The Road of Kings: A Strong Woman in the Middle Ages (A Medieval Tale Book 8)

by Lina J. Potter

  Miranda was sobbing by her side. Lily could understand her. The girl had carried herself extremely well. It must have cost her a lot. She helped as much as she could, never crying or complaining, never... Oh, there were so many "nevers."

  It had been less than a year since she had almost lost her father. That wound was still fresh, and no matter how Lily might have tried to comfort her, Mirrie was still grappling with it. Having finally seen Jerisson alive and well, she fell apart. She was still a child, after all.

  And then Jess himself... His cheeks were moist, but it must have been Lilian's tears. He couldn't have cried, could he? Men weren't supposed to!

  They were alive. They were together.

  "I'll never let you two go!"

  "And neither will I! I left you for only five minutes!"

  "I only released you to see the queen..."

  Lily pulled herself together, glanced at the guards, who were busy enjoying the free show, and Milia, who was tactfully tending to her children, and realized that the time for displaying feelings had passed.

  "That's where I was! Where the hell have you been?"

  Jess snorted something in response to her impudent attack and kissed his wife.

  The nightmare was over.

  ***

  "Your Majesty."

  Altres Lort got down on one knee in front of Milia.

  The queen touched his shoulder.

  "Stand up, Altres. No need."

  Altres kissed her thin fingers.

  "My life belongs to you and Their Highnesses."

  "Could you escort us to my chambers?" Milia asked.

  Altres hesitated.

  "I took the liberty to assume..."

  "What exactly? "

  "To prepare a different set of rooms for you. In the south wing."

  Milia sighed, relieved.

  "You did right, Count."

  She didn’t want to return to the place that she had run from for dear life.

  She didn't want to see the door next to which her husband had met his doom, giving his life to buy them time to escape.

  She didn’t want any of that, especially in full view of everyone else. At least there were no courtiers, only Viscount Dishan, Lort himself, the Eartons, and the guards.

  Milia waited for Lort to stand up and offer her his hand.

  "Let's go, Your Grace."

  The wetnurse grabbed the baby, the maid took Corin and Edwin by their hands, and everyone went to the queen's new chambers.

  Except for the Eartons, who elected to remain behind and go somewhere private. They had a lot to discuss.

  ***

  Jess would have loved to do more than just discuss. That, however, would have to wait. It's not like they could kick their daughter out! But at some point, she would fall asleep...although he suspected that she'd want to sleep with her parents that night, and the next night as well. And the dogs, and... At least the ferrets had stayed at home.

  He'd never have the heart to send her off to her own bedroom; both Jess and Lily knew that.

  "Tell me what happened to you."

  His wife was the first to ask that question, but Jerisson didn't mind. He described his escape from the ball together with the princess, their journey to the Ivernean embassy, taking up residence at Fort Shedar... He did, however, omit his adventures inside the palace. Lily was bound to suspect something, of course, but...

  She didn't need to hear it. He'd never stay alive if she did.

  "Papa, you're a hero!" Miranda said admiringly.

  Lily was sitting and caressing his hand. Then she started her own story, and it was time for Jerisson to admire her.

  He had never known a woman like her.

  "Lily, you're amazing."

  Lily smiled.

  Ah, if only her dear husband knew what she had gone through in her own country. Since childhood, one thing had been drilled into her head: if you need a helping hand, find one at the end of your arm. Heaven helps those who help themselves.

  And so she had, saving both herself and the people around her. If she sat around waiting for a knight in shining armor, she'd get trampled by the hooves of his steed, as it usually happened.

  Women didn't act like that in this world? So what? By local standards, Lily was supposed to die back in Earton...at least ten times. Dream on. She hadn't fixed the place only to die. Maybe many years later, in her own bed, on clean sheets...oh, by the way!

  Something stirred at the back of her head.

  Exactly!

  Satin, crepe-satin...the point was the weaving technique, the interlacing of the weft and the warp, Lily was certain. She hadn't gotten around to it yet, but she could try drawing up a scheme and experiment in Taral.

  She was itching to do it, but she still continued to tell her husband about her misadventures. Jess perked up as she mentioned Fremont.

  "So, the little birdie got caught?"

  "Yes. Gael deserves a reward for that."

  "Of course he'll get one," Jerisson said, offended. "I'll talk to Lort, as long as he won't give him land..."

  "And he might," Lily drawled. Wooing away personnel was a fact of life there.

  "He might," Jess agreed. "Well, no matter. We'll deal with it."

  Lily didn't doubt that but still decided to talk to Master Schmulz and Rutha and convince them to move to Ativerna, where it would be safer for them. And without Rutha, Gael wouldn't stay in Wellster anyway—why'd he need it?

  Needless to say, nobody bothered the Eartons for the rest of the day, never even approaching them, other than delivering dinner to their rooms. Lily didn't leave Jerisson's side, while Miranda kept clutching her father's hand like a little monkey. Any business was out of the question.

  Everything could wait for the next day.

  ***

  Night fell on Wellster, and the bold new moon peeked inside the window, young and fresh, curious about everything, including people. What odd and mysterious creatures!

  Miranda was blissfully asleep in her parent's bed, while Lily and Jess fled to the adjacent room. They did have to push the dogs away and bite the pillow during especially sensitive moments, or they would have woken up half the palace.

  When the first wave of passion subsided, they snuggled against each other.

  The couch was comfortable enough, but somewhat on the narrow side.

  "I was so scared I'd lose you both."

  "And I feared for you. Mirrie was with me, but where were you? I know you! You dove right into the thick of it for Alcine, blast him!"

  "He will be. Lort will make sure of it," Jerisson snorted. "I didn't know anything about you! I would have climbed into Maldonaya's jaws for any piece of news."

  "Didn't Altres Lort tell you?"

  "About what?"

  "That I was with the queen?"

  "Well..." Jerisson stumbled.

  Lily sighed. As if she didn't know her husband!

  But in that era, it couldn't be helped. A man was supposed to be a warrior and a protector. If he couldn't rush into trouble, he wasn't worth a pence.

  "I want to go home."

  Jess pressed his face against his wife's soft hair and breathed in its fragrance. Lily never smelled of flowers: pine needles, fresh green, herbs, but never flowers or musk, so popular with other women. She never tried to suppress the smell of sweat, whether her own or a horse's.

  "I want to go home, too, to Earton or at least Laveri..."

  "And rest a while. I wonder how the children are doing. And my father and your mother..."

  Jess sighed.

  "I hope they're all right. They would have sent us a letter if anything happened."

  "Here, the target would die three times before a letter arrived," Lily grumbled. "I wonder how Richard finds Virma."

  "What could happen there? Just sail there and back again. All he has to do is to address the Circle and confirm that Leif is our man. Oh, and sign the peace treaty."

  "And all you had to do was to confirm the engagement
, take the bride, and leave," Lily reminded him snidely. "How did it work out, remind me?"

  Jess was embarrassed.

  "I couldn't have known..."

  "What about Richard?"

  "I hope nothing like that has happened to him."

  Lily shrugged.

  "Man plans, Aldonai laughs."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Things never work out the way you expect them to. Such is fate."

  "At least we're safe and sound. The rest isn't as important." Jess waved his hand. "And I believe in Richard. He's a big boy. He can handle anything. I would have loved to help him, but if His Majesty decided to send me here, so be it. After that, it's in Aldonai's hands."

  Lily was in complete agreement.

  "So, we'll leave in a month?"

  "I doubt our companions will recover any earlier."

  "Maybe we could leave them here for a while?" Lily wondered, but then sighed. "No, we can't. It would be low."

  Jerisson nodded. She was right. They couldn't abandon their people in Wellster. He was certain they would be taken care of and receive the best medical attention, but it would still be wrong, period.

  "How's Lydia?"

  "Her Highness?"

  "Yes."

  "You know...I think she's a bit like you."

  Lily shrugged. That wasn't surprising. All clever women had one thing in common: their brains and a penchant for using them.

  In the past, Jerisson had never noticed that, but at last, he did—and grew to appreciate it. A frail orchid might look lovely, but what if the environment didn't allow it to grow? Having burrs was much more reliable—plus, it's not like burrs couldn't be beautiful, too, like milkthistle or eryngium. And then there were cacti; they could be simply marvelous!

  "She's a good girl. I'm sure she'll find a good match, too..."

  Jerisson wasn't that interested in the princess, unlike his half-naked wife pressing her chest against him.

  "Jess..."

  "Let's talk later, shall we?"

  Lily didn't mind.

  The moon took a closer look, blushed, and covered its face with a timely cloud. Humans truly were shameless, doing things like that!

  ***

  The idyll time was over the next morning. Her Majesty needed Lily, and Altres Lort needed Jerisson. They had to go their separate ways.

  Miranda looked at that, thought hard, and decided to visit the princesses. The girls were shocked after everything that had transpired and needed encouragement from someone—why not her?

  The best remedy against depression was Virman dogs and Sherlock Holmes stories. She could also ask the cooks to make ice cream...

  Altres Lort saw it, chuckled kindly, and allowed it. After all, the princesses still hadn't recovered after meeting their loving mother—may Maldonaya roast her in the afterlife! Maybe Miranda Earton would prove to be a good influence.

  And they could order some dogs, too. It's not like Virman hounds cost as much as diamond trinkets.

  Jerisson went to patrol the capital. At that moment, each and every blade counted, and every man was needed. Altres didn't have that many people he could trust—or rather, he had a lot of men and very little trust, owing to his rather specific choice of profession.

  Lily also decided against sitting still and collecting gossip. She examined the queen and the boys, made sure they were all right, then looked over the wetnurses, picked the best two, and prescribed a diet for them.

  Then she went to the western wing of the palace, where Altres Lort had ordered his people to set up a temporary hospital.

  A lot of people had been hurt during Alcine's short reign, including some of Lort's own, who hadn't sat out the commotion rather than burst into battle, resulting in injuries.

  Everyone needed care and attention. It wasn't a peaceful time when everyone could be let go to recover at home—plus, most of them lived far from Cardin.

  Lily dutifully came down to the west wing, looked around, and called up one of the maids.

  "Come here, darling."

  "Yes, Your Grace?" The girl immediately noticed her emerald bracelet.

  "How many people are here?"

  "Around a hundred, I guess."

  "And how many are doctoruses?"

  "Two. "

  "You are from the palace staff, aren't you?"

  "Y-yes. "

  "How many of you are here at the same time?"

  "Five people...maybe eight."

  Lily nodded, asked a few more questions, rewarded the maid with a coin for her trouble, turned around, and went to Altres Lort.

  ***

  Count Lort might have admired Lilian Earton...right until the moment he met her on the warpath.

  The door of his study opened wide without any warning, the sentry guard quaking in his boots in a corner, while Lilian Earton sailed inside, slow and inevitable like fate itself.

  Her green eyes were looking daggers.

  Altres used to think it was just an expression. Not anymore; there was clearly no messing around with cold steel.

  "Your Grace?"

  "Count, this is unacceptable."

  Lily had no time for niceties when it came to her profession.

  "Excuse me?"

  "I've just visited the west wing. My dogs live in better conditions, Altres," Lily replied sharply.

  Altres Lort shook his head.

  He had been there as well and hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Straw mats, bandages, wooden bowls for an obvious purpose...

  It seemed all right. What was the problem?

  Lily threw her hands up.

  "Altres, you're going to lose half of the wounded at this rate. This is horrible!"

  "Lilian, what would you like? What can I do?" Altres asked wearily. "I'm no doctorus..."

  "Are there any?"

  "Yes. Two, actually."

  Lily came up to the desk.

  "Do you have any parchment?"

  "Yes."

  "Then start writing."

  "What?"

  "Orders. First, to allocate funds to me for setting up a hospital. Second, to give me authority."

  Altres considered her words, then pulled up a blank sheet and started writing.

  The wounded needed care, and if Lilian could arrange that, more power to her. There was still some money in the treasury, as Alcine hadn't had enough time to loot it. Still...

  "What kind of money are we talking about?"

  Lily paused.

  "It's hard to say for sure. I need to know the hospital's current resources, from dressings to basic herbs. And straw mats are awful, too..."

  "I'm afraid we can't afford anything better."

  Lily entertained the idea of inventing a folding bed. Still, that was a matter for the future, and she needed to deal with the present.

  "I'll figure something out," she promised.

  Altres nodded, knowing that nothing would happen without his order, and continued writing. He signed it, stamped it with the royal seal, poured some sand on the parchment, waited a few minutes, shook it off, and handed it to Lilian.

  "Thank you."

  "Maybe it's me who should be thanking you," Lort said with a shrug.

  Someone had to look after the wounded and treat them. If a person stepped up to take that burden, let them work.

  ***

  After getting ahold of those wonderful papers, Lily didn't go to the hospital.

  Instead, she headed to Milia, who soon sent a servant to fetch the butler. He wasted little time in coming.

  Alcine hadn't had time to change the palace staff, so the queen knew Leir Ervan very well. It's just that before, they had existed in different dimensions. Why would the queen need to talk to the butler if everything already ran like clockwork?

  "Your Majesty."

  "Leir Ervan, Her Grace has need of you."

  The leir gave a dignified bow. He was probably hoping to get off easy—say, learn that Lilian didn't like her chambers or the food. Howe
ver, what he heard left him shocked.

  "Leir Ervan, the hospital in the west wing is in dire shape. Sit down. You're going to write down a list of necessary items, and by the evening, arrange their delivery. Oh, and manpower."

  "Your...Grace?"

  The butler all but fainted. What was going on? When had noblewomen ever cared about such trivialities?

  But Lily wasn't jesting; she was calm and serious.

  "Go on, sit down."

  "Sit down, Leir. Those people defended me with their lives. I have to take care of them," Milia echoed.

  The leir looked at them like a cornered beast. He could have handled Lilian—eventually—but the triumvirate of Lily, Altres, and Milia?

  Quitting seemed easier than arguing. He gave a sigh worthy of a martyr, produced a quill, and prepared to start writing. Personally, he thought that the resources at hand were enough to treat noble sirs and ladies, and as for the soldiers...

  Well, it's not like they would drop dead!

  They should be thankful for being fed and having a roof above their heads! And they did eat a lot, really.

  Her Grace started listing everything.

  A field hospital?

  No, Lily was no expert in setting them up, but she was a daughter of an officer and a doctor. She had been an attentive listener, she read, and she compared things, and she also helped her mother, who had to arrange everything in a new place practically from the ground up. A new broom swept differently; what could you do?

  So she had a good idea of what she would need, and one should always ask for more than they needed.

  Any excess stuff would be of use later, and if she didn't get what she needed, things could get worse.

  The worst problem turned out to be manpower.

  "We don't have that many servants!" Leir Ervan groaned. "We just don't!"

  "You'll have to find them, then," Lily cut him off.

  "WHERE?"

  Her Grace could have easily told him the address, but saying such words in the presence of the queen seemed improper.

  "I'll order the ladies-in-waiting to help," Milia suddenly offered.

  Lily raised her eyebrows.

  "Would they agree?"

  That seemed doubtful.