The Clearing

by Lina J. Potter

When the pastor came in, he found Lily and Taris bent over a document.

  “You wanted to see me, my lady?”

  “Yes. I hope I haven’t distracted you from something important?”

  “No, my lady. I have been to the village. The ashes are still too hot for the men to clear them away. So with your leave, I have been making use of your library for the time being.”

  “Of course. Have you found anything interesting?”

  “You have many holy writings. I would like to copy some of them for myself.”

  “My library is at your disposal. Did you make a list of what I need to order?”

  “Not yet, my lady.”

  “Once your list is ready, give it to Taris Brok. He will take it to Altver and have the items sent.”

  “Your kindness knows no bounds, my lady.”

  “Pastor, we are all in Aldonai’s hands. He has instructed us to help others.”

  The pastor made the sign of Aldonai and began to pray. Lily and Taris followed along. When he finished, they got down to business. Would the wise pastor mind talking to the man who had tried to kill her and put his soul on the path of righteousness? And could he write down his confession while he was at it?

  Pastor Vopler immediately agreed. He didn’t want the countess to rethink her ideas about charity. And he didn’t mind providing assistance to a parishioner – especially one who wore an earl’s bracelet.

  That evening, Miranda got into bed with Lily again. She wanted a bedtime story, and Lily was too weak to come to her room.

  I’m growing attached to this little girl, Lily thought as she lay in bed telling the child a story. It’s hard to live in this world where I don’t have any true friends or family. Very hard. But how can a woman from the 21st century make friends with a little girl from the Middle Ages? What if Miranda grows up to be an outsider because of me?

  Lily sighed.

  Do your duty and let the cards fall where they may.

  In the morning, Lily woke to a terrible itching in her nose.

  Mirrie was tickling her stepmother’s nose with a feather from one of the pillows. Lily always gave as good as she got, so she started to tickle the little girl. So, their morning started with laughter and shouting. Lily’s shoulder still hurt, but it was less inflamed. Her fever was down, too.

  Calma came running in to see what the fuss was about and got hit with a pillow.

  Lily sent Miranda off to get dressed and fell back on her pillows. She planned to take the day easy. It wasn’t her usual body, after all. And it was hurting.

  True to her plans, that morning Lily called for Leis and heard his report on repairs to the wall and cleaning of the moat. He was pleased with his progress, but hinted that he could accomplish more if he had more workers.

  Lily made his day by explaining that he needed to go around to the villages and recruit two dozen young men, whom he would turn into soldiers over the winter. He did not see the reason for it, but she explained that the earl could not be expected to go without his services forever, and when he left, she would need someone to stay behind and defend the castle.

  Leis agreed and left to go about his business.

  Lily had another reason for sending Leis on this errand, but she didn’t mention it to him.

  The Virmans.

  She wasn’t sure she could fully trust Leif, so she wanted Leis’ soldiers and recruits from the villages to balance her power. That way, if Leif was harboring thoughts of killing her and selling her people into slavery, he’d find it wasn’t as easy as he expected.

  Trust but verify. And monitor. Counterweights were invented by intelligent people.

  Later that morning, Lily was visited by Emma, who reported that the housecleaning was going well. Lily suggested hiring ten more girls. Emma replied that she already had several candidates in mind for the kitchen and the rooms.

  “If you trust me to make arrangements, my lady…”

  The countess had full trust in her judgment.

  Damis Reis tried to barge into Lily’s room when Emma left, but the Virmans kept him out.

  And it’s a good thing they did. My room isn’t a bus station.

  She told her maid to send the tutor to Emma and went back to studying the estate’s records.

  She couldn’t make the income and expenses line up. How had the earl managed to put so many thieves in management positions? It looked to Lily like the estate hadn’t had a real manager for at least the last ten years. Earton’s finances were a mess. The peasants gave the earl almost half of what they grew and raised, and they also worked his fields for him. Any excess was sold at a loss. Lily figured it didn’t make sense to bother taking goods to market to sell. Even if she could get a good price, the cost of the trip was too high.

  Why has the earl let things go like this? Earton is his family estate. It doesn’t make sense.

  Lily didn’t know much about medieval attitudes, but she was fairly confident that people had always taken care of their own homes and hearths. The earl’s negligence was very odd.

  She stopped to eat a bite and then picked up her pen to write to her father. She wanted it to be ready when Taris came back so that he could leave right away. It took four attempts and Lily losing her temper before she had a halfway decent letter.

  Dearest Father. I am ashamed to tell you that while I was doing my duty and carrying an heir for Earton, my husband embarked on a love affair with a woman named Adelaide Wells. The awful woman went against all human laws and the laws of Aldonai and sent a man to kill me. The earl’s daughter Miranda and I almost perished at his hands. I was wounded in the attempt. I am thankful to have escaped death this time.

  However, I suspect that it was no accident that I fell down the stairs before losing my child. I am unable to remember that day. My memory is cut off from me by the pain of what happened. The doctor my husband sent tried to let my blood, which only worsened my childbed fever. If it hadn’t been for my faithful Martha, I would never have survived.

  I must also tell you that the estate manager my husband hired for Earton was stealing from the estate. When he was found out, he tried to escape and was attacked and killed by wolves as he made his way through the forest.

  I beg you, Father, to convey my gratitude to Taris Brok, who has shown me every kindness and support. He will give you the man’s confession. You may do as you see fit with these papers.

  I hope that you are in good health and that your affairs are going well. Please write so that I do not worry. I pray that we will be preserved from the human failings of envy and avarice, which prompt men to commit the most terrible sins.

  I remain your loving daughter,

  Lilian Elizabeth Mariella Earton, née Broklend

  Lily ran her eyes over the letter one more time and chuckled inwardly. She sealed it with a wax seal she had found in Etor’s desk and wrote a “2” on the envelope. She numbered her first letter “1.”

  That’s to make sure Taris gives him both. With commentary. And with that man’s confession that the pastor is writing down. I’ll send him on his way as soon as I can. There’s no reason for him to sit around here!

  Mirrie ran in to see her at lunch. Lily guessed that she had been running around the castle, avoiding her tutors and playing hide-and-seek with her new friend. Just let the nannies try and stop her. Forbidden games are the best ones!

  They took their lunch together. Lily had chicken broth and a piece of cheese. Mirrie tucked into a plate of spicy beef stew, followed by cheese and sugared fruits. While she ate, she listened as Lily told her a story. It was a story that Lily hoped she would remember.

  Everyone needs to know about the Wizard of the Emerald City.

  The heroine was a girl named Ellie. She had a friend, Tim, and a dog, Toto.

  Why shouldn’t Mirrie have a pet? It would be good for her to train an animal. I want her to be friends with the pastor’s boy and with the Virmans’ children. If she’s lucky, she’ll grow up to be a decent person instead of th
e wife of a feudal lord.

  Lily saw the wife of a feudal lord when she looked in the mirror. She didn’t like her reflection. Not yet.

  But where there’s life, there’s hope.

  Lons had lost count of the days and nights as he bounced around in the stinking hold of the slave ship. He was chained in the dark and given very little to eat. No one would have recognized him as the handsome tutor to Wellster’s young princesses. He was suffering from diarrhea because of his poor diet, but the stench in the hold was already strong enough to hold an axe. His teeth were starting to loosen. He was dizzy. He spent most of his time only half-conscious. Sometimes he sensed that someone near him was dying. When that happened, the slave traders swore and dragged the body up to the deck.

  Lons could only think of one person.

  Anna. My precious Anna. My sunshine. What have they done to you?

  He wondered if the jester had ratted her out to her father. He had no way of knowing, and he was sincerely worried about his wife.

  What will happen to her?

  It was all in Aldonai’s hands.

  When his mind wandered, he saw the king’s jester. He imagined wrapping his hands around the man’s skinny neck and throttling him to death. He wouldn’t kill him quickly. He’d do it slowly, tortuously.

  As long as I’m alive, I have a chance of escaping and getting my revenge. I can wait. I can be patient.

  Lons forced himself to eat the sour soup and drink the scummy water they gave him, all the while dreaming of revenge. There were two demons that kept him alive, but he believed one of them to be an angel.

  Anna of Wellster was a busy young lady. She was constantly rubbing scented oils into her skin, trying on new dresses and underclothes and yelling at ladies-in-waiting, maids, milliners, seamstresses, shoemakers, jewelers… She only stopped yelling when she saw the jester in the distance. She thought she would lose her mind, she was so terrified of him.

  She faithfully applied the old witch’s remedy, but she knew that if anything went wrong she would end up dead. Her father would have no use for a daughter who brought shame on the family name.

  Why did I get involved with Lons? Why didn’t I wait?

  The answer was simple. She had wanted to experience life, and Lons was right there, young and handsome. It was no surprise that she fell for him.

  In her heart of hearts, Anna admitted that she was still very attracted to Lons. She had had good times with him.

  But the crown!

  Power, money, the throne.

  She was also aware of the jester’s eyes, which followed her wherever she went, even when she was asleep. Anna knew she had no choice. It was Richard or death. She was preparing to fight for her life. As she readied herself, she was always finding ways to be more beautiful, more elegant, and better at everything. She had sent away all the pretty women who were normally at court. The ones who remained wouldn’t have earned a second look from even the least demanding suitor. Compared to them, Anna was a heavenly dream.

  She very much wanted to live.

  Altres Lort sneered as he observed the preparations for the royal visit. He didn’t have very high hopes for Anna.

  She would behave differently if she had any true intelligence. She’s not bad to look at, but she can’t see more than two steps ahead of her. And Richard is no fool.

  These thoughts in mind, the jester made some preparations of his own. He had the people, places and circumstances all set. When he left Wellster, Richard was supposed to go to Ivernea. There would be a scandal if he did otherwise. But the jester intended for Richard to leave Wellster with a firm obligation to Anna, after which she would visit his court and they would marry. Nothing else would do.

  So he made himself ready.

  Richard is smart, but he has weak spots. He trusts his cousin, and he loves women. He may not sleep around as much as other nobles do, but he may well fall under Anna’s spell. When he does, it will be time for the head of the secret service to take over.

  A horse might go lame while hunting. Or the prince might drink too much wine. There were endless possibilities for leaving Richard and Anna alone for a few hours. Anna could be trusted to play her cards right, and Richard would be forced to marry her or face war.

  That will give us a protection agreement with Ativerna, and we’ll split Ivernea between us. If only Gardwig could live another twenty years!

  Altres knew that wouldn’t happen. He loved his brother, but he listened to the doctors. The king had an ulcer on his leg that nothing seemed to help. He had headaches and stomach pain. Altres gave him three to five years at the outside.

  That isn’t enough time. There are powerful people who hate me. If I’m left alone here with Milia as regent, they’ll take me out. With Ativerna behind me, however, I might stand a chance. My enemies will be afraid to have me killed, because they don’t know who Richard would appoint to replace me.

  My brother…my brother…

  Altres couldn’t care less if it was cynical for him to be preparing for his brother’s death. His goal was to keep Gardwig’s wife and children alive and hold the kingdom together.

  He would do anything to succeed.

  After reading three of the accounts books, Lily abandoned her attempt to make sense of the records. Most of the entries were entirely made up – that much was clear. Etor had written down a bunch of nonsense for the earl and any royal inspectors who happened by. There was no other way to understand the books.

  Grain. Sold at market for two silver coins per bag. Profit: five gold coins, which were spent to buy two coats of mail for the guards. On paper, the money came in and went right back out.

  Except that we don’t need any coats of mail! We don’t have any guards, because Etor sent them all home!

  Lily deduced that, unless Etor was a complete idiot, he must have kept three sets of books: one for the earl, one for his accomplices and one for himself. He wasn’t working alone. Someone else was getting a share. The scale was too big for one man. She remembered how much she shook him down for. It was a huge amount of money.

  His private books are still hidden somewhere. He didn’t have time to hide them. I woke up one morning, rode out to the village and came back with reinforcements. And he couldn’t have taken them with him: he left with a single bag with some food, clothes, and pocket change for the road. Each of these books is mammoth – he couldn’t have fit even one of them in that bag. He probably didn’t want to take his private records with him. His only hope was to find refuge with his accomplices, and he wouldn’t want them to see how much he really took.

  She imagined Etor unpacking at the home of a co-conspirator.

  “What’s this?”

  “The accounts I kept for you.”

  “Then what’s this over here?”

  “The accounts I kept for me.”

  Nope, he wouldn’t have risked that.

  Lily briefly wondered if Etor could have tossed his private records over the castle wall in hopes of retrieving them later.

  He could have done that, but given the state of the moat there’s no guarantee he’d ever find them again. No, he left his secrets somewhere in the castle with the idea of having someone else carry them out later, either for friendship or for payment. I bet that’s exactly what he did. So where did he put them?

  It would take a lifetime to search the entire heap of stones that was the castle. Lily’s servants had cleaned the place from top to bottom and not found any hiding places.

  Lily pondered for a while. Then she called for Emma to come to her straight away, along with Mary, Ilona and Sara.

  She questioned them about where Etor’s hiding place could have been, but they had no idea. The servant girls swore up and down that Etor spent most of his time either in his office or in the kitchen. Lily doubted that his books were in the kitchen. True, he had been married to the cook, but the kitchen made a poor hiding place, with people constantly coming in and out. It wasn’t logical.

  What a
bout his office or some of the rooms nearby?

  Lily sent the servants about their business and questioned Emma further. The housekeeper thought for a moment and then informed Lily that she knew of a few hidden niches in the manager’s office. Her husband had held the post in years past, after all. If the countess trusted her to take a look…

  The countess did trust her. Just to be safe, she asked one of the Virmans, Olaf, to help Emma carry anything she found. Meanwhile, she went back to searching her trunks.

  The trunks contained little of interest. A purchase contract. A sale contract. More of the same… As always, the only material worth her while was at the very bottom, where she found a bundle of old parchments. They were letters.

  Lily sighed and began to read them, starting with the one on top.

  Dearest Mother. We are all well. Alicia is at court. Jerrison and Amanda are growing fast. They are happy and in good health. Jessie asks that I send you her greetings and hopes you are no longer angry with her. She is not free to dictate to her heart. She and Edward and well. They love each other most sincerely. I would also ask you to restrain your indignation. Since it was Aldonai’s will that they meet, who are we to speak against it? Even my father forgave them and blessed them before his death.

  How is life at Earton? Do you need anything? If so, write to me and I will send everything right away. I have paid all the taxes.

  Your loving son,

  Jyce, Earl of Earton

  Lily scratched the tip of her nose.

  Jerrison was her husband. Jyce was his father. He was writing to his mother, who apparently lived at Earton Castle and was extremely disapproving of someone named Jessie. This Jessie wasn’t her son’s lover or wife. Her relationship was with a man named Edward…

  Edward? I don’t suppose that’s Edward the Eighth? The one who rules Ativerna? It could be. Where can I get some gossip?

  Lily called for her dressmakers. Half an hour later, she knew all the background for the letter (maybe not everything, but plenty about the king).