Druid's Bane

by Phillip Henderson

  He looked uneasy at the notion, more than uneasy, as did most of those in the chamber. Her colleagues and friends clearly feared she was digging a larger hole for herself, while the rest knew her to be a shrewd little fox, which you under estimated at your own peril.

  “In fact, I am so convinced that these allegations are true, gentlemen, that I’m willing to forge an agreement with Lord Helidon, and every member of this council may bear witness.”

  The old merchant eyed her suspiciously as she glanced across at him. “If I am wrong, sir, I’ll accept ten lashes to my back as is the punishment for sustained defamation in this chamber of this severity and I will also surrender my right to sit as a member of this council as his Eminence has proposed be the case.”

  “Then lashes you will receive, and a letter of expulsion, for you, young lady, are grievously wrong!” Helidon challenged.

  “To see to the truth of that, however, you must agree to let your lands be searched by men of the royal guard.” She smirked at his astonished expression. Yes, the bastard knows I’ve trapped him.

  Helidon’s face turned red and he thundered, “That is ridiculous! We have explained that diary; there are no slaves on my estate.”

  “But surely this would clear your good name, sir, place you above reproach, and I would be made to pay for my malicious folly. Unless of course, you do have something to hide?”

  “How dare you!” He began to advance on her, but a wall of protection made him think twice. “I will not have my word sullied by a mere woman, whatever her station!”

  Danielle let the slur go and looked to her father. The decision lay with him. “My offer stands, father. I will resign from this council and present myself for a public whipping if I am wrong.”

  “The girl is mad,” the Archbishop said. “You do this, Your Majesty and think what shame will be heaped on this realm when your daughter has her back laid bare in Illandia’s square and the whip is put to her.”

  “Silence, I know well enough what is at stake here.”

  The lords of her father’s Inner Council had left their benches to congregate around their liege, and were quietly conferring.

  Danielle held her breath. Her heart was beating frantically as she waited for the decision.

  “I would warn you, Your Highness,” the Archbishop said, “If you rule in favour of a search, I will also petition this noble council to withdraw its support for your daughter’s role as this realm’s ambassador to the Grand Assembly in Amthenium, and even her right as a member of the royal family to sit on the High Council.”

  Her father paid the man no attention as he listened to something the Lord Cardinal was whispering in his ear. When Warren finished, her father nodded and climbed to his feet. “Danielle, this man who furnished you with the shipping diary. Are you sure of his veracity?”

  “I stand by my offer, father.”

  “Then name the fellow in open council. Or better have him face this council …” Kane said.

  “What, so you can murder him?” Danielle said. “For according to the poor fellow, you and a group of Surlemian mercenaries slaughtered more than a dozen of his companions when you stormed Lord Helidon’s hunting lodge…”

  Helidon laughed disdainfully and came to his feet. “You highness, I fear your daughter has lost her senses and will lose a great deal more if you let her continue to make a fool of herself in this way.”

  “Danielle, is it possible you have been misled?” her father asked.

  “No father.”

  He didn’t look inclined to agree as Austin whispered something in his ear and then sat down.

  Danielle gripped the side of the lectern, fearing the worst. “Father …”

  But Joseph said, “I suggest, Your Majesty, that we do as the lass asks, and undertake a search.”

  “On what grounds?” the Archbishop demanded.

  Joseph casually tapped the shipping diary in front of him with a gnarled finger. He’d been squinting through his spectacles reading it as the arguments raged. “On the grounds that there are things in here that I find interesting.” He said this more to her father than the Archbishop, but it was the latter that said, “Interesting enough to risk losing your future madam protector, sir?”

  Joseph grinned at that. “There’s also the small matter that I believe her.”

  The king frowned sourly then nodded. “Then a search it will be.”

  His comment was met with a stony silence.

  Danielle couldn’t help grinning. Kane’s face, like those of his colleagues had turned white. They looked physically ill as they sat down. As far as Danielle was concerned it was as good as a confession.

  “Renwick, you will send word to your court. I want this done as quickly as possible. And thoroughly. And when it is complete I’ll have word brought to me without delay. You understand?”

  “Yes, brother. I will see to it immediately if you wish it?”

  “I do. You may leave.”

  As Renwick stood and left the king turned his attention to those seated at the contributor’s bench. “The question that remains, gentlemen, is whether I have grounds to hold you on suspicion of slavery. We all know the severity of the charge you stand accused of, and the penalty if it proves true.”

  “That would be unwise in the extreme, Your Majesty,” the Archbishop said. Despite his look of distain he was clearly livered by the trap Danielle had sprung on them. “For we both know that what grounds you have are tenuous, to say the least. And if you do move to hold us, it will go all the harder for your daughter when we are vindicated of these malicious lies.”

  The king considered that and then reluctantly nodded. “You and Helidon are free to go, but you shall remain within the walls of the city until this matter is dealt with. And if you attempt to leave before such time, you will be detained and imprisoned. In short, I will take it as an admission of guilt.” He shifted his gaze to the benches as the two aged statesmen left the stage with their respective retainers following behind. “As for those members who stand accused of taking bribes, I assure you, I will not let this matter lie, and when I have the proof to act, I will. And until these matters are clarified, and the truth is known absolutely, I evoke the royal veto and suspend Lord Kane’s bill.”

  Danielle cheered with the rest of the reformists in council. Their celebrations were drowned out by the outrage around them, but she didn’t care. As she hugged James and Bastion together, she saw Kane watching her. His malignance was palpable. He meant to kill her when opportunity afforded itself, that was clear and she flashed him a smirk, daring him to try.

  When order was restored her father said, “Except for you, Kane, and the council attendants, this council meeting is adjourned and you will leave us, gentlemen.”

  When the last of the lords had filed out of the chamber, her father ordered the guardsmen to seal the doors. He waited until it was done, then levelled a formidable glare on his second son. “Until we have proof of your sister’s allegations, and I say until because I believe them to be true, the laws governing lord and monarch in this chamber prevent me from punishing you. However, as your father, I am not so restrained nor am I inclined to be merciful. For your conduct today has not only defiled this realm, but it has also brought considerable shame on our name. And I will let neither stand. So as of this day, I disown you as a son. Your rights as a nobleman are revoked, including your right to sit on Arkaelyon’s councils. Guards, take that sword from him, and get this man out of my sight!”

  “As you say, my liege,” Kane replied, offering a respectful bow.

  His feigned dignity made Danielle sick.

  The guards led her twin brother past where she was standing and his gaze caught hers. That cruel little smile played on his lips and his dark eyes spoke again of revenge. Brutal revenge. It was more than Danielle could tolerate. She pushed forward to get at him. James grabbed her arm and held her back, but not before she was close enough to spit in her brother’s face.

  “You cruel
bastard! Mother would be deeply ashamed of you.”

  He didn’t reply, only smiled at her outburst and walked on.

  No one spoke until Kane had been led from the chamber. Danielle could feel her father’s attention resting on her back from the royal seatery. Until now he had been remarkably understanding of her actions. She didn’t expect that to last much longer, after all she had not given him much of a choice.

  “Mr Sydney, you will bring my daughter up here, at once.” The king then exited the royal balcony through a door at the rear, his robes gliding after him.

  Danielle turned for the stair at once, ready to accept the punishment for her actions this morning. She found her father waiting for her in the antechamber behind the royal box. The servants had been dismissed and Austin was helping him out of his council robes. His agitation was obvious and understandable.

  “Lass, what were you thinking? You were told explicitly to stay out of your brother’s affairs.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry, Father. It’s just that you were treating this as a diversion and I feared you wouldn’t take it seriously.”

  “Even so, I would have preferred if you had brought it to me directly. However, I do understand your hesitation and can’t begrudge your decision completely.” That this was so seemed to pain him just as it pained her. “Now, are you sure about there being slaves on Lord Helidon’s estate? Joseph gave me the nod, but I need to hear it from you.”

  “Yes, I’m sure. The diary is definitely the genuine article. I didn’t think it wise to show our hand completely, but apparently there’s a list of names in there which looks decidedly like a wage register. And unless I’m grossly mistaken, you don’t need three hundred Surlemian mercenaries to guard sheep.”

  Her father nodded, a little relieved to hear this. In truth though, Danielle didn’t feel as elated as she thought she would given what had just been prevented in the council chamber. Today’s victory had not been won cheaply.

  “I noticed the wage register as well, and thought the same thing,” Joseph said as he entered the chamber behind Danielle. He held the diary in one hand and his walking stick in the other. His kind blue eyes seemed to understand what she was feeling. “And lass, you did what a good madam protector should this morning, you protected your liege so don’t you feel at blame for what has happened.”

  She hugged him, grateful for his understanding, but feeling no less burdened.

  “What is being done to arrest Lord Orson?” her father asked.

  Careful to leave out any mention of the Lady Winters, James quickly explained what had happened, and that the city guard were seeking the man’s arrest.

  Joseph looked to her father. “Your majesty, members of the Inner Council will be waiting. Oh and James, Bastion and Sir Mannering please would you accompany us to his majesty’s private chambers.”

  “What is this?” Danielle asked.

  Her father answered, “We’ve clearly got a great deal wrong this morning, so my council is meeting to discuss why that might have been and what is to be done. James, Bastion and Sir Mannering are going to fill me in on more of the details of your little excursion this morning.”

  “Am I not invited? I am a member of the Inner Council,” Danielle said.

  “You are going to be discussed in depth, lass, so I would prefer you weren’t there. Joseph will talk to you later.” He smiled kindly at the look she gave him, and lovingly touched her cheek. “Don’t look so grim you have nothing to fear.

  She wasn’t so sure about that.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  The Archbishop had expected his two esteemed colleagues to be sombre when they walked back to Helidon’s guest suite in the northern wing of the palace. It was an unavoidable consequence of the church’s plan to recruit the prince to its service. What he hadn’t expected was to find their necks so dangerously close to the executioner’s block. Something had gone terribly wrong with Bianca’s approach to the Lady de Brie for their enemy to discover they’d already begun to transport slaves into the realm and he was determined to find out what and remedy it quickly.

  “You seem oddly relaxed, sir,” Kane said from beside him.

  The Archbishop glanced behind them, checking that only his personal guards followed within earshot. “Let’s just say that Lord Renwick’s Master of Arms and Lord Protector, unbeknown to their master, draws a pretty income from the church treasury and happily does my bidding in that part of the realm.”

  “Well, you could have said so before now,” Lord Helidon said sourly.

  “Not that it really matters,” Kane added. “Because I know what I’m going to do.” The prince seemed more than a little unhinged—which was disturbing with what must now be done.

  “We need calm heads, gentlemen, so I suggest we leave this discussion for inside.”

  They crossed the sun-drenched circular vestibule that gave access to the second floor of the northern wing of the palace and paced down the hallway that led to Helidon’s suite.

  Young Mr Gambly was standing opposite Helidon’s door. The young lad was one of Bianca’s personal messengers, quick on his feet and streetwise like so many of his breed, and it was more than a relief to see the little scoundrel. They had talked in the abbey’s readying yard just after dawn, and with the boy’s appearance here, it was clear all was well. Or at least as well as could be expected with the unfortunate turn of events in the General Council.

  “Gentlemen, if you will excuse me a moment.” The Archbishop waited for his companions to enter the apartment, then gestured the boy over. “Well?”

  “The Lady Winters awaits you in one of the church carriages at the palace stables, Your Eminence.”

  “Very good. Tell the lady I’ll be along shortly.”

  The lad nodded and was on his way.

  The Archbishop watched him go, wondering bitterly how much gold this was going to cost him to extricate them from this mess, and then turned for the door. Lord Helidon’s servants were streaming out into the hallway, the old merchant yelling chasing them like a whip. Once the way was clear the Archbishop gestured to his black-robed guards to wait, and entered the apartment, closing the door after him. Walking down the internal hallway to the sitting room, he could hear his two partners hurling accusations and counter-accusations at each other.

  “You said there was no threat of an ambush; ye bloody said it!” Lord Helidon bawled.

  “And there wasn’t, you fat old toad. My sister knew nothing of this yesterday—it’s since then she’s discovered it. And since only five men knew I was in possession of that document, I suspect we have a traitor in our midst. And then there’s your bloody traitorous liegeman and this shipping diary he got his hands on.”

  The Archbishop stepped into the doorway and stopped. “Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. I’m sure, this is but an unfortunate happenstance—and one I shall remedy this very minute. If you would remain here and endeavour not to cut each other’s throats until I get back, I will explain all.”

  As he turned to go, Kane said curtly, “I never liked the idea of Isaac Gilmore knowing so much about our dealings.”

  The Archbishop stopped, annoyed by the accusation. Kane was pouring himself a glass of wine. His hands shook, and his dark look made it clear that anger was the cause. “That gangly little twit is idiotic enough to have whispered a word to someone he shouldn’t have. And I’m not sure who else had access to the missing shipping diary.”

  The Archbishop frowned. “I seriously doubt that, Kane. More likely, your antics on the highway yesterday raised your sister’s suspicions, and she merely took the obvious step of having your apartment searched. You know how determined she is, and you should have thought of that before assuring us that all was well yesterday afternoon. The diary was probably Lord Orson. Right now, however, we have far more important matters before us than assigning blame. So, I must go, or it’ll be the gibbet for the lot of us.”

  As he reached the door of the apartment, he heard a glass smash again
st a wall, and Kane begin to curse loudly.

  ***

  The palace’s main readying yard was a bustle of activity as noblemen streamed out from the palace entrance and made their way down the stairs and off to their waiting carriages. Everywhere vehicles were pulling away, iron-rimmed wheels and hooves clattering on cobblestones, heading for the granite archway that led to the royal colonnade and the palace gates on the other side of the south garden.

  The Archbishop dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief as he crossed to the black carriage that was drawn up in the shadow of the courtyard wall. A black uniformed groom opened the door for him and he stepped inside and took a seat.

  When the door closed leaving him and his high steward alone, he said, “Well?”

  Bianca was seated opposite dressed in the elegant dark blue gown he particularly favoured. Her hair was tied in an elaborate knot and from the alluring sent of lavender on her skin he suspected she had lately bathed. Despite the picture of beauty, he could see her calm deportment was a fragile façade.

  “The lady was more difficult than I anticipated, Milord.”

  The Archbishop let himself smile at that as he slipped the handkerchief back into his court robes. “Not the reasoned and logical creature you’ve imagined all these years, then? Royals can be that way, my dear, disappointing, particularly de Bries with reformist sensibilities.”

  He motioned for her to sit beside him. He liked to study her face when they talked. When she dutifully complied he touched her cheek with a loving finger and bent to kiss her neck, her jaw, her lips. The smell and taste of her was delectable, a drug as powerful as Vafusolum opium

  “So, what happened?” he whispered. “You did not come to my bed last night, or warn me about this shipping diary and that the Lady de Brie knew about the slaves on Helidon’s estate. I didn’t appreciate the surprise.”

  “She decided to handle the matter herself, and forced me to accompany her. There wasn’t much I could do about it. Unfortunately Lord Kane’s liegeman and some of his companions were there. They took the document from her, locked us in the cellar and set the place alight with the intent of murder. As for a shipping diary, I know not what you, mean, Milord. When I left her our plans were in ruin and she had no chance of opposing Lord Kane’s bill this morning.”