Sovereign Sieged

by Sarah E. Burr

  “And you, Duchess.” With a respectful bow, Galahad departed, tossing a final wave over his shoulder as he went in search of his tutor.

  As they watched his figure fade away down the long hallway outside the banquet room, Uma was the first to speak. “Shall we go collect Vita and Sabine?”

  Jax nodded and led the way out of the dining hall, eager to gather her friends and head home.

  The daughter of a Savantian noble, Vita Bellarose had entered Jax’s service at the start of the year, filling the position of lady’s maid vacated by Uma when she’d been appointed lady-in-waiting. Jax had grown close with the southern beauty so full of fire and spirit, having found her to be most amusing, and very good at managing Jax’s wardrobe.

  “Madame Neasa sought out Vita earlier this morning.” Uma hastened her pace to walk in step with Jax. “The seamstress has some ideas for your fall wardrobe that she wants passed along to Monsieur Duval. I believe they’re meeting in the conservatory.”

  “I hope Vita is taking notes.” Jax smirked, picturing her royal tailor’s reaction to the news. Monsieur Duval held himself in very high esteem and probably would not take too kindly to advice from a foreign court’s tailor. Jax herself would intervene if the need arose, however, as Madame Neasa’s style and skill astounded her. The portly middle-aged woman had transformed her array of traveling gowns into breathtaking, court-worthy couture.

  Jax and Uma strolled through the glass doors of the expansive, flora-filled conservatory a few minutes later, spotting Madame Neasa and Vita chatting animatedly amongst a sea of viper lilies.

  “Duquessa!” Vita leaped from her seat. “I’ve been dying to show you. Look what Madame Neasa has designed, especially for me.” Pride and delight swelled in Vita’s amber-eyed gaze, her noble heritage on display. Lifting her skirts, she extended a long leg toward Jax, twisting her heel from side to side.

  Ruby-studded gold shoes gleamed in the torchlight hanging off the walls of the conservatory.

  “My,” Jax cooed over the elaborate slippers, and not just to appease Vita’s eagerness. “They are stunning.” Jax turned an appreciative gaze to the matronly woman sipping her tea. “Once again, you have wowed me, Madame.”

  Flattered by the compliment of a Duchess, Madame Neasa beamed. “I figured I enhanced so many gowns for you and Lady Uma during your stay here at the castle, Mademoiselle Vita here deserved a little treat.”

  “How wonderfully thoughtful of you.” Jax admired Vita’s shoes once more.

  “I’m so glad we did not depart right at dawn, or I never would have received such a treasure,” Vita gushed, although her expression sobered as she analyzed Jax. “I hope the delay is not due to something serious.”

  Jax shook her head, blushing at the memory of being tangled in her husband’s arms. “No, I just got a bit sidetracked. We’ve actually come to whisk you away.”

  Vita slouched in relief. “I am anxious to return home, to familiar ground. I am so tired of getting lost in these endless hallways of stone.”

  Jax smiled at Vita’s use of the word “home.” Jax had rescued Vita’s family’s vineyard from bankruptcy when their own Duke failed to aid them. Even though Vita had lived in Saphire for only a handful of months, the young woman had flourished in Jax’s court and grown quite content living in a foreign palace.

  Vita wrung her hands before continuing. “I know we are supposed to be protected by the sheer size and positioning of this fortress, but I will sleep better when the Saphire Ducal Guards are posted outside your door, Duquessa.”

  As much as Jax relished the privacy she’d had during her visit to the Duchy of Pettraud, she, too, would feel safer being back among her throngs of guardsmen. “We’ll be home soon enough, my friend. Captain Solomon has assured me our envoy will travel round-the-clock to get us back within the borders of Saphire.”

  Madame Neasa cleared her throat. “If you’ll excuse me, Your Grace, I shall bid you all farewell and a safe journey.” With a reverent curtsy, the seamstress retreated toward the door in a brisk waddle. “And let me just say that should the position of Saphire Royal Tailor ever become vacant, you know where to find me.” With a wink, she disappeared, leaving the three women chuckling.

  “I can hardly wait to deliver her suggestions to Monsieur Duval.” Vita’s grin was jokingly fiendish.

  “Now, now. You don’t want to crush his spirits too severely,” Jax cautioned.

  Uma did not join their playful repartee, her thoughts elsewhere. “Round-the-clock sentries? How will the soldiers protect us if they are dead tired, Jax?”

  “Surely you don’t think George would put us at risk, do you?” Jax said. She raised a sarcastic eyebrow at the notion. “He’s arranged for several caravans to follow our carriage, with enough room to allow the Ducal Guard to sleep in shifts. We’ll have fresh, bright-eyed warriors every few hours.”

  Uma slumped in relief. “I should have known George would ensure you were well-guarded.”

  “With such a horde surrounding us, how long will this journey take?” Vita comically rubbed her lower back. “I’m only just recovering from the last trip we spent cramped in a coach.”

  “We’ll be home within the week,” Jax began. “Five days, if I have to guess. With Pettraud on Saphire’s northern border, we’ll be able to take the well-worn merchant trails, so it should be smooth traveling.”

  Vita’s liquid gold gaze drifted past the glass walls of the conservatory, settling on the courtyard below. “I hope the Virtues agree.”

  Chapter Three

  With every step, Jax’s heart pinched with agony. Scanning the faces lining the courtyard, she wished Perry’s was among them. Both he and Ivan were absent from her send-off, likely still at work with the Ducal Guard.

  Just as she was finishing the last of her goodbyes, George appeared at her side. “The envoy is ready, Your Grace,” he said with a formality he reserved for public occasions. In a whisper only she could hear, he continued, “I just came from supervising Olavo being loaded into his coach.”

  Jax tensed at the mention of the traitorous Duchess Tandora’s private secretary. After she had uncovered the role Sir Olavo had played in the failed attempt on her life, the man had traveled with them across the continent as her prisoner. More than once Olavo mentioned he had useful information about Jax’s enemies, but he’d remained quiet since arriving in Pettraud. Jax planned to call him before her throne once they returned to Saphire and loosen his tongue, using whatever means necessary.

  “I know I’ve told you this a thousand times, but please make sure he is well protected during our journey home.” Jax placed her hand on George’s forearm. “He will prove a valuable witness, should the War Council not believe Tandora, Savant, and Beautraud all conspired to assassinate me at Ogdam Oasis.”

  George summoned the humor to roll his eyes. “A thousand times? More like a million. He’ll be almost as heavily protected as you.” He patted her hand gently atop his muscular arm.

  As Jax waved one final goodbye to Kaul, Elias, Mistress Lenora, and Lord Cornelius, she sighed as George led her toward the massive gate that sealed the fortress away from the world. “Just when I’ve found myself a part of a family, we have to turn around and leave.” Her departure was indeed bittersweet. Ever since the death of her parents, Jax had missed the presence of kin. Even though Perry’s family suffered their fair share of drama, Jax had grown to cherish each member and would miss them.

  George’s brow wrinkled. “I know you want to stay longer, but we can’t afford any more delays. I must return to Saphire to meet with the Vice Admirals about the War Council and its potential outcomes.” He tossed her a sidelong look. “And where I go, you go.”

  “Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” She stuck her tongue out at him in a moment of jest, but knew George was desperately needed back in Saphire to rally her forces. As Captain of the Ducal Guard, he was also Commander General of the Saphirian army, and with the War Council looming in the near future, the
ir soldiers needed to be prepared.

  “I know you don’t want this to come to war, but with Lord Cornelius resigning from the throne and crowning Perry as his successor, your list of seasoned allies continues to diminish.” George kept his tone low, despite the empty path before them. “Perry doesn’t have the understanding of the political arena you need to dominate a war of words.”

  If anyone but George ever spoke about Perry in such a disparaging manner, she’d have them reprimanded, but Jax shared the Captain’s fears as well. Cornelius had been her strongest and most vital ally going into the talks that lay ahead. She did not want the War Council to end with a declaration of attack. Jax’s sole reason for adhering to the ancient laws governing the Realm of Virtues was to avoid the inevitable bloodshed that would come exacting her vengeance on Tandora, Beautraud, and Savant. Despite their attempt to kill her, Jax wanted to resolve their issues as peacefully as possible, for the sake of the people of the realm. It would not be any of the ducal leaders wielding a sword out of the battlefield, as much as she wished it so. No, it would be her own people laying their lives on the line to defend their Duchess and her ideals.

  Jax clenched her fists at the thought. “If I am to end the War Council without violence, I will need to think of a different strategy.”

  George raised an eyebrow. “Will you look to your grandfather to take Lord Cornelius’s place, or…?”

  “It’s either Grand-Père or Duke Crepsta.” Jax sighed. “I wish I could look to Darian or Landon for more support, but both men are still untested leaders.” Darian Fangard and Landon Loughlin had been the crowned Dukes of Cetachi and Lysandeir for less than a year, and while both were adamant in their support of Jax and the world of equality she envisioned, neither had been privy to the harsh realities of the political arena the War Council would expose. No, she’d have to rely on the aid of her grandfather, Duke Mensina, and another one of Saphire’s allies, Duke Crepsta.

  George gave her a critical stare as the gate roared open before them, revealing a line of ready carriages and soldiers standing at attention. “Do you think it wise to trust Duke Crepsta with this, after the role his nephew played in your parents’ deaths?” he murmured as he led her toward her designated coach.

  Jax’s shoulders tightened at the mention of her parents’ murder. “I have unfairly held the Duke responsible for something that was beyond his control for far too long. Despite my cold shoulder, Duke Crepsta has continued to support Saphire and her allies. I owe him my trust.”

  George pulled the carriage door open. “I hope the reports of his poor health are exaggerated, then, if you plan to have him by your side.”

  Peering inside the coach, her mood lightened at seeing Vita, Uma, and Sabine’s eager faces. She took George’s offered arm as she hoisted herself up, then glanced over her shoulder at the Captain. “Will you be joining us at all?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll ride outside to supervise the shift changes…and to keep an eye on Olavo’s carriage.”

  Jax measured her friend’s drained yet determined expression. “Please make sure you get some rest along the way. I’m not the only person of importance traveling in this delegation.” With a pointed look that brought a slight grin to George’s lips, Jax settled into the cushioned seat as he clicked the door shut.

  Sabine clapped her hands gleefully, her cheeks pressed up against the window opposite of where Jax sat. “I can’t believe this is happening…that I’m finally leaving!”

  Uma shifted beside the young woman, in search of a comfortable position. “I hope your soaring spirits keep us buoyed the entire length of the ride, Lady Sabine.”

  Vita chuckled from her cushion next to Jax. “Oh, I think we’ll bring her around to the dark side before long.”

  ǂ

  The setting sun sparkled against the gleaming white towers of her home, as if heralding her arrival. The sight stirred a deep longing within Jax as she gazed out the window, her royal eyes drinking in the magnificence. To think, she had spent much of her youth yearning to be elsewhere, exploring the realm. A smile danced on her lips. She was ready to be home. If only you were here with me, Perry.

  Jax reached across the aisle and nudged Sabine awake. Throughout their journey, the young woman had oohed and aahed at the world around them, marveling over all that existed outside of the Pettraud palace walls. Jax didn’t want her to miss such a breathtaking sight.

  “What is it? Are we there?” Sabine muttered as she wiped sleep from her glassy eyes.

  “Almost. Look out the window.”

  The sheer joy that overtook Sabine’s face warmed Jax’s heart. While the ache of Perry’s absence pulsed inside her chest, Jax couldn’t help but rejoice alongside Sabine as their carriage made its way up the elegantly manicured path toward the Saphirian palace. Her home.

  “Oh, Jax.” Sabine’s golden eyes leaked tears of wonder. “I’ve never even dreamed of such splendor.”

  “It is rather glorious, isn’t it? I’d almost forgotten.” As Jax admired the creamy, white stone towers haloed by the ethereal glow of the dying sun, she thought about how she’d felt the last time she’d seen them. Hopeful. Relieved to be taking a break from the realm. She’d been on her way with Perry and their friends to Ogdam Oasis, a resort situated in the deserts of the Duchy of Kwatalar, eager to leave her duties in Saphire behind. Had she known what tumultuous events were to unfold, would she have felt the same relief to leave? No, of course not. An innocent man had died at the Oasis, taking Jax’s place in an assassination plot organized by enemy nations. Her trip seeking refuge and romantic interludes with her husband had led the realm to war.

  Unaware of Jax’s inner turmoil, Sabine let out a musical trill of laughter. “I don’t know what I’m more mesmerized by, the castle or the sun!” After having spent her entire life in the foggy mists of Pettraud, the brilliant display stretching out before their carriage must have been quite jarring.

  Sabine’s giggles roused Uma and Vita from their naps, and soon, all four women were chatting animatedly about their arrival. George’s face appeared outside Jax’s window, requesting she slide it open.

  “We should be arriving shortly.” Even though he’d been traveling the last five days with minimal sleep, George’s eyes were bright and alert. It was evident that he, too, was glad to be back in familiar territory. “I’ve sent a scout up ahead to alert the staff.”

  “And with a request to prepare a celebratory dinner, I hope.” Her taste buds watered at the thought of digging into a mountain of hot, succulent cuisine. Since leaving Pettraud, all Jax had eaten was dried meats and fruits. She yearned for endless buttery breads and frosted cakes.

  George grinned, although it was nearly hidden amongst the scruffy, untended beard that had grown wild on his chin. “Of course. It wouldn’t be a homecoming if we didn’t gorge ourselves into a food-induced stupor.”

  Jax’s enthusiasm dimmed as the reality of returning to court settled over her. “I must speak with my advisors right away.” Her longing gaze drifted over her three companions, each babbling with excitement. “I’m afraid my presence at dinner will have to wait.”

  A half hour later, George offered his arm to Jax as she emerged from the carriage, her steps ginger as she stretched her legs across the cobblestone ground. Summoning her graceful and refined poise, Jax held her head high as she glided through sea of faces that had come to greet her. Servants, guardsmen, and palace staff, gathered outside the doors to the castle’s grand foyer, sending her a chorus of salutations.

  After weeks of being surrounded by relative strangers, the happy glow of being among her people buoyed her mood, giving her the confidence and energy she so desperately needed.

  As she ascended to the top step leading to the gold-gilded doors, Jax turned to address the crowd. “My loyal subjects,” her voice danced on the sunset, strong and clear, “you have no idea how much good it does me to see your smiling faces. I have missed Saphire dearly during my absence and am delighted to w
alk amongst you all once more.” Her vague words sent ripples of confused elation through her audience. Based on their reactions, Jax guessed they had hoped for more details as to where she’d been all this time. When she had left for Ogdam Oasis, she had disappeared into the night without giving any notice to the palace staff. Her own courtiers barely knew the details of her plan to leave the duchy in disguise. Unfortunately, despite all the secrecy, Duchess Tandora and Dukes Beautraud and Savant had found out about her journey under the assumed identity of one Lady Victoire Rapaste and put a scheme in motion to bring about her death. Just as my plans were foiled, so were theirs.

  Wearing her mask of stoic grace, Jax waved to the crowd once more and turned to enter the gaping maw of the castle, its doors yawning open in welcome.

  Beside her, George held a steadying arm, and Jax found herself leaning into him for support. “After five days sitting in a carriage, perhaps I should have orchestrated the pomp and circumstance for tomorrow.” Her legs strained under her traveling gown.

  “You may rule over them, but I doubt even a direct order could have kept those folks at bay.” With a flick of his shoulder, George motioned to the throng of people still cheering her name out in the courtyard.

  Jax heard the cheers shift, with cries welcoming Lady Uma back to the palace. At Jax’s request, Uma, Vita, and Sabine had stayed behind in the carriage while the Duchess made her grand entrance. Jax hoped that by breaking up their arrival, the well-wishers would turn their focus to Lady Uma—whom they all knew and loved—giving Jax a little peace while she put her plan for the evening into place.

  “Are you sure you want to go directly to the throne room?” George asked, concern for her well-being etched into his dusty face. “Shouldn’t you allow yourself at least a moment to recuperate from your travels?”

  Jax’s hand tightened on his forearm, fatigue making her sway where she stood. “I wish I had time to do so, but I must meet with my advisors. I need to determine if someone within my court betrayed my whereabouts to Duchess Tandora.”