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

by Lina J. Potter

  Lily had no doubts: Milia would make sure of that, and as for Altres, she would talk to him herself. He wasn't a monster either; he wouldn't harm Gardwig's daughters.

  Maybe out of folly or lack of consideration, but not by intent, breaking down the children's minds bit by bit.

  What a bitch!

  "Thank you, Mama. But why would Albitta do something like that to her own daughters?"

  Lily sent a few more colorful curses at Albitta. How could she explain that to a child? How could she explain such a rotten act in general?

  But she had to because Albitta wasn't the first and the only person capable of such, and the harem was bound to have worse than that.

  "Honey, there are several reasons. First, Albitta never loved her children."

  "Why?"

  "Because she didn't want to have daughters, see? She wanted a son, an heir, and each daughter was a disappointment for her."

  "But they were still her own children! How could she not?"

  "I understand, but so must you. Just understand, not accept or justify it. Some people have children in order to obtain something: money, marriage, connections...and if the child doesn't live up to their expectations, they simply ignore them."

  "That is low."

  "Papa loves you, and so do I. We're happy to have you. But not all families are like that."

  "Yes. But..."

  Lily patted her black hair.

  Miranda was loved. Yes, she had been spoiled mercilessly, but Jess loved his daughter and trained her to think that the sun shone out of her derriere. Later, Miranda's worldview was changed under Lilian's influence (sitting on such a shiny place didn't seem all that comfortable), but she was still confident in one thing: for her parents, she was number one. To face the fact that a mother could be someone like that was shocking.

  The girl's world started bursting at the seams, and she couldn't help but look for protection and support.

  Maybe psychologists could find other words and a better explanation, but Aliya's psychology grade had never been better than a C. Too bad, really.

  She excelled at surgery, but psychology was different. No, she could cram up and memorize it, but both she and the professor knew the truth.

  "It happens, too, sweetie, it does. You can't change it. The only thing you can do is to grin and bear it."

  "Animals are better."

  "In nature, the weaker and less adapted species don't survive, either, and neither do cubs without their parents. I told you, remember?"

  "Nature's cruel because it's mindless. People are cruel because they're intelligent."

  It was hard to argue that.

  "You're my little philosopher."

  "Mama!"

  "Talk to the girls. They won't get hurt; I'll make sure of it. And Albitta is no more."

  "But there are still many others like her in the world, aren't there?"

  "True. But that depends on you."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Life, Miranda. Just life."

  "I don't get it. Mama?"

  "Just remember. Sometimes, a person next to you starts playing dirty, trying to gain something. And yes, sometimes they even use children, not caring about their suffering. You won't be able to turn around or ignore it, but you will always have a choice."

  "Which one?"

  "You can try to play on their field, trying to outsmart a trickster, fool a liar, or double-cross a traitor. Or you can simply step back and, at the right time, help those who can't help themselves—like the princesses."

  Miranda nodded. She was dutifully memorizing Lily's words.

  "Traitors...what if we just remove them?"

  "It's not always possible, honey. I'm afraid it's not. Take Albitta, for instance. Who could have known? Or maybe it's Gardwig's fault: he was the one that ordered her death. Don't get into the dirt if you can stand aside. Trust me; there are things that even your grandchildren won’t get rid of."

  The girl sniffled.

  "Yep, dogs are better."

  "How much do you like taking care of animals?"

  "A lot."

  Lily smiled at her thoughts. So she did. Good.

  She got the opportunity to resume her business only late that night. She still had her notebook to take care of.

  Altres Lort had found the time to visit her makeshift hospital (thanks to the pesky butler's complaints), looked it over, and asked Lily to write what a permanent version of one required. Her protests weren't taken into consideration.

  She had to start writing.

  ***

  "Lou-Lou, flower!"

  Lily watched Miranda confidently order her dogs.

  Following her commands, Nanook and Lou-Lou ran around, raised their paws, fetched various items, bared their teeth, gave voice...the girl all but rode them.

  Maybe that was the solution.

  Lily considered it and then ordered the Virmans to find a very specific animal. If Miranda succeeded...

  No, it wasn't a calling for a noble girl. But that depended on how one looked at it. There were women like Mabel Stark and Ursula Bottcher, after all, famous during a time when it was thought to be a man's profession. Why not try?

  It was a hobby that could last Mirrie a lifetime, and a well-trained animal was something to be proud of. There was a world of difference between a common pet shop and an elite kennel, Lily knew it. Miranda wasn't meant to be a doctor; she was curious but no more than that. But animals...

  Plants could work, too, but she didn't seem to have any talent for it, unlike animal training. There was a reason why Nanook and Lou-Lou followed her everywhere, even despite Nanook knowing that Lily was his mistress. Jerisson? He wasn't even in the top ten for the dog, supplanted by the Virmans.

  Still, there was a lot of time to be spent in Wellster before they went back. The coronation loomed ahead.

  ***

  Lilian and the other Ativernans might be preoccupied with the coronation, but Altres and Milia also had the Assembly on their minds. There was no getting around the next session, no missing it.

  Altres Lort, by the right of the strong, opened the meeting with an announcement, saying that he had delivered on his promise: Her Majesty and the children were in the capital, and the coronation was to take place soon. Were the gentlemen in attendance satisfied?

  The gentlemen exchanged looks, hesitated, and finally, the densest and the loudest one of them spoke out. It was Baron Freaudoir.

  "Your Grace, who will be regent for the young king? His Majesty Edwin won't be able to rule for quite some time; it would be better we learn the second name right now."

  "Do you have anything against me as a candidate?" Altres asked with a smile.

  His teeth were sharp enough to impress even a wolf. If the baron were a bit smarter, he would have stayed silent, but alas, he was not.

  "His Highness has his mother. It's she who's supposed to..."

  "Do you mean Her Majesty Milia?"

  "Yes, of course," the baron said with a pompous nod.

  Altres shrugged.

  "You'll have to discuss it with her. Allow me..."

  Of course, it didn't matter if they did mind. The doors opened, and Milia walked into the room: slow, calm, holding her head straight.

  She wore the colors of mourning. Proper green, skillfully interlaced with gold, made her look tragic and fetching at the same time. Gossamer lace, a dark jade dress, chestnut hair tinged with gold...

  She had diamonds in her hair, on her chest, and on her fingers: nothing more than the royal regalia humbly reminding everyone about that woman's status.

  The nobles all stood up as one.

  Milia raised her hand, asking them to sit down, and slowly made her way to the tribune. The ladies accompanying her were also dressed in green, although a shade lighter.

  The one in diamonds was Princess Maria, and the one in emeralds, Lilian Earton.

  Milia had pointed out that the Ativernans were her guests and that the leadership of Wellste
r was an international matter.

  In any case, they would find everything out; it was better to just tell it to them outright. Why force them to use spies? Altres Lort agreed.

  Lily was completely calm. Maria, in contrast, felt uneasy but watching the countess allayed her worries. At least she would have one friend in Ativerna. Life had taught the princess to be a good judge of character, and she knew that Lilian wasn't a person who could betray her or sell her out.

  The people watched Her Majesty slowly ascend the platform.

  "My lords... Altres asked me to come because he was wary of dissenting opinions. I can see that his concerns weren't groundless."

  The queen's voice echoed across the chamber. The acoustics were good; she didn't need to raise her voice. The nobles fidgeted.

  "Your Majesty." A stately old man stood up. Lily didn't know him, but judging by the shining rubies on his fingers, he was a duke. "We only want the law to be upheld."

  "But why wouldn't it be, darling Remi?" the queen asked. "My son will inherit his father’s crown. Is this wrong?"

  "We'd like you to be the regent for His Majesty, Your Majesty."

  Milia shook her head.

  "It's impossible, Remi."

  "Your Majesty?"

  The nobles stared at her wide-eyed. Milia threw her arms up.

  "Think for yourself. The matters of state take a lot of time and effort, and I have three girls and three boys. The oldest girl is getting married, or I'd have four." Milia looked at Maria with a smile. "You're asking me to choose? If I dedicate myself to the country, I would have to pass my children to other people. I don't like that."

  The nobles looked at each other. Didn't other people usually attend to children, anyway? Nurses and nannies and governesses, the servants... Their wives spend much less time with their own offspring. Milia gave them a charming smile.

  "You know that I don't come from the most highborn of families, Remi. We're used to raising our children ourselves: read them stories at night, hug them, comfort them when they're sad, and punish them for mischief. And now...when my husband was killed by the people he trusted..." Milia's voice faltered. The nobles knew she wasn't acting. She really did grieve him and felt pain. And yet...

  Had anyone missed the implication?

  Killed by the people he trusted.

  Had everyone been caught, or was someone still at large?

  Altres Lort was the one to handle that.

  "Forgive me, Your Majesty." The duke couldn't hide his embarrassment at seeing a tear roll down the queen's cheek. Her face distorted, and for a second, she closed her eyes with her hand.

  Lily immediately grabbed her by the elbow.

  "Hush...is there a chair here?"

  "No need, Lilian. I'll just lean against you." With an effort, Milia removed her hand from her eyes. "I have a duty to my husband. He was happy when I tended to our children. It's the only thing I can do for him. Our sons won't have a father, but they will have a mother. And the affairs of the state will be handled by my husband's brother, a man whom I trust completely. Count Lort."

  Her words didn't leave room for doubt.

  The nobles started making noise, agitated. And then...

  Lily never understood how it happened.

  Something popped, clicked, whooshed, and with a wheezing sound, Maria rushed forward.

  "NO!"

  The arrow had been aimed straight at the queen's chest.

  Instead, it hit the princess in her shoulder, knocking her down.

  Lily acted firmly, as if on a drill.

  Someone opened fire?

  Lie down!

  Milia was the first to be thrown on the floor; she was the easiest to reach. Lily sharply pushed her behind the tribune.

  "Get down!"

  To the queen's credit, she didn't ask anything, simply sliding behind the tall wooden stand. Meanwhile, Lily crawled forward on all fours.

  The hall was swept in pandemonium.

  Something clanged and thundered as Altres Lort, pale with fury, barked out orders to find someone.

  Clearly, someone had tried to assassinate the queen. What could it be connected with?

  But Lily wasn't thinking about that.

  Maria was down on the floor, the tail end of a crossbow bolt sticking out of her shoulder.

  Lily somehow dragged her to Milia and breathed out. Yep, she was far from weightless. How had the women carried wounded during the war?

  Thankfully, Maria was unconscious.

  "How's the girl?"

  "I'll have a look." Lily unceremoniously pulled out a scalpel from her waist pouch.

  Some people carried around pomander or a sewing kit—although Lily did have a needle and thread, too, only she used it for suturing wounds. They had been properly disinfected and were kept inside a small golden box. She also had a scalpel made by Master Leitz and several remedies.

  The dress easily yielded to metal.

  "All right..."

  "What?"

  "It's not so bad. There's an exit wound," Lily reported. "I'll need to pull it out and clean the wound... I won't list all the procedures, but the girl should survive."

  "Lilian?"

  Count Lort finally deigned to remember about the women.

  "Count, give us a few soldiers to carry Her Highness to the hospital."

  "Of course."

  She didn't have to wait long as one of the soldiers snatched the princess, while three more surrounded the queen and Lilian. They left the chamber through another exit.

  Inside, chaos still reigned.

  ***

  "A scalpel!"

  "A tampon!"

  "A needle and thread, dammit! Now!"

  Lily was swearing like a sailor, but what could she do?

  She needed to pull out the bolt, clean the wound, stitch it, drain it... A nasty exit injury like that required many things. Well, at least the projectile hadn't been poisoned, or they'd have a dead princess on their hands. Still, it was hard enough as it was.

  A good team in the operating room was worth its weight, not even in gold, but in diamonds. Imagine everyone used to working with each other and finishing not just each other's sentences, but thoughts; nurses who acted like the doctor's hands, like they were supposed to...

  When would she get it in Wellster, though?

  Even in Ativerna, it wasn't more than a dream.

  Yes, Ativerna had Tahir and Jamie and a few young doctors, but that wasn't nearly enough.

  And Wellster at that moment had only Lily and the doctoruses who had hissed at her the day before.

  Would that be enough?

  Not for Lilian Earton; she wanted more, and she wanted better. Yet she had to work with what she had.

  After two hours, she stumbled back from the surgical table (which was big, oaken, and intended for dinner) feeling like a boiled rag. But the princess was happily snuffling in an opium-induced sleep. Lily wiped the sweat from her face, leaving a bloody print, breathed out, and left the room.

  "How is she doing?"

  "She's fine," Lily said, smiling at Milia.

  The queen had clearly been sitting next to the door, worried out of her mind. Yes, Maria wasn't her own daughter, but she was her family. Kinship wasn't determined by blood only.

  "Thank Aldonai!"

  Milia made a sign, knelt down, and started praying.

  Lily knew that she was supposed to follow suit, but her back hurt like hell. Those two hours took their toll.

  A page rushed to the exit to inform Altres Lort of the news.

  Lily leaned against the wall and stood there.

  "It's boiled water and lemon."

  A doctorus handed her a glass. One of them had spent an hour with her during surgery; then the other took the second shift. The one with the glass was the first of them, who had gotten the time to rest.

  The water really did turn out to be boiled, even still hot. It strongly smelled of lemon.

  Lily emptied the glass in three gulps.r />
  "Thank you."

  "You’re welcome. You have hands of gold, Your Grace."

  "Considering the circumstances, just call me Lilian," she suggested.

  It had been difficult for the doctoruses to assist her. Yet, instead of arguing, they simply helped. That said, Her Majesty's arrival clearly played a part in that.

  "Joshua, at your service, Lilian."

  She replied with a grateful smile.

  "Tell me, how long are you going to stay in Wellster?"

  "A month, I guess. Until Her Highness recovers..."

  "Then you will probably perform more surgeries?"

  Lily smiled.

  From the looks of it, she would have no shortage of students in Wellster.

  "Undoubtedly. I'd get out of shape without practice."

  The doctorus respectfully nodded.

  He appreciated skill and thought that it was something worthy of learning. Lilian Earton's movements were clearly sharply honed.

  "May I learn who was your teacher?"

  "I'm still learning. As for my teacher...maybe you've heard about Tahir Djiaman din Dashar? He's a scientist from the Khanganat..."

  The doctorus nodded.

  Lily smiled with the corners of her mouth.

  So he heard about him. He would write her expertise off to the Khangan's training. She didn't mind. She would teach him and the others anyway.

  Why would she sit on her knowledge? Was she a hen sitting on her eggs? Never in her life!

  ***

  "W-will Her Highness recover?"

  Milia had just finished praying. Altres Lort burst inside like a hurricane but still helped his sister-in-law stand up and threw Lilian Earton a questioning look.

  "She will," Lily replied. "She'll have a scar and will have to recover for at least a month, but she will survive. We weren't going to leave early anyway. Now we'll definitely have to hold off on our departure."

  Altres chuckled. He was clearly already plotting something. Whatever; using everything to benefit Wellster was his job. It's not like the Ativernans were any better.

  "We got lucky..."