“It’s a guard dog from Virma.”
“He’s gorgeous!” She knelt down and held out a hand. “Let’s be friends, little one.”
The puppy sniffed her hand and then licked it several times. Erik grinned. “You have a way with dogs, My Lady.”
Lily shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I just ate a piece of ham.”
Meanwhile, the puppy sniffed around his mistress’ skirts. Then he lifted a leg. A yellow puddle began to dribble across the flagstone floor.
Lily laughed out loud. “Call someone to clean this up!”
Erik nodded and ran out. Lily sat down to pet the puppy’s head, burying her fingers in his delightfully soft fur. Soon, Ilona and Emma came running in.
“My goodness! What is this?”
“A Virman guard dog.”
Emma’s hands flew to her face. “I’ve seen those dogs before. He’ll be the size of a horse!”
“Really?”
“Or bigger!”
Lily doubted the puppy would ever be as big as a horse, but he certainly was adorable.
“Emma, have the cook give him something to eat.”
“I will do that, My Lady.”
“His name is Nanook.”
“Nanook, My Lady?”
“Yes. Make him a bed on the floor in my room, and find someone to take him outside every few hours.”
Lily handed the puppy to her housekeeper and went back to her desk. She rested her chin on her hand and closed her eyes. A memory from her childhood in her other life came back to her suddenly: A friend of her father had come to visit on his way back to an army base near the Arctic Circle, and he brought with him a giant dog. It was a husky-wolf mix, and its name was Nanook. Little Aliya had fallen in love with him immediately. She spent the whole evening sitting on the floor petting the dog, her small arms buried almost to the elbows in luxurious, thick fur. The dog patiently endured her attentions, every now and then presenting an ear to be scratched and looking at her with keenly intelligent yellow eyes. When he opened his mouth to yawn, she saw giant fangs that would send any bully running to the store for a bag of diapers. Aliya had giggled at the thought.
Lily opened her eyes. She wondered if this Virman dog would grow up to be anything like the one she remembered. She soon learned that he would. Lons swore that the dog would be at least four feet tall at the shoulder once fully grown. Dogs like this one, he told Lily, were used to hunt bears.
Erik had brought back three other puppies as well, a female and two males. Lily told him to give one of them to Miranda. Her nanny, Martha, was vocally opposed, but the little girl squealed and threw herself on Lily’s neck. Even Lily’s threat that Miranda must train the puppy herself—and that she must do a good job—did nothing to dampen the child’s enthusiasm.
***
My dearest daughter,
I was terribly upset by the news that your life was in danger, even if the danger was but brief. Taris has reassured me that you are well. I am pleased to hear that the family talent has awoken in you. Your mother was always quite adept at managing a household, and she was very good at coming up with new ideas. You look just like her.
Lily smiled. People were always eager to discover that they were the source of positive qualities in their children.
And now let’s speak of business. I gave your pen and inkwell to His Majesty. There is a great deal of interest in them at court. Since the guild has ruled that only Helke Leitz can make them, he has at least one hundred new orders coming in from the capital. I will send a list of people wishing to order sets and their specific desires regarding materials, etc., in a separate letter. The princesses were delighted by the earrings. I am likewise sending you a list of ladies who wish to order similar earrings. I suppose you can send the finished goods to me, and I will take them to the palace. His Majesty has invited you to the palace in the spring. Try to make a good show of it. This will be an important meeting.
If you wish, we can collect evidence and request a separation for you from Jerrison Earton under the terms of the marriage agreement and due to the recent threat to your life. Please consider this matter. A separation is entirely possible, but it will hurt my shipbuilding business. However, your wellbeing is of the utmost importance to me. So, please give serious thought to this matter. I will support you, regardless of what you decide to do.
Lily smiled again. That was good to hear.
I am sending Taris Brok to help you. I believe that his experience and knowledge will be of use to you. I have ordered him to provide whatever assistance you require. He also has some small gifts and money for you. Money is always of use in a household as large as yours. What is the condition of your share in the income from the boatyards? Are you managing it yourself?
Lily shook her head. She had forgotten about that share of the income. She would have to investigate right away.
Please write to me in great detail. Taris has a man who is an expert with pigeons. We can exchange short letters frequently.
I am also sending a pair of ships to Altver to provide you with a link to the outside world.
***
The rest of the letter covered familiar ground, as her father assured her of his love and his prayers for her health and wellbeing. Lily reread the most important parts of the letter and wiped away a tear. Her own father had been just the same. He would have committed barehanded murder for the sake of his little girl. She sat staring at the letter in amazement for a few moments.
Is this for real? Am I truly lucky enough to have someone who cares about me in this world?
A little voice brought her back to the present. “Lily, I’ve decided to name my puppy Liliona. Do you like it?” The countess turned to look at Mirrie, who wasn’t much bigger than her puppy.
“That’s a lovely name,” she said. “It fits her, that’s for sure.”
Mirrie beamed. It hit Lily that she actually had two people who loved her.
She turned back to her father’s letter.
I won’t press for a separation yet. I can always put pressure on the earl if I choose to, but I won’t use it just yet.
Lily was confident that she could get rid of her husband if she needed to, but first, she would try to reach a friendly agreement with him.
***
It had already been a busy day, but there was more excitement in store for the countess. Right after lunch, two young peasants came running to the castle. Leis listened to their story and then went straight to Lily.
“There is trouble, My Lady.”
“Of course there is. What now?”
“Some mercenaries are sniffing around Appleton asking questions about you.”
“I see.”
“Two young men from the village followed their tracks as best they could. They say there is a whole band of them camping in the woods.”
“What do you mean they followed their tracks?”
Leis shrugged. “Art trains some of them to hunt.”
Lily nodded. That made sense. The peasants in her new world were poorly armed, and a successful hunt would require much patience and tracking skill.
“I see. A band of mercenaries.”
“About twenty men, maybe twenty-five.”
“What do you think we should do?”
“We can take them out in three minutes.”
“Is that necessary?”
As Leis thought for a moment, Lily took a deep breath. He reminded her of a sergeant or perhaps a lieutenant, but he was certainly no general.
“Leis, I believe we would do better to take them alive and question them so we can find out what…” (she almost said “what the hell”) “…they are doing here.”
“Yes, we could do that.”
“Talk to Erik. He will be glad of the exercise.”
Leis was visibly glad to have clear instructions: Do not kill the mercenaries. Take them alive and interrogate them. Find Erik.
***
Royce Fletch gazed at the campfire and pondere
d life. His scouts had returned earlier that day, but the news they brought gave him pause. As it turned out, Earton was not a crumbling estate with a handful of men guarding it. The countess was a stern taskmaster, and she had at least fifty Virmans working for her, in addition to a militia consisting of local men. It would be suicide to attack the castle. He considered turning back and attempting to dupe his client into paying him as if he had done the job. There was nothing for him to do here. He thought he could probably get through to the countess, but he’d never get away afterward. Virmans were like wolves. Royce knew that his men were no match for them. They would catch them and torture them to find out who was behind the plot. It didn’t look good.
“Nice evening, isn’t it?”
Royce wheeled around. A giant in battle armor stepped out of the shadows that encircled their camp. The chain mail on his broad chest glinted in the firelight. The other mercenaries leaped up, but ’the Virman raised a hand.
“Be still! If I wanted you dead, you would have been shot an hour ago.”
His words were confirmed when an arrow whined from the trees and landed in the campfire. Sparks shot up to the sky.
Royce kept still. He looked up at the man. “Who are you and what do you want from us?”
“I’m Erik Torvson, and that’s the wrong question. Why are you here in our land?”
“This is Earton, not Virma.”
The man laughed, which made him look truly evil.
“The Countess of Earton hired us to ensure her safety. Will you talk, or should we shoot you all now?”
“You’ll fall first,” one of the mercenaries hissed.
Erik shrugged. “I haven’t fallen yet. I think my luck will hold. I’m not so sure about your luck, though. Anyone who isn’t killed outright will be finished off later, and it will go worse for them. Now tell me, what are you doing here?”
Royce wavered. After a moment, he nodded for Erik to sit next to him by the fire.
“Let’s talk.”
Erik sat down. “I hope you remember we have archers.”
“I won’t do anything stupid.”
“Wonderful. I won’t kill you, either. Yet...”
“And later?”
“You may be useful to me later after I learn the truth.”
“The truth?”
“You didn’t stop here to do some fishing. I want to know why you’re here, and I won’t put up with lies.”
Royce was already trying to decide what to tell the giant when Erik raised his hand. “Stop. Think before you say anything.”
“About what?”
“I am just a simple Virman. I know nothing of your intrigues.” The smile on the giant’s lips betrayed his words. “You won’t be explaining anything to me. You will speak to Hans.”
“Hans?”
The Virman nodded toward the trees. Royce looked over and saw a shadowy figure.
“He’s the one. You will go over there and quietly tell him everything. The rest of your men will do the same, one by one.”
“But that…”
“Will take a long time? We are in no hurry.”
Royce cursed silently.
The Virman continued. “If your stories are not the same, we will kill everyone who is lying. Theirs will be a slow death.”
“We should say what you want to hear?”
“No. Just tell the truth. Hans is a master of asking questions. I am a master of killing, and I will make sure that none of you fix your stories ahead of time.”
Royce cursed again, this time out loud. The Virman left him no room for retreat.
“What will you do with those who tell the truth?”
“They will tell their story again in court, and then we will let them go. We will pay them for their time. That’s not so bad, is it?”
It wasn’t bad if the Virman kept his word. Royce sat still, deep in thought.
***
Erik seemed to read the mercenary’s mind. Hans had prepared him for the conversation on their long ride from the castle, providing solutions to various scenarios and telling him exactly what to say in different situations. Erik knew that Hans would have preferred to approach the mercenaries by himself, but Lily had forbidden it. She had said she didn’t want to think about what would happen if the king’s envoy was injured on her estate.
“The countess has nothing against you. You have done nothing wrong. You have hurt no one. She will not forget about you.” When he said those last words, Erik lightly placed a hand on the bag of money that hung on his belt. It was a clear hint, and Royce caught it. He sighed and stood up. After telling his men to stay where they were, he walked over to talk to Hans.
***
Hans waited for the mercenary under the trees. When the man was close, he waved for him to sit down. “Shall we talk?”
“We shall. Not that I have much choice.”
“You could choose to hang. You are in Ativerna, and I am an envoy of His Majesty Edward the Eighth. I have the power to condemn you or pardon you. I answer only to the king.”
Royce sighed again. “What will you do with my men?”
“Erik told you. If all of you tell the truth, we will let you go.”
“What if I was hired to kill the countess?”
“Can you identify the person who hired you?”
“Yes.”
“Then you will hand him over to the law and give evidence against him in court. Then, you will be free. The countess is kind and merciful. She will also be grateful. You have her word and my word.”
Royce nodded. He took a deep breath and began to talk. The game was up, that much was clear, but he had to save his men no matter what. As he told what he knew, he wondered who the client was. Her brother? Someone in her husband’s family? Whoever he was, Royce hoped he burned in hell. Sitting in the dark forest under Hans’s’ icy stare, the mercenary keenly felt the frailty of human life.
***
Lily did not go to bed that night. She sat up reading the letter Erik had brought from Baron Avermal. In the most elegant phrases, the Lord Avermal expressed his dismay that Helke was forced to leave the hospitable town of Altver when his life and the lives of his family were threatened.
Of course, he did. He wanted to stay alive!
He also expressed his hope that he and the countess could go on cooperating and reminded her that she could count on his assistance any time she cared to ask for it.
Ha! He doesn’t want to leave the food trough, she thought, remembering his partnership with Helke.
Lily scratched the tip of her nose. She would ask Taris to work with Baron Avermal over the winter to sell some of the things she and Helke were making. That still left the question of what to do about sales once the roads dried in the spring.
Someone knocked on the door.
“My Lady?”
“Come in, Taris. I see you can’t sleep, either.”
“I can’t, My Lady.” He paused. “Your father spoke very seriously to me about something.”
“About what?”
“He says he can obtain a separation that would allow you to live apart from your husband. If you wish, that is...”
“What if I don’t wish?”
“He told me that you might not want to write everything down, so he wanted me to find out exactly what your thoughts are.”
Lily sighed. Of course, her father was careful. He would not have risked writing out an offer to rip Jess’ head off, but Lily could read that very thought in Taris’ eyes. It was a tempting offer, but Lily felt she could handle her husband if he turned into a problem. She wouldn’t ask her father to take any risks for her.
“Taris, if you had put that question to me over the summer, I would have said that I wish for a separation. I don’t know how much of that would have been my own will and how much would have been my misery speaking. Now, however, I have Mirrie to think of. I must do my best to stay friends with her father. I am actually more concerned about something else.”
; “What is it, My Lady?”
“My men. They depend on me, and I depend on the earl. Do you see?”
Taris understood. “My Lady, that is exactly the sort of thing you should discuss with your father.”
“What can he do? I need guards here.”
“As your father’s agent, I have the right to hire guards for you. Nothing will change, but they will no longer be subordinate to your husband.”
“I will still be subordinate to him…”
***
“Jerrison Earton is nobody’s fool. He won’t want to argue with your father,” Taris said, seeming to feel his way forward. He watched the countess’ face closely. He was sure she had never been in love with Jess. No, Lilian Earton loved her husband in words only. On the outside, she had been a loyal wife. But now that she was relaxed around him, he saw a different face under the mask. Was this the true Lilian, or was she just choosing to show him a little bit more of herself? He could not be sure.
“That is a good solution. Please write to my father to inform him, and ask him to prepare a place for my men…just in case.”
“I will do that, My Lady.”
“Bring it to me to read before you send it.”
“Of course, My Lady.”
It was too early for trust, but Taris was not upset. Trust will come in time.
***
Hans listened to Royce’s tale with focused attention.
“My men are good, but they don’t stand a chance against you.”
Hans smiled. “You are correct.”
“Here we are…”
“Do not jump to conclusions. I will inform the countess of what you have told me, and she will decide what to do. I strongly advise you not to do anything rash. I am going back to the castle, but the archers stay here.”
Royce nodded glumly. He had a hard time believing that the countess would deal with them kindly. A woman! Even so, he hadn’t hesitated to inform on his client. What else could I say? That we were out for a walk in the middle of nowhere? That we were looking for honest labor without any sort of recommendation? No, lying would have made matters worse. As it was, he knew he could stand up to a normal interrogation. Especially since he was prepared to give up everything he knew about the man who hired him.
Palace Intrigue Page 3
