered with tiny flowers and stars. It is perfect. Lanorie has used her head, she has wrapped the sheets and used ribbon to fasten them. She has fashioned a plausible body shape.

  When I am satisfied, I open the door and wake the little maid. “Quick fetch Macsen and Millard and Archer.” I scream the words at her, tears easily filling my eyes.

  She scurries off and I sit at the window with Lanorie standing beside me.

  “Think of something sad,” I tell her.

  We need to look as though we have lost the princess. We need to be believable.

  “I can’t,” she says, staring at me with a stupid look on her face.

  “Of course you can.” I am upset and I am cruel. “Why don’t you think about how stupid you were telling Everleigh’s secret to some stranger? Why don’t you think about the upset you caused when you betrayed your lifelong friend for a few kisses like a cheap tavern maid? Why don’t you think about the fact that the King was killed last night, that Will risked his life for Everleigh but you, like a selfish spoiled child, sat and tried to drink yourself into oblivion, so that she didn’t have time to grieve, she had to save
your wretched, worthless life. Why don’t you think about all that and see if you can cry?”

  By the time Macsen and Millard burst into the room we are both sobbing. I feel like a bully talking to her the way I have and I absolutely took out my frustrations on her, but she deserved it.

  “What’s happened?” Macsen asks as Millard points at the bundle and asks: “Who’s that?”

  My eyes are wet. “I came to see Everleigh, to go over some things for her death day. I found her dead. Stabbed three times.”

  I do not dare to look at Macsen as I say it.

  “I called Lanorie and she helped me wrap her. She cannot be seen; it is not fitting for a princess. She is a bloody mess.”

  Millard is shaking his head in disbelief, tears flooding his face. “And father last night too. Is there a curse, Halfreda?”

  I shake my head, wondering who broke the news to him. Macsen with his ability to lie and deceive and pretend to be upset, or one of the guards or the doctor?

  I shrug my shoulders. A curse is better than what I could tell him.

  “I am not seeing one, though I will look further into the fires this afternoon.”

  The princes nod. “I need to know what you want me to do.” I look at Macsen for a moment, it’s longer than I want to.

  He shakes his head like he cannot speak, but quietly says. “What a sad day to be in the Realm. I would never have imagined such a disaster. I, of course, will become King, now. We revert to the old law.”

  “What about father and Everleigh? What will we do?” Millard asks.

  “We’ll have the ceremony for them this evening.”

  Dead people are disposed of very quickly in the Realm in one of two ways. Anyone of importance is given a small simple ceremony on the island, as soon as it is feasibly possible, which I perform, and then, weighted with coloured pebbles, dropped into the sea. Anyone who is not important is taken to the Ashes, a small scrap of land to the North of the castle, where bodies are burnt twice weekly, if there’s anything left that hasn’t been eaten by the wild animals.

  The King and Everleigh will go tonight. There is no reason to wait.

  “And I will crown you tomorrow, Macsen.” I say the words he wants to hear, and bow my head, ever so slightly to him.

  Millard looks put out, but resigned. The old law of the land will come into play and he cannot argue with that.

  Lanorie hasn’t moved from the window. She is sobbing still and it has helped matters look genuine.

  Everleigh’s pretend body is on the bloody bed. The two princes walk over to her, place a hand on her and murmur their blessings. I hope Lanorie has done a better job of this than killing herself. They cannot be suspicious.

  Macsen manages to squeeze out a tear and I almost laugh at his gall.

  There is a battle ahead; this man will not go quietly.

  23

  ARCHER ARRIVES AT EVERLEIGH’S door in the middle of the two brother’s final goodbyes. He puts on a good display of grief, crying and hugging both Halfreda and Lanorie. The tears are real; she came so close to losing her life in this room. No one would know how close except him, her and Will.

  After a lot of weeping and some wailing from Lanorie, who is at the point of hysteria, the two princes leave. Archer is charged with carrying Everleigh’s body to the island.

  Two guards will meet him there with the King’s body. His death was more peaceful than Everleigh’s, if death at someone else’s hand is ever peaceful, and so his body has been viewed through the morning in the great hall, by family, friends, visitors to the Realm and anyone who fancies looking at something so macabre. He was finally wrapped up by his maid and is ready for the ceremony.

  Everleigh is still upset that Millard and Addyson will think she is dead, so Halfreda says she will break the news to Addyson and comfort her little sister.

  Addyson is in her room, crying on the bed. Halfreda needs to break the news of Everleigh’s pretend death and it is hurting her that she must tell her such an awful lie.

  “Addy.” Addyson turns and throws herself on Halfreda. Halfreda is the wise woman, but so much more. She is a surrogate grandmother who became a surrogate mother to the older children; all she has been to Addyson is a mother though. Addyson has never known her mother and has the added burden of the curse.

  “I have some upsetting news, my little dear.”

  Addyson shakes her head, tears like two waterfalls down her face. “I know about the King. My brother told me.”

  “No, my sweet.” Halfreda lays her head on Addyson’s, crying but needing to get the words out, cursing Macsen as she does. “Your sister is also dead. Someone broke into her room last night and killed her.”

  The grief is extreme; Everleigh is the closest person to Addyson. She screams and cries and rocks and eventually sleeps through pure exhaustion. She wakes and wails and curses and Halfreda sits with her, until her sleep becomes a deep one. “Stay with her,” she tells her maid. “I will be back with a sleeping draught. She will need something when she wakes.”

  Back in her room, Halfreda takes Everleigh in her arms. “Addy is heartbroken. I am not sure how she will get over this.”

  “When she sees me she will be glad?”

  “I think so, but hurt and confused also.”

  They hug and Everleigh cries. Grief isn’t a strong enough word for the feelings that are going through her; hurt, betrayal, shock, devastation, disbelief.

  “Where is Lanorie now?”

  Halfreda frowns. “Back in the kitchen, and told to keep her mouth shut from now on.”

  “Don’t be hard on her, Halfreda, she is heartbroken by what she did.”

  “She should never have done it to be broken hearted. We all make choices, Everleigh. She made the wrong one.”

  “I know. I think she is sorry.”

  “She is sorry for the consequences. She is sorry you found out.”

  Halfreda goes quiet and Everleigh moves to sit with Will again in front of the fire.

  He is awake and talking, weak but gaining strength. They have given him food, drink and medication and can only hope now that he will recover, that his stab wounds will heal and no infection will set in. He is in hiding as no one can know he has been injured; there would be no feasible explanation.

  “The ceremony for you and your father is this evening, at the island,” Halfreda says.

  Everleigh looks up. “I hadn’t thought about that. Poor Millard and Addy having to go through that. Can you manage?”

  “Yes, I am no actress but I am able to mask my feelings well enough. The declarations will be made at noon and I will go over to the island at six. This has turned in to a strange situation.”

  “I know. My father dead, my brother the culprit, me hiding, my death faked, Will attacked and left for dead. Will it all be well? Have you seen anything?”

  Halfreda shakes her head. Her powers are growing dimmer. She cannot see anything in her flames now.

  “Nothing my child, but I believe things will work out. Archer is here.”

  “He will keep me safe?”

  “I know it. Macsen thinks you are dead. Ginata is ready to take over from me-”

  “Take over, where will you be?”

  “I have seen something, Everleigh, but with all the upset you have faced I did not want to add to it. I am not long for this world.”

  “Halfreda don’t. You are older than the stars. Surely you will live on.”

  “No, I have seen enough to know that I don’t have long. I am hopeful that seeing you crowned is the last thing I will see.”

  She doesn’t add that she has seen a violent end to her own life; there is no reason to cause further distress.

  “So, you will bury me tonight and crown Macsen in the morning?”

  “Yes, and Archer will be there and at the last moment before the ceremony is complete, you will step forward and take the crown. I will change the words and make you Queen instead of him King.”

  “He will be shock
ed to see me.”

  “Hopefully. I think that will help. He won’t be expecting any resistance.”

  “Will it work?”

  “I believe so.”

  It is the best either of them can hope for.

  Ginata

  HALFREDA HAS TOLD ME to visit with Macsen. She thinks it’s a good idea for me to tell him I am sorry for the loss of his father, and his sister, to see if he reveals his true intentions to me.

  The cloaked man told me that he would need me as an ally. Will Macsen admit that he is that same man? And what will I say to him if he does. I think I will die.

  I am frightened as I go to his room. I don’t like him. And I fear what might start between us.

  I have never wanted to be a dark witch, though there are many. Some with real power and those who pretend. I am a good witch. I want to be good and do good.

  I knock at his door and a guard opens it.

  “Ginata, the village white witch to see Macsen please.”

  He nods and closes the door in my face. I am not sure whether to stay or leave and hover for a moment before the door opens again. It is Macsen. I know he is the cloaked man the instant our eyes meet. I mask my knowledge and hope that he is not as adept at seeing duplicity as he is at partaking in it.

  I smile a solemn smile. “I heard the sad news, and I wanted to offer my condolences on the loss of your father and sister.”

  He smiles at me and invites me into his rooms, with a gesture.

  I follow him in, wondering if I will see his guard / friend.

  “It’s been a shock,” he says, taking a seat. He lifts a jug of ale. “Would you like some?”

  I shake my head. I couldn’t bear to drink something he has touched. There could be some of the death draught in there. I will never trust this man.

  “No thank you. I come to offer my services. I understand that Halfreda isn’t as well as she would like to be. And, that you will become King? That we will revert to the old laws?”

  He nods at me, almost lazily. I get the feeling that he’s sizing me up but I am also sure that he believes I am fooled by his disguise; that I do not know his true nature.