Maddy wanted to say a resounding no right away, but she thought better of offending him. Simet could appeal to the king, but could she? Would her ties to Annison be enough to protect her?
“An answer, if you please,” Lord Hector persisted.
Maddy cleared her throat nervously and spoke as diplomatically as she could. “I would like to speak to Queen Annison about it, to seek her advice,” she declared.
Lord Hector’s expression, which had been alive from his anticipation of her answer, now fell back to its normal boredom. “If you insist,” he said coldly.
“I wouldn’t dare do anything without her permission,” Maddy explained and stood up.
Lord Hector leaned back in his chair. “In the meantime, you had better be careful, child. Anything can happen to you in a large palace like this. People can disappear and not be missed for days.”
Maddy didn’t reply but left the room as quickly as she could.
Maddy was awakened the next morning by Tabby’s loud voice. She sounded agitated as she spoke with one of the other servant girls.
“Riots!” she said. “It’s as if the people have lost their minds! They’re in the streets, fighting the king’s soldiers, tearing the city apart!”
Maddy got out of bed, wrapped her robe around her, and went into the main chamber. Tabby stood in the center of the room, gesturing wildly as she spoke.
“It’s all because of Lord Hector’s decree. He’s going to execute anyone associated with the Old Faith. Mind you, I couldn’t care less about superstitions like that, but I hate to see Marutians slaughtered for such an absurd reason. I wonder if the king knows? I wonder if anyone has told Annison? It’s an outrage, that’s what it is. An outrage!”
“The believers in the Old Faith are rioting?” the servant girl asked in a shrill voice.
“Maybe some of them, I don’t know. But the decree has brought all Marutians into the streets. Don’t you see? They’re rioting because the decree violates their civil liberties. They say this is the first step to complete domination.”
The servant girl clutched her apron and strangled it nervously. “What will happen to us? Do you think the mobs will win against the soldiers?”
“Anything is possible.”
Maddy leaned against the doorway, trying to take it all in. Was this the rebellion that might overthrow King Willem’s forces in Marus? Was it possible that Annison hadn’t needed to marry the king after all?
Maddy spent the day going about her duties—more packing for the queen—but kept her ears open for news about the riots. Occasionally, through the open glass doors, she could hear a distant roar of people, then muskets being fired, but the palace seemed like a remote island otherwise. At midday, she heard a rumor that Lord Hector had several regiments positioned around the palace to make certain it was safe.
Deep in her memory, she recalled the stories from her grandparents about how the Russian revolutionaries stormed the cities, vandalizing homes and palaces, driving those who resisted into the streets. Some members of her family had crowded into a church for sanctuary, only to have the church burned down around them. Several had died.
Now she was on the other side. She wanted the Marutians to win. She wanted the mobs to force the Palatians out of the country so they could believe and worship freely again. But could they do it? How could a disorganized mob fight against a powerful army?
Maddy also wondered about Simet. Would he take to the streets to help the mob, or would he stay to protect the palace? Where was his allegiance at a time like this?
As midday turned into afternoon and afternoon turned into evening, Maddy decided to go to the bell tower at six to see if Simet was there. She crept cautiously along the halls, even going the wrong way several times to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Though it was a period of crisis, she didn’t doubt that Lord Hector might have someone keeping an eye on her. But it seemed as if all the men were out of the palace, and the few maids and servant girls she saw didn’t seem to pay her any attention.
The old wooden door to the bell tower was already ajar when Maddy reached it. Normally it was closed and locked unless Simet was already there, in which case he would open the door as she approached. They then met either in the doorway or, if they were worried about being seen, just inside the tower, at the base of the stone steps that curled up to the top.
Maddy peeked her head through the open door. “Simet?” she whispered.
No one answered.
She thought about turning around and going back to Annison’s chambers, but it occurred to her that she’d never been to the top of the tower. Her meetings with Simet had always been so rushed that she hadn’t asked him to let her see what it was like. Glancing around quickly, she closed the door. A pale light spread down like a fan from somewhere above. She went to the stone steps and began her ascent.
She had no idea how high the tower went, and she lost count of the steps somewhere around 100. They continued to circle upward, and she was now determined to make it to the top. She hoped Simet was up there somewhere.
Then she wondered what she would do if Simet wasn’t up above. Perhaps no one was there and the door had been left ajar by accident. Or, worse, what if Lord Hector were there? How would she explain her presence in the tower? But her aching legs told her it was too much of a waste to go back now. So she persevered.
Eventually she reached another wooden door, similar to the one at the bottom. It, too, was slightly ajar. As quietly as possible, she pushed it open and stepped out onto the belfry. It was enclosed on four sides by walls nearly as tall as Maddy and pillars that reached up to the bell encasement. She looked up, expecting to see a large bell, but it had been removed. Pigeons’ nests now littered the wooden slats where a bell had once hung.
A man stood at the opposite end of the belfry, gazing out at Sarum. Without seeing the face, Maddy knew who it was.
“Simet?” she said softly.
He didn’t turn but responded, “Do you see?”
Maddy could. The view was breathtaking. Tall, monumental buildings rose up amidst smaller roofs. Towers reached upward like large pencils. The streets and avenues, obviously based on old horse paths rather than planned roads, crisscrossed like a spider’s web. In the distance was a large bridge that stretched over a river. It was a magnificent sight.
There was more to see than just a view of a beautiful city, however. Billows of smoke rose up like black cotton over whole sections. Every now and then she thought she heard the pop of a gun, and then she realized it was a cannon. Buildings in some sections of the city lay in ruins.
“It’s more than I can bear,” Simet groaned. Only then did Maddy realize he was weeping. “The Palatian army has broken up the mob. Most of the fighting has stopped. Lord Hector has won.”
“What will happen now?”
“Lord Hector will come down like an iron fist on the dissenters. He will execute those who actively fought against him and then resume his persecution of the Old Faith.”
Maddy felt heartsick at the news. Things could only get worse now.
“Oh, who will come and save us?” Simet implored. Maddy realized he was praying out loud. “Who will be our deliverer? Send us an intercessor. Otherwise, the night will fall and we will never see the day again.” He bowed his head and wept uncontrollably over the city.
Maddy put her arm around his waist, and he pulled her close. Tears formed in her eyes, and she found herself praying along with him. “Help us,” she whispered. “Send us a deliverer.”
Simet was right. Lord Hector fell on Marus like an iron fist. The jails and dungeons were filled with many of the rioters, and his soldiers raided the homes of anyone suspected of being involved with the Old Faith.
Just as disturbing was the effectiveness of a special group of secret police Lord Hector had created. They worked diligently to spread propaganda that the members of the Old Faith had started the riots that nearly destroyed the city. They claimed that Lord Hector had uncov
ered a plot in which the members of the Old Faith planned to kill Queen Annison when she returned from her honeymoon. Then the secret police not only spied on the people of Sarum, but they also encouraged the people to spy on one another. Soon neighbor turned against neighbor, reporting suspicious activities or offhand statements that sounded treasonous. Petrad was betrayed by a neighbor and arrested.
Maddy heard all this through Simet as they continued to meet every other day. She worried about Simet. As time passed, he began to look worn out. He seemed to be aging right before her eyes.
“Lord Hector is winning,” he said to her in their latest conversation, his voice old and tired. “In only three weeks, he has brought us to the edge of destruction. I don’t know how many of us will be left by the time Annison returns.”
“But Lord Hector hasn’t executed anyone,” Maddy reminded him. “He’s waiting for the king to come back. You said so yourself. He wants to hand them over like trophies just to show what a good job he’s doing.”
“But how many will be left by the time the king gets here?” Simet asked. “He tortures them daily. I have no doubt the weak among them will succumb to disease, if not starvation, around the time the king returns. Lord Hector will kill them off before they can be formally executed.”
After a moment of silence, Simet confessed, “I went back to Annigua’s house the other night. It’s been boarded up. I learned from a neighbor that she was arrested and locked in the dungeon. After only a week, she died.”
Together Maddy and Simet prayed. Then Simet said quietly, “I’ve come to realize that Annison may be our only hope. She must persuade the king somehow to reverse what Lord Hector has done.”
Meanwhile, Lord Hector was unrelenting. On the eve of King Willem and Queen Annison’s return, he called the entire palace staff, including Annison’s court, to the Great Hall. He stood before them dressed in his usual black coat, with the usual leer on his face. Many of his soldiers and secret police stood behind him on the stage. One of them was the man with the high forehead that Maddy had seen in the street outside Annigua’s house that night of the meeting. Maddy knew then that he’d been following either her or Simet. The thought sent a chill up and down her spine. How often had she been watched or followed without her realizing it?
“I have an announcement,” Lord Hector declared. “Tomorrow, when the king and queen return, I will inform them that I want to celebrate their new reign in Sarum with a cleansing of the kingdom. We’re going to scrub out the old ideas, the old ways, and the old faith once and for all. We will have a final purge of those who resist the new ideas, the new ways, and the new faith in the supremacy of our king!”
Some of the Palatians in the crowd cheered. The rest listened in stunned silence. Maddy felt her heart drop to her feet.
Lord Hector continued, “I want the entire city—no, the entire nation—to join in as we dig up the last of the weeds in our beautiful garden. What better way to present the kingdom to His Majesty!”
The Palatians applauded, many of them nudging the rest of the crowd to join in. Soon the room was a roar of applause. Maddy kept her hands at her side. Giving her a sharp elbow in the side, Tabby whispered, “Even if you don’t agree, applaud. People are looking.”
Maddy didn’t care and stubbornly kept her fists clenched. She thought only about that phrase “a final purge.” She imagined the frenzied soldiers riding through the streets, trampling or bayoneting their suspects; the mobs of sympathizers setting fire to the homes and buildings that were suspected havens of the Old Faith; and innocent people being dragged out and beaten, probably killed, by anyone with a desire to do so.
She looked around the room for Simet but couldn’t see him anywhere. What was his reaction to the news? Maddy then saw him standing near the doors. He was stone-faced, his expression empty, betraying nothing. She wanted to go to him, to find out what he thought they should do. But she knew that Lord Hector or one of his men would be watching.
Their eyes caught each other. Maddy wanted to see some sense of hope in his expression. But he simply shook his head and walked out.
The despair in his expression filled her with dread.
King Willem and Queen Annison arrived at the palace early the next afternoon. Protocol demanded that the staff line up in the front hall to present themselves to the returning couple. They applauded as the king and queen stepped through the front doors.
King Willem took a dramatic bow. He looked happy and rested. He had begun to grow a beard and mustache while he was away, which made him look more mature. And he had gotten rid of his wild wigs and now let his own hair be seen. He looked like a proper king, Maddy thought.
Queen Annison looked as beautiful as ever. Her raven hair was longer and pulled back in an unfamiliar style. “She’s been to one of those awful Palatian hairdressers,” Tabby whispered to Maddy. “We’ll put that right in no time.”
Apart from that, nothing about Annison’s appearance made Maddy think anything had changed. She had the same gentle smile, and her eyes reflected an inner resolve, a strength, that comforted Maddy.
“Do you think she knows what’s been happening here?” Maddy asked Tabby.
Tabby shook her head. “Probably not,” she replied. “The king wouldn’t think it’s a woman’s place to know or care about the affairs of government. In fact, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Lord Hector kept even the king in the dark about what he’s been doing. But the king will find out soon enough.”
Maddy stood by, barely maintaining her patience, while Tabby gave Annison a tour of her new chambers.
“They’re larger than the others,” Annison said, pleased. She went out to the balcony. “And I believe I like the view of these gardens better than our other view.”
Maddy realized that even if Annison hated the new chambers, she was too kind to have said so.
“Tabby, please be sure to thank everyone for their hard work in moving all my things so efficiently,” Annison instructed.
“Of course, my queen.”
Annison giggled. “Don’t be silly,” she chided gently. “When we’re in these chambers, I am, and always will be, Annison. You may save the formalities of calling me queen for the formal places.”
Tabby bowed slightly. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Annison laughed and waved her away. “Leave me with Maddy for a few moments.”
Tabby frowned. “I think you’d be wise to allow me to inform you about—”
“No, Tabby. I want to speak with Maddy first, and then you can tell me all the latest news and gossip.”
“As you wish,” Tabby said unhappily and retreated from the room.
Annison sat on the edge of her bed and patted a spot next to her. “Come, Maddy. Sit down and tell me everything. Is Simet well? When can we exchange messages again?”
Maddy didn’t sit down but stayed where she was near the window. She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly felt a ball of tears rise in her throat. She swallowed hard to make it go away.
A shadow crossed Annison’s face. “Maddy, what’s wrong?”
“You were gone such a long time” was all that Maddy could say.
“We were at the king’s cottage in the southern mountains of Palatia,” Annison explained. “The king received regular reports from one of his servants, but he never shared them with me. Has something happened? Is Simet all right?”
Maddy went to the bed and sat down next to the queen. She couldn’t look Annison in the eyes and lowered her head.
Annison touched her face, lifting her chin with a gentle hand. “Tell me what’s wrong, Maddy.”
Then, like a dam bursting, the words came—as did the tears—and Maddy told Annison everything that had happened after she left for her honeymoon.
Annison’s face went pale as Maddy spoke, but she struggled to keep her composure. Agitated, she then stood up and paced, wringing her hands, her eyes darting back and forth as her mind tried to work through the terrible news.
“W
here is Simet now?” she asked once Maddy had finished.
“I don’t know. But one of the last things he said to me was that you are the only hope. You must persuade the king to undo what Lord Hector is doing.”
“Me?” Annison paused again to think. Then she returned to the bed, sat down, and took one of Maddy’s hands in hers. Her voice shook as she spoke. “Listen to me, Maddy. Now is not the time for tears. We’ll weep together later. Right now we must do something to avert this horrible plan.”
“Do what?” Maddy asked helplessly.
“I need more information . . .” Annison’s sentence trailed off as an idea came to her. “The passageway.”
“Passageway?”
“Yes. If you go to the king’s reception room now, you may hear what Lord Hector is reporting to him.”
“There’s a passageway from these chambers?”
“Yes.” Annison was on her feet again. She went around the bed to the side nearest the wall. In the corner, she felt along the edge of one of the panels, then pressed her hand down. The edge gave way, and the panel sprung open.
“But I don’t know the way,” Maddy complained.
Annison held up her hand and went to a small end table. She picked up a piece of paper and a pen and quickly scribbled the directions. “This will take you to the same main passageway where you were before. You’ll remember it.” Annison thrust the paper into Maddy’s hand and guided her to the entrance. She reached up into the passageway and retrieved a torch. After lighting it, she gave it to Maddy and sent her on her way.
Annison had moved so decisively that Maddy didn’t have time to think about what had happened in the passageway with Lord Hector. But the memory returned as she crept through the dark shadows. In a few minutes, she reached the peephole she had used to watch Hector and the king before. She slid the cover back and peeked through. The king, dressed in lime green, was sitting on his throne, looking bored as usual. And Lord Hector, in his black coat, stood in front of him, his hands clasped behind his back. He was talking about the finances of the region and how much money was in the king’s treasury. This went on for a few minutes.
The Marus Manuscripts Page 36
