Happily Ever Afters

by Melanie Cellier

  I used my partner’s inattention to slip away into the crowd. Working my way as casually as possible across the room, I grabbed a drink and took up a place close to the older men. I was half obscured behind a large plant, but I still kept my gaze on the dancers and a smile on my lips.

  “Look at them!” The speaker seemed disgusted by the dancers.

  “They love her,” said another voice that I didn’t recognise. “And how could they not after Konrad’s increasing paranoia. I never expected old Josef’s son could manage things so badly.”

  “The prince did seem almost unhinged at the end there,” chimed in a third. “But I heard that the godmothers were involved.”

  There was a general dissatisfied murmur at these words, and I risked a quick glance at the group. I didn’t recognise any of their faces.

  “Friends, friends,” said a fourth voice, much smoother than the rest. “You’re looking at this the wrong way. It’s an excellent situation and a perfect opportunity for us.”

  “Ha.” There was a bark of laughter. “And how do you figure that, Anhalt?”

  I made a mental note of the name.

  “Her Majesty is beloved of the people, a great attribute if we are to rebuild our kingdom’s strength. And better yet, she is young and inexperienced. She will be looking for guidance and support. And who better to provide such counsel than ourselves?”

  I glanced at the group again and saw that most of them were now smiling and nodding. Only one maintained his expression of disapproval.

  “That’s all very well, Anhalt,” he said. “But it’s obvious that Adelmar has gotten there first. I’ve heard rumours he’s been offered the position of Chief Advisor.”

  Anhalt’s face assumed an ugly expression. “It wouldn’t surprise me. The man is everywhere. It seems to me that it might be time to do something about that.”

  My eyes, now fixed on the dancers again, narrowed at the coldness in his tone.

  “I don’t know, Anhalt.” It was the dissenter again, and he sounded uneasy. “Adelmar is powerful. Possibly more powerful than the crown.”

  “What are you saying? That you’re against us, or just that you don’t have the stomach for it?” Anhalt’s voice was still smooth, but there was no mistaking the ice in his tone.

  “No, no,” said the dissenter hurriedly. “I’ll make no move against you. In fact I’ll be the first to congratulate you if you can accomplish it. But I can’t risk any part in such a move myself. I have my family to consider.”

  “Yes,” agreed Anhalt, drawing out the word. “I think it would be an excellent idea to consider your family.” He paused, and I could almost feel the other man sweating. “Perhaps it would be a good time for you to visit them at your country estate?”

  “A…a very good notion,” said the other man. “I think I might even leave first thing in the morning. So you must excuse me now, there will be preparations to make.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him bow to the other men and then make his way swiftly out of the room.

  “Well then, now that we have him out of the way…” said Anhalt.

  I pricked up my ears, extremely interested to hear what he would say next, but he never had the chance to continue.

  “Gentlemen, gentlemen!” A portly, older man dressed in the finery of a nobleman swept up to the group. He swung his arm in a gesture of welcome, spilling some of the wine out of his glass.

  Anhalt shot the newcomer a venomous look, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “What are you all doing in here with the dancers? Step outside with me for a breath of air and perhaps a smoke and a nice glass of port, hey?” The drunken man seemed oblivious to the undertones of the gathering he had just interrupted.

  Reluctantly the other noblemen separated, some accompanying the portly man outside while the rest dispersed among the dancers.

  I cursed to myself. Without hearing any actual plans there was nothing Ava or Hans could do about the disgruntled nobles. They were hardly the only ones hoping to influence the new monarchs. I was sure that this Anhalt had much more sinister plans in mind, but I didn’t have a concrete accusation against him.

  My eyes lingered on the place where the men had been standing while I considered my options. My gaze was unfocussed, so it took me several moments to realise that I wasn’t the only one observing the hidden corner. Now that the men were gone, I could see that a younger man was standing along the other wall. He was in the perfect position to have overheard the conversation and, while I observed, he turned and watched Anhalt’s progress across the room. It was hard to determine his expression, given the lighting of the room, but he appeared thoughtful.

  An ally for Anhalt or for us?

  Once Anhalt disappeared, the young man launched himself into the crowd of dancers and was equally quickly lost to view.

  I was still wondering about him when I realised I had completely lost track of Sarah. My eyes scanned the dancers, but I could see no sign of her pink clad figure. I sighed and set off for the next room.

  I made it all the way to the entry foyer before I caught sight of her again. She seemed to be having a break from dancing while she watched the bonfire in the castle courtyard. I was about to join her and tell her what I’d just overheard when someone else approached her.

  I frowned. As I watched their interaction, my frown deepened. When he pulled a pink rose from inside his jacket and twirled it between his fingers, I sighed. I recognised it immediately. It was one of the same roses I was currently wearing in my own hair. And I noticed Sarah was missing several from her arrangement.

  When she placed her hand in his and let him lead her into the dance, I retreated to the edge of the room, biting on my lip. I could read her well enough to know that this must be the young nobleman who had made her blush earlier. And he was Adelmar’s son. That meant Sarah had just placed herself in the middle of whatever storm was brewing.

  I swore aloud this time.

  Chapter 5 - Sarah

  Miles, it turned out, was an excellent dancer, and when he refused to relinquish my hand after our dance, I let him keep it for another. I had planned to play a little harder to get, but Miles was both good looking and charming, and it was altogether too satisfying to see the eyes of the other girls following us around the room.

  Being so close to Ava gave me a certain position, but Miles was giving me an altogether different sort of credibility, and I wasn’t about to turn it down. I might have let him have a third dance if I hadn’t happened to catch sight of Evelyn across the room.

  She was leaning against the wall and watching us closely, a concerned expression on her face. For all her dour ways, I knew my cousin well enough to recognise that something was wrong. Something much more serious than being forced into a pink dress and paraded before the kingdom.

  I excused myself to Miles, probably nonsensically since I wasn’t listening to what he was saying and hurried over to Evelyn.

  “What, done already?” she asked, raising one eyebrow at me.

  My stupid cheeks betrayed me for the second time that night with a warm flush.

  Evelyn rolled her eyes at me and gestured towards the door. “Come on, I’ve got something I have to tell you.”

  As we left the foyer, I turned my head for a last glance back at Miles. He was still standing where I had left him, watching us go with an expression that was half smile, half confusion. I restrained my own smile until I’d turned back to face forward again. Perfect.

  Evelyn caught sight of my expression and glanced back as well. I expected another eye roll, but instead her look of concern deepened. Something was definitely wrong.

  Before I could ask her what it was, she suddenly clutched at my arm.

  “There! That man. Do you recognise him?”

  I tried to follow her eyes, but since the entire room was full of people, I had no way to distinguish who she meant.

  “Who?” I asked.

  “There. Wearing the black.”

&n
bsp; “Evelyn! You’re hopeless. This room is full of men, and at least half of them are wearing black. Could you give me a little more detail?”

  Would it kill the girl to describe him a bit more closely? She could probably tell, just by looking at him, how likely he was to beat her in a fight, but I knew she would struggle to describe his outfit even when she was looking directly at it.

  “Never mind,” said Evelyn. She sounded disappointed. “He’s gone now.”

  “Well, hurry up then, let’s get out of here. I want to hear what’s going on.” Now it was my turn to lead us through the dancers.

  Ava and Hans had already retired for the night, so no one was likely to remark at our doing the same. Evelyn had been given a nice room, but it was attached to Ava’s royal suite, so I led the way to my rooms. I was still in the guest suite I had been assigned when we arrived, but I was hoping Ava would let me stay there more permanently.

  The whole castle was buzzing, so I couldn’t be sure we were alone until I had closed the door behind us.

  “Alright, Evelyn, what in the kingdoms is going on?” I flopped down onto one of the sofas and kicked off my shoes with a sigh of relief. I was genuinely concerned by Evelyn’s behaviour, but at the same time it felt so good to be sitting down after so many hours of standing and dancing. I couldn’t help releasing a sigh of relief and stretching my arms over my head.

  Evelyn sat down on one of the chairs across from me, her body tense and her face abstracted. Of course, she was much more used to being on her feet for long periods than I was.

  When she remained silent, I sighed again.

  “Evelyn?” I emphasised every syllable and her attention snapped back to me.

  “Sorry, it’s been a long few days.” She rubbed her hand across her face, and I instantly felt guilty. After all, she’d had a much more active role in helping Ava win the crown than I had. She would certainly still have bruises.

  “What’s going on?” I asked again but this time in a much gentler voice. Evelyn always looked so unflappable that it was easy not to notice when she was tired or sore.

  It didn’t take her long to tell me everything she had seen and heard during the celebrations. As soon as she’d finished, I leapt to my feet.

  “We have to tell Ava and Hans,” I said.

  Evelyn just raised her eyebrows and threw an amused look towards my door.

  “Not now, obviously!” I said, rolling my eyes.

  I met her gaze and couldn’t keep a giggle from escaping. She smiled back at me, her eyes crinkling with a silent laugh. Not even Evelyn was brave enough to interrupt Ava and Hans on their wedding night.

  “I meant in the morning.”

  “I’ll tell them, of course, when I get the chance. But what exactly do you think they’re going to be able to do about it?” She shook her head. “Excuse me, Your Majesties, but some nobles whose names I don’t know are annoyed that you’ve chosen to be advised by Adelmar instead of them. Oh and another man, whose name I also don’t know, was listening to them talk about it.”

  I sat down again with a groan. “I’ll admit it doesn’t sound very actionable when you say it like that. Ava just needs to find out who they are and what they’re planning, perhaps Aldric and Mathilde…” I trailed off remembering the truth before Evelyn spoke it.

  “Aldric and Mathilde are returning to Arcadia tomorrow.”

  The two Arcadians were the intelligence contingent of our little group, but surely the Rangmeran crown had some sort of intelligence network. But Evelyn continued before I could voice the thought.

  “I’m sure there must be a royal spymaster, but it will take Ava a while to determine whose loyalties she can trust. Even amongst her spies. I just wish I’d been able to overhear a bit more.”

  I could hear the frustration in her voice and wondered if the new role was overwhelming her. She was usually calmer than this.

  “Well,” I said decisively, “we’ll just have to find out more ourselves. I can…”

  Evelyn cut me off. “That’s what worries me most. I can see you’ve already got yourself entangled with Adelmar’s son, and I don’t want them deciding you’re a convenient tool in whatever plot they want to hatch against Adelmar.”

  “Really, Eve!” I threw her a wounded look. “Entangled? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She groaned and sank back into her chair. “Trust you to fixate on that part of what I said.”

  “He is handsome, though, isn’t he?” I couldn’t help another giggle slipping out.

  Evelyn gave another groan and then flashed me a reluctant smile.

  “Yes, Sarah, he’s very handsome. Although a touch short for my taste.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” I said brightly. “Now is not the time for us to start fighting over men.”

  “Wow,” said Evelyn, “you must be in love. You’ve only known him for a few hours, and already you’re willing to choose him over me.”

  I gasped. “Evelyn! You know that’s not true. Family always comes first.” I was about to continue my reassurances when I saw the laugh in her eyes and realised she was teasing me.

  “Oh, you, you…” I threw one of the sofa cushions at her when I couldn’t think of a fitting word.

  She laughed at me, and it was good to see that she’d regained her equanimity.

  “In all seriousness, though, Sarah,” she said when her laugh subsided. “It’s not a good time to be getting involved with Adelmar’s family.”

  “Really, Evelyn,” I said, “you should have more trust in me.”

  Chapter 6 - Evelyn

  With the kingdom emerging from such a period of turmoil, a royal honeymoon had never even been considered. Ava and Hans were back on duty the morning after the wedding, and I made my report to them about what I’d overheard. Hans was ready to confront Anhalt himself, but Ava gave him such a stern look that he subsided.

  “I appreciate your protective instincts,” she said with an affectionate smile. “But you’re my king now, not my personal guard. This sort of intrigue is part of the job description of being a monarch. We can’t overreact.”

  She sighed. “I haven’t had many dealings with Anhalt, but I can’t say I’m entirely surprised. It was his uncle, not his father, who was the last count. The two were twins and died at the same time. It was some sort of carriage accident, if I remember correctly. After their death, Anhalt came forward with evidence that it had actually been his father who was the elder twin. I only remember it because it sounded like such an unlikely story. He must have been convincing, though, because he managed to satisfy the Magistrate’s Guild. He was awarded the title, and he’s been lying fairly low ever since.”

  “A strange story indeed,” said Hans, thoughtfully. “And clearly an ambitious man.”

  “Yes, exactly,” said Ava, nodding. “There were rumours of enchantment and bewitchment at the time, but there was never any proof of it.”

  “Bewitchment?” Hans looked uneasy. “That’s just what we don’t need right now.”

  Ava shrugged. “My father attributed the whispers to spite and jealousy, and he was probably right. And if any proof of such a thing were to emerge, I can always call on my godmother for assistance. But I won’t call her for nothing more than a rumour. For the moment, we’ll simply have to keep an eye on him. I’ll warn Adelmar, of course, but there’s not much else we can do at this point.” She turned to me. “If you manage to identify any of the other men involved, let me know, Evelyn.”

  I nodded my agreement, and the royal couple began to talk of other matters. When a delegation of guild leaders arrived for a scheduled meeting, I took my assigned place behind Ava’s chair. It was going to be a long day.

  I turned out to be wrong. It wasn’t a long day; it was a long week.

  It seemed everyone of any influence in Rangmeros wanted a meeting with the new king and queen, and it meant I spent all day, every day, standing behind Ava’s chair. At least, it gave me plenty of opportunity to learn about the po
litics of the court and, just as importantly, a chance to identify the men from the conversation I had overheard.

  I didn’t see them together again but, with the exception of the dissenter, who had presumably returned to his family estate, they did all appear at one time or another. Each time it happened, I took careful note of their name and then informed Ava or Hans after they had departed. It seemed ominous to me that they gave no public sign of any sort of connection or alliance with each other, but there was nothing any of us could do.

  The only bright spot in the meetings was seeing Lord Adelmar at work. He was often in attendance in his new role as Chief Advisor, and he was clearly both skilled and influential. I began to hope that Anhalt was out of his depth when it came to the older nobleman.

  Although I kept an eye out, I saw no sign of the other observer. He had been significantly younger than the other men, and I wasn’t at all sure that he was even a nobleman. He certainly didn’t turn up at any meetings with the new monarchs.

  After a full week of meetings, Ava and Hans retreated to the vast royal suite for a well-deserved day off. When Hans told me in no uncertain terms that my services would not be required, I couldn’t help grinning at him. I was a little relieved when he grinned back.

  I spent the morning cleaning, inventorying and supplementing my various weapons and outfits, but I was longing to do something more active. I’d never been so still for so long. It was almost enough to make me regret taking on the position of personal guard.

  I considered going in search of Sarah to suggest we go for a ride but found myself grimacing at the idea. Sarah had spent the last week completely swept up by the court, deep in some sort of game with Adelmar’s son. It wasn’t the kind of game I had ever enjoyed playing, and I was still a little worried for her. She, however, seemed to be having a fabulous time.

  And mostly I’d been more than usually inclined to listen to her prattle about the court because I was still hoping to glean some relevant piece of information about the potential conspiracy. Plus it was interesting to hear her stories of the younger courtiers and to match their personalities with those of their parents who had come for meetings with Ava and Hans.