"No, I suppose not." The Princess sipped her tea but didn't meet Ursula's eyes.
After a moment, Ursula cleared her throat. "I was exploring Evangeline's cottage a bit yesterday."
"Oh," Delthyn said. "I suppose it is full of old things that no one has use for anymore. I haven't been able to bring myself to empty it. Veronica has no interest in doing it."
"I understand," Ursula said, deciding to take a gamble. "You might want to leave it as it is, in case her son ever wants to use it."
All the color drained out of Delthyn's face, and she swayed as though buffeted by the gales of a storm. Her whole body began to shake, and her teacup rattled against the saucer.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice trembled.
"Gideon is Evangeline's son, isn't he?"
"No." A male voice interrupted the conversation. "Gideon is our son."
Duke Thomas hurried to sit at his wife's side, enveloping her in his arms. He glared at Ursula. "What did you say to her?"
"I apologize," the Queen said. "I was testing a theory. Last night, I found a key labeled 'attic' in a marble box, and when I found and opened the attic, I saw a painting of Princess Evangeline."
Delthyn furrowed her brow. "A painting? What painting?"
"I assume she'd commissioned it as a gift for her husband. There was a small metal plaque on the frame saying that it was for him. I also assume he never saw it."
Thomas shook his head. "No one has ever seen it, as far as I know. Everett died just a month after Gid...Carsten was born. Perhaps when the painting was finished, Evangeline put it away."
"I don't know what this has to do with her son," Delthyn said. "You know that baby died in the fire with his mother."
"A baby died, perhaps," Ursula said, "but I think the three of us know it wasn't Carsten. In the painting, Princess Evangeline is holding her son. He has a birthmark on his leg that looks like a seahorse. I saw that same mark on Gideon's leg when he climbed out of the water after he had trouble."
Duke Thomas looked at his wife in concern. "Gideon had trouble in the water? When was this?"
"This morning. He and Harriet left early, but she came back after an hour or so. The Queen went swimming later."
"He was showing me a natural platform some distance off shore," Ursula said. "We swam out there, but something happened before he got to our destination. He said he was held by something. Apparently, he told his mother he got a cramp in his leg."
"A cramp?" Duke Thomas shook his head. "That doesn't sound like Gideon. He's a strong swimmer. Has been since he was a child."
"He didn't tell me it was a cramp," Ursula said. She took a deep breath, remembering what he had said, then decided it was time for the truth to come out. "He said it felt like someone grabbed him and tried to pull him under."
"What?" Both of his parents cried out.
"Who would do that?" Thomas said.
Ursula shook her head. "There wasn't anyone around I could see. Are there Anamii in those waters?"
Duke Thomas and his wife exchanged glances. "There may be. It wouldn't be the first time they've tried to make contact with him. We made sure he never knew, though. It was safer that way."
"Thomas," Delthyn cried. "No."
"Darling, she already suspects. What's the harm in telling the truth?"
"You know the harm. She's the King's Widow, charged with naming the rightful heir to the throne. If she names anyone but Josiah, people will get hurt. Possibly even killed."
"Grand Princess," the servant said, "the Queen has gone to visit Princess Delthyn. It's possible she won't be back until close to dinner."
"I believe I said I would wait for her." Why did these women feel they could be loyal to Ursula to the point of disrespecting her? Wasn't she, for all intents and purposes, the Queen Mother, while Ursula was, officially, nothing? What did Killian's widow do that inspired such dedication in her servants?
"But—"
Straightening her back, Veronica stared at the younger woman. "I will wait for Queen Ursula. Perhaps you might offer me some refreshments and send someone to Delthyn's cottage, informing them of my arrival here?"
"Of course, Your Highness." The maid hurried out of the small library. Veronica tsked. What kind of palace did they run over in Valborough that Ursula didn't have the butler or at least the head housekeeper greet her guests?
Perhaps they were no better than peasants over there. That would explain Ursula's insistence on going in the ocean to swim. No woman in her right mind, as far as Veronica was concerned, would subject herself to wet clothing and wet hair for recreation. Certainly there were more dignified ways to enjoy oneself.
However, there was nothing she could do about it now. She had to wait here until Josiah brought the carriage back or until Ursula returned from what had to be a dull visit with Delthyn. Why would she want to go there anyway?
Veronica sat in the Princess's chair for a moment, but knowing this was where Evangeline had been when she heard of Everett's death made the Grand Princess uncomfortable. Of course, she'd had nothing to do with his demise, regardless of her feelings toward him and his blood line.
At that time, she hadn't even begun thinking about what needed to happen to put her son on the throne. In fact, she'd been pregnant herself, but all of her Ladies, as well as some of the Elemental Healers, had insisted her baby was a girl.
Two of the Ladies were adamant that because she carried the baby high in her abdomen, she would have a daughter. They even instructed the seamstresses to begin making dresses and ceremonial robes covered with lace, organza, and heavily embroidered brocade.
An Elemental Healer who had served Veronica's mother quoted prophecies that said no male children would be born in the royal bloodline after Killian for seventeen generations. After Carsten's birth, the woman was sent to a monastery where it was determined the healer saw prophecies where there were none.
Then Josiah was born, and Veronica took this as a sign that the injustice she'd lived with her whole life was to be resolved.
Of course, Carsten would have to die. The thought bothered Veronica because it would hurt her sister and her parents.
Charlotte had given birth to her first son to be named David a few months before, but he died only a week later. That death had nothing to do with Veronica, but it did mean when Carsten had been born, he was the Exarch, the heir to the throne.
Veronica stood abruptly, trying to push away all the deaths she'd been responsible for. She'd done everything for the good of Heyton. That was what she had to keep in mind, or all her plans would fall apart as they were set to come to fruition.
She wandered over to the bookcases, looking to see if her sister had collected any volumes of poetry she hadn't read yet. When she got to the corner of the room, a bundle of brown fabric stashed behind a loveseat caught her eye.
Why would Ursula allow her servants to leave laundry or cleaning rags behind furniture?
She reached for the fabric to give it to the housekeeper, but to her shock, she felt something hard like wood under the blanket.
Further investigation showed it was a large painting, as wide the height of the sofa, but the color of the blanket and the dim light of the corner had camouflaged its presence.
It took some effort, but she pulled it out far enough to uncover and look at it.
Evangeline's smiling face peered back at her, and Veronica's heart sped up. She missed her sister dreadfully, and that feeling had increased as the years passed. It would have been wonderful to have Evangeline's company, especially now as they grieved Killian's passing.
The two of them had been close when they were younger, before men and politics forced them to focus on seeking out advantageous marriage prospects. If things had been different, if they'd been born into a family that wasn't royal, maybe their sons could have grown up together and been friends, too.
Once in a while, Veronica was able to step away from her ambitions to look at her children with a mother
's, not a Princess's, eye. Josiah was far too serious, Damien too carefree, and Amara too closed off. If they'd had a different kind of life, would they have grown up to be happier adults?
Thinking about how much she loved her sister, Veronica ran her fingertips over the image of Evangeline's face. The artist had captured Evangeline's features so clearly it was almost as though the Princess was sitting in the room now.
Suddenly, Veronica's fingers froze.
Evangeline was holding a child who had to be Carsten.
Veronica had assumed this painting had been a wedding present for Everett, something the couple had kept in this cottage rather than taken back to the Sapphire Palace. However, the presence of the baby proved that to be false.
The plaque on the bottom of the frame confirmed this had been a gift for Everett, but it had been done to celebrate the birth of the child that would have taken the throne.
Some kind of morbid curiosity drove the Grand Princess to look at the image of the baby.
What would Carsten have looked like now? Veronica tried to imagine his face as it would be had he lived.
As she ran her eyes and fingers over the painted child, again they stopped in surprise. There was a birthmark shaped like a seahorse on the baby's leg, right below his hip.
Veronica rocked back in shock, and her eyes took in the rest of the painting. It was an ocean scene, with members of the Anamii surrounding Evangeline as though in homage to her child.
A memory floated to the front of her mind.
Gideon swimming with Josiah and Damien in this same ocean, years ago when the family was here to commemorate Evangeline's death. The boys had only about four or five years old, and Gideon had dropped his swimming shorts to relieve himself in the surf.
Delthyn had yelped and ran over, crying out that young Princes did not expose their nether regions in the presence of other people. Gideon had stopped what he was doing and apologized.
Mother and Father, along with Killian, had laughed, saying the child was too busy playing to find a private spot to do what was, after all, a natural part of life.
Veronica was the only one who'd noticed the mark on his weak leg and made some comment about how he'd been marked by the Elements as something less than perfect.
Mother had scolded her, saying that was unkind, but deep in her heart, Veronica believed it was true.
That mark meant Gideon should never be considered a real man, let alone a Prince.
Now, staring at the picture, she knew the mark meant something quite different.
Gideon was Evangeline's son and the rightful heir to the throne of Heyton.
No one else could ever see this painting nor discover the truth.
Veronica's heart beat faster. Ursula had already seen it. Did she know what the birthmark meant? She had been swimming with Gideon, and possibly, she'd seen the ugly stain on his leg.
Neither of them could be allowed to figure out what it all meant.
The idea of more deaths made Veronica sick to her stomach, but she'd worked too hard to get where she was. Her goal was so close she could almost feel the Queen Mother's crown on her head.
Nothing, and no one, could be allowed to stand in her way.
Chapter 33
"When Josiah was born, I saw a change in Veronica," Delthyn said. The Princess and her husband took Ursula into a private sitting room, asked their butler for wine, and then instructed him they were not to be disturbed.
"She had always resented that our father included Killian in all meetings with the Council of Ministers, official tours of the troops, and anything he did as King. She felt she should be included as well, given that they were twins, and she had been born first."
"I thought the law was that only males can inherit the crown," Ursula asked.
"It is," Duke Thomas said, "but Veronica thought the law could be changed if she proved herself to be as capable as any man, but her parents never gave her the chance."
"She was ignored, as the rest of us were," Delthyn said. "Father loved us, of course, as much as he could given he was raised by a King who only saw sons as valuable. Anyway, Veronica did whatever she could to catch his attention and get him to see that she knew as much about Heyton's relations with other kingdoms."
She sighed. "Poor Veronica. She read everything she could about our allies and our enemies. She studied Heyton's history, and knew more about protocol and proper etiquette than even our own nannies and social secretaries. She worked so hard to become the best Queen she could be, and all the time, she was still considered as nothing more than an asset to be sold off for the good of the kingdom."
Duke Thomas shook his head, but he was smiling at the same time. "Is that what you were, my darling?"
"I was, but fortunately, I fell in love with the proper man to make my parents happy." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
Ursula watched their interaction and smiled. They cared for each other more than most royal couples she knew, besides Mariana and Orlando, and Ramone and Victoria. She wondered if her marriage to Killian would have turned into that kind of love, or if she would have ended up like Veronica and her husband, ignoring each other's existence until something required them to be together.
"Please continue," Ursula urged before Delthyn and Thomas forgot why she was there as they stared into each other's eyes.
"Of course," Thomas replied. "When Carsten was born, the entire kingdom rejoiced. Killian's son David had been born a few months before but died soon after he was born, so Carsten was the first in line for the throne after Killian. Veronica was pregnant at the time, but even she was happy for Evangeline."
"We all were," Delthyn said, "but as I said, when Josiah was born, she changed. She started spending more time with Charlotte's friend Yamina and talking more about how the law should be changed so that she could become Queen."
The Princess swallowed and the color left her face. "Several times, Carsten got sick in the night with no explanation. He was only discovered to be ill because he was screaming in pain so loudly one of the servants heard him. The nanny always slept so soundly that she didn't hear him. The second time this happened, Father fired her because he said she must have been drinking even though she denied it."
Thomas took Delthyn's hand and squeezed it. The Princess took a deep breath and looked at Ursula. "I think Veronica poisoned him, but either the dosage was wrong or perhaps his Water Sensitivity made him more resistant to whatever he'd been given. Maybe she had Yamina do it, but I think my sister was responsible. And I think Evangeline knew it, or at least suspected it."
"It's why she left the palace after Everett died," Thomas said. "She feared for Carsten's life."
"And you went with her, Princess Delthyn," Ursula said.
"Not at first. Thomas and I were going to his father's estate for a visit, but we met Evangeline at the inn. She was frightened, so I decided to stay with her while Thomas went on ahead."
"And the fire?"
Delthyn closed her eyes for a moment. "This is hard to talk about." She opened her eyes, took a deep breath and continued, slowly.
"We were sleeping when I heard something just outside the door to our room. Someone was trying to get in. Evangeline grabbed the baby and tried to hide, but there was nowhere to go.
"I was able to get the window open just as we heard screams and saw the barn was on fire. I guess the building was old, and the roofbegan burning. It spread quickly. I jumped to the ground. She wrapped Carsten in a blanket and lowered him to me, but before she could climb out herself, the room was engulfed."
Tears ran down the Princess's cheeks as she continued, "I saw a man running from the barn with the King's seal on his uniform. He wasn't one of Evangeline's guards, so I was afraid Veronica had sent someone to harm the baby. The innkeeper and his wife lived in a house next to the tavern, so I went there to hide."
She had to swallow, and Thomas poured her a cup of tea. When she'd taken a few sips, he patted her hand.
"You don't
have to go on," he said, but to Ursula's surprise, Delthyn shook her head.
"I've started now, and Ursula needs to know why this has to be a secret." She turned to the Queen. "The innkeeper said that soldiers had asked him which room Evangeline was in and if the baby was in there with her. They weren't the soldiers she brought with her because they knew she would have Carsten with her."
"And you think they were sent by Veronica," Ursula said.
"Or someone who wanted them dead. I believe the fire was started deliberately, and I saw someone going through the rubble when it was out." Tears were coming hard and fast now.
"Elements forgive us, but the innkeeper changed the guest book and moved the body of another baby to be near Evangeline. I took Carsten's royal amulet and left it in the ashes. If anyone was looking for proof the second in line to the throne of Heyton was dead, they'd find it."
"Then she brought Carsten to my family's estate," Thomas said. "We had to keep him safe, so we took him to the Anamii, but they said he had to live with his family, and Delthyn was the closest thing he had to a mother."
"You raised him as your own."
The Princess nodded. "I became pregnant soon after the fire, and when Harriet was born, we raised her and Carsten as twins, changing his name. We had to wait for a couple of years until the differences between them were lessened. His leg and arm were burned in the fire and never developed properly."
She dropped her head in her hands. "Veronica is my sister, too, and I do love her, but I think her quest for power has made her into something I don't recognize. If she knew the truth, Gideon's life would be in danger. All she thinks about is getting Josiah on the throne so she can rule as Queen Mother. I think she would do anything to make sure that happens."
"Does she know about the birthmark?" Ursula asked. Gideon was the rightful heir to the throne, but this had to remain a secret until the coronation.
Gideon's parents exchanged glances, and tears welled up in Delthyn's eyes again as she nodded.
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