Altres had known of Jess’ weakness for hunting before the Ativernese delegation arrived in Wellster. Once the Earl of Earton bagged his deer, he would be pointed in the direction of a boar, and he would not be able to refuse. After the boar was dead, some other game would be sent his way. He wouldn’t have time to remember his cousin.
The prince was very much in the jester’s mind, however. He wanted Richard and Anna to be on their own at least until nightfall, better yet until morning. Gardwig had promised to keep the hunt going until late evening.
It won’t kill them to spend the night in the woods, and that way my plan is more likely to work.
***
Richard gazed sullenly at the branches and twigs he had gathered into a pile. They were stubbornly refusing to ignite. It had rained the night before, and all his attempts to start a fire had come to nothing. The recent rain was good for the hunt, but it was bad for anyone facing a night in the woods. He was too weak to skin and butcher the bobcat, so he cut out its liver because it could be eaten raw if necessary. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but without aid, their prospects were none too good.
He turned his dull gaze to the princess. He realized that it was unfair to be angry with her—she was in the same danger as he was—but that didn’t make him feel any more disposed toward her. The situation was going from bad to worse. He wasn’t afraid of the cold, as long as someone found them within the next few hours. However, he was worried about what spending the night in the cold forest would do to his health and his reputation.
If I stay out here all night with an unmarried noblewoman, I’m looking at having to marry her or declare war. He disliked both options equally.
Anna sniffled and looked away. Richard felt little in the way of pity for her. She’ll get what she wants, but what will I get? A marriage of diplomacy, void of love? It sounded sad, and felt even worse the more he thought about it. Anna didn’t have any of the qualities he had seen in Jessamine. She didn’t even come close.
But…
Moving slowly and painfully, Richard used his sharp knife to cut some fir branches. He piled them up next to Anna and sat down on the pile.
“Come here, Your Highness.”
Anna shuddered and stared at him in horror.
Richard grimaced. “All I meant to say is that we will be warmer together.”
For a few minutes, the princess sat shivering in silence. Then she moved over and sat down on the fir branches next to Richard. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
The only reply he got was another sniffle.
***
Jess only recalled that he didn’t know where his cousin was when he heard the horn calling in all the hunters. He had shot two deer and a small boar and couldn’t wait to find out what Richard had scored. Then he looked around. Richard and his entourage were nowhere to be seen. The forest was eerily silent. He looked back at Gardwig, who gestured for him to follow.
When Jess caught up with the king, he saw Richard’s horse tied nearby.
“Your Majesty!” His tongue became heavy, and the words came out slowly.
Gardwig shook his head. “He returned without his rider. We are searching.”
“May I join the search, Your Majesty?”
“Of course you may, but you do not know our forests. Duke Graves! Put this young man in one of the search parties.”
Jess bowed in gratitude. He hoped Richard was still alive. He loved his cousin, despite their dissimilar personalities. And there was another thing; the prince was the only heir to the throne.
If anything happens to him, Uncle Edward will never forgive me.
As he rode off behind the duke, Jess prayed fervently to Aldonai that Richard be found alive and well, and as soon as possible.
***
Once he was gone, Gardwig glanced at the jester. Altres looked down. They had chosen Graves for his stupidity and obedience. He would look in all the places they had told him to look and in none of the places they hadn’t. There was no chance at all of him finding the lost riders.
Gardwig hadn’t mentioned that the princess was also missing, and Jess hadn’t thought to ask. The king frowned as he turned back to the castle. He had done his part. The rest was up to Altres.
His jester was adept at planning and intrigue, but sometimes life takes unexpected turns.
Chapter 2
On the Usefulness of Animals
No one would have found them until morning, but Richard was saved—entirely unintentionally—by one of the jester’s spies. The prince hadn’t noticed he was being observed, and he heard nothing when the spy left.
An hour later, the man stood in front of Altres. “Your lordship, they were attacked by a bobcat.”
“A bobcat!”
“The hunt must have stirred her up. Our two were just in her way.”
“Are they alive?”
“Yes, but the prince has some nasty gashes.”
The jester was about to curse out loud, but caught himself just in time. “Will he survive if he stays out overnight?”
“All he’s got is a knife. Those wounds look pretty bad. He could end up with a fever.”
Altres nodded. He called for a group of hunters and issued orders on where to search for Richard and Anna. His plan for them to spend the night together wouldn’t work. It was a pity. He reflected that shildas and cats were truly servants of Maldonaya. He needed this marriage, but he wouldn’t risk letting the prince of a neighboring kingdom die.
It’s no great loss. I have other plans I can use.
***
By the time they were found later that evening, Richard felt extremely ill. He had lost a great deal of blood, and the bobcat’s claws had been anything but clean. He looked worse off than Anna, who managed to fall into a dead faint as soon as she heard voices.
The hunters offered Richard a horse. Somehow, he managed to climb into the saddle and take off at a slow walk. He would have liked to go faster, but he could barely stay in the saddle as it was. He never even looked around to see how Anna was.
She’ll be fine. They won’t leave her here.
***
Gardwig looked down at Richard with fatherly concern. The prince was not complaining, but His Majesty called for a carriage and a medicus just the same. Just then, Jess came galloping up.
“I’m a fool to have left you!”
Richard agreed wholeheartedly but refrained from saying so in front of everyone.
“It’s all right. I am alive, and Princess Anna is alive.”
Gardwig shot an angry glance at Altres, who looked down at his shoes. They couldn’t very well accuse the prince of insulting Anna’s honor given the state he was in. If they tried, all the other bobcats in the forest would fall out of their trees laughing. They would have to wait for another opportunity.
The jester tried to look on the bright side. Now, Anna would have a reason to stay by the wounded hero’s bedside day and night, demonstrating her true love. And he would make sure that everyone heard about her devotion.
“I am your debtor, young man. If it weren’t for you…” Gardwig paused dramatically, “Never mind. We will praise you loudly once you feel better. Now let’s get back to camp!”
When they brought him into the tent that had been set up for the medicus, Richard lay down on the rug. His whole body ached. The medicus immediately began checking his wounds. Jess helped his cousin undress. He cut off the bandages put on in the field, gave Richard a pain-relieving draught and held his head while the medicus cleaned the gashes. Through it all, Richard avoided Jess’ eyes.
If it wasn’t for you and your love of hunting...
Richard saw very clearly that the bobcat had actually been his savior. If it weren’t for the animal, he would have faced an entirely different conversation with Gardwig after spending so much time alone in the forest with Princess Anna. He felt his mind begin to swim under the effect
s of the medicinal draught. Fighting to keep his thoughts clear, he tried to work out what had happened and what it meant for him.
The two of us were lost in the woods. Anna didn’t look too good when they found us, but I probably looked worse. I’m covered with blood, and there wasn’t a spot on her. They’ll probably say that the bobcat attacked us both and I fought it off to save her. That’s no cause for a hurried wedding.
Still, he was worried.
I need to get out of here as soon as I can.
He knew that women fell in love with the men who saved their lives, and Anna would be no exception.
I still haven’t seen Lidia.
That was his last coherent thought. Richard fell into a deep sleep in which he lost all consciousness.
***
Baron Donter was in low spirits. His spies had reported to him on the results of the visit by the king’s envoy, and jealousy twisted his gut.
A deposit of amber! Glass! And now she has two large ships!
The baron’s mind slowly formed a new thought.
Why should the Eartons have so much more money than me?
Then his thoughts took a more precise turn: he needed to grab his share. But how?
He would have to ponder that question. He had never paid much attention to Earton before. True, he had often kidnapped peasants to sell to the slave traders, but that was no big deal. No one cared about commoners, anyway. Even if the king’s envoy heard about his slave dealings, the baron doubted—hoped, really—that it would all come to nothing. No one would believe a commoner’s word against the word of a nobleman.
Now that there was real money to be had, however, he would need a carefully crafted plan. The Earton family was close to the king, and Edward was a man who didn’t find lawlessness amusing. If he was caught, Clive Donter knew that his death would be slow and painful. Any attack on the castle would have to go like lightning—he would only get the chance to strike one blow.
***
Lily did her best to get some rest once Hans and Erik left, but she was soon back at work. She hoped no one else would try to kill her. There were too many things to attend to as it was. She was still working with the apprentices to improve the quality of their glass, but so far nothing was going right. Earton glass was far superior to anything else in Ativerna, but Lily remembered the clear, bubble-free glass of her own world and wasn’t satisfied.
We can do better than this!
The apprentices were having a hard time finding the optimal temperature for pouring molten glass, but they kept hoping and kept working.
Lily’s dressmakers, on the other hand, were leaping from success to even greater success. Under her watchful eye, they were beginning to work on a “Big Idea”. (It was so big that Lily capitalized it whenever she thought about it). And, if she had to drag herself to the capital in the spring, she wanted to shock people by how well dressed she was, not by how much she weighed. The pounds continued to melt away; Lily could tell she was losing weight when she looked in the mirror. Her body would never be slender, but she didn’t mind looking like a woman from a Rembrandt…or a Rubens.
The dressmakers were fashioning a dress for her completely out of green lace lined with fine, white silk that she had instructed Baron Avermal to send her. The dress would have ruffled sleeves, a long train, and a flattering low neckline. Best of all, they would be able to take in the silk lining if she lost more weight without affecting the design of the lace layer.
For the bodice, Lily asked Helke to make her buttons of Earton amber. She remembered from chemistry class that you can change the color of amber by cooking it in hot sand or coating it with copper.
I hope we can manage to get green amber for my buttons!
Lily did not consider herself an expert in chemistry. She had studied the subject day and night her first two years in medical school, but after that, had moved on to more interesting subjects and forgotten a lot of what she knew. Still, she remembered that succinic acid was derived from amber and that it could be used to manufacture polymers. A plan for the future, for sure, but a plan nonetheless. With a decent laboratory in place, anything was possible.
The countess’ laboratory was outfitted with wide tables and a fine set of bottles and test tubes that she had made all by herself. It was also home to her beloved still, which she was using to make moonshine. She had no desire to drink the stuff, but she wanted to have it on hand to serve to undesirable guests and to use as a disinfectant. The infirmary was also in tiptop shape. When Lily showed it to Tahir, he gasped. Her Khangan guest held the countess in the highest regard since the battle with the slave traders, and he followed her around day and night in hopes of learning something new.
Lily was most always happy to share her knowledge with Tahir, Jaimie, and Miranda, as well as Ingrid when she was around. With winter fast approaching, however, Ingrid and Leif spent most of their time overseeing work at the smokehouse. Lily missed talking with them, but she was no longer afraid of going hungry that winter. Earton would survive until spring.
Thinking about winter gave rise to a new question. I wonder if they have skis here? Or ice skates? Sleds? Snowmen?
Then her thoughts turned to more serious matters. What about warm boots, coats, and fur hats? All these layers of skirts are warm enough now, but once there’s snow on the ground, I’ll need something warmer.
She had plenty of ideas but forced herself to set them aside. There simply wasn’t enough time to do everything.
I’ve got boots and a shawl. That will have to do. I’ll have my chance to shine in new clothes when I go to the palace in the spring.
***
There was a knock on the door, and Lily smiled when Lons Avels came in.
“Come in, Leir Avels. Is it time for a lesson?”
“Yes, My Lady.”
“What do I need to learn today?”
“Dancing, My Lady. Everyone is waiting for you in the small ballroom.”
Lily followed him down to the ballroom. When he opened the door, she laughed out loud. Lons’ “everyone” turned out to be two dozen children. They all looked up at her with shy smiles. A tall Virman boy took a step forward with a hand out to the countess, and they all spent the next half-hour whirling around the room and laughing as Lons taught them the fine art of dancing, talking, and observing people, all at the same time. Lily was charmed and educated equally, and it was incredibly amusing to watch the children imitate adults.
***
Anna was already in bed when her door opened silently. The jester slid in like a ghost. She froze in terror. Altres put up a hand. “Don’t get up. Just listen. You did everything right. It isn’t your fault that it didn’t work.”
The princess breathed out.
“But Richard is wounded,” he continued.
“Yes.”
“You must take care of him.”
“Me?”
“He put himself between you and danger. You must go sit with him, at least for a few hours. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Anna nodded. “Yes, I will do that.”
“Good. Because if you don’t…”
Her face went pale. “I will! I promise I will!”
“Start tomorrow. Don’t go making faces at his wounds, either, or I will find out.”
Anna nodded.
“Go to him tomorrow after morning prayers. Ask after his health and beg to be allowed to sit with him.”
She nodded again. Altres looked at her sorrowfully, then, turned and left.
***
The princess sat motionless for several minutes. Then she wrapped her blanket around her shivering frame. But fear is not like the cold, and a blanket cannot make it go away.
***
Jess sat by his cousin’s bed. Richard was pale and shaking, even though there were several blankets on him. However, his eyes were cold and clear.
He looked up at Jess. “That cat saved my life.”
“Look at the gashes on you.”
“Why not go ahead with it? She’s good-looking and smart enough, and it looks like Gardwig would like to see the match.”
“I have a choice, and I want to use it.”
“Fair enough.”
“Anna’s not bad, but my father told me to choose. I don’t want to lose my right to choose because of a stupid mishap. You have to stay right next to me from this moment on. Will you do that for me?”
“I promise.”
Richard nodded. He would do everything he could to avoid being alone with the princess. He could lock his door at night, but during the day, he wanted someone with him. Some ploys were as old as time, and Richard realized what he was up against.
“Lie to people, say whatever you have to, but don’t leave me.”
“How long do we have to do this? I can’t be with you day and night until the spring, and it’s diplomatically risky to leave before that.”
“We’re leaving as soon as I can manage it. Who else can sit with me? What about your mistress? Or is she too stupid to understand why I need her here?”
“Adele? She’s a whiner, but she certainly isn’t stupid.”
“Then tell her she’ll be doing shifts in my room. Who else can we ask?”
“What about Leihart?”
“He’s too old.”
“He could sit here and talk to you for a few hours.”
“True. He likes to gossip. Tell Rainell, too.”
“I don’t like that Rainell. He’s too religious. I bet Aldonai is tired of hearing from him.”
“That doesn’t matter. I’ll put up with him, and you will, too, if it comes to that.”
Jess grimaced but did not object. “Whatever you want. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. We’ll keep you busy all day.”
“Exactly. I don’t want to be left alone with her ever again. I might not get as lucky next time.”
Jess grinned. “Good on you for planning ahead. Because I doubt there are many bobcats running around the palace.” He looked around the room. “Do you want some hot, spiced wine?”
“Sure. I’m shaking with chills.”
Palace Intrigue Page 5
