The Price of Happiness: A Strong Woman in the Middle Ages (A Medieval Tale Book 5)

by Lina J. Potter

  “I am curious if they had poisoned each other or one of them poisoned both drinks—or maybe there was someone else?”

  “It is unlikely that there was someone else.”

  “Why?”

  “First of all, because the king would not have covered up the scandal if that was the case. Secondly, the prince ordered the wine to be brought beforehand and sent the servant away. The servant swore that the bottle was sealed. Moreover, the poison was in the glasses, not the bottle, that is for sure.”

  “Edmund was prepared. Could he have hidden the killer?”

  “No. The tower is arranged so that there are no secret niches and passages.”

  “For sure?”

  “I myself examined the latter out of curiosity.”

  Lily nodded. She trusted Hans. If he said no, it meant there were none for sure.

  “So, it was impossible to hide anyone. What about going past the guards?”

  “There were two guards, and no one passed them.”

  “Could they be lying?”

  “Impossible. We interrogated them. In a word—no.”

  Lily nodded once again. One would admit to anything under torture, but apparently—

  “So, that servant was the only person who entered the room.”

  “Correct. He entered and stormed out as soon as he saw them dead.”

  “That means that a third party wasn't involved.”

  “It was done by one of the two.”

  Lily shrugged.

  “It’s possible, but people are usually not very likely to kill themselves—although I agree, it depends on the case.”

  “They looked almost the same. They were both sitting in chairs and had calm expressions on their faces. That meant that the poison was painless. They did not throw up and had almost no traces of foam on their lips.”

  “You said almost—meaning that there was some foam, after all?”

  “Yes.” Hans liked to listen to the countess reasoning. There was something peaceful in her voice, full of contemplation.

  “Was it of the same color?”

  “I think so.”

  “Did it smell of anything in particular?”

  “The window was ajar, and the wind carried away the traces of any possible smell.”

  “I see.”

  “The king nearly lost consciousness.”

  Edward froze in the doorway, refusing to believe the facts before finally entering the room. He walked up first to the friend and after to the son; he closed their eyes. Hans saw the tears streaming down his face.

  “Try to remember! Did he come up to the friend first?”

  “Yes, and that is not a surprise.”

  “Why not?”

  As it turned out, the whole court knew that Edmund and his father had had a strained relationship for the previous ten years. Edmund remembered his mother and was not at all happy about the king replacing her with some royal whore. He called Jessamine even worse things. The king slapped his son in the face, whipped him, and lectured him, but nothing helped. Jessamine cried; Edward got angry. The idea of a happy family was failing in practice.

  Richard had a calmer disposition; although he did not take Jessamine for his own mother, at least he treated her like a sister. He was ready to accept her if it made his father happy. Lily approved of that principle.

  In a word, Edward was in love, but his elder son did not share his happiness and fought against it with all his might. He tried to turn Richard against them, offended his stepmother and squabbled with Earton’s children.

  “Were Jess and Amalia educated at court?”

  “At first, they were brought up by their father with a bit of help from his sister. When she married the king, she insisted on Jyce bringing her nephews along to court.”

  Hans knitted his brows. He did not like the way Lily was biting her nail. She was clearly thinking, and it was unlikely that the results of her brooding would please him.

  “All right. His Majesty shut the eyes of his friend and his son, what next?”

  “He turned around and, upon seeing me, asked to be left alone for a while. They shortly called me back in.”

  “If the poison was there after all—”

  “We cannot determine who put it into the glasses, that’s right.”

  Lily hit the table with her little fist.

  “Did they carry out an investigation?”

  “No, Lilian. The king ordered to drop the case.”

  The woman nodded.

  “This case is bad.”

  “Indeed.”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying, Hans. Think! Let’s say, an ordinary nobleman comes back to his house and sees his son and his friend dead. Wouldn’t he want to investigate?”

  “Of course he would, but it might cause a great scandal.”

  “Would you not have managed to avoid the scandal?”

  “I would.”

  “And I would do anything to avenge my loved ones. Damn the scandal! One could just conveniently arrange for someone to ‘fall from a horse’. By the way, were there any sudden deaths among the high-ranked shortly after the incident?”

  Hans took a long time to think. He then shook his head.

  “One duke had a stroke, but he was already over seventy.”

  “Yeah, the age…”

  “There was another duke whose wife stabbed him in his sleep. Everyone knew that he had been severely abusing her for years.”

  “Let’s not count barons and leirs. They're too low in status. We need to look for someone more significant. Were there any financial cuts in the embassy?”

  “No. If it were not for this, the year would have been incredibly peaceful.”

  “That means that it was either Jyce or Edmund.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If we exclude the strangers, and we are forced to do so, we are left with them. I would personally bet on Jyce,” Lily noted simply.

  “Why?” Hans also thought along similar lines, but he was interested to hear the countess’ thoughts.

  “Because the earl knew that the prince could not stand him. Just imagine: the man who hates you invites you…to talk. Your actions?”

  “I would put armor on,”

  “Would you take the poison with you?”

  “I don’t know. Only if I always carried it with me.”

  “Instead of salt?”

  “I would take a dagger.”

  “And I would take poison. It is possible that Jyce would, too. Edmund was younger and stronger than him. There was no chance for Jyce to beat him in a fair fight. Poison was his only option.”

  “It is ugly and undignified for a nobleman.”

  Lily winced.

  “So is trading. Jyce Earton was a tradesman, too.”

  “True. But still…it is one thing to trade extravagant goods and another thing to poison a prince.”

  “Extravagant goods you say?”

  “Do you think he might have gotten hold of some exotic poison, which he left for himself to…try out on someone?”

  “If let’s say I managed to get hold of a ring with poison—which I know exists—I would have never let go of it. Hans, we are incredibly lucky for you to remember that evening so well! Aldonai is with us. Tell me this—when you came back in, did you find the dead unchanged?”

  Hans pondered and shrugged.

  “I think they did change. However, I wouldn't be able to tell you what exactly changed.”

  “They remained seated, right?”

  “Yes.”

  Lily nodded.

  “Most likely. Was there any change in the arrangement of their clothes?”

  “I think not. Either I didn’t pay attention, or the changes were not striking.”

  “The king searched them. I assume that he had his own theories and suspicions.”

  “What theories?”

  “Here comes the most exciting part. What if Jyce Earton poisoned the prince and then killed himself? Could that
be the case?”

  “Why would he do it? Of course, in theory, he could have done it. However, every action has a motive behind it, doesn't it?”

  “It does. Well noted, Hans. So, what could have been the motive for him to do it?”

  “It is clear why the earl might have poisoned himself. Too many people knew of his meeting with the prince.”

  “So he did it to avoid public execution and so on—”

  “It is possible. But why did he poison Edmund?

  Lily bit her nail once more and eventually made it break. She was too focused to even notice it.

  “I have an idea, and I wish to test your reaction. Tell me if I am foolish. But first—”

  The woman rose from her seat and took out a little box. It contained all the letters that Jessamine wrote to her mother.

  “Have a read.”

  One by one, Hans skimmed through each letter. When he put aside the last letter and lifted his head, Lily recognized the question in his eyes. It was the same question that she was asking herself.

  “Is it possible?”

  “Quite so. Edmund could have blackmailed the earl, which drew the latter to commit a—”

  “As far as I comprehend, Jyce was ready to do anything for his sister and children. It’s not surprising. Would Edmund have the material for blackmail?”

  “A nurse maid’s confession or something similar? Even so, nothing was found. My Lady—”

  “Hans, I hope you understand that this conversation and its result must remain between us. You are aware that this knowledge could kill us.”

  Hans understood it perfectly well. The fact that Lily also understood it and would keep quiet made him sigh in relief.

  He knitted his eyebrows.

  “No, the story about the Ivelens doesn't add up.”

  “But Amalia—”

  “So what? She is not a legitimate heir. On the contrary, such a thing would not have happened here—”

  “What if Edward married Jessamine before Imogene?”

  “This sounds like an utter impossibility! Even so—Jess is the heir, while Amalia is nothing. The people would have started a riot.”

  “Exactly! They already tried to leave Jess without an heir. They wanted to kill me. They would have killed him too, if he wasn't out of the country.”

  Hans shook his head.

  “No, My Lady. Something doesn't seem right.”

  Lily sighed.

  “What is it? If only I knew!”

  “I suppose that only the king knows the truth.”

  “Alicia must also know.”

  “It is unlikely that they would tell us anything. If something comes out—”

  “They would rather bury us alive than let it happen. I understand. I will keep silent.”

  “Me, too.”

  Hans met Lilian’s eyes. They were on the same page. There was no proof, and to meddle in the secrets of the Crown was a sure way to get killed. Their death would be swift and sure. Neither of them was keen to die.

  “Still, something doesn't make sense.”

  “Think about it, Hans. I will go to see the Ivelens tomorrow and look at their child.”

  Hans smiled. The countess did trust him. Otherwise, she would not be so open about her activities. He had long realized who the true miraculous doctor was in the pair Lilian— Tahir Djiaman din Dashar. He kept his mouth shut. It was not a good idea to talk about it. He worked for this woman and immensely benefited from it. In a word, being voluble wasn’t worth it. One might be surprised to see what miracles a person is capable of for the sake of self-profit.

  ***

  Lily was not happy about her visit to the Ivelens. Although they seemed polite, smiley, and courteous on the surface, she could not make out what they were thinking. As for herself, she was terribly furious.

  Ungrateful beasts! Bastards! That’s how my kindness is repaid. I rescued Amalia and helped to deliver her babies. I even had to remember the much-hated obstetrics that I despise with all my heart. I would have liked to see how she could have survived if I had let the midwife cut her open with that dagger.

  She did not get any pleasure from thinking of Peter either. Although he loved his wife, he was a real slug. She remembered him crying with a runny nose, unable to help his wife. Compared to Peter, Jerisson Earton seemed even likable to Lily, for she did not like or respect men without character. Alas.

  She thought Loran Ivelen a snake and imagined fangs behind his radiant smile.

  Your attitude toward certain people changes incredibly quickly when you find out they paid for your murder.

  They received Tahir quite warmly and immediately directed him to the patient. The man refused and demanded that Lilian come along with him. She was his student, period. She had to be present. Otherwise, he would leave.

  Tahir behaved so arrogantly that it made the Ivelens invite both of them to the tower. Lily snorted and thought it an ugly custom to hide the unwanted in a tower. The thought amused her.

  When the doors to the small room opened, Lily became serious.

  On the bed in front of them sat a charming girl. She was a nice, plump little doughnut. Lilian thought that she looked familiar. Her hair was light, and her eyes were gray. The elegant face bore no expression—half-open mouth and dripping saliva.

  “Can she walk?” asked Lily in a simple voice.

  Amalia shook her head.

  “She barely walks or speaks.”

  Lily asked a lot about the child and concluded that she was most likely mentally deficient. It was a hard case of oligophrenia, close to idiocy. The symptoms were slow development, an inability to eat anything except liquid food, and learning difficulties. This was not the result of wrong handling, but an inherited gene. Although it was not common for such children to survive in the Middle Ages, they had nursed her well, for she was the marquess’ daughter.

  “The girl is mentally deficient,” Tahir uttered meaningfully. “What do you think, Countess?”

  Amalia did not know that Lily had already given Tahir a sign of ‘incurable’. The countess nodded and began to chatter like an exemplary schoolgirl.

  “The disease is incurable. The girl will always stay like this. You might be able to potty-train her, but nothing more.”

  Strictly speaking, Lily had nothing against oligophrenic children and admired the people who raised them. But who in the Middle Ages would bother with a handicapped child? This society was like a wolf pack; it complied with the law of natural selection. It was cruel and rational. The girl could become a mother to healthy children, but that was not for sure. The choice would fall on Sessie and Jess. But why does this girl look so familiar?

  Lily glanced at Peter and Amalia and almost swore.

  Blue-eyed and black-haired Amalia… Peter with his dark hair and eyes…What recessive gene is responsible for the birth of a gray-eyed blonde who is also mentally disabled?

  Unlike many people, Lily was sure that some diseases were genetic. While some thought that oligophrenia was due to the mother’s age, Lily considered it to be a gene mutation. She could have been wrong; she was no Gregor Mendel after all.

  I’ll think about it once I’m back at home!

  Lily carefully examined the girl.

  No, there’s nothing we can do. The child is kind, affectionate, isn't afraid of contact, but will remain a child forever. Lily turned to the marquess.

  She said that they could raise and feed the child—they could try to teach her. The result might be either positive or negative. There was no guarantee.

  These words were like sharp knives to Amalia. Peter was evidently concerned for his wife. As for Loran, he did not even show up.

  Peter cares for his wife alone; he doesn’t give a damn about his daughter. Besides, her grandfather doesn't care a bit! Is that normal?

  The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, but Lily could still not see the complete picture. Something was missing.

  Amalia kept asking Tahir the same q
uestion—if it was true that nothing could be done.

  The doctor confirmed, and the woman’s face dropped. It seemed that she was blaming herself for something. Tahir found it necessary to comfort her.

  “Your Grace, you are not to blame for this. The Heavenly Mare moves in mysterious ways.”

  Amalia suddenly burst into tears.

  “No! If anyone is to blame, it’s me! It is all my fault!”

  With these words, she flew out of the room, having greatly frightened the girl.

  Lily began comforting the girl, meanwhile giving instructions to the servant who was looking after her. Peter apologized and followed his wife out of the room.

  Lily considered the options in her head.

  Light hair, gray eyes… Who does the girl remind me of? Falion? It’s possible, but such looks are all too common. Take only His Majesty!

  Lily bit her finger.

  His Majesty? Impossible! But I’ve got no other thoughts. Something is missing. I need to speak to Hans—and review genetics. Perhaps, genetics wouldn't be of help. I have seen those eyes before…only they bore a completely different look. They weren't senseless, no, but capricious and arrogant. Where have I seen them? Earton? No, however, it was definitely in a gallery of portraits… Capricious and arrogant…not Earton. Eartons are blue-eyed and black-haired. Falion? Alexander never showed me any portraits of his relatives. Perhaps the answer is here?

  Lily knew that she would not have peace of mind until she remembered. She would stay here longer and look over the portraits again. It was like a pebble in a shoe, like a song stuck in her head, like a needle in a seam. She could not ignore it; she had to trace it back as soon as possible.

  The Ivelens returned after about five minutes. Amalia was tearful but firm. Peter stroked her head.

  Tahir took his leave and promised to think on the case. He repeated that they should just bring the child up, while keeping in mind that she would forever remain a senseless creature that could not even recognize her own mother. The child was forever a clean slate.

  Thank God Lily managed to let Tahir know they needed to stay overnight. Tahir, who was ready to do anything to make his beloved teacher/student happy, immediately stated that it was necessary to examine the patient again at dawn so that the grace of the Heavenly Mare touched her. The Ivelens did not object. When one has a sick child, one believes in any god, be it the Heavenly Mare or the Moon Hare.