Agent of the Crown

by Melissa McShane

  “Barony Steepridge has any number of valleys and caves in its mountains. Mister Morgan might have concealed himself there, stolen the earth mover, and used it to allow the Ruskalder access to Tremontane. He need not have been working for the Baron.”

  Telaine’s heart hurt from how hard it was pounding. “An earth mover is enormous, and this one was stored in the middle of Thorsten Keep. He could not have done so without being noticed by the soldiers, all of whom took their orders from the Baron.”

  “Again, we have only your word for that.”

  “That’s correct, master cross-questioner.” Telaine leaned forward in her seat. “My word as an agent of the Crown. Which I understand counts as evidence in court. Why is that?”

  Kirkpatrick was taken aback. “I beg your pardon, your Highness?”

  “Why does my word count for so much in court, master cross-questioner?”

  She’d rattled him. “I didn’t know this either,” she went on, cutting off the beginning of his reply. “But I think you have to understand what it means that I am here today to testify. From the day I turned fifteen and became an adult, I have been an agent of the Crown. It was my whole life. And I gave it up to sit in this room today and testify of what I have learned. Of the truth.” She swallowed. They ought to provide witnesses with water. “An agent’s word counts for much because it is the last service she can give the Crown. What are you willing to sacrifice your life for, Mister Kirkpatrick?”

  Kirkpatrick’s back was to the audience, so only she saw him smile, real appreciation lighting his eyes. “Your Highness, thank you for your cooperation. Members of the grand jury, I consider my inquiry closed.”

  Telaine stood and walked back to her seat. She felt dizzy. She also felt as if she had won, though she didn’t know what the prize might be.

  The grand jury left the room to deliberate. Telaine gripped both arms of her chair until her knuckles were white. With her testimony complete, she was free to go, but she’d already determined to see this through. The rush of confidence she’d felt facing Kirkpatrick faded, leaving her filled with dread. That was ridiculous. Surely her testimony had made the difference…but Kirkpatrick had made some good points…

  She made herself breathe deeply, but not too deeply, calming herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Evan Kirkpatrick looking at her, but when she turned her head, he’d looked away.

  The grand jury returned—it seemed awfully soon, and she hoped that was a good thing. She heard a commotion above her and turned to see the Baron being led down the central stairs of the auditorium, this time in chains. He kept his gaze straight ahead as they brought him to the base of the platform.

  The King stepped forward. “Hugh Harstow, it is the judgment of this grand jury that you are guilty—” a gasp broke out—“of high treason against the Crown. The sentence is death, to be carried out in three days’ time. You are stripped of your title and your lands are forfeit. This inquiry is concluded.”

  The abruptness of the verdict and the sentencing left Telaine disoriented, as if something were missing. Harstow, no longer Baron, was led out the door to the left of the platform, which led back to the prisons. It was over. No, it was just beginning. But it was justice.

  The King caught Telaine’s eye and gave her a tiny nod, signaling that she should join him. She followed him out the door to the right of the platform and into the tunnel connecting the Justiciary with the palace. “You did well,” said the King.

  “Did I?”

  “You certainly caused a commotion, but we expected that. No one will look at you the same again. And then there are your peers. They’re going to be unhappy with you.”

  “I’m not looking forward to that. But I think I can handle it.”

  He patted her shoulder. “Remember you can always talk to me if things get bad.”

  She nodded, and they walked in silence back to the palace, where Telaine went back to her rooms and sat on the edge of her bed. The Princess was dead, but she’d left behind pieces of her that Telaine North Hunter wasn’t sure what to do with. For example, she was engaged to attend Lady Murchison’s gala fundraiser that evening. It might be better if she stayed home. Yes, if you’re a coward, her inner voice said. Telaine clenched her fists. Hiding was not a long-term solution.

  ***

  Telaine had forgotten how bright the Murchisons’ ballroom was: brilliantly white walls, white tiled floor, three sparkling chandeliers overflowing with light Devices to make the walls and floor sparkle. Hiding was impossible. When she was announced that evening, a dead hush fell over the room that made her wish she was a coward.

  She stiffened her spine, held her head high, and walked through the crowd, smiling and nodding at people she knew even when they didn’t respond. Where to begin? She saw Stella Murchison standing alone, for once, by the door to the verandah, and headed in that direction. “Stella,” she said, “your mother has outdone herself this year. It’s lovely.”

  Stella’s lips went white and pinched with anger. “Don’t pretend to be my friend,” she said furiously. “You lied to me and I think you were laughing at me the whole time we’ve known each other. I hate you, your Highness. I think you should leave.” She turned and walked away, her angry footsteps ringing out loudly on the tiled floor.

  Telaine felt sick. True, Stella had never been more than a useful tool, but she had liked her enthusiasm and her friendliness. She knew this was the reaction she could expect from everyone she’d befriended as the Princess. She tried to tell herself she didn’t care, that the Princess’s acquaintances didn’t matter to her, but she knew if she could speak to herself she’d hear her own words echo with lies. What if her true friends, like Michael, felt the same?

  She refused to cry. She wouldn’t let them see that their opinion mattered to her at all. She continued to walk through the crowd, acknowledging people who snubbed her in return, secretly hoping to find one friendly face.

  “Your Highness! I suppose I should have expected to see you here,” said Evan Kirkpatrick. He held out a hand to steady her; she’d almost walked into him.

  “Master cross-questioner—”

  “Just Mister Kirkpatrick, when I’m not in the courtroom,” he said. He had a lean, angular, handsome face, and it occurred to her that he looked like she’d expected Baron Steepridge to look, back when she’d first met him. “May I get you a drink? Champagne, perhaps?”

  She nodded, and he handed her a glass. They seemed to be at the center of a rapidly expanding unoccupied circle. She didn’t care. “Are you interested in helping Aurilien’s unbonded orphans, then?” she asked.

  “I make a donation every year, and then I make it a point to attend the gala and get my money’s worth of free canapés and wine.” His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, and Telaine smiled back. It was such a relief to talk to someone who didn’t hate her. “I’d hoped to tell you I don’t think I’ve ever had a more formidable opponent,” he added.

  “I feel rather the same way,” she admitted. “Was your goal to reduce me to a quivering jelly? Because it almost worked.”

  He laughed. “Now that I don’t believe,” he said. “I almost laughed out loud when you said you didn’t think I needed your permission. I can see why you made such a good agent.”

  “Thank you for the compliment, sir. And for my part, I can see why you’re such a good cross-questioner.”

  “Please don’t judge me by what happened to poor Harroden. I felt almost guilty about it. There’s no skill in questioning someone who’s so terrified he’ll say anything you like to make you stop.”

  “I could see you felt sorry for him, at the end.”

  “Did you? I must be slipping. I try not to appear emotionally involved, good or bad. My job is to remain impartial—and yes, I know what you’re thinking, I seem antagonistic enough, but a good testimony should be able to withstand my poking at it.”

  He glanced around. “Your Highness, I’d hate for you to think of me as a villai
n. Would you care to meet me for dinner tomorrow? I can tell you all about the tedious world of litigation, and you can tell me stories of your daring exploits—those you’re at liberty to share,” he added with a smile.

  “Mister Kirkpatrick, I would enjoy having dinner with you. Shall we meet at one o’clock at the Justiciary?”

  “I look forward to it.” He bowed, and turned away. Irrationally, she felt as if she’d been abandoned.

  She stepped backward and bumped into someone else. “Please excuse me—” she said. It was Michael Cosgrove.

  “Your Highness,” he said without warmth. “How are you this evening?”

  “Michael,” she said, feeling afraid, “I never spied on you. Never.”

  “I’d take your word for it, but I understand agents of the Crown are good at telling people what they want to hear.”

  “Michael—”

  “You know, your Highness, I don’t believe you and I have anything to say to one another. If you’ll excuse me, I see my husband calling me.” He nodded curtly and walked away.

  Now Telaine wanted to cry. She blinked rapidly and moved toward the door. These people would not see her cry and they would not see her run out of here as though she’d been chased away. She walked faster and no longer met anyone’s eyes.

  She met Julia as she was about to ascend the stairs out of the Murchisons’ ballroom. “Telaine!” her cousin exclaimed, and then “What’s wrong?”

  Telaine shook her head the tiniest bit, hoping to conceal her misery, but Julia looked around at the people deliberately not looking their way, and said loudly, “I’m leaving.”

  She hooked her arm through Telaine’s and led her up the stairs and out of the manor. “Charleton, wait,” she called to her driver, who turned the carriage around for them. Telaine climbed into it, grateful for how its enclosing sides and window drapes concealed her from the hateful gazes of passersby.

  “What happened? Were they rude to you? Should I go back and have words with Ariana Murchison?” Julia’s face was flushed with anger.

  “It was exactly as I expected. I just didn’t realize how bad it would feel. I don’t even like most of those people.” Remembering how much worse it had been when the same thing happened in Longbourne was no comfort. “But some of them, I thought, were friends. I don’t know why I thought they’d be able to tell I was sincere in how I treated them.”

  “Why not? I always know the difference between people who care about me and people who want to befriend me because I’m the Crown Princess. Or because I’m rich. Or beautiful.”

  “You know to look for those things. I’m sure most of them are angry with themselves for letting me fool them. It’s—it’s not easy, feeling like a fool.”

  The carriage drew up at the steps to the palace and Charleton helped them out. “It will blow over, Father says. You’ll see who your real friends are then.”

  Julia once again hooked her arm through Telaine’s and together they ascended the stairs and passed through the white marble dome of the entrance, following the path to the east wing. Her cousin’s tall, warm presence comforted Telaine, and she laughed.

  “My real friends? You know something, Julia? None of them are my real friends. They couldn’t possibly be. They only know me as the mask I wore, the giddy Princess who only cared about clothes and gossip and flirtation. And I’m sick of that mask, Julia, I’m sick of pretending to be someone I’m not.”

  “You never played a part with me, did you?”

  Telaine stopped in the middle of the Rotunda and hugged her cousin. “Never. Don’t even think that. I was always honest, as honest as I could be, with my family. But I feel as if it’s been years since I knew myself.”

  “Then you need to rediscover who that person is. And you need to stop caring about how rude all those people are.”

  “I think, eventually, I’ll be able to laugh about how steadfastly everyone didn’t look at me. Mister Kirkpatrick’s was the only friendly face I saw tonight. Ironic, since he was so antagonistic in court.”

  “Cross-questioners have to do that, it’s their job.”

  “Well, he was very pleasant. We’re having dinner together tomorrow.”

  Julia squealed and hugged her. “Oh, he’s so handsome! Tall and dark and he’s got those eyebrows that just, oooh, they’re so attractive!”

  “What are you babbling about?”

  “Lainie, he wants to spend time with you. He’s interested in you. Don’t you think that’s exciting?”

  A pit opened up in Telaine’s stomach. “I didn’t know that’s what he meant,” she whispered. How could she have missed that?

  “Well, he did, and you’re going to have dinner with him. And honestly, coz, you need something like this in your life. You may think you’re putting on a good show, but you’ve done nothing but mope since you got back from the east.”

  The pit opened wider. That traitorous voice told her, Ben never wants to see you again. Do you want to spend your life alone? At least Evan Kirkpatrick is interested in you. You don’t owe Ben Garrett a thing.

  “No,” she cried, and ran, ducking through the corridors, taking turns at random. She didn’t realize she’d unconsciously trodden a familiar path until she found herself in the long hall lined with the portraits of the Kings and Queens of Tremontane. With tears running down her face, she walked along the line of merry or cruel or apathetic faces until she came to Queen Zara’s portrait. Aunt Weaver stared back at her down her straight, imperious nose.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t listen,” she babbled through her tears. “I should have broken with him the night you told me to. That little pain was nothing to what I’m going through now.” She sat down on the ivory carpet, wrapped her arms around her legs, and buried her face in her knees.

  “Lainie, what’s wrong? Please don’t run away from me.” Julia knelt beside her cousin and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s not something about Mister Kirkpatrick, is it, because I was just teasing, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

  “I can’t talk about it, Julia,” Telaine said, her voice muffled by her skirt. “Please don’t ask.”

  The hand withdrew. After a moment, Julia said, “I told you about Lucas. Every hateful thing he said. I gave you all my secrets and I don’t understand why you won’t do the same for me. You have to stop trying to do this by yourself, Lainie, I can see there’s something eating you up inside but I don’t know how to help you. Let me help you.”

  Telaine lifted her face to meet her cousin’s anxious eyes, and all her pain, all her worry, all her guilt turned to tears inside her chest. “Julia—I can’t—” she began, then she couldn’t speak for crying.

  It felt as if the tears were being ripped out of her, leaving her flesh raw, as if she’d never truly cried before in her entire life. Julia put her arms around her and rocked her gently as she sobbed, and as the tears flowed the knot of pain she’d been carrying around began to loosen.

  “Shh, shh, breathe now,” Julia whispered. “Can you talk about it yet?”

  Telaine shook her head. She took a few deep, shuddering breaths, and said, “My face must look a mess.”

  “Just a little bit. Nothing anyone will care about.”

  Telaine wiped her eyes. “Julia,” she said, “I’m in love.”

  Julia’s eyes went wide. “With whom?”

  She took another deep breath. “Ben Garrett.”

  “Who—you mean, Jeffy’s Garrett? That Ben Garrett? Oh. Oh, Lainie. I’m so sorry.”

  “He wanted to marry me—”

  “Oh, Lainie.”

  “And now he hates me. And I know, I should be thinking about my future, and Mister Kirkpatrick is a nice man who’s interested in me, and I don’t owe Ben anything, but it hurts so much to know I destroyed my whole future and I was, Julia, we were going to live in his house and I was going to have a workshop and a bigger bed and—”

  “Shh, shh, don’t cry. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me any
of this before. Why have you been carrying it around with you all this time? Didn’t you think I’d understand, just because you fell in love with someone who doesn’t have a title? Your own father didn’t have a title. For heaven’s sake, Telaine, he was a Ruskalder warrior. If the Crown could endure that, I think it can endure your falling in love with a Tremontanan commoner.”

  “I’m sorry, Julia. It was so tender…it was like I’d been wounded, and I couldn’t bear to have it touched.”

  Julia released her and sat back. “All right. Do you know what we are going to do?”

  Telaine shook her head.

  “We are going to go back to your room and take off our shoes, and eat cream puffs and chocolate, and you are going to talk, really talk, about what happened in Longbourne.”

  Telaine had begun to laugh, but that final item drew her up short. “Julia, I don’t know if I’m ready—”

  “You are past ready. You were past ready before you came home. I think you’re taking on way too much guilt over this Longbourne debacle.”

  Julia pulled her cousin to her feet. “You are guilty of concealing your name and title, and you are guilty of being a spy. But you couldn’t pretend to be a Deviser, could you? You didn’t pretend to rescue that little girl. I know you. I know everything you did while you were there came out of your own honest heart, and I’ll tell you what else—” she folded Telaine into a giant hug—“I’m jealous of those people for being the first to see what you’re like when you’re not playing a part. Past time you stopped taking the blame for their inability to see things straight.”

  Telaine laughed and wiped her streaming nose on her sleeve. “I may have ruined this dress.”

  “It will wash.”

  Telaine linked her arm in Julia’s. “You know,” she said, “I believe it will.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Three days later Telaine witnessed Hugh Harstow’s execution. It did not give her peace.