Revealing A Marchioness's Heart (The Chronicles of Loyalty)

by Jessie Bennett

  “Hi, Sylvie,” he said softly, hoping that was actually her name. His eyes stayed on hers, and from what he could see, hers were truly red. It wasn’t broken blood vessels; it was almost like she was born that way. Obviously, from being friends with Loyalty, he knew what happened to children who were born deformed. “My name is Jerrico. We’ve spoken before.”

  She said nothing, and he kept his distance, as if he were approaching a startled deer.

  “I was wondering if we could have a few words now,” he said gently. She still didn’t say anything, although he knew that she could speak. He had heard her ranting and raving before.

  It occurred to him that he had never heard her make much sense, which bothered him. Was he wasting his time?

  “I wanted to talk to you about a night a long time ago,” he said softly. That seemed to catch her attention more, and her eyes flashed. “I don’t know if you remember. A night at the palace.”

  “The old king will die and the throne will be in turmoil,” she said.

  Jerrico took a deep breath, glancing around at passersby to make sure they hadn’t heard it. They might think that it was just the ranting of a crazy old woman. On the other hand, they might realize that this was a reality. “Yes,” he said softly. “That is why I want to talk to you. Is there somewhere we can go?”

  She waved to the spot beside her. Jerrico hadn’t wanted to do this in public, but something in his heart told him to do it anyway. Something in her eyes told him that she needed him too. He realized that what she wanted was companionship; to be seen having a normal conversation. Perhaps if he was seen talking to her, others wouldn’t ostracize her so much.

  Therefore, despite his better judgment, Jerrico took a seat beside her. Her stench was overpowering, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It was as if she had taken a bath in perfume. He wondered where she got it, or whether she had stolen it. However, he wasn’t here to police those sorts of crimes.

  “It was a night a long time ago,” he said softly, keeping his voice low so that they couldn’t be overheard. “You were near the palace gates when John Descartes came out one night. Do you remember?”

  “Many nights, John Descartes came and went, fleeing the palace like he was on fire,” Sylvie replied and Jerrico sighed.

  “Probably,” he admitted. “But this night...this night he had a package with him. It was a night in July.”

  Sylvie looked at him like he had lost his mind. Jerrico sighed, weighing his options. He was giving her very little details; it was true. Moreover, had she been a normal person; his colleague; he would have never expected such a memory recall. He needed to give her more. Besides, if she had seen the child, there was no point in pretending that she hadn’t. “He had a child with him,” Jerrico said at last. “A child...”

  “A child scarred by wine and fire,” Sylvie passed her hand over her face, indicating her own blood red eyes.

  Jerrico nodded. “Yes,” he said, “A child whose face was the color of your eyes.”

  “A child,” Sylvie played with the threads on her skirt. It was ragged, and Jerrico wondered if she was warm enough when the cold weather hit. “Poor child. Poor child. I know their future.”

  “I...” he searched for the right words. “I’m sure you would have felt a connection with a child like that. I’m sure that you understand their pain, what they go through.”

  “Pain is as pain does,” Sylvie's eyes flashed at him. “Those who have been in pain cause pain to others.”

  “Right,” Jerrico replied, taking that in thoughtfully. It sounded like the rambles of a crazy woman at first, but underneath, he thought they were actually words of truth. The most miserable people he knew were people who had been through hell and back at various stages of their lives. “Yes, that’s true. So what I’m wondering is...did you watch out for this child? Maybe try to keep an eye on it, to make sure it didn’t go through what you went through?”

  Her eyes flickered toward him.

  Jerrico reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy bag of coins. “Sylvie, I know this was a long time ago. Inside this purse is enough to let you stay in an inn for a whole month. And I’ll rent the room myself if they won’t rent to you. It’ll feed you and keep you warm and safe. This could change everything for you,” he said softly. “I could change everything for you.”

  She laughed, a cackle that sent shivers down his spine. “You will simply provide me with fish,” she said, echoing an old saying.

  “I will teach you to fish during that month,” he promised. The longer he spent with her, the more her words were making sense to him. “I will teach you to fish and you could have a whole new life, endorsed by a King’s Guard.”

  Her hand went out and he pulled the purse away.

  “No. I need to know if you followed the child. If you know what happened to it.”

  “Why?” she said, her voice suddenly very clear. “What concern is a scarred child to a King’s guard?”

  “A king’s guard has to be concerned about everyone,” Jerrico said, choosing his words carefully. “And...We are...perhaps regretting the life this child was given, when they could have had a much better one.”

  “Inside the palace?” Sylvie asked.

  “Maybe,” Jerrico replied.

  “Tell me whose child it is and I will tell you where she is,” Sylvie replied.

  Jerrico paused. “I can’t do that,” he said, and her eyes flashed.

  “But you can. You can and you will do anything if you really want to know, won’t you?”

  “Almost anything,” he said, still holding the surprise. “But I can’t do that.”

  She turned her head, picking at her skirt again. “I don’t want your money, guard. You rich always assume that you are better than us, that we want what you have. But I don’t want what you have, and I don’t need it. I deal in a different currency.”

  “What currency?” Jerrico asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

  “Secrets,” Sylvie hissed. “I deal in secrets. Money doesn’t bind people, secrets do. Promises do. Money can always be overwritten.”

  “Secrets,” Jerrico said, taking a deep breath. “Alright. What is it you want, Sylvie? What secrets, what promises?”

  “I will show you the child,” she said softly. “If you swear to me, swear that no harm will ever come to her. That no harm will so much as touch her. That what you are doing is only for her betterment, but that it will be her choice, always her choice.”

  The words struck his heart, and he realized that Sylvie was far more intelligent than he gave her credit for, him or anyone. Was all of this just an act, this crazy lady act, to beg for coins? Did people tell Sylvie secrets just to get them off their chests?

  “Can you swear that?” she hissed at him.

  He took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

  “Ha,” she shook her head. “Then no secrets for you.”

  Sylvie slowly rose, as if to leave, and Jerrico knew that he was missing his chance. He knew that she was playing him; baiting him. It made no difference to her whether he swore or not, because she would keep her secret about the child that came from the palace. However, if he didn’t find out the truth, it could make all the difference to him.

  “Fine,” he cried out, just as she took her first step away from him. “Fine. Take me to the child, and I will tell you whose child it is. But it cannot ever leave your lips once you know.”

  She laughed. “Who am I to tell? Everyone talks, but nobody listens,” she giggled, almost talking to herself. She gathered her things, bags and baskets that she seemed to carry everywhere. Eventually, she looked at him. “Come with me then.”

  “Right,” Jerrico scrambled to rise. He still had the purse in his hand and he paused. “I can still give you the money,” he said softly. “I uh...I want to give it to you anyway.”

  She laughed as she started to walk. “You will do whatever you want,” she replied. “But don’t expect fish. Follow me closely now,” she said and
started to head down the street.

  Jerrico realized that he should have asked where they were going. In his head, he had all sorts of scenarios planned. He could pay for a train or a carriage, if they were going to a neighboring village. He could walk with her for a bit, an hour or so, but his hands were still quivering and he still felt off-kilter. As they passed through the market, nausea built in his throat and he made a mental note not to eat anything that day.

  Being part of the King’s Guard meant showing up for work in any condition. He had seen men show up drunk off their feet, hung over and everything in between. They showed up in all sorts of weather conditions, and they stuck out their shifts, even if they were dying. Still, he wondered if after Sylvie showed him what she knew, he could take a nap. He would certainly need his energy when he told the others.

  He was trying to figure out what story he would tell them when they asked how he found this child. He didn’t think the truth would go over well. The rest of them liked neat, clean evidence, and Sylvie fell into none of those categories. They certainly weren’t going to believe him if he said that she was actually sane and just playing them all along.

  He had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize where she was taking him. He hadn’t recognized the familiar streets, the roads that he had walked over a hundred times. He hadn’t seen what was right in front of him.

  “Here,” Sylvie said, and accepted the purse, despite her original words. She cackled to herself as she felt the money inside. “Poor guard. Paying for something that he already knew. Right under your nose all along and now it’s cost you a fortune.”

  Jerrico felt his mouth go dry, and his heart fluttered as he watched Loyalty in the front window.

  “Now your end of the bargain, guard,” Sylvie said, looking at him. “Whose child is she?”

  Jerrico met her eyes, and saw sanity, clarity. He spoke so softly he wasn’t even sure if she heard him. He knew if it got out, it could be traced back to him. Somehow, he knew that Sylvie would keep his secret safe. “Prince’s George’s,” Jerrico said softly. “She is the eldest child of the prince regent.”

  “She is the eldest child of the king,” Sylvie met his eyes. “Don’t you know? The king will die today.”

  9

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Sorry, what now?” Jerrico couldn’t get back to the palace fast enough, leaving Sylvie standing by the street. He grabbed Nathan’s arm as soon as he found him, pulling him into a corner as the sun set.

  “You heard me,” Jerrico said, his eyes wild. “She knows everything. And she knows this.”

  “No,” Nathan said, his eyes wild. “No, Jerrico, this is the rambling of an old woman. A homeless crazy old woman. Why would you think...?”

  “Nathan, listen to me,” Jerrico’s eyes were on fire as he tried to get his words across clearly. “I asked her about that night. I didn’t give her any hints. All I did was bribe her to take me to wherever the child was. She connected with Loyalty, the red in her eyes and the birthmark. She led me right to Loyalty’s house, there’s no doubt. She followed them from the palace that night, watching the child who she thought was like her. There is no doubt, Nathan.”

  Nathan said nothing for a long moment, although Jerrico could see the wheels were turning. “Are you sure?” he asked, and Jerrico nodded.

  “I would not lie to you,” he said. “And Sylvie was motivated by nothing more than the money in my purse.”

  Nathan took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He knew he was supposed to be logical; he was supposed to be guarding the prince and figuring out this mystery. However, it couldn’t be Loyalty. It just couldn’t.

  Except, obviously, it could. Moreover, Jerrico had concrete proof. Or as much proof as they were ever going to get. He knew he was right. He just wished he wasn’t. “Alright, but predicting that the king is going to die...”

  “She sends shivers down my spine...” Jerrico said. “And the worst part was that I didn’t detect a threat in her voice at all. I work with people who present threats to the royal family all the time, Nathan. I know what they look like and sound like. This was just cold hard facts.”

  “You should bring her in, just in case you are wrong,” Nathan said. “And Loyalty....”

  “I’ll go talk to Sylvie again,” Jerrico said. “And then we can go to Loyalty’s together...”

  “I guess another hour or two of her being in the dark wouldn’t hurt,” Nathan closed his eyes. “I can’t believe that this is happening. But I don’t want you to talk to her....you should bring her here.”

  “No,” Jerrico closed his eyes. “I can’t do that, Nathan. I can’t. She trusted me and she helped me. I can’t...”

  Suddenly, a scream came from one end of the palace. Nathan and Jerrico stood at attention right away. A rush of people went flying past them, and Jerrico grabbed the arm of one of his fellow guards. “Troy, what’s going on?”

  “The king...” Troy said, and that was all that they needed to hear. They began to move with the crowd.

  “The prince died just 6 days ago,” Nathan reminded Jerrico. The king’s youngest son, Frederick, had been little known among the palace. Six days ago seemed so long ago now, and yet, now that Nathan thought about it, it felt like death was still hanging around the palace. Six days ago, Loyalty was not a princess and the king was not about to slip away suddenly.

  King George had lost his mind long ago; so long ago that it almost seemed commonplace now. He didn’t know when his wife passed away two years ago; he hadn’t been fit to rule for a long time. The fact that the prince was just officially being made regent now seemed almost silly. Nevertheless, thrones were always full of power struggles, full of danger, and anyone who got close to them had to be prepared to fight for their life.

  Nathan didn’t want that for Loyalty. He didn’t want her or their life to change. If she was a princess, really and truly, his chances of happily ever after were slipping away.

  However, he had a duty before his love, and that was to the throne. His heart was breaking with every step that they took toward the king’s bedchamber.

  He wouldn’t be able to marry her; they wouldn’t have children. They wouldn’t have the life they dreamed of together.

  She would always be in danger. A princess with such a birthmark would always be threatened. She would never be considered beautiful; they would never see what he saw in her. They would never see her as anything but a broken princess.

  He couldn’t let Jerrico tell her; he couldn’t. It would ruin everything that they had worked so hard to achieve. He couldn’t let Jerrico tell her until he had been promoted high enough to be married to a princess. He would have to be a general, commander of a fleet, or high up in intelligence. He knew he was on the fast track and that it would take a few years, but it wouldn’t take forever.

  He had to find the other children. He had to stop Jerrico from telling her.

  When they got to the king’s bedroom, there was no doubt as to what was happening. The priest was elbowing his way through, having been called to give Last Rites. The king was dying, right in front of their eyes.

  Everyone in the palace seemed to know about it, and they were all crowding in to witness it. There was pushing and shoving, crying and shaking. Jerrico caught sight of Prince George in the corner, by his father’s head, and his heart went out to him. This should have been a private experience, but instead, the whole world was watching.

  “This is what she will have to go through, if we tell her,” Nathan whispered to Jerrico. “Is that what you want for her?”

  Jerrico’s head swiveled toward Nathan in shock. “You aren’t considering not telling anyone?”

  “Look around, Jerrico,” Nathan said, and his tone was not kind. “And tell me that you would wish this on your worst enemy, let alone your best friend.”

  “I...” Jerrico fell silent. The gravity of the day was catching up to him, and the emotions in the room were weighing heavily on his heart. This was a d
ay he was never going to forget, and it all came rushing toward him at once. His head felt heavy, and he bent over slightly, staring at the floor and hoping to ground himself. However, he knew from the twitch in his eye what was about to happen. He wanted to fight Nathan on the choice. He needed to be strong, for Loyalty’s sake. Nevertheless, sometimes, there was nothing he could do about it. Jerrico felt his head start to swim and he slumped slightly against Nathan, hoping that no one would notice. As mad as he was at Nathan right now, he was also his safest bet.

  The room was dead silent, the sun long since set outside. The king’s breathing was labored and no one dared move, aside from a few sobs. No one wanted to be the reason they didn’t realize the king had slipped away.

  “Jerrico,” Nathan breathed, seeing the warning signs. All anger and arguments were put aside in the moment that he saw his friend’s face; which was white as snow. He didn’t dare move a muscle. Shifting his eyes around, he saw that the door behind the bookcase, which led to a secret passage, was clear. Most of the mourners were getting closer and closer to the bed, waiting for the king’s final breath. There were so many secrets in this room; so many secrets that went with this lifestyle. Nathan just wasn’t sure how many more secrets he could keep before he exploded. However, for Loyalty’s sake, he was going to have to keep one more.

  Jerrico wavered dangerously and Nathan knew that they had to escape. He tried not to look like he was supporting him as he quickly moved them through to the passage. No one would think it strange on a normal day that they were headed toward there.

  He never thought that he’d think it lucky that the king was dying so that Jerrico could get to safety. They had passed through the passageway door and gotten two steps down the hallway when Jerrico collapsed against him. He was burning up, his own breathing labored. Nathan managed to get the bookcase door mostly closed in his panic, but he could still see a sliver of light coming from the king’s bedchamber.