Palace Intrigue

by Lina J. Potter

  Sorry kid, but I have to save my own skin.

  ***

  When Lilian heard Hans’ report, her first reaction was anger, but when she cooled down, she started to think. After a moment, she asked one of the servants to go wake Taris, even though it was after midnight. She was awake, and it wouldn’t hurt her father’s agent to stay up a bit longer.

  Taris appeared before her sooner than she expected, and Lily asked Hans to repeat his story.

  Taris shook his head. “What audacity, My Lady!

  “Whom do you speak of?”

  “The man who hired them, of course.”

  Hans gave a bloodthirsty grin. “I want to work on them in person once we get them back to the capital.”

  “Please do. And make sure the king knows that they were ordered to kill Miranda, as well as myself. Dirty bastard!” Lily hadn’t meant to swear in front of them, but the men didn’t seem to hear her. She hoped that a noblewoman was allowed to swear when someone sent a band of killers after her and her stepdaughter.

  I’d like to see how someone else would react in my position!

  “Have you written to His Majesty about the first attempt on my life?”

  “I have, but only briefly. It went by pigeon. And I’m not sure the soldier’s story would hold up.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s his word against the word of an aristocrat.”

  “Well, now you have a whole band of men attesting they were hired to kill me.”

  “Yes, it certainly looks more serious.”

  “How could it possibly be more serious? If Miranda or I were lying dead on the floor?”

  The countess was furious, but Hans remained calm. “My Lady, I give you my word of honor that this affair will be thoroughly investigated. The person who hired them will be punished. In the meantime, you are in danger. I would strongly advise you to move to the capital as soon as possible.”

  Lily stared at him. “Right now? What about Mirrie?”

  “She could go with you.”

  “No.” Her refusal was swift and decisive. “There is nothing for me to do in the capital. I wouldn’t care to go in the spring if His Majesty hadn’t called for me.”

  “He invited you, My Lady.”

  “What is the difference? I have business to attend to there in the spring, as well. Right now, I need to be here. I will not go, and I will not send Mirrie away.”

  “She could go with me...”

  “Who would she stay with once she arrived? No, Leir Tremain, it’s out of the question. My husband sent his daughter here in hopes that I would take care of her. I am trying to do just that if I don’t get killed in the process.”

  “They can’t hurt you now. Erik is watching them. If they make a wrong move, they’ll be stuck full of arrows,” Hans sneered.

  Lily smiled gratefully. “Wonderful. But what do we do with them?”

  Taris ran a finger across his throat. She pondered his meaning. That was certainly an option, but Lily didn’t want to resort to murder. They hadn’t actually done anything to her.

  “Have they harmed anyone?”

  “No.”

  “Then there is no reason to execute them. They haven’t even made an attempt on my life.”

  Taris spoke up, “Only because they realized they wouldn’t be able to escape.”

  Lily turned to the envoy.

  He frowned. “Have them disarmed and bound and send them to me. Once I get to the capital, I will let most of them go.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I have to take the slave traders. I might as well take these brigands, too.”

  “What if they don’t want to go?”

  Taris bared his teeth. Looking at his face, Lily decided the mercenaries would be glad to go with Hans rather than face death at the hands of her father’s agent.

  An hour later, they had a plan. The mercenaries would go with Hans to Altver and on to the capital. They would be guaranteed their freedom as long as they gave evidence against the man who hired them. Lily’s side needed their proof. Hans would leave in two days’ time. He would stay in touch with Lily by writing to Baron Avermal. Erik would take his own Virmans to guard them as far as Altver, and then he would turn back to Earton. Hans promised to keep the countess informed about the investigation.

  I have to know where the next blow may come from if I want to stay alive!

  ***

  The next two days were consumed by packing and preparations. There was cargo for the king, gifts (to Lily’s father, the king, the princesses…), and cargo going to Baron Avermal, as well as a small chest of items addressed to Helke’s relatives.

  When informed of Hans’ plan, three of them were killed during the disarmament process, but the others laid down their weapons without argument. They were then loaded into one of the slave traders’ sea-going tubs. The surviving slave traders were loaded onto the other ship. Erik uttered a string of terrible Virman oaths, but in the end, he and his men had to take charge of both ships. Leif’s men were needed in Earton, and Leis knew nothing of seafaring.

  On the third day, Lily saw them all off and waved as the ships pulled away. When no one was looking, she sighed deeply.

  Now, I can get a little rest.

  Just the thought of it made her happy.

  ***

  Hans looked out the narrow window of his stateroom as the dark coastline of Earton disappeared. He didn’t remember the last time he had felt so dejected. He was sad to leave; his time in Earton had been calm, comfortable and even interesting. No one had looked down on him, and he had been treated as an equal in all things and respected for the work he did.

  His eyes turned to a small box on his desk. Lilian Earton had given it to him just as he was getting into the rowboat that carried him to the ship.

  “Leir Tremain, you are a wise man. I know you will not mistake this for a bribe. Promise me that you will open it once you are underway.”

  “We are not allowed to accept gifts.”

  “It is not a gift; it is a necessity. Do not argue with me, Leir Tremain. I believe that you are utterly impartial and that what I am giving you will have no impact on your report to His Majesty. It is a small thing, of no great value.”

  Hans had sighed and accepted the box.

  Now that the ship was underway, he decided to open it. The lock (he had never seen one like it before, and assumed it must be the work of that clever Helke) clicked open under his finger. He caught his breath. The box alone was valuable enough to be a gift. Inside its lid was one of the new mirrors the craftsmen were making in Earton. For the first time in his life, Hans saw his own face clearly. It was too much. He looked down; the bottom of the box was lined with red velvet and held two simple inkwells, both made of glass. One was greenish in hue, and the other was reddish. There were also several of the countess’ new pens. They were very simple, with gold nibs and wooden barrels.

  Tucked next to the pens, he found a short note.

  With respect and gratitude,

  Lilian Earton

  Hans sighed. His report to the king would be detailed and wide-ranging. He picked up one of the pens, held it in his hand, and put it down on the desk. Then he carefully poured some ink into one of his new inkwells and took out a sheet of parchment. It was time to get started.

  ***

  A royal hunt for wild game—deer, bear, and boar—is a breathtaking sight. Horns blast, huntsmen, and beaters stride through the forest, hounds break away from their packs, flags fly, ladies sit tall on their elegant mares. There is nothing quite like it.

  Jess was enjoying the spectacle of the hunt, as always. Richard’s emotions were more complicated. Princess Anna was never more than a few steps away from him, and he was beginning to feel like a besieged castle. The man should be the arrow, and the woman should be the target. Here, however, it seemed that the target was flying around trying to run into the arrow. There was something wrong about it.

  As if on command, Ann
a rode over to him. “My dear Prince Richard, what trophy do you hope to bring back today?” She smiled broadly answering her own question, “Me, of course.”

  Richard wouldn’t risk bantering with her. He didn’t dare give her an opening. “I’m sure I don’t care, madame.”

  “Your Majesty does not care whom he hunts? Then I must caution you. Some people here have such large horns that you might confuse them with the deer!”

  Richard laughed at her joke without meaning to. He glanced over at Gardwig’s jester, the Earl of Lort. The small man was interesting. Richard understood that it took a very intelligent man to play the fool all the time, but he could not tell exactly what the jester was hiding behind his dull eyes. When the man performed for them after dinner each night, he managed to mock the courtiers equally, although Richard felt that he was often spared the worst of it. Only the king, the queen, Princess Anna, and Jess Earton were never teased. The Ativernese nobles in Richard’s entourage were already fed up with the jester’s poisonous tongue, but Richard noticed that the lords and ladies of Gardwig’s court were careful never to betray even a shadow of annoyance. He concluded that the jester was a dangerous man.

  Richard saw Altres Lort watching him from astride his shaggy pony. He called out to the jester, “I hope that, as a guest, I’ll be allowed to bag a fine deer?”

  “We have one guest and plenty of deer,” Altres retorted, showing all thirty-two teeth. “They’ll never escape you.”

  Not far away, King Gardwig, dressed in a costume of pale pink velvet, sat on a giant stallion. He raised his right hand to signal the start of the hunt. Horns blasted, and the hounds and huntsmen moved into the woods, followed by the beaters and, finally, the mounted hunters. Everything went according to the ancient rules of the hunt.

  Gardwig rode first, looking like a boulder mounted on a horse, his pink cape flapping behind him. The queen chose not to hunt, so next in line was Richard, with Anna holding her horse as close to his as possible. Jess and Altres were also among the first hunters. The rest of the nobles stayed back from the king’s chosen companions. Gardwig was not known for his kindness or patience.

  He turned to Richard and smiled coldly. “I do not wish to chase after game. That is of interest to you young people.”

  Jess approached the king, “Your Majesty, I see that beauty and power are aligned today.”

  Anna blushed. Gardwig waved a hand. “You are a flatterer and a young rogue. Off with you now.”

  Jerrison bowed graciously and glanced at Richard. “Then I will ride ahead?”

  The prince waved at him as if to say “Do as you wish. You aren’t any help to me here.” He knew that Jess was a passionate hunter, whether his prey was a woman or a pack of wolves, so it would be useless to try to keep him at Richard’s side.

  With Jess gone, Richard continued to let his horse walk. Most of the other nobles peeled off in other directions. Gardwig galloped ahead for a while, but then turned back and told the prince he could ride ahead of him. This permission was expressed in such a way that there could be no refusal.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Altres had been leading the hunt, finding various pretexts to send the riders from Richard’s entourage in other directions. Jess raced off on his own when he thought he heard something. Two other Ativernese went off after a deer. Three ladies-in-waiting, who had joined the hunt, accepted the jester’s suggestion that they turn back to camp. One after another, the prince’s retinue melted away like a block of ice on a hot day.

  Anna rode alongside Richard and recounted, in a sing-song voice, how much she enjoyed hunting, even though she was such a terrible rider, and how much she loved all the courtiers. “And did you see what the Countess of N was wearing? How shocking…”

  ***

  Richard listened to her with half an ear while mulling over his own thoughts. He would have to stay in Wellster for the rest of the autumn, but once the roads froze, he could try to take a sled on to Ivernea. If he had to stay until spring, he would need to be extremely careful. Deep in thought, he was blind to the other riders in sight gradually peeling off. Now, they were all alone, except for three ladies-in-waiting and a few men of no consequence.

  Suddenly, Anna’s horse whinnied and rose up on its back legs. The princess screamed and tried to hold on. Once all four hooves were on the ground, the horse took off into the trees. Richard cursed inwardly. If they had been completely alone, he wouldn’t have raised a finger. There were three women staring at him, however, and he had no desire for them to tell Gardwig that his daughter was in danger and the Prince of Ativerna did nothing. Those thoughts flashed through his head instantly, and he spurred his horse to take off after the princess.

  ***

  Altres smiled. He had given Anna a signal just a few seconds before. The rest of it would be up to his men.

  Anna had played her part well. She had been given a mare that was known to bolt in reaction to pain. When Anna poked her in the side with a pin, the horse took off like an arrow. Yes, it was a dangerous trick, but the princess was actually an excellent horsewoman, and she knew there wouldn’t be another chance.

  ***

  Richard raced through the forest after Anna’s horse, leaning out of the way of branches that would have hit him in the face.

  I hope I find them before the horse throws her. Maldonaya, take it! Where is everyone? Am I the only person who cares if the princess survives? Where is she?

  He soon had an answer to one of those questions. Up ahead, he saw Anna lying on the grass. The horse had apparently thrown her rider and run off.

  Is she alive?

  Richard dismounted, tied his horse to a tree, and knelt down by the girl. He felt her neck. Her pulse was rapid, like a bird’s. She was very much alive. He looked around and saw a creek. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he went to wet it.

  I hope she hasn’t broken anything.

  ***

  Over an hour passed before Anna “came around”. She had been told to fall by the creek, so she did. She had also been told to take as long as she could to regain consciousness, so she did that, too. Anna would have risked even more foolishness, so great was her fear of the jester. When she opened her eyes, Richard was standing over her with his back to his horse. Suddenly, she saw a long, gray shadow slide between the trees. Her scream stuck in her throat, but all it took was an instant for Richard to turn and grab his dagger.

  ***

  Where’s Jess when I need him?

  His horse snorted and tried to rear, but its reins were tied tightly. Still, his mount was clearly deathly afraid of the bobcat.

  For its part, the bobcat had lived by the creek for several years, and would never have attacked a full-grown man under normal conditions. However, she had been frightened by the hunters and surprised by the two humans and a horse right outside her den.

  She leaped to take Richard from behind, but he quickly turned, his dagger outstretched. Man and beast rolled in the grass. The bobcat’s claws ripped at his leather tunic. Richard struck several blows with his dagger. In a few minutes, it was all over. The animal’s body lay still in the tall grass. Richard got to his knees. His tunic had saved him from much of the bobcat’s fury—his chest and abdomen were unharmed—but he had several nasty looking gashes on his arms and legs. He looked around and cursed for what seemed like a long minute.

  His horse was gone.

  ***

  Earl Altres Lort ran a hand down the horse’s side and dropped a pair of gold coins in the palm of the man who held its reins.

  “Did anyone see you?”

  “No. The prince was distracted. I just cut the reins and let him go. He ran, but I caught up with him soon enough, Your Lordship.”

  “Good. Bring him to the stable at sundown and tell them you caught the horse running in the woods.”

  “Yes, Your Lordship.”

  Altres gave an evil grin. Now, all that was left for him to do was organize a search party. He would make sure that not e
ven a mouse headed in Richard’s direction until morning.

  ***

  Richard kicked the dead bobcat. Damned animal! She had scared his horse away. How am I supposed to find my way out of the woods with no horse and a stupid girl I can barely stand? His only hope was that someone would find them, but so far no one had.

  He turned to Anna. “Your Highness, are you able to walk?”

  The only reply he got was a fresh flood of tears.

  Richard nodded. I see.

  “Your Highness, we must get down to the creek. I can’t leave you alone, but I need to wash my wound.”

  Anna nodded. On the fifth try, with Richard’s help, she managed to totter down to the creek. Richard gritted his teeth. His whole body ached, his arm was bleeding, and he needed to bandage his wounds very soon. If he didn’t, Anna might end up waiting for help all alone. That’s a sad thought.

  In the end, he had to clean and bandage his wounds on his own. Anna almost fainted as soon as she saw blood. Somehow, he managed to wash the gashes and bandage them with strips of his shirt. While he was at it, he began to wonder why no one was looking for them. He considered trying to walk back, but realized he had lost too much blood.

  I can walk, but I can’t carry the princess, and I can’t leave her here.

  There was only one thing to do. He cursed again when he remembered that his tinderbox was in his saddlebag. He stood up heavily and went over to where the bobcat lay. His plan was to drag the body down to the river, butcher it, and try to make a fire. That way, he could cook the meat and send up smoke signals. At the very least, he had to try.

  ***

  Jess raced through the trees after the deer he had sighted. Altres knew that hunting made Jess feel fully alive, with the sound of the horns in the distance and the hounds calling on both sides. Feeling as free as a bird, Jess had forgotten all about Richard, just as Altres had planned.