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

by Lina J. Potter

  Edward could see Lydia seeking her former independence after the wedding. She would fail the primary task of a queen—to give birth to an heir. Richard and Lydia didn’t love each other. Their married life would be reduced to a series of unresolved scandals.

  The worst thing in that scenario was that the state would be the one to get the raw end of the deal.

  The unhappy marriage would ruin the relationship with Ivernea. Bernard and the brothers would want to protect the interests of their beloved Lydia, causing chaos in the state. Edward didn’t want Ivernea to become the second Avesterra. It was better to remain with Gardwig. Although they would have to wait a few years, they could still bring his second daughter to live in the palace. That would allow Richard to get used to his new bride.

  If only Anna was a chaste woman!

  Edward called forth a servant. He asked him some nonsense and received an obsequious answer. He looked at the sun. It was almost midday.

  ***

  That day, Anna had thought she had Maldonaya’s favor. In reality, the king ordered that wing of the palace emptied. Anna wrapped herself in the green cape, threw the hood over her head, and looked for a way out. She couldn't remain in the palace. She knew that to leave the palace was dead easy, especially with a companion.

  “Your Highness.”

  Anna raised her eyebrows. She recognized the man.

  “Baron Reynolds!”

  The man bowed.

  “I am at your service, Your Highness.”

  Anna contemplated a little and charmingly smiled at the baron.

  “Take me to the exit, dear Baron!”

  The reason why Tarney wasn't at the walk was very simple. His servant had not woken him up in time. His plan was to carefully merge with the crowd and not let the king notice his negligence. He walked into Anna and decided to take his luck and do the future queen a service. Who knows, maybe it can play out in my favor in the future. Tarney realized that any queen needed her trustees at court. Why not me? He would happily serve the feeding hand. On their way to the exit, Tarney asked Anna what she was doing there alone and why she was dressed like that.

  Inside her, Anna’s heart was shaking, but she replied to the baron calmly. The cape belonged to a friend. She was there because one of the court ladies had written to her that Richard had someone else. The princess said that she realized it was a lie, and yet, she had to come. Her father didn’t know she was there.

  “Will you keep my secret, Baron? You wouldn't let down a lady’s honor? I have no doubts in you. You are so nice. A real man!”

  Tarney drank the honey of her compliments, spread his peacock tail, and supported the lady by the tip of her elbow. He tried to be as courtly as he could so he held her limb with the tips of his thumb and middle finger to show he was no village redneck.

  He led the lady to the gates, helped her get into the carriage and even waved adieu. Anna did the same and dropped back onto the pillows. She had a few minutes to think everything through. If her father had given his permission for examination, it meant that she couldn't go back to the embassy. Gardwig wouldn't take pity on her for disobedience, especially after what she’d done to the Earl of Earton. Anna didn’t know exactly the working witchcraft of the potion, but she strongly suspected that it would kill the earl. Jerisson was Edward’s relative. She wasn’t a helpless woman anymore, but a murderer. They would hunt her down. She had no one to protect her, so she had to run as far and as fast as she could.

  Where exactly will I go?

  She needed to make a wise decision. She was penniless and didn’t even have a comb on her. Perhaps the adrenaline sharpened Anna’s wit, and she reasoned quite sensibly. She needed to sell her jewelry and go to the port. She would take a ship far away, as soon as possible, to Avesterra, to Elvana, or even to the Khanganat. She didn’t care where. Anna of Wellster exists no more. I am now Anna Avels, a young widow. A poor leira, a very poor one, without a dowry. She hoped she could remarry and start a new life. Anna gritted her teeth. Damn you, Lons! It’s all your fault! Anna forgot that it was she who had seduced the man to show off before her sisters; she didn’t remember that his death sentence, his banishment, and his death were entirely her own fault.

  Despite the fact he was already dead, Lons became Anna’s primary enemy. Where can I sell the jewelry? Anna banged on the carriage door. The coachman was now a dangerous witness.

  “Hey, you!”

  When the coachman bowed and inquired what Her Highness needed, she ordered him to take her to the jewelry store. The man obeyed. Half an hour later, she entered the store, slightly bending to avoid knocking the low ceiling. The jeweler turned out to be an elderly Eveer. After some hesitation, Anna put a necklace on the counter. She decided to leave the rings for later.

  “How much will you give me for it?”

  The Eveer looked at the woman in the cape that was evidently too large for her. He considered the price and offered a rapaciously small amount. Anna had never bargained in her life, but the need and the looming shadow of the gallows worked wonders together.

  After some twenty minutes of shouting, noise, and commerce, after proclaiming Aldonai and the Eveerian gods as witnesses, the sum in Anna’s pocket could be called if not decent then at least reasonable. It would last her getting to Avesterra and a couple of months of humble living, not like she had any choice.

  ***

  Jess was extremely lucky.

  His screams came out as wheezing. It was impossible to get the attention of the doctors separated by two doors and a thick wall. With his last ounce of strength, the man banged against the wooden legs of the little table. Praise the long-horn beetles, the eaters of wood! The wooden legs collapsed and a heavy marble block shattered against the floor with a banging sound. It was loud enough to raise the dead.

  The members of the medical committee next door pricked up their ears. One of them went to look outside. There was nobody in the corridor. The sounds were coming from the room next door. Lily was wrong when she said that all medicuses were silly-headed. Having noticed that the door was slightly ajar (Anna had closed it too loosely), the medicus took a step forward and glanced inside the infamous room. Upon realizing what was happening, the medicus began yelling and calling for help.

  Luck was on Jerisson’s side, for Tahir had been spontaneously chosen to supervise the midwives. It was a common procedure in the Khanganat. Tahir stormed into the room to the sounds of screaming, saw Earl Earton writhing on the floor, a broken jug of wine, a goblet, and spilled wine, and figured out what had happened.

  “The earl is poisoned,” he snapped. “Get help!” The midwives couldn't be of much help, but luckily the two doctors knew what to do. They lifted his heavy, writhing body, moved it to the bed, turned it on its side. One of the doctors began unclenching the jaws that were cramped together by a spasm. Tahir smelled the puddle of wine on the floor, dipped his finger inside but didn’t dare to lick it. Judging from the earl’s state, the poison had been absorbed through the mucous membrane. Thanks to Lilian Earton, Tahir knew what to do. A lot depended on the kind of poison, on the dose, and on time.

  “We need to make him throw up.”

  Tahir gave out calm and confident orders. The medicuses followed his advice, realizing that they would be the ones to blame if the earl died. Perhaps the king would be more lenient with the servant of the Khanganat. They blindly did as he said.

  Tahir took serene and confident measures. He unclenched the earl’s jaw and tickled his throat with a feather to induce vomiting. His vomit wasn't abundant.

  “Water! More water! Laxatives!” He needed to clean out his stomach first and then remove the poison that had been absorbed into the intestine. Tahir didn’t know about aconite or nice supplements like arsenic salts or other useful herbs. Even so, that didn’t make him a bad doctor. He was fighting for his patient’s life.

  ***

  Lily didn’t feel the trouble coming. She was at her father’s place. August gave her a tired sm
ile.

  “How are you, my little girl?”

  “Phew!” Lily plunked herself down in a chair. “I went to check up on my fashion house today. Everything is almost ready, they only need to mud the roof. In about a month or two, everything should be ready. The doors of Mariella Fashion House will open in winter.”

  “Mariella! Your mom would be proud of you.” Lily smiled at her father. August Broklend, despite all his flaws, had become a father to her. Strong, earnest and intelligent, he was always ready to help his daughter, be it with advice or money.

  “Honey, your ideas, such as the compass and maps with a grid, are worth thousands. Sailors would bite off your hand to get these objects. You do it for the state, but it wouldn't be kept in secret for long. We will always have money.”

  The royal treasurer was pleased with Lilian Earton and her work. He could also provide her with a loan, only Lily didn’t want to live in debt. She didn’t feel the same strain when borrowing money from her father. She would give him back everything to the last penny. First, she had to start the project and think about the profit after.

  “How are things with your husband?” Her father was the same as Lily. He would first think about his work and about his private life after.

  “I hope everything will be fine.” Lilian shrugged her shoulders.

  “Try to fix things. I’m expecting to see grandchildren soon,” August said.

  Lily nearly blushed having remembered something from the past, but she coped with her emotions and flashed her green eyes.

  “What about your children?”

  The shipbuilder turned crimson.

  “I—um…”

  “I know about you and Alicia.”

  August was a little embarrassed, but not for long.

  “Do you like her, Lily?”

  “Very much. I want you to know that whatever happens between Jess and me, I am on your side. Go for it! My children will need such a grandmother as Alicia.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  “I don’t want to end my relationship with him, but I’m preparing for the worst. He is domineering. Quite smart. Time will tell if we can get along together.”

  August’s thinking was more practical.

  “If you ask for a divorce…”

  “The king will immediately find me a new husband.”

  “What if you find him yourself?”

  “And displease the king?”

  “You can’t find someone worse than Jess.”

  “If ifs and ands were pots and pans. Six of one and half a dozen of the other?”

  August realized that it was hard to find a decent candidate, but he urged his daughter not to give up.

  “We could leave.”

  “To where?”

  “To the Khanganat.”

  “I will feel even less freedom there. No, Father. I prefer to finish what I've started here. I will enjoy what I have.”

  Lily put her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes.

  “I can handle it.”

  “That’s it. You handle too much. You leave yourself no time to live.”

  “I can live with Jerisson Earton, or to be more precise, I can survive.”

  August gave his daughter a meaningful look.

  “You can always count on me, Lily, no matter what.”

  Lily hugged and kissed her father.

  I love you too, Dad.

  ***

  Richard was in shock. Jess had been poisoned, allegedly by her Highness the Princess of Wellster. How do they know? If there were two in the room and one of them escaped, and the other one was poisoned, the suspect wasn’t Aldonai. Richard remembered sitting down and reading through the confession, waiting for the result of the medical examination, when he heard screams. The prince hurried to the source of the noise and discovered Jess convulsing in pain and covered in vomit. A few midwives and three doctors tried to hold Jess down in order to pour water inside his mouth.

  “What is going on?”

  “Your Highness!” cried one of the midwives. Tahir didn’t even lift his head. The patient’s life came before everything. Even though his patient was the husband of Lilian Earton, Tahir didn’t get distracted by extraneous thoughts.

  Lily could be proud of her student. For Tahir, the body on the bed had neither a name nor a title. Before him was a man who was ill, who needed his help and salvation. The rest was unimportant. The most important thing at that moment was water.

  “Praise the Heavenly Mare! Careful, he might choke!” Tahir was optimistic. He prayed, Let him survive, let him live.

  “What happened?”

  The midwife approached the prince and dropped in a low curtsey. She explained how they’d been waiting and how they had heard a cry.

  “We ran in and found him thus. He is bad, very bad. Tahir said it was poison.”

  “Was there anybody else?”

  “No, nobody.”

  Richard looked at Tahir. The only thing he wanted was to be reassured, to ask a childish question: You will save him, won’t you? He realized that he shouldn't distract the people in their attempt to save Jess. Another thing he should do was to run after Anna. Was it really her? It’s hard to believe. On the other hand, everyone has their dark side.

  Richard hastily rushed to the guards, but luck wasn’t on his side. Anna of Wellster wasn’t seen at the palace. Having remembered his father’s stories, Richard sent messengers to Lilian Earton, to both the city home and Taral.

  Maybe she will help? Aldonai, have mercy!

  ***

  Alicia Earton was on a walk with His Majesty. Everything was peaceful, until the arrival of the guard. His hair was messy, and he looked dispirited.

  The king raised his eyebrows in surprise but let the guard finish. He didn’t expect to hear what he heard. Edward went pale. The Duke of Falion, who stood beside him, didn’t think twice before grabbing the king under the arm. Breaking the code of conduct was better than His Majesty fainting and dropping to the floor. The Old Pike took some smelling salt from his pocket.

  “Your Majesty!”

  After a few breaths, Edward felt significantly better. Yet, the healthy glow of his face didn’t return.

  “Countess Earton!”

  Alicia instantly appeared before the king.

  “Accompany me back to the palace.”

  Alicia obeyed, and the king almost ran toward the palace.

  “Your Majesty, what’s the matter?”

  “Jess was poisoned.”

  “How?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Alicia flinched.

  My son–– poisoned? How? Why? She thought about Lily and Mirrie. I hope it doesn’t affect them.

  ***

  His Majesty walked fast. He dragged Alicia to his chamber, went up to one of the walls and pushed it. It was a secret passageway. Alicia obediently followed behind. She painfully banged her foot against the step and let out a short cry. Edward turned around and offered his hand.

  “Careful, Alicia.”

  “Thank you. It’s dark.”

  “We’re almost there.”

  “What exactly happened, Your Majesty?” she dared to ask. For a few seconds, Edward remained silent but finally spoke.

  “I received a letter. Anna of Wellster couldn't legally enter another marriage because she was already married and had a living husband. We decided to carry out a test, to see if she was chaste.” Alicia nodded, forgetting that the darkness made it impossible to see.

  “I understand.”

  “The examination was going to happen this morning, and this is the result of it.”

  “Aldonai!”

  Although the explanation was brief, Alicia could figure out the rest by herself. Although a virginity check wasn't a common procedure, it happened if the bride was particularly suspicious. It didn’t matter if the girl was from a royal family or a family of coal-miners. If the woman had been married before, she had to declare it. She also had to prove her virg
inity, at least with words. Aldonai advocated for the purity of the soul. Nobody wanted a promiscuous wench. Horns were an unflattering decoration.

  “And Jerisson?”

  “I asked him to meet the princess, invite her to a specially prepared room, explain the procedure to her, and invite the midwives.”

  Edward pushed the wall, and it opened. It was a secret door. The room was empty, and hearing the sounds next door, the king rushed out. Nobody dared to stand in the king’s way. Edward’s face was a mask of horror.

  The door opened by itself.

  “Your Majesty.”

  Alicia could see Jess on the bed. It seemed like they were pumping his stomach. The room smelled awful.

  “Tahir,” the king said sharply. At first, Alicia didn’t recognize the serene Khangan in this disheveled monster, smeared with dirt. He finally left the patient's side. “Continue. We need to clean everything out,” he ordered.

  He rose and turned to the king.

  “Your Majesty.”

  The bow wasn’t too low, but the time wasn’t right for ceremonious greetings.

  “How is he?”

  “I suspect it was poison. Medicus Hale heard a noise and ran into the room. He found the earl lying on the floor and saw traces of spilled wine. I suppose the poison was added to the drink.”

  “What will happen to him?”

  Tahir shrugged.

  “Your Majesty, you can behead me, only I don’t know. It seems like he didn’t drink much, but I don’t know the nature of this poison.”

  “Find someone who knows then.”

  “Baron Donter might know, Your Majesty.”

  “How would he know?”

  Edward looked frightening, but Tahir only shook his head.

  “His grandmother was an herbalist. I am a stranger in your blessed country. The herbs I know are uncommon here. My colleague says that the poison is called the ‘lilac slayer.’

  Edward groaned.

  The lilac slayer was a fearsome plant. Every part of this plant was poisonous—flowers, fruits, stems. There was a story about a noble lady who received a bouquet with a bunch of lilac slayer in it. She breathed its poisonous perfume for several days and died.