Maya and Lucy worked out their best option for a cover story while Justin alternated between trying to talk them out of going and coming up with a better plan. Maya thought it was best if Lucy was her cousin and companion. A maid was probably a bad idea because Lucy had no idea what a maid’s job entailed. Also, she wouldn’t fit in with the other maids, and they needed to listen to gossip and information. As a guest with lesser status, Lucy could walk a little in both worlds. She could talk to the maids as long as she didn’t get in the way or sound too suspicious. She could join in with the ladies-in-waiting as well. Lucy was worried.
“Girlfriends and gossip have never been my specialty,” she told Maya.
“I know. Don’t worry about it. Play to your strengths,” Maya replied.
“Good idea. What are those?”
“You are smart and pay attention to detail. Most women like to talk. Play up being shy and be a good listener. Ask the right questions at the right places and let them do the rest. You don’t need a witty reply. A smile and nod in the right place will make you seem friendly.”
“I think I can handle that,” said Lucy feeling more self-assured.
“Remember it is always better to say less. They don’t need to actually know anything about us. You don’t have to lie; be vague. Whatever happens, don’t let anyone make you angry. They may not trust you if you yell at them. Ladies don’t yell. Don’t let them see you do any magic,” continued Maya.
“Will it make them suspicious of us?” asked Lucy, wondering why it was a big deal.
“No. Most of the ladies would be amused if you did a few things like changing the colors of their dresses. If this were a pleasure visit I would insist you do frivolous things like that to get them on our side. However, if there is a magic user behind this, it will make you a target and we don’t need that,” warned Maya.
“We need information,” inserted Justin, “not heroics.”
“Should I change my appearance?” asked Lucy. “Do you think anyone would recognize me from the battle?”
“I don’t think anyone was close enough to recognize you, but we don’t know if there is a spy here in Lerramorre. People here know you are a magic user. They could send your description to whoever they are working with,” said Justin.
“I think you should change your appearance now and not use anymore magic. Hopefully, no one will notice. A group of travel stained people showed up and went immediately to the King. A smaller group of well-dressed ambassadors will leave. Other than Neville and his group, no one really saw us up close.”
Justin and Lucy both nodded in agreement. It made sense. Maya cocked her head and stared at Lucy speculatively. Then she smiled mischievously.
“I think you need to be blond,” she announced.
“What? No, I don’t want to be blond,” protested Lucy.
“It would help with the cousin story,” said Justin.
Lucy pouted, but obediently changed her hair to the same shade as Maya’s.
“Skin tone? Height? Eye color? Should I change those as well?” asked Lucy petulantly.
“I don’t think so,” said Justin. “We are going for cousins not sisters. Perhaps the dimples though. If you could duplicate Maya’s dimples it would look like a family trait and make your smiles similar.”
“Blond and dimples,” said Lucy with a sigh. “On the up side, that should be enough to distract most men.”
“Of course,” replied Maya flashing her dimples and batting her eyelashes. “I use it to my advantage every chance I get. Look demure and women should like you too.”
Joss returned with Gavin and Taran.
“Any luck?” Justin asked Taran.
“Some, Joss had a lot of brothers but, surprisingly, not a very big family tree. What happened to your hair?”
Gavin and Joss did a double take at Lucy. She flashed her dimples at them.
“Don’t you like it?” she teased.
Joss grinned because he could see the resemblance. Gavin shrugged. Lucy was Lucy no matter what her hair color. Taran looked doubtful but shrugged after glancing at Justin.
“Joss’s family tree?” Justin prompted his brother to return to the topic of secession.
“Yes, the problem is, I can’t tell if it’s suspicious or not.”
“How so?” wondered Maya.
“Well, Joss’s father only had one sister and she died without having any children.”
“Aunt Mellannie?” asked Joss. “I don’t think there was anything suspicious about that. I was young, but I thought she died from a fever.”
“Like your brother?” asked Maya, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t know,” said Joss slowly, thinking back. “I was too young. I don’t remember anything odd, but then again, I might have been more absorbed in learning sword-fighting with my older brothers. No one would have told me if they had any suspicions.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t know if I’m being paranoid, questioning things because of current events, or if something more sinister has been going on for a while. Their father, your grandfather, died of old age, but his three brothers and a sister died young. One brother did have a daughter but nothing is noted after that. There isn’t a death date, marriage document, or any children listed. If she’s still alive, she’d be about 60. I don’t know if it’s worth trying to track her down or not. Going back 500 years, there were a lot of siblings of the King dying young. I don’t know if that’s simply the status quo when it comes to mortality rates around here, but usually royalty tends to fare better than the general population. Unless foul play is involved. Other than that, Joss seems to have no living relatives on his royal side.”
“We played with lots of cousins growing up, but I guess they were on my mother’s side of the family,” Joss acknowledged with a shrug. “It never seemed important until now.”
“Who inherits if Joss dies?” asked Maya.
“Again, if his great uncle’s daughter is alive, her or her oldest son. Lerramorre prefers to pass the crown to a male, but has had great queens in the past. They are allowed to remain queen until death rather than turn the kingdom over to a son once he comes of age. Aside from her, it would go to the other branch of the royal family.”
“There’s another branch?” asked Joss. “So, I do have cousins?”
“They are very distant cousins. That’s why I had to go back 500 years. There were no options before that. 500 years ago, the son inherited the crown, King Avalarr. He had a sister. She married a Duke Bathrralma.”
“We’ve always been close to the Dukes of Bathrralma,” nodded Joss. “Despite the closeness, I don’t think we’ve had many intermarriages.”
“Interesting,” commented Maya.
“I looked up his family tree,” continued Joss. “There has only been one intermarriage. Still, they are the closest to the throne. They would have a legitimate blood claim.”
“About 6 or 7 blood claims,” said Joss. “That’s only if you count the current Duchesses’ sons, not the daughters, and cousins, or the Duke himself.”
“Exactly,” said Taran. “The problem I’m having is, I can’t tell if they are connected to anything now or have a whole other plot that dates back 500 years.”
“What makes you think it’s a 500 year plot?” wondered Lucy. “That seems awfully long sighted.”
“I’m not sure what you’d call it,” said Taran, “But Joss’s family, over the last 500 years, has continually shrunk and now is down to one heir who doesn’t currently have a son and is not married. The Bathrralma family has thrived over the last 500 years. Like Joss said, the direct line could put the Duke on the throne with 7 surviving sons. The eldest is married with 2 sons. That doesn’t count all the cousins possibly involved.”
“So, they’ve either been waiting in the wings for 500 years and are poised to act now, the things with Bathrralma are a coincident, or something else entirely is going on,” suggested Maya.
“Pretty much,” confirmed Tara
n. “I also wouldn’t rule out someone from Fredamonn working with the Bathrralma family.”
“That being said,” said Maya, “I think I should get over to Fredamonn as soon as possible while you keep an eye on the Bathralma family.”
Joss handed Maya a scroll with a flourish and a bow.
“If you will sign at the bottom you will officially be my ambassador to Fredamonn.”
Maya took the scroll, opened it, read it, and cocked an eyebrow at Joss.
“To be truly official, it has to be written in Old Lerramorrian,” said Joss with a shrug and a smile. “Would you like me to translate?”
“No, I’d like you to explain. Are you aware I can read Old Lerramorrian?”
“Wonderful, that will make you an even better ambassador,” replied Joss enthusiastically.
“Then, why is this a marriage contract?” asked Maya.
“It says ambassador,” said Joss pointing to the scroll, all innocence.
“It says Malacularia. In Old Lerramorrian that means queen who also has the ability and right to make arrangements or treaties in her husband’s name if he is unreachable. Malacularre is the term for female ambassador.”
“Can you blame a guy for trying?” asked Joss with a sheepish grin.
“What would you have done if I had actually signed it?”
“Let you go on your way and planned a huge wedding reception to welcome you home to,” said Joss unabashed.
“You better be careful. One day some poor girl will say yes to one of your crazy proposals.”
“You really think so?” asked Joss hopefully.
Maya rolled her eyes, sighed, and held out her hand.
Joss handed her another scroll. “You’re the only one I propose to.”
His voice rang with sincerity. Lucy thought she saw Maya blush before she hid her face behind the new scroll and read. Lucy was sure she read it through twice to make sure she didn’t miss any addendums Joss might have added. Eventually, she nodded, held out her hand for a pen, and signed the scroll.
Chapter 31
Less than twenty-four hours after they had arrived, Lucy found herself leaving. She was clean and well dressed. Maya had given her a riding habit to wear. The riding habit was a soft blue color and looked great with her blond hair, but it was restricting. She preferred her own tunics, trousers, and boots. Neville and two other outriders escorted them. They rode east before heading north. That way they avoided the battlefield.
“Can we talk mind to mind?” asked Lucy.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Not if a magic user is behind this. Only in emergencies,” replied Justin. “I’ll see you in your dreams.”
Lucy sighed but didn’t reply. Justin was right. It was dangerous and made her a target. Hopefully, they would be able to talk in dreams. She wasn’t sure if that kind of thing would alert a magic user. She would miss Justin. They’d barely been apart since her first day at school when she bumped into him in the hallway. She liked it that way. It felt odd to be without him, almost vulnerable. Not that she needed him for protection; she was more than capable. There was something reassuring about Justin.
They entered Fredamonn shortly before sunset. Maya presented her ambassador scroll to the gate guards. They smirked at her, but let her through. Obviously, it was well known that the last three ambassadors had disappeared. They were met by footmen who took their horses and led them to their quarters. Maya, Lucy, and Gavin shared sumptuous rooms overlooking a garden. There were 2 bedrooms. One had a single bed and wardrobe. The other had 2 small beds, a wardrobe and a fireplace. Adjacent to that was a room with tables, couches, and another fireplace. All the walls without windows were covered with colorful embroidered tapestries. There were thick carpets on the wooden floors. The furniture was all maple or oak and well made. They cleaned up and changed out of their riding habits into dresses before being presented to the King. Lucy was not looking forward to spending the next few weeks in dresses, even though she admitted she looked beautiful after Maya helped do her hair.
Refreshed and better dressed, they followed another footman to the throne room to be presented to the King. King Lionel looked bored. He was old, white haired and wrinkled. He stared out the window while they were presented, absently petting a gray cat on his lap. His advisor, Neston, looked at Maya’s scroll and greeted them.
“It is a pleasure to meet another ambassador from Lerramorre. Hopefully, you will enjoy your stay here,” Neston said as he kissed Maya’s hand with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
“Thank you,” replied Maya with a smile, “Our rooms are lovely.”
Neston glanced at Lucy and instantly dismissed her as being nothing more than she claimed. Lucy was grateful for this. Despite his warm coloring, Neston seemed cold. He was tall, blond, with honey colored eyes, and thin lips.
“My wife, Princess Lauralie, is in her salon. You may enjoy spending some of your time with her. We can meet tomorrow mid-morning to discuss matters. I will have a small dinner sent to your rooms,” said Neston as he turned to walk back to the King’s side.
It was an obvious dismissal. The footman led Maya, Lucy, and Gavin back to their rooms and left. They sat in the largest room to wait for some food. It arrived shortly. Maya made it through three bites of pheasant before spilling what was on her mind.
“Well, this is going to be interesting. Neston is obviously in charge around here, and obviously creepy, but that doesn’t mean he’s involved in Lerramorre’s troubles. I can tell he’s not going to listen to a thing I say because I’m a woman. I could feel it in his voice.”
“Oh, did you take that class?” asked Lucy.
“Yes, I learned some useful techniques. It’s more of a passive ability than an active power so it shouldn’t be sensed. This gives me the perfect opportunity to try out what I’ve learned.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Lucy.
“Neston has every intention of learning what he can about us, using us to sign something as a diversion for Lerramorre if he can, and killing us. We need to find out information quickly and get out of here before I get really frustrated, or we end up dead.”
“Any ideas on how we should divide and conquer?” asked Gavin.
“I should be fine during our mid-morning meeting. I’m sure we will talk each other in circles and smiles. I think Lucy should spend time in Lauralie’s salon and see what she can learn. Gavin, I think you should do what you do best. Find some other people who like weapons and bond. You never know what you might learn.”
“Am I allowed to spar?” asked Gavin.
“Yes, you are even allowed to beat every one of them. It won’t hurt them to learn some respect. Perhaps word will spread to be careful around you. Hopefully, that protection will extend to me. Who knows how long before they try to eliminate us. You could buy us some time,” said Maya.
“I agree,” said Lucy. “After Gavin shows off a little, he should be with you all the time, unless you are in meetings. It will reduce their opportunities. Unfortunately, that might force them to be more creative. We’ll all have to be careful.”
“We need information quickly. If things start to look bad, I say we find a reason to leave at the end of the week. Agreed?”
Gavin and Lucy nodded their heads. Neston did not make them feel safe. Lucy did not sleep well that night. She was unsure if she should set wards or not. Was it better to have them for safety and possibly alert any magic users in the area? Or, was it better to go without and hopefully avoid detection? Lucy decided not to set wards. She would rethink the pros and cons for tomorrow. She was restless. She did not dream about Justin. She did not know if it was because he did not try to talk to her in a dream, or if it was because she was never fully asleep for it to work.
The next morning, Gavin led Maya to her meeting and went to find a practice area. Lucy lingered in her rooms. She was not looking forward to sitting in a salon all day with a bunch of other women. How boring. While she paced, a servant came in to tidy up and t
ake away the breakfast trays. Lucy was intrigued by the servant. She was graceful with delicate features and bright red hair. Lucy wasn’t terribly familiar with servants, but this one seemed to have very alert and watchful eyes. Lucy smiled, trying to be friendly. The servant nodded back and left quickly. Lucy was sure that talking to her would not be a waste of time. She was positive those observant eyes knew a good deal about what was going on around here. Lucy decided to try to talk to her tomorrow. She sighed and asked the first footman she found to lead her to Lauralie.
The footman entered ahead of Lucy, introduced her, and left. Lucy stood there feeling awkward as every woman in the room turned towards her with curious eyes. She wished she could have joined Gavin at the sparring grounds. She wanted to end up in a less chauvinistic kingdom next time. That way she could spar, or at the very least, not wear a dress. She blushed and looked down with what she hoped qualified as a demure expression.
“Come in and have a seat,” Lauralie said kindly.
Lucy nodded gratefully and found a cushion to perch on. Lauralie seemed all muscle, sinew, and nose. She had a warm smile, soft brown eyes and hair, but her nose was definitely her dominate feature. The girl next to Lucy grabbed her attention. Lucy was a novelty.
“Hi, I’m Heather,” said the girl whose main feature was huge, blue eyes. “When did you get here?”
“Yesterday,” replied Lucy.
“How do you like it?” asked a petite dark haired girl near the window.
“We have lovely rooms off the garden,” said Lucy. A much safer topic than discussing the creepiness of Neston.
“I love the garden,” said Heather. “May we walk there this afternoon?” she asked Lauralie. “It’s such a beautiful day.”
Lauralie nodded her assent.
“I think we should pick flowers and put them in our hair,” said the plump girl next to Heather.
Sorcery, Schemes and Skelt: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol II Page 22
