I felt ashamed of my weakness but whenever I closed my eyes I found myself reliving our kiss. The memory of his lips on mine was the most energising thought I had, and I wished desperately for a way to return to the exquisite happiness of that moment on the balcony. My life since then had become an endless cycle of exhaustion and fear that made that stolen moment seem even brighter.
Mathilde maintained a forced cheerfulness but I could see the cracks beneath the façade. I knew I couldn’t impose on her forever. She told me that all the hospital staff were in on the secret but I saw very few of them. Since the hospital was still open for business as usual, I was forced to remain in my room.
I had always loved books because they seemed so full of endless possibility. I now began to hate the sight of them for the same reason. That constant unfulfilled possibility taunted me. The queen and Ava had settled on a late summer wedding and every day the date crept impossibly closer.
On the fifth day of my voluntary confinement I read something that gave me the first glimmer of hope. It was a small note on the complex laws and traditions that bound the kingdoms together and had been included as an explanatory addendum on an old and rather dry account of a marriage alliance. It stated that any engagement, be it royal or common, was considered invalid in law if it was found that a previous engagement existed. It did not matter, explained the text, which engagement was more formal or more public – the first engagement nullified the second. All that was needed to dissolve the second engagement was for the pre-existing fiancé to present him-or-herself with proof of their prior claim.
Such a tantalising thought was hard to let go. I realised it didn’t help us at all, of course. No previous engagement, however informal, existed. But I couldn’t help thinking of the possibilities and wishing that Max had entered into some sort of agreement with Marie or Celeste. It almost made me laugh, though without true amusement, to compare these wishes with my wishes at the time.
The book that contained this addendum was the last book from the pile I had deemed most promising. It was painful to close it and accept that none of the books had provided a solution. Surveying the remaining two piles I felt listless. What was the use in continuing?
Picking up each book one by one I glanced at their titles. Most were only loosely connected to the topic at hand. Pausing at one particularly irrelevant looking title I wondered why I had even pulled it from the shelf. An Exposition on the Different Customs and Traditions Pertaining between the Kingdoms of Arcadia and Northhelm.
Suddenly I remembered why it had piqued my interest. It had reminded me of my final conversation with Marie and I had wondered if perhaps this was another copy of the book Max had given to her. It was a slim volume and I opened it out of idle curiosity.
Skimming through its pages I realised how little Lily, Sophie, Max and I had learned of Northhelm customs before Marie’s arrival. The writing was a little dry but my memory of Marie’s visit kept the subject matter interesting. I told myself it was possible that some relevant international law might be hidden within its pages. I read on.
I had nearly finished the book and my mind was starting to wander when I read a paragraph that made the book slip from my suddenly nerveless fingers. I stared into space, my mind whirling, when I was interrupted by the entrance of Aldric, come to complete his daily inspection of my hands. I was quivering with excitement but attempted to maintain a casual tone of voice. “Mathilde mentioned to me once that you were here on a medical exchange.”
Aldric looked up startled and nodded.
“Your accent isn’t strong but it does seem familiar,” I continued. “Are you from Northhelm?” I held my breath as I waited for the answer.
“Yes, I am from Northhelm,” he said carefully.
“Perhaps you can answer a question for me then.” I picked the book back up and found the right page, holding it out to him and pointing at the paragraph. “Is this correct?” I asked.
Clearly this was not what Aldric had expected. Cautiously he read the paragraph and then nodded again. “Yes, it is true,” he confirmed. “It is a very old custom but still commonly used.”
I drew in a deep breath and fell back against the chair, laughing. We’re saved! I thought. Saved by a book. Aldric began to work on my hands but warily, as if he feared for my sanity. His expression only made me laugh harder.
“Can you ask Mathilde to come and see me?” I asked when he was finished. He agreed and looked relieved to escape from the room.
My own delight felt so infectious that I wondered why Mathilde looked so grave when she came in and closed the door behind her.
“I was coming to see you anyway,” said Mathilde, “the news is all over the castle.”
“What news?” I asked.
“Oh, you haven’t heard. I’ll let you read your letter first then, I’m sure it will explain it.” She held out a sealed note and I eagerly broke it open.
Dear Alyssa,
Father and Mother have finally been convinced of the truth of your words and the villainy of Ava. Their reversal of opinion has not been caused by any arguments of mine but by information extracted from the guard Matthias.
Our Intelligence Chief used a very clever stratagem to gain his confidence and has received a full confession. He has confirmed everything you overheard. Unfortunately my parents know of no law to release me from my engagement or to prevent Rangmere from attacking if we choose to repudiate the connection.
Ava is aware, of course, of the change in my parents’ attitude towards her and is, moreover, furious at her inability to find you. In the face of their enmity, she seems to have decided not to call any of her troops. Instead she seeks to hasten the wedding and to this end has invented a family emergency in Rangmere. She has moved the date of the wedding forward to allow us to be married before she returns home. I have no doubt she intends to return at the head of a conquering army.
Unfortunately, the wedding date has always been the purview of the bride and not the groom so there is little we can do.
The wedding will now take place in ten days’ time, being the earliest date such a large ceremony can be arranged.
I can only assume from your silence that you have yet to discover anything of assistance.
Max
I looked up from the letter in shock, unable to fully comprehend the implications. “Ten days?” I exclaimed. “Ten days?!? But I had just found a way out!”
“You found something?” cried Mathilde.
“No, no, you don’t understand, ten days won’t be enough time.” I calculated the time needed for a letter to reach Marie and then the time needed for Marie to return. No matter how I worked it, it could not be done in ten days. The shock left me cold.
I could hear Mathilde speaking to me but her words seemed to come from a great distance and I paid them no heed. After a while she left and I was glad to be alone.
Chapter 31
By the time the door opened again I felt like I had aged years, although in reality it had only been a few moments. It was Aldric who came in and he looked very serious.
“Mathilde says you are in shock and asked if there was something I could give you. I have brought you a sleeping draught.” I ignored his words, examining his face instead.
Once again the sight of him brought back that half remembered shadow of thought. It had been tickling at me for five days now but I had shunted it aside, determined to reserve all my mental efforts for reading. Now I sat back and let the thought work its way around my mind.
It took a few minutes to burst into full life but, when it did, it turned out to be well worth the effort.
“Aldric,” I said suddenly, watching him closely, “how did Marie know I was sick?” Aldric started but his confusion seemed genuine.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” he said.
“When I was here last time, I received a letter from Princess Marie wishing me a speedy recovery.”
Aldric nodded and regarded me warily. “I suppose so
meone must have written and told her you were ill,” he said.
“Yes, that would make sense,” I agreed and he looked relieved. “Except that the letter arrived only seven days after I first fell ill. And the network of relay-messengers who carry express royal post take a minimum of six days to carry mail between Arcadie and the capital of Northhelm. Six days one way, that is.”
We stared at each other in silence while I debated my next move. Aldric’s face remained calm but I noticed a small bead of sweat running down into his collar.
“Aldric,” I said finally, my voice hardly more than a whisper. “I need to contact your mistress. Urgently.”
Aldric remained silent.
“Princess Marie is the only hope for Arcadia now but she must arrive here before the wedding. Which means she must arrive here in nine days’ time.”
“That’s impossible,” said Aldric stiffly.
“Yes, it is – using conventional means,” I replied. I stood up and grasped his arm. “Please Aldric. I know you have some means of contacting her more quickly. I need you to use that now. To save Arcadia from Rangmere.” He remained silent and my pleas grew more desperate. “All I ask is that you convey a letter to her. I promise not to breathe a word to the king or his Intelligence Chief. Think how powerful Rangmere will become if they annex Arcadia! Surely blocking them is in Northhelm’s interests too.”
At last he stirred. “I promise nothing,” he said, his words clipped short. “Write your letter but I promise nothing.”
“Thank you,” I cried, “thank you!” And pulling out a piece of parchment and pen I began to write furiously.
The rest of that day and the night passed in a fever of anxiety. I paced up and down my room until I was too exhausted to move and then fell into my bed and into a light, disturbed sleep. I was up earlier than ever the next morning and back to pacing. I didn’t want to send word to Max of what I had discovered until I heard back from Marie. I couldn’t bear to raise his hopes for nothing.
The day passed slowly. Mathilde popped her head in every hour or so to check on me and each time she looked more concerned. Eventually I gave up pacing and went back to reading. I had found one possibility of escape in my books, perhaps I would find another.
That night when I slept my rest was deep and dreamless. I had finally reached my limit of anxiety and fatigue – my body could take no more.
When I woke it took me a moment to remember where I was and why I felt a vague sense of unacknowledged doom. Strangely enough the return of memory did not bring a return of the restless anxiety of the day before. A new peace seemed to have enveloped me and I welcomed its embrace.
Mathilde was relieved to see the calm in my expression and begged me to tell her what was going on. I remembered my promise to Aldric, however, and refused to say anything. This day too passed by.
Aldric did not appear at the usual time to inspect my hands and a small bit of worry crept back under my defenses. I ignored it and returned to my reading. When the door finally opened and Aldric appeared I leapt to my feet eagerly. His face gave nothing away.
“I have heard back,” he said. “She is coming. Already she has left.”
I inhaled sharply and fell back, sinking onto the bed. Tears of gratitude swam in my eyes. “Will she arrive in time?” I asked. “It took her two weeks to get here by ship.”
“That was a gentle voyage and round about,” said Aldric. “She comes now by horseback and takes the route of the relay-messengers. She is a skilled horsewoman and very strong. She will arrive in the required eight days.” I nodded. I also trusted in Marie’s skill.
“I must tell Max!” I exclaimed, jumping back to my feet.
Aldric looked alarmed. “Perhaps it is best if you do not.”
“But I can’t leave him thinking the worst. Who knows what he might do?”
“It’s not certain yet. Many things could happen to prevent her arrival. If there is any change in the attitude of the royal family it may alert Princess Ava. Who knows what fell plans she has waiting in reserve.”
I was reluctant to accept his words but he was right of course. Our hope was slim enough already. I would do nothing to overset it.
I continued to read but without the feverish pace that I had previously maintained. I began a small exercise regime inside my room and felt much better for it.
Six days before the wedding I received a visitor. Mathilde ushered her into the room and when I saw who it was I gave a cry of surprise.
“Your majesty!” I swept into a deep curtsey. “What are you doing here?” Queen Eleanor approached and took my hand in a firm clasp.
“I had to see you,” she said. “To apologise. It seems I have been a fool in more ways than one.” I protested but she shook her head vehemently. “Our intelligence network has been working hard to discover the full extent of Ava’s plans. It now seems clear that Rangmere intends a complete annexation. I fear our people will resist and that it will go hard with them. We are making what preparations we can but…” she shrugged fatalistically.
“Eleanor, there is still hope.”
“Is there?” her voice was faint. “You were right about my family, by the way. It seems so horrible that I should only discover it now, when it may be too late for all of us.” I led her over to the chair and sat beside her on the bed.
I couldn’t contain my curiosity. “King Henry?” I asked.
She nodded. “When the truth was revealed it was a very hard blow. I was the one who had insisted on the engagement. All I wanted was for Max to have a true princess – someone who could rule beside him and make him happy. I still don’t understand what went wrong. I went to Henry and offered to leave Arcadia. I have already done enough harm for several lifetimes.”
I gasped. “You’re not leaving!” I exclaimed.
“No,” she smiled and suddenly seemed much younger than I had ever seen her look before. “My pride was finally broken down, you see. I had nothing left and therefore nothing to hide. I admitted to him all the things I had been too proud to tell him over the years. I begged him to forgive me,” her smile turned radiant, “and he did!”
“And you?” I asked, delighted but not quite content to leave it there, “did you forgive him?” She looked at me with amusement and I shrugged defensively. “There’s no way the situation was all your fault.”
“No,” she said, “we were both to blame. There were so many misunderstandings. It only took the complete breakdown of our world for us to realise it.” She sobered. “It’s a pity there are some things not even true love can fix.”
“There is still hope,” I repeated but when she pressed me I would say no more.
Two days before the wedding I had an even more welcome visitor. Mathilde let him come in unannounced and I fell into his arms. For the first time in two weeks I felt not only hopeful but happy.
For several minutes we just clung to each other, caught up in the joy of being together again. His chest felt familiar and comforting, despite how few times he had actually held me. After a long moment I drew back and looked into his eyes. The despair in them made me catch my breath.
“I had to see you once more before the wedding,” he said desperately. “I’ve made arrangements with Jonas and some of the guards. They’re going to smuggle you out of Arcadie during the ceremony.”
“No!” I exclaimed, horrified. “I won’t leave.”
“You have to,” said Max, a steely quality in his voice I had never heard before. “The only way I can get through this is if I know you’re safe. Once we’re married I won’t be able to stop her searching the entire palace. And if she finds you, she’ll be able to use you against me.”
I shook my head frantically but he leaned down and touched his forehead against mine, stopping the motion. “My strength has limits, Alyssa,” he whispered.
Ava’s words came back to me. I suspect young Max will do anything I command if I threaten Alyssa. I whispered a reluctant, “alright.”
He outlin
ed the plan to me and I listened unhappily. My one consolation was that the imminent arrival of Marie would make it redundant. I knew I had agreed to say nothing of Marie to Max but I couldn’t bear the hopelessness in his eyes.
“There’s still a chance,” I said.
“You’ve found something?” he was suddenly alert, his eyes shining.
“Maybe,” I said. “I can’t risk telling you anything but it’s a chance at least. But I need you to promise you won’t say anything to anyone else.”
He was eager to know more and reluctant to promise but I eventually convinced him. Our farewell was lingering and painful and I couldn’t suppress the fear that I would never see him again. After he left I spent half an hour crying into my pillow.
The day before the wedding I woke up with a flood of excitement and it took a moment for my mind to catch up. Today Marie was due to arrive. When Mathilde came in with my breakfast she seemed gripped by the same fever of anticipation.
Aldric had taken my stitches out several days ago but he came in for a ‘final check-up’ as well. Once he had pronounced my hands fully healed he whispered that he had had no news. “One of my contacts will meet her at the edge of the city and bring her straight here,” he explained. “The hospital suite has its own exit directly on to one of the side gates in the palace wall. It’s for moving quarantined patients in and out. They’ll bring her through there. You’ll know of her arrival almost as soon as I will.”
I thanked him for the information and promised to do the hand exercises he prescribed. I even did them diligently for fifteen minutes.
When Mathilde reappeared I jumped on her. “Has she arrived?” I asked. Mathilde shook her head but showed me what was in her arms. It was my green ball gown.
The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea (The Four Kingdoms Book 1) Page 27
