Jess sighed.
“Honestly, I have a feeling that I live in a topsy-turvy world. My wife turns out to be a beautiful woman, a mistress is a murderer, and a princess is a whore. What else?”
“Maybe you learned to see behind the masks.”
“Maybe. What do you want me to do?”
“Tomorrow, I will invite Anna to the palace. You will have to meet her and lead her to me. We’ll see what to do next after the medical inspection.”
“Meaning what?”
“Option one: you will bring her here for an engagement announcement, and we will look for the author of the letter to punish.”
“Option two?”
“Stonebug.”
The word spread a heavy silence. Jess flinched.
“Your Highness…”
“She should thank me. Gardwig was going to behead her for it.”
“What are you going to do with her?”
“I will let her out in a few years. She will be able to go where she pleases.”
“I’ll tell my people to get ready.”
“No,” Edward made a willful gesture. “Whatever happens, nobody should know about it. Everything must be done in secret.”
“Then why don’t we do it in the embassy?”
“The palace is almost empty at that time of the day. You will do it while everyone goes on a walk to the park.”
“I will help him, Father.”
“Whatever you wish. Don’t let yourself be seen. If need be, Jess should be able to do it alone.”
“I will try my best.” The earl smiled. “The only woman I cannot tame is my own wife.”
“Is it still difficult between you two?” Edward raised his eyebrows. Jess returned the gaze and resembled a male cat.
“It’s our own business, Uncle.” His reply left Edward relieved.
“If I find out that you are cheating on her, I will tear off your member with my own hands.”
“I hope you are talking about my head?”
“Precisely. You don’t use it anyway.”
“As you please, Uncle.”
“I like seeing your wife at court. However, I suspect that she doesn’t particularly enjoy coming here.”
“She is just like her father. If you give her a choice, she will move to the workshops. She and her doctors walk around almost holding hands.”
“They’re good doctors.”
“The medicuses are mad!” Richard was smiling. “Maldonaya take them! The main thing is that Father is well.” Edward had told Richard about his illness, and the man was sincerely grateful to the countess for curing his father. The king was already fed up with the guilds.
“Gardwig is also feeling better. If he’s lucky, he will be ruling for at least ten more years, and Ativerna and Wellster will be friends.”
“First things, first.” Jess demonstratively waved the scroll in the air.
“Precisely. Do it without noise and in secret. Fine, take a couple of trusted people and meet the princess. After the midwife’s verdict, you lead her either here or send her to Stonebug.”
“Understood.”
“Go home now and come back tomorrow in the early morning.”
Jess happily obeyed. He already imagined Lilian’s shining green eyes, her meeting him with a smile…and everything else.
His dreams came true. Although he had to shake the ferrets from his head and dogs from his feet, and even though Miranda came climbing into their bed in the early morning and painfully kicked them with her feet, Jess was happy. Perhaps that’s what they call a family.
***
Gardwig could've easily ripped off her head for what she’d done, only he didn’t want to risk the reputation of Wellster. To Maldonaya with this whore! She is like her mother. The kingdom shouldn't suffer because of them. He risked his own honor being damaged. He failed to fulfill his parental duty. Still and all, he was worried about one more thing—Count Lort. Edward turned out to be more honorable than Gardwig thought. He didn’t ask or mention Lort, leaving Gardwig to deal with his menagerie by himself. The King of Wellster appreciated Edward’s tact. What have you done, Altres! It is most likely true. Still, Gardwig couldn't blame his brother. Although he wanted to kill him for disclosing information, there had already been cases where Gardwig had found out about Altres’ activities post factum. The king had to weed it out at the very beginning. It was too late now. He had given his brother too much freedom. He couldn't get his head around how much power he should give him. If something happened to Gardwig, Altres would become the regent, with Milia and his children. He would have to get used to making radical decisions. Yet, the situation had changed. Gardwig hoped to remain on the throne.
He would tell his brother off for taking too much on himself. Gardwig could see Altres being capable of this to ensure the union with Ativerna. He could have easily removed the teacher and put fear into Anna. How my illness tortures me! It ties my hands! I need to send a pigeon to my brother, although I expect him to know already. He surely has his agents in the embassy. I need to question all of them, starting with Baron Kilmory.
Alas, the king didn’t have time to deal with the baron when he got back to the embassy. The baron in question was away. Gardwig’s leg was giving him pains, so the King of Wellster sunk into deep sleep. He woke up only in the morning, when it was already too late, for Anna had gone away to the palace.
***
Anna was not feeling very well. Something was wrong. Perhaps it was her rat instincts. They told her that she was about to be cornered. The young woman tried to keep calm, although she did check that she had her bottle of poison on her. She put it inside the pocket of her dress.
***
Upon finding out that Anna was already gone, the king became upset, but decided to leave everything up to Aldonai. If she was a virgin, she would soon become a queen. If not, she only had herself to blame. Gardwig cared nothing for family relations, except for the relationship with his brother. He loved Altres. He appreciated Milia for giving birth to sons. He loved them as an extension of himself. Yet, how could I love children who can’t even talk? It is the same as loving a dog.
As for his feeling toward Anna, his daughter was a constant reminder of her mother’s adultery. The other daughters were at least only reminders of his failures. Out of sight and out of memory!
Gardwig called for the Baron of Kilmory. He remembered again how lucky he was to have a friend like Edward. The union between Ativerna and Wellster was beneficial for both parties. The day before, he had almost sacrificed his daughter, and Edward accepted it but still agreed to act in the most lenient way. They would send Anna to Stonebug for a couple of years. Once everything was forgotten, they would let her go to all four corners of the earth. Nobody would give a damn about whether she was Anna of Wellster or not. The incident might have proven fatal for the kingdom and caused a war.
Gardwig never overestimated himself. His army wasn't ready for war. Lort wasn't a good military commander either. He might have been good at intrigues, but not on the battlefield. What would happen to Wellster in the case of war? It would be torn to pieces! One third would remain of it. All of my children would probably be murdered. Gardwig couldn't even think about such horror.
Edward acted like an honorable man. Gardwig felt like he was indebted to him. He was going to pay him back. If everything went well, the friendship between the two states would be strong.
Someone tapped on the door, and the servant reported the arrival of Baron Kilmory. Gardwig made a sign to let him in. The baron walked in and bowed low before the ruler. The king’s look was condescending. With a degree of brutality in his voice, the king asked him a direct question. “Who killed Chevalier Avels?”
No matter how much the baron tried to hide the truth, his face gave him away. His lips twitched, and his eyes filled with horror. Gardwig wasn’t famous for being merciful. That instant, the king realized the confession was true. Anna was indeed a married woman, and her husband had re
cently been killed. The baron was the one who had given the order.
“I know everything,” sighed the king. “King Edward knows about it as well.”
The baron’s face expressed only one thought—A catastrophe!
Gardwig snorted.
“Lons Avels left a letter for King Edward. They told me yesterday.”
The baron dropped to his knees. “I’m not guilty! Have mercy! The count ordered it!”
Gardwig let him talk for a while and waved his hand as a sign of kindness.
“Edward is not going to make a scandal. Otherwise, you would've lost your head. I won’t be so generous next time.”
“Never! I won’t let you down! I am your loyal servant!”
The king listened calmly. His leg ceased hurting, and his soul grew quiet.
Anna will be fine. They won't even kill her. It would do her good to spend some time without men. No wonder the aldons say in sermons that abstinence ennobles.
***
Jess waited for the princess at the front entrance. It seemed ridiculous to have the princess examined by midwives right inside the walls of the palace. The gossip would spread, wouldn’t it?
For all its size, the palace was a very complex structure. It had a lot of corridors and secret pathways and a lot of empty rooms that were out of use. Thus, it wasn't difficult to find a private spot there.
The king was outside on his afternoon walk around the park. He would later have afternoon tea in the gardens. The whole court followed the king everywhere. All of them wanted to please the king and didn’t wish to earn his disfavor if they happened to be absent when the king asked for them. Since the king didn’t have a royal favorite, the afternoon promenade was a chance for the courtiers to show off their wives and daughters, as well as make useful acquaintances. The younger generation, too, found in the walk an opportunity for casual flirting. And so, it followed that the palace was completely empty during certain hours of the day.
Nobody cared about the servants and their gossip. To the rest of the court, the servant’s talk was like a dog’s bark.
Either way, the number of witnesses wouldn't decrease even if they invited the princess to some house in the city. There would still have been coachmen, footmen, servants, and random pedestrians. It was impossible to foresee everything.
***
Jerisson bowed to the princess and led her to a special room. After, he would invite the midwives, and if Anna was pure, he would take her to Richard who was currently on the walk with his father. The story would end with a wedding.
If she wasn’t a virgin, Jess had to stun her, tie her up, and deliver her to Stonebug. The midwives wouldn't know who they were checking. The princess had a mask and wasn’t going to introduce herself. Otherwise, it was a simple common procedure.
They reached the infamous room.
“After you, Your Highness.”
***
Anna hadn’t been particularity surprised to see the Earl of Earton at the gate. He was the prince’s friend and a trusted person. Only when Jerisson led her along secret passageways did she suspect something scary. It was her worst nightmare. The room was empty except for the bed in the middle.
“What’s happening?” protested Anna.
At first, she thought that Jerisson wanted her. The thought of it didn’t scare her much. She turned around to face the earl, who obstructed her way out of the room.
“Your Highness, according to the old custom, any woman who wants to marry the prince must certify her innocence.”
“What?”
Her false indignation seemed genuine. In reality, she was merely scared for her life. Any actress would have envied her acting then. Jess listened to her tantrums without a blink and shook his head.
“Your Highness, your father gave his consent. You can only leave the room after the midwives examine you.”
“How dare you!”
“Or not leave it altogether. This is your father’s order.”
“Do you have his order? Otherwise, I refuse!”
“Your Grace,” Jess’s blue eyes flashed. Anna’s behavior left him no doubt of the relevance of the confession. “Here.”
Anna paused. She accepted the scroll from Jerisson’s hands and immediately recognized Gardwig’s seal. Her father had given his consent the day before during his meeting with Edward. The girl’s brain ran like clockwork. Her cover was blown. She didn’t care how or when. She knew she wouldn't pass the examination unless Aldonai turned her back into a virgin.
The only thing she could do now was to run away. She had an expensive dress on, which she could sell. She had expensive jewelry in her ears and on her fingers. What a fool for dressing up! Now it is my capital. I need to get out of here. But how?
The Earl of Earton would never let her out unless she tried to trick him. Anna’s fingers touched a small bottle inside her pocket. It would take her a few minutes to take it out, but she had to do it subtly.
Anna let out a sob and dropped on the floor at the earl’s feet.
“Jerisson, I beg you! Don’t!”
Jess was a little confused. Anna clung to his boots and sobbed. He could hear unintelligible mumbling through the tears, “terrible,” “such a shame,” “my father” and so on.
It was impossible to understand her. Jess didn’t notice how the woman took out the bottle with poison and placed it in her sleeve. She continued her hysterics for five more minutes until Jess managed to raise her from the floor, dust her off, sit her on the bed, and even give her a goblet of wine. Anna took a few sips and started wailing anew. Jess didn’t know how to act. It was inappropriate to slap her. He stood up and started pacing around the room. He didn’t notice how Anna, who was hysterical, poured half the bottle of poison inside the goblet. In a little while, the crying ceased. Anna sat on the bed with a blank expression on her face. Jess tried to offer her more wine, but the woman refused.
“Why do I have to go through this humiliation?”
“Your Highness,” Jess tried to speak softly. “It’s only a custom. It’s a very common thing to do. Your father gave his consent.”
“It is so humiliating! I am forced to expose myself to strangers!”
“Your Highness, everything is arranged in the most secret way. Nobody knows we are here. This room doesn't even have guards. The medicuses and midwives are waiting in the next room.”
“They will recognize me!”
“Never! Put on this mask, and nobody will ever know!”
Anna shivered.
“I've never been with a man. But if it is necessary…”
Jess continued to convince her. He said that if it wasn’t for the custom, he would've never allowed himself to drag her there in secret. He said he hoped for her understanding. Although he was convinced that Anna was lying, he couldn't know for sure.
“Put the mask on, Your Highness.”
Anna nodded.
“Fine. I only want a couple more sips of wine. My throat is dry.”
“Obviously, Your Highness.” Jess continued to treat the princess with respect. After all, her father was the King of Wellster, even though Gardwig was close to renouncing her. Anna put the cup to her lips. She smelled the liquid and pretended to drink, not letting the wine touch her lips. Suddenly the woman winced and spat on the floor.
“Earl, how disgusting!” She grew so skittish that Jess grew quite surprised.
“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”
“What is this slop? I cannot even take a sip of this wine! It’s sour.”
The earl shrugged.
“So disgustingly bitter,” Anna stamped her foot. “I insist on you trying it yourself!”
She approached the earl.
“Give me the mask. Try the wine. You’ll see for yourself. How nasty! We wouldn't offer such wine even to servants.”
Jess obeyed, glad that the tantrums were finally over. Anna gave him the cup and took the mask. Watching her fiddle with the strings, Jess absent-mindedly took a coupl
e of sips.
The wine is good, but what is this bitter aftertaste? Anna took too long attaching the mask. Jess wanted to rush her when suddenly he couldn't take a breath. The earl let out a guttural sound, flinched, and fell to the floor. Anna turned around and looked at the earl. The witch who gave her the potion hadn’t guaranteed a quick death, but he would die in ten minutes.
The earl lay wheezing, scratching his throat with his nails and twisting on the carpet. An invisible flame burned him from the inside. Everything burned, hurt, his heart was panting, he couldn't breathe, his muscles convulsed and he wanted to scream from pain, but only weak moans came out of his swollen throat. Jess thought that he was yelling, but even Anna couldn't hear his moans. She looked around. She had no fears, for her fears had become reality.
Dispose of the mask. His cloak, I’ll take it. It’s not the best color but it will do. Money—I won’t rummage around in his pockets! One thought of touching the dead or remaining in the same room with him made Anna sick. She carefully opened the door and looked out. Nobody was there.
Aldonai, help me get out!
***
Edward ambled through the park. Looking back at the day, he wouldn’t remember either the aching in his chest or his sense of evil foreboding.
Richard was waiting inside the palace. His Majesty strongly suspected that the engagement wouldn’t happen. Edward was almost sure that the confession was true. It was possible to fake, but he could see no distinct causes for it. Who would benefit from breaking off the engagement with Anna? The Iverneans? Possibly yes. Either way, Richard would never marry Lydia. He didn’t need such a wife.
Edward was a wise man, and he saw the true value of the girl. Lydia was intelligent and wasn’t used to compromise, except when it came to her father. Bernard loved his daughter, spoiled her, and let her off. The woman who was cleverer than her man and stupid enough to show it wouldn't become a good wife. The only way their marriage could work was if Richard had turned into a henpecked husband. Richard needed a wife who would look up to him or at least one who got her way but still loved him. He needed a wife like Jessamine.
The Price of Happiness: A Strong Woman in the Middle Ages (A Medieval Tale Book 5) Page 32
