The Royal Companion

by Tanya Bird

  Rhea shook her head. ‘Must you always do this? Your opinion does not matter to these men. It does not matter to anyone.’

  Fedora’s lips pressed together. ‘Thank you, Rhea,’ she said, quietening her. She looked back at Aldara. ‘It is your role to guide the conversation in a direction that benefits the king you serve, not offer opinion. But you already know that.’

  Aldara blinked. ‘A far safer option would be to ask the guest’s opinion, agree with it, and remember my place.’

  ‘Enough,’ Fedora said. ‘You forget that these lessons are for your own protection. You never know who these men are and what influences they may have. Your job is to strengthen alliances, not start quarrels.’

  Aldara swallowed and looked down. Before she had a chance to apologise, Hali entered the room, hair dishevelled, with traces of paint around her eyes and lips. Fedora walked over to her and touched her arm, the way a mother would.

  ‘Wash and then go to the kitchen for some food,’ she said, before removing her hand. ‘Drink your herbs. I will speak with you after you have slept.’

  Hali nodded. ‘Yes, my lady.’ She glanced at Aldara as she passed her.

  ‘The rest of you are free to read,’ Fedora said, concluding the lesson.

  Astra stood up, her chair screeching along the floor. No one said a word as she hurried from the room. Fedora selected a book from the shelf next to the fireplace and handed it to Aldara.

  ‘You can brush up on your Galen history.’

  Aldara stood up and took the book from her, but she did not move.

  ‘What is it?’ Fedora asked, sensing a question.

  ‘It’s about the herbs. I have not bled since I started taking them.’ She kept her voice low so the others would not hear.

  ‘A sign of their effectiveness. Their purpose is no secret. They reduce the chance of pregnancy.’ She did not lower her voice. ‘Companions are not like other women. They are eternally virtuous in a sense. Men want their wives fertile, not their Companions.’

  Aldara watched Rhea step away from the table and settle into an armchair. Then she turned back to Fedora. ‘You say they reduce the risk. Have there been Companions where the herbs have not been effective?’

  ‘None that have ever remained here. Drink the herbs. The day-to-day life of a Companion is already uncertain. We control the things we can. Now go assist Hali,’ she said, taking the book back from her. ‘You can continue with your reading afterwards.’

  They both knew Hali needed no assistance. It was either a gesture of kindness or a clever means to end the discussion.

  Aldara found Hali in the bath, face lit with excitement. She walked over to the tub and took both of Hali’s wet hands in hers. ‘I am glad you are happy.’

  ‘I need not have worried. He was visibly pleased with his choice,’ Hali said. She did not need prompting for more details. ‘I had heard such nasty things about him, but he was charming and funny. And clear about his wishes,’ she said, a flush of red coming to her face. ‘Do you know that you bleed the first time? Lucky Fedora warned me or I may have embarrassed myself.’

  Aldara shook her head. ‘I didn’t know, but there is no need for me to know. Did he mind a woman bleeding on his bed?’

  ‘He seemed pleased by it, murmuring into my ear about virtue and God’s gifts to great men.’

  ‘I suppose it’s a sport for a man like him.’

  Hali pouted. ‘What do you mean a man like him? I am telling you he is not the man people paint him to be.’

  ‘On the contrary, your story proves he is that man.’

  Hali sunk back into the water. ‘Well, you didn’t know he was funny, did you?’

  Aldara realised she had ruined Hali’s good mood. She forced a smile. ‘No, I didn’t. I’m sorry. I’m actually very pleased for you.’

  She heard more about the evening than she had been prepared for. Hali discussed in detail all of her talents that had been unearthed within the walls of Pandarus’s chambers. They were likely not the talents Fedora had in mind, but Pandarus’s opinion would count for more in the end.

  ‘What of the feast?’ Aldara asked, changing the subject.

  New energy came to Hali’s face. ‘It was like nothing I have ever attended. I ate pork so tender it fell apart in my mouth before I had even chewed. I have an unquenchable thirst from all the salted fish I ate. Or perhaps it was the wine.’ She regathered her thoughts. ‘All of it served to us as if we were noble guests.’ She looked down at the water as she ran her finger over its surface. ‘We danced, and then Idalia danced. No one noticed the other Companions after that. I wish you could have seen her come alive before the king.’ She took hold of Aldara’s hands again. ‘I saw him, you know. Your prince.’

  Aldara rolled her eyes and pulled her hands away. ‘My prince? He does not even know of my existence.’

  ‘Of course he does. To be honest, he was quite dull. He barely left his seat. Perhaps it is better you do not have to suffer through his company yet.’

  Aldara stood up and wiped her hands on Hali’s robe. ‘He has just returned from war. I think he can be forgiven for seeming a little indifferent.’ She gestured for Hali to stand and wrapped the robe around her.

  ‘What’s wrong with you? You’re moping.’

  ‘I’m not moping.’ She thought for a moment and then shrugged. ‘Maybe a little. I think I just need to get outdoors. I honestly do not care if I never meet him as long as I am not kept inside forever.’

  ‘Careful, you sound like a farm girl.’

  ‘I am a farm girl.’ Aldara reached down, scooped up a handful of water, and poured it down Hali’s back. Hali squealed.

  A few minutes later the two girls were on their hands and knees, using towels to soak up the water on the floor. Their game had ended with jugs, and now Aldara needed to change her dress.

  ‘Perhaps he will not want me at all and Fedora will send me out to be a stable hand,’ Aldara said.

  Hali sat back on her feet and looked at her. ‘Be careful what you wish for. You just might find yourself wearing men’s clothing, shovelling manure all day.’

  Aldara shrugged and glanced down at her soaked dress. ‘Sounds like my old life.’

  Hali flicked water at her before continuing to clean.

  Over the following weeks, Hali spent more nights with Pandarus than not. She would return in the mornings exhausted. Wash, eat, sleep, and then be requested again in the evening. Aldara thought Fedora would be more pleased, but she said nothing aside from quiet whispers with the servants. While it was clear Pandarus was enjoying himself, Fedora appeared to be bracing for something.

  One afternoon while Aldara was being privately tutored on Zoelin history, she decided to raise the topic with Fedora. She was seated opposite her at the table, with paper and ink spread before her. There were no books, just Fedora’s bottomless pool of knowledge. Aldara glanced over to where Panthea and Rhea were reading before leaning forward so she would not need to raise her voice.

  ‘Will Hali be all right?’

  Fedora gave a brief look of disapproval before answering. ‘The Syrasan tradition for royal men has always been a single Companion. It is common for that Companion to change; however, Prince Pandarus is the first prince to keep multiple Companions at one time. This is new territory for everyone, and the women struggle with the uncertainty it creates.’

  Aldara returned the quill to the inkhorn in front of her. ‘Astra is unmatched in talent and beauty, so we have to assume she is safe. Will he dispose of Hali when he is bored with her?’

  Fedora raised her eyebrows. ‘That is very perceptive for a girl of your age. He keeps Astra because she is desired by all of his peers. She is safe for as long as this is true.’

  ‘The pregnant and the old disappear. What happens to the young and beautiful when they are no longer of use?’

  Fedora glanced at the women by the fireplace. ‘The fortunate ones stay on to entertain noble acquaintances. That does not always work of course. It
can be uncomfortable for men to see their former Companions with others. Most disappear like the pregnant and the old. Where do you think one could go from this life? Other households do not keep Companions. And noble men do not marry unvirtuous women. Use that perception of yours, Aldara. These are questions you already know the answers to.’

  Panthea looked up from her book, and they both fell silent for a moment.

  ‘Fetch your paints,’ Fedora said, standing up. ‘I want you to paint a scene from this very room. The women seated before you speak a minimum of three languages, fluently. Capture their brilliance.’

  Aldara was a terrible artist. Panthea and Rhea paid no attention to her as she sketched and painted. They had come to view her as a maid, doing nothing for themselves when she was around to do it for them. She was always fetching their dresses, collecting garments from the seamstresses, and bringing them food from the kitchen. Aldara went along with it because it felt like a much safer existence. Even at sixteen she had become mindful of her expiry date.

  After a few hours she stopped and studied the disproportionate painting of two faceless women. She felt a cold panic as she realised her sloppy depiction of them might one day be the only evidence they had been there at all.

  Chapter 6

  The air at Archdale began to thin. The sun lost its sting and took a little longer to thaw the walls. Evenings crept closer. An extra woollen blanket appeared on the women’s beds. Their softness and thickness were all Hali could talk about. Aldara said little, but at night she moved her toes against the linen, enjoying the extra weight.

  Aldara preferred to do her chores early while the rest of the castle slept. It was the only time she was alone for the day. She enjoyed the silence and the relaxed way she could move about the castle. She often loitered in the corridors where the sun spilled through the windows, piecing together Syrasan’s history from the stories told on the walls and windows.

  One morning she stood with a pile of fresh towels pressed against her chest, strolling between the stained-glass windows depicting different battles in their history. She stopped in front of a red glass panel with horses, twisted and bleeding at the feet of their riders. She stepped closer and pushed up onto the tips of her toes so she could see the wounds of the men.

  ‘Syrasan’s first battle with Corneo in 1478,’ a voice came behind her.

  Aldara’s feet dropped, and she swung around to find a man standing a few feet away. He was looking past her to the window. She followed his eyes back to it.

  ‘Just two years after Corneo was divided,’ he continued. ‘They were trying to avoid civil war.’

  Aldara gazed at the painful scene. ‘If only they could have foreseen that the real fight was in front of them.’

  He was silent for a moment, and when he spoke it was almost a whisper. ‘Yes.’

  Aldara glanced over her shoulder, eyes moving to his bare feet. She was trying to guess his position from his clothing. His untucked shirt was high-quality for a servant. Her eyes flicked up to his face. He appeared as though he had not yet slept. ‘I remember my father telling me the story,’ she said, her eyes returning to the window. ‘The Syrasan army had not been ready. Many of the soldiers were young and inexperienced, and their loyalty to their new king did not make up for this.’

  ‘But they fought hard to defend their new life.’

  ‘And lost.’

  He looked at her then, as if noticing her for the first time. ‘Yes. But later they would win it all back.’

  ‘And the Corneon people would starve. That is why this scene is so confronting. It is not just their deaths you see, but their hunger.’

  When he did not reply she turned to face him. But he was no longer there.

  Chapter 7

  The day before Aldara’s seventeenth birthday, Pandarus sent for Fedora to meet with him in his chambers.

  ‘I will be hosting a hunt tomorrow,’ he said, leaning back in his chair.

  ‘What is the occasion, my lord?’

  He folded his hands in front of him. ‘Must I need an occasion?’

  He was frequently agitated with her these days. Fedora knew better than to indulge him. She waited for him to continue.

  ‘I am fending off boredom and inviting others to join me before the snow arrives and traps us all indoors.’

  Fedora bowed her head. ‘I will help in any way I can, my lord. Are there any particular requests for the event?’

  Pandarus tapped the boot resting on his other knee. ‘Yes. I want every Companion in attendance. Now that Tyron has emerged from his cave of self-pity, I want the girl introduced. I want him to enjoy himself so the mood is not completely destroyed by his presence.’

  Fedora curtsied. ‘As you wish, my lord. Will His Majesty be in attendance?’

  He shook his head. ‘He prefers to leave the hunting to the young and save his energy for the feasting.’

  The disrespect did not go unnoticed by Fedora.

  ‘Idalia will need to remain behind. However, there is no reason why all the other Companions cannot attend.’

  He stopped tapping his boot. ‘You usually make up reasons.’

  She blinked. ‘My recommendations are made with your best interests in mind. I aim to protect the reputation of your family and the standard of the women I mentor.’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ he said, waving his hand dismissively. ‘You sound like my old governess. That is all.’

  She curtsied and left him. When she was back in the Companions’ quarters, she gathered the women in the front room. Idalia and Astra took two of the arm chairs while the others sat at the table. Astra’s book occupied the third armchair. She did not offer to move it, and no one asked her to. These opportunities served as reminders to the others of her rank.

  ‘Prince Pandarus is hosting a hunt tomorrow,’ Fedora began. ‘The guests will be received at the stables in the early morning. You are expected to attend and socialise with them prior to their departure. Idalia, the king will not be taking part in the hunt, so you will remain here. There will be around twelve guests plus the three princes.’

  Idalia looked relieved. She had been unwell for a few days and appeared not to have fully recovered.

  ‘Aldara, I trust you can find something suitable to wear. Consider the type of event you are attending whilst keeping in mind it will be your first introduction to his lordship, Prince Tyron.’

  All eyes were on Aldara then. She looked only at Fedora, waiting for more, but nothing more was offered.

  ‘What would you like me to do at the event?’

  ‘Everything you have been taught since your arrival six months ago,’ Fedora said.

  Panthea was the first to lose patience with the conversation. ‘Must everything be so difficult with you?’ she said, standing.

  Fedora silenced Panthea with a glance before returning to Aldara. ‘You know what is expected. Do not lose confidence simply because the time has come for you to put it into practice.’

  Rhea and Violeta exchanged a smirk.

  Aldara resisted the urge to look at the others for fear she would see Hali’s face reflecting her own terror. She had been mentally sorting the cloaks and gloves for the women. Outdoor events required far more planning. Now she had to include herself in the equation.

  The Noble Companions followed Fedora out of the room. Astra stood slowly, eyes on Hali. She spoke to her while she was walking away, a disrespectful act according to Fedora law.

  ‘I am surprised you have been requested for daytime socialising. Whatever will you do with yourself in the light of day with no wine to fuel you?’

  Hali kept her eyes on Aldara until Astra had left the room. ‘She makes a valid point,’ she said, her eyes welling.

  Idalia laughed and stood. ‘Oh, Hali, do not listen to her. Astra needs you to fail. You are her biggest threat at this point in time. You cannot blame her. She does not want to end up seated at the table with the other bitter, used-up Companions or find herself exiled from Archdale in the early
hours of morning.’

  ‘Where do they disappear to?’ Aldara asked. She noticed that Idalia’s face was flushed, assumedly from being so close to the fireplace.

  Idalia shook her head and glanced about the room. ‘I would imagine they become governesses of sorts. Lonely, barren governesses who are occasionally bedded by the lords who own them.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Imagine how hated they must be by the lady of the house.’

  ‘Why not return them to their families?’

  Idalia looked at her as though the suggestion was ridiculous. ‘Because we are commodities, bought and sold. By the time a Companion is sold she is worth around six times the gold that was paid for her. We are the highest educated, most socially refined women in the kingdom. Could your family afford to buy you back? Even if they could and did, what would they do with you?’ She paused for a moment so Aldara could think about it. ‘You would be a ruined woman with no marriage prospects. You would waste away at your family’s farm until your death.’

  Aldara did not want to think about it and wished she had not asked the question.

  ‘But why would they want to profit off us?’ said Hali. ‘These men care for our wellbeing in some capacity. We share their beds, after all.’

  Idalia tilted her head. ‘Have you learned nothing in your time here? Ours are not love stories. They would sell us to brothels if that produced the best financial outcome for them.’ She left them then, seemingly exhausted from the conversation.

  Once they were alone, Hali reached over and took Aldara’s hand, interlacing her fingers. ‘Make sure you don’t start tending to the horses tomorrow,’ she whispered. ‘I need you here with me.’

  Aldara squeezed her hand. ‘I was thinking I would join the hunt.’

  Hali forced a smile. They were both pretending they were not afraid.

  ‘Fedora believes you are ready,’ she said. ‘That is all the reassurance you need. All of those awful paintings you keep bringing back to our sleeping quarters have led to this moment.’