Deck of Cards

by Johnson, ID

  The expression on Kenneth’s face said it all. Surely, Philip couldn’t seriously expect Placidia to come in and do his dirty work for him. “What do you think of that?” he asked, respecting his wife’s authority.

  She snickered. “I think we will be calling on Father Hagey soon for an annulment. Or a funeral.”

  ***

  Initially, Gordon had escorted Katey to a small sitting room. She found the interior of Castle Caine to be very pleasant, though it was not nearly as large as Blackthorn or Meadington. Matthew had said that his family actually kept several palaces and, while Caine was their foremost residence, they visited the other locations often enough that they felt no need to maintain a massive structure. As for security purposes, however, Caine was extremely secure, with walls and battlements constructed in rows, making the fortress nearly impenetrable.

  As she was sitting on a soft jade colored couch, contemplating her predicament, an older woman entered the room, bringing tea and biscuits. “Good afternoon!” she said resting the tray on the table in front of her. “How are you, Sweetheart?” she asked, smiling kindly. “Would you like some tea? Sugar? One lump or two?”

  Katey looked around the room puzzled. Did this woman know who she really was or was she always this polite? She indicated that she would like some tea and one lump of sugar was fine. She took the teacup, nodding her thanks and sipped it slowly.

  “Good, isn’t it?” the woman asked. Katey nodded, smiling in appreciation. “I make the best tea of anyone in all Arteria,” she continued. “In fact, I make the best everything in all Arteria!” She laughed heartily, and Katey smiled broadly, finding her both amusing and extremely likeable.

  “Do you mind if I join you, Love?” she asked. Katey gestured for her to have a seat and she did so, pouring herself a cup of tea and adding at least three, if not four cubes of sugar. “My name is Penelope but people around here call me Cook.” She leaned in closely and said, “That’s because, I’m the cook!” She laughed again, patting Katey on the leg vigorously. Again, Katey couldn’t help but be amused. Cook had little laugh-lines spreading out from the corners of her eyes but they fit her face and made her look even more kind-hearted. She was slightly over-weight and probably in her mid-fifties. Katey wasn’t sure why she had come to pay her a visit, but she was very thankful to have the opportunity to meet her. She liked her instantly.

  “Now, your name is Rose, is that right?” she asked inquisitively.

  Katey wasn’t sure how to answer that. She didn’t want to lie but she also knew Cook was not likely to believe her if she attempted to explain who she really was. She neither confirmed nor denied her identity and Cook continued as if she didn’t really need an answer anyway. “And you’re from Clovington? You, uh, work at the castle?”

  Again, Katey did not answer but that did not stop Cook from continuing to ask more questions. “Now, it doesn’t bother me one bit that you don’t talk, Sweetheart. I had a friend once, many, many years ago who never said a word, not one. Best friend I ever had. So don’t you worry one bit about that.” Her warm smile made Katey feel at ease, even though she was aware that Cook had no idea who she really was and she felt wrong deceiving her.

  “So, Gordon tells me that you know my dear, sweet, kind-hearted Matthew. Is that right?”

  To this question, Katey quickly replied, nodding her head and smiling.

  “Isn’t he just the sweetest boy, uh, man, you’d ever met? Oh, how I miss him.” She seemed lost in her memories for a second and Katey sipped her tea quietly, waiting for her to return to the conversation. “Now, let me tell you, Love, Caleb and his men will be in shortly to ask you some questions. We’ve been missing our Matthew around here for quite some time. Everyone is very eager to find him. You can understand that, I’m sure?” Katey nodded and she continued. “Just remember they’re men—they don’t think like we do. Just do your best to let them know the information that you have and it will all be fine. Okay? When you’re done, why don’t you come join me in the kitchen and we’ll have a little snack?”

  Katey didn’t know if she should feel relieved at Cook’s assurance that everything would be fine or scared that a group of men was coming in to interrogate her. She was glad that it seemed she had finally made a friend, an actual friend, something she had been missing since Joan’s disappearance, and she was looking forward to getting to know Cook more.

  There was the sound of rapid footsteps outside of the door, which promptly came open. Caleb entered, accompanied by Gordon and another man that Katey did not recognize.

  “Well, that’s my signal to exit,” Cook said, collecting the tray but leaving Katey’s tea with her. “You come see me in a bit, Sweetheart.” She patted her on the knee again before standing and walking toward the door. As she passed Caleb, she leaned over and whispered something. Katey wasn’t exactly sure what it was but she thought it sounded like, “Be nice.”

  There were two chairs across from where Katey sat on the duvet. The men all looked around awkwardly before taking seats. Caleb and the other man sat across from her with Gordon on the other end of the sofa. She stared at her hands, nervously, wondering why no one was speaking.

  Though Caleb had spent the better part of an hour in his chamber collecting his thoughts, when faced with this girl again, he was quickly reminded of her breath-taking beauty. In fact, all three of the gentlemen in the room seemed to be suffering the same stupor in her presence. After a moment, he cleared his throat and pushed through, beginning the procedure. “Rose,” he started, “You have meet Sir Gordon and this is our physician, Russell.”

  “How do you do?” the older man asked, nodding his head. She glanced up at him, nodding politely but she did not offer her hand and so he did not reach for it.

  Caleb continued. “We hope that you might have some information that can help us locate my brother, King Matthew.”

  Again, Katey nodded her understanding. But she did not look up at him. She dare not look up at him.

  He cleared his throat again. “Forgive me if this is too personal a question, but I just want to make sure that we are all clear regarding your, uh, your condition. Is it true that you cannot speak?”

  She slowly nodded her head up and down. Gordon stirred uncomfortably next to her and she glanced in his direction. He smiled at her reassuringly. Once again, she dropped her eyes to the only place she felt comfortable looking, her own hands.

  Caleb looked at Russell who asked the next question. “Miss, is the nature of your disability physical?” he asked.

  Katey wasn’t sure what difference that made but she answered just the same. No, she shook her head. There was nothing physically wrong with her. She should be able to speak, and yet she could not.

  The doctor glanced back at Caleb. And then, he took up an annoying habit that Katey detested. He spoke about her as if she was not in the room. “Psychological then,” he said quietly to the king.

  Caleb nodded, able to ascertain that for himself. This gave him hope that, perhaps, she would speak eventually, but he needed answers now. “Rose, was Matthew being held in the secret room in the tower, the highest tower in the front of the castle.”

  Katey nodded her head. So, they had found the secret passage. Perhaps, then, they knew just as much as she did.

  But they seemed to think she might know more. “Do you know when he escaped?”

  Again, she nodded. But she had no way of letting him know. He had to guess.

  She could tell that Caleb was growing a bit agitated at this game of twenty questions. Gordon must have sensed this as well, as he asked the next question. “Was it on the same day that we took control of the castle?”

  She looked up at him and nodded her head. It had to have been since she had seen Matthew earlier that day.

  This information seemed to be a bit helpful. The men glanced around at each other, confirming their suspicions, and seeming to mark their mental checklists.

  “Do you know what direction he was headed?”
/>   Gordon had asked the question and Katey again nodded, able to meet his eyes briefly.

  The follow-up question came from Caleb, “West, then?” he asked succinctly.

  She nodded again.

  Caleb got up and began to pace behind his chair and Russell’s. Gordon tried to be the calm voice of reason but he could see the King’s disposition was shifting quickly. Caleb was generally extremely kind and considerate but when he felt that others were wasting his time or not being proficient, he lost patience quickly.

  He would really hate to see Caleb take his frustration out on this diminutive creature next to him.

  “Perhaps,” Gordon said to Caleb, “if we showed her the map?”

  The king nodded his consent and Gordon pulled the piece of parchment out of his pocket.

  “We found this, in Princess Katherine’s room,” he began. They knew there was some connection between the princess and Rose because of the information Katherine had given them this morning, but they weren’t quite sure what it was. “Have you ever seen it before?”

  Katey was shocked. She couldn’t believe they had found the map she had drawn. She shifted closer to Gordon, who let her take it. Gordon glanced up at Caleb, who had stopped pacing and stood with both hands resting on the back of his chair, watching her intently. He nodded at the king, letting him know that he believed Katey had seen the paper before.

  “You drew the map?” Caleb asked her. Yes, she confirmed, as she continued to study it. Seeing it now reminded her of Matthew, especially looking at the back where she had written, “I am scared.” She felt the sting of tears against the back of her eyes, overwhelmed with the pressure of this interrogation and her desperation to see him again.

  Caleb saw her looking at the writing on the back. “He wanted you to come with him but you were too scared? What were you scared of? Philip? Your parents? My soldiers?”

  Katey couldn’t keep up with the rapid fire questioning so she just stared down at the paper, trying to hold back her tears.

  Gordon could see that she was getting upset. He put his arm gently on her shoulder. “We just want to find him,” he said quietly.

  She looked up at him, nodding. That’s all she wanted, too.

  Caleb was holding his head in his hands. He didn’t know what else to do. He wanted to make her talk, even if she knew nothing more than they already knew, at least there would be some sort of confirmation. He took a second to try to regain his composure before asking, “Do you know where that tunnel lets out?”

  She honestly had no idea. She had heard that most of the tunnels running under Blackthorn were about a quarter of a mile long but she also knew that some of them were longer. She hadn’t gone very far down the expanse, just far enough to make sure Matthew could clear the height. She felt a tear splash against the back of her hand and she sat the map back down on the table, fearful that she might ruin it.

  The frustration was mounting again. “Aren’t you from Clovington? Shouldn’t you have some sort of an idea where this tunnel leads? “ Caleb could hear Gordon calmly saying his name, but he was back to pacing asking his questions of the ceiling.

  Then, he realized the girl was crying. He wanted to be empathetic but instead he was beginning to feel furious.

  Taking a deep-breath, he walked over to where she sat, pushing the teacup and map aside, he sat down on the table in front of her, straddling her gown, his face just inches from the top of her head. “Listen, Rose,” he began, taking her right hand in both of his. “I’m desperate. I need your help. I have to find my brother.”

  Katey was frozen, all but her tears. She still had her left hand clasped against her eyes, trying to physically push them back. He gently took her by the chin and forced her to look at him. She had no choice but to stare directly into those icy-blue eyes.

  “What do you want?” he asked calmly. “I’ll give you anything. The finest gowns. The most luxurious jewels. Anything you ask for. Anything you want. Just please, tell me, what you know. Where is he?”

  Katey began to sob now. She wanted to say something, anything. She wanted to tell him about the conversations she had with Matthew, the time they had spent together. She wanted to let him know how very much his brother missed him, too. How he was looking forward to spending time with him once again. She desperately wanted to help. But she couldn’t. She just could not open her mouth.

  Caleb could see that he was getting nowhere. If she were going to speak, she would have done so by now. He let go of her face and dropped his head into his hands. “Dammit,” he said quietly. As he stood up and walked around the edge of the table, the frustration and anger became overwhelming. “Dammit!” he yelled, kicking the table.

  “Alright, alright then,” Gordon was saying, pulling Katey against his shoulder. Russell sat paralyzed in his chair, having never seen Caleb react this way before.

  When Caleb reached the hallway, he saw Cook standing against the wall across from the interrogation room. The look on her face told him she had heard everything. “Don’t say anything,” he said charging down the hallway, looking for something, or someone to punch.

  Gordon offered Katey a handkerchief, which she gratefully accepted. Though she felt terrible that she was not able to help Caleb, or Matthew for that matter, she took some solace in his understanding. He rubbed her shoulder and whispered his reassurance to her, “It’ll be okay,” he said softly. She prayed that he was right but somehow, she suspected that this was not over yet and that the worst was yet to come.

  ***

  She had been waiting for him, anticipating his arrival, imagining all of the things she would do with him, if only she played her cards right. At first, he had sent one of his lackeys to fetch her, wanting to meet in a more public place, no doubt. But she had pretended to have a headache and so she was able to lure him into her layer.

  When he knocked on the door, she dismissed her ladies (ah, yes, she had ladies now) to the adjoining room. She was wearing only her chemise and a loosely tied silk robe. She was afraid that he might insist that one of his men accompany him, but he didn’t. He was alone. And now, they were alone.

  “Your Majesty,” she said, as she opened the door. Dusk had fallen and the room was lit only by the waning sunlight and a few candles.

  He hesitated, not sure of the appropriateness of entering a lady’s boudoir alone. However, he was tired and frustrated and just wanted to see what information she might have to offer him regarding the whereabouts of his brother. He was also interested to know if she could disclose any information about Philip’s plans, whether or not Leopold was fully committed to this engagement, and whether she thought Placidia would be willing to offer any assistance at all should it be necessary.

  She poured herself a goblet of wine, offering him one, which he brushed off, and she gestured for him to sit on the sofa where she settled in next to him, right next to him.

  He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Princess Katherine, thank you for taking a few moments to meet with me. I understand that you’re not feeling well and I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I know it’s been a very long few days for you.”

  She sipped the wine slowly, looking over the rim of the goblet, staring him straight in the eyes. As she sat the vessel back on the table she said, “No need to apologize, Your Highness. It was simply a case of mistaken identity.”

  Her smile was sweet and genuine and under ordinary circumstances, he may have found himself attracted to her. But tonight, he had only one thing on his mind. “I know you indicated earlier that you hadn’t seen Matthew or heard mention of him. I was wondering, now that you’ve had the opportunity to think about it for a while, is that still the case? Does anything come to mind at all?”

  Rose leaned back on the couch, her knee brushing against his. She pretended to think for a moment. She tossed her bright red locks back over her shoulder, nonchalantly, exposing her neckline and wafting her perfume in his direction. Finally, she said, “No, no, I’m so sorry. I
really wish there was something, anything, I could say to help you. But Philip never mentioned Matthew to me.” She gently placed her hand on his knee. “I’m so very sorry you’re having to go through this. It must be so difficult not knowing where your dear brother is.”

  Caleb glanced down at her hand on his leg, feeling very uncomfortable but not wanting to be rude. He wasn’t exactly sure what was happening. He knew that Katey and Philip were not yet married but she had also arrived at his castle wearing only Philip’s robe, an indicator that their relationship had been consummated. He leaned as far back into the corner of the couch as he possibly could, unsure if another man’s wife was making advances on him or if she was just ignorantly kind.

  Rose continued. “I can’t help you find Matthew, but I do believe there are other ways that I can be of, uh, service, to you.” She began to run her hand up his leg a few inches, and then back down to his knee as she spoke. “Listen,” she said, leaning in closely, “Philip is a fool. He didn’t understand what an asset I can be. You, on the other hand, you’re a brilliant military leader, the most powerful man in the world. Surely you can see what aligning with Placida can do for you. My sister can invade from the northeast while we come at them from the southwest.” Her fingertip began to trace circles on his arm where it rested on the back of the sofa, her face so close to his he could feel her breath on his cheek. “They would have nowhere to hide. And,” she continued boldly, “There’s a very simple way to ensure the ties between Placidia and Arteria never falter.”

  He was extremely uncomfortable now. He couldn’t quite understand why but he truly did not find Princess Katherine attractive. She was a beautiful women but the thought of letting this continue was out of the question. He had not and would not consider a marital alliance between himself and the Princess of Placida. He pulled himself up from the couch abruptly and stepped to the side, placing the armrest between them.