Palace Intrigue

by Lina J. Potter

  “I hope…”

  “I was careful,” Jess assured him. “I found an herbalist to take care of her. But her whining was getting on my nerves. She’s acting like a wife instead of a mistress.”

  “Maybe she wants to be your wife.”

  “I’ve already got one of those on a rope around my neck.” Jess took such a hard bite out of the apple that it split in half.

  Richard sighed. “She may be tied to you, and she may not be beautiful, but I think you make too much of your misfortune.”

  “I just did it for the boatyards…and August.”

  “I know.” Richard reached for his own apple.

  The boatyards and August; Jess needed both. That was why he and his father had agreed to the marriage contract. Jess turned to his cousin. “Now, I have to go back to Earton and try to make a new baby with her.”

  “You’ll survive. You can do some hunting while you’re there.”

  “That’s the one thing I look forward to, but it won’t be until next summer or even the fall.”

  “I’m afraid you’re right.”

  “Are you going to choose Lidia?”

  “Richard lay back and looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know. Anna is a lovely girl, and I can tell she is trying hard, but I have to see them both before I can decide.”

  “Fair enough.”

  The prince raised up on one elbow and looked at Jess. “You be careful with that Adele. She’s a barracuda.”

  Jess shrugged. “Barracuda or not, she’s a queen next to my wife.”

  “It’s your job to endure.”

  “I am enduring!” Jess protested. “It’s your job to choose a wife that you won’t have to endure.”

  Richard smiled. “That’s my plan.” He put a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “It’s big game season. Enjoy the hunt and try to forget about your problems.”

  “Don’t you want to hunt with me?”

  The prince looked away. He did not care for hunting, but he kept that to himself.

  How do other men enjoy it? They ride out armed with spears and swords and dogs and beaters. I wouldn’t call it hunting; I’d call it murder.

  Jess didn’t seem to notice. He punched his cousin’s shoulder. “We’ll have a wonderful time!”

  Richard nodded and bit into his apple.

  That’s why I like apples; when you’re eating one, you don’t have to say anything.

  ***

  “My Lady?”

  Alicia Weeks turned to face her maid.

  “Lord Ivelen is here to see you.”

  “Show him in.”

  With a practiced motion, the dowager countess adjusted her dress and ran a hand over her smooth hair. Peter Ivelen walked in and bowed.

  “My Lady.”

  “Dearest son-in-law.”

  “I hope I find you well?”

  “I have no complaints. How is your family?”

  “Very well. Amalia asked me to kiss you for her.”

  Alicia gave a cold smile. “Tell her that I pray for her daily.” She was on speaking terms with her daughter, but that did not mean she loved her.

  “You look wonderful, as always.”

  “What brings you here?” she cut him off. Alicia had never enjoyed praise. As a small girl, she had known that people flattered her because of her connection to the royal family.

  “I’m getting to that, Mother.” Peter smiled with just his lips. Obviously, he didn’t think much of his mother-in-law.

  Alicia replied with a poisonous smile of her own. “Does my dear daughter need anything? Shall I come hold her hand during the birth?”

  “Of course not. Amalia is in Ivelen.”

  “All the better. The capital is no place for a pregnant woman. How is she?”

  “She is concerned about her niece.”

  Alicia shrugged. “Miranda is in Earton. Alicia would do better to think of her own two children and the one on the way.”

  “I agree with you, but I was hoping you had some news from Earton.”

  Alicia shook her head. “You will have to ask the king. I believe Miranda is well. I suppose that is all Amalia wanted to know.”

  Peter looked at her sharply. he seemed to sense that she was holding something back.

  The old woman clasped her hands in her lap. “His majesty places the utmost faith in me, and I have no intention of betraying that faith.” Her voice was clear and crisp.

  The Earl of Ivelen winced but apparently decided to push the matter no further.

  “My Lady…”

  “Was there something else you wanted?” Alicia looked up at him, making it clear that she had no time for empty conversation.

  “I assume you will see His majesty soon?”

  “I will.”

  “Then tell him about Amalia’s concern. He may find time to…”

  “I will tell him, but I doubt that will change anything.” Alicia stood up, bowed curtly, and showed her son-in-law to the door.

  Once he was gone, she frowned darkly. She didn’t care for the Ivelens. They were dukes, but they thought entirely too much of themselves. Alicia had known Peter’s father, and she remembered clearly how it felt to be an ugly girl without a dowry. Jyce had saved her from the fate of an old maid. She would always be grateful to him, and to the king, and to Jessamine. But that was it. Peter was not on the list of people to whom she owed gratitude.

  As she sat back down at her desk, she wondered how long it would take for Lily to reply to her letter.

  ***

  Royce Fletch took aside two of his men. “Mick and James, I want you to leave your horses here and walk into the village. Let it be known that you are looking for work. Find out what you can about Earton and about the countess. You know what to do.”

  The men nodded, knowing exactly what to do. Their job was to find out if murdering the countess would be possible, and if so, how best to get close to her. The village closest to their camp was Appleton. The rest of the men stayed back in the woods, where they would build a fire and wait several days for their two emissaries to return. Once Mick and James brought back news, Royce would decide what to do. They could do the job, or they could tell their employer they did it and take his money. Ivernea was not that far away, and they could always find work there.

  ***

  “Anna is doing her best, of that I am sure.” Altres Lort sat at the king’s feet but he kept his eyes on the fire in the hearth.

  “But?”

  “Richard doesn’t look interested.”

  “Why not?”

  “He wants to look at all his options.”

  “I don’t like that. He must leave Wellster wearing Anna’s bracelet.”

  “I agree with you, Gardwig. When should we hold the hunt?”

  “In four days.”

  “Perfect. I have a plan.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Both men stared at the flames. Altres’ plan spooled out of him like a spider’s thread, ready to grab the trusting fly, Prince Richard of Ativerna.

  ***

  Lily quickly glanced over the document in front of her. “Leir Avels, you’re a wonder!”

  “I did my best, My Lady.” Lons allowed himself a polite smile. It had been no easy business putting the report together, but he had done it well. Lily had asked him to write out a description of the state of affairs in Earton, the estate’s income and expenses, and her own actions. Hans Tremain would take the report and present it to His Majesty. It had taken four tries before Lons came up with a format that pleased the countess. In the end, they settled on a report that presented plenty of numbers with little text. When she asked Hans to review the report, he found nothing to change.

  Lily turned to Lons. “Can you copy it out one more time in nice handwriting? It is for the king, after all.”

  “Of course, My Lady.”

  Lily’s face lit up with a smile of gratitude. He could see she expected him to rush off to recopy the report, but he stood there looking at h
er awkwardly.

  “My Lady?”

  “Yes?”

  “You have been invited to court, haven’t you?”

  “Is that a matter of public knowledge?”

  “The people who need to know are already aware, My Lady.” He smiled.

  Lily grimaced. “The king invited me to the capital in the spring. I’d rather not go.”

  “But you must.” He paused. “My Lady, can I say something without being considered excessively rude?”

  “You may speak openly with me, Leir Avels.”

  “My Lady, you have very unusual manners.”

  “I suppose everyone at court will think I’ve lost my mind.”

  Lons said nothing, but the look on his face spoke for him.

  “I am aware of that, Leir Avels. I am a merchant’s daughter, not a born noblewoman, and my upbringing left much to be desired. And, as you can see, there is little call for fine manners here in Earton.”

  “I would not dream of criticizing you, My Lady. I am a fair teacher if you will allow me to say so, and I could…”

  “You could teach me everything I need to know.”

  “My Lady, I feel I have been too forward.” Lons proceeded cautiously, but he could tell that the countess was not offended. In fact, she welcomed his suggestion. If all went according to plan, Lilian Earton would owe him a great deal.

  Chevalier Avels had already reached some conclusions about the countess, and he blushed to recall his plan to become her lover. How stupid I was! Lilian Earton was not the type of woman to keep a lover. A man would have to work hard day and night to gain even her notice. She was intelligent, strong, interesting, and even a little bit mysterious.

  In truth, it was a relief to know that he wouldn’t have to sell his body. Thoughts of Anna still tortured him at night when he lay in his lonely bed.

  My poor girl! How is she doing, I wonder?

  He would do his best to prepare the countess for her audience with the king. She would be the envy of everyone at court. She will shine! Lons knew he could do it. Without altering her personality in the least, he could show her how to behave like the finest noblewoman, and he believed Lilian Earton was a woman who knew how to show gratitude. His salary at Earton was a little less than Gardwig had offered, but she paid him regularly and often presented him with small gifts, such as new clothes, boots, or a lovely silver pen and inkwell the likes of which he had never seen before. In short, Lons hoped to continue his mutually beneficial relationship with Lily as long as possible. Every now and then, he allowed himself to dream about bringing Anna to live with him in Earton. The countess would not mind, and he would live a quiet life with his beloved, teaching at the castle and rearing his own children.

  “My Lady, if you can find the time...”

  Lily narrowed her eyes at him. “Can you teach me alongside the children?”

  “The children?” He didn’t understand what she wanted.

  “Mirrie, Mark and the Virman children.”

  “Why in the world do Virman children need to know about etiquette and diplomacy?”

  Lily shrugged. “You never know what you’ll need in this life.”

  Lons thought for a moment and nodded. “As you wish, My Lady.”

  “I believe I will have some time this evening.”

  “Whenever you wish, My Lady.”

  “Thank you, Leir Avels. I will not forget this.”

  Lons had no doubt of that. The countess would not forget him.

  ***

  “Erik, catch!”

  Even through the new panes of window glass, Lily could hear one of the children yelling to another. They certainly were a handful for Emma to manage, she thought.

  She knew her housekeeper was running her feet off every day just to keep up. Lily demanded cleanliness, while the servants had only the slightest notions of hygiene, and the band of children running around the castle did little to help matters. Still, Lily felt the children were useful to have around. They saw everything that went on in the castle, and some of them were actually running around doing errands for their parents and other adults. Helke Leitz—an Eveer jeweler—and the other craftsmen were looking at some of the boys and girls as potential apprentices, especially now that most of the Virmans were away working on the coast.

  The countess had finally paid a visit to the smokehouse, and she clapped her hands when she saw it. The Virmans had organized a conveyor system; the fish was unloaded, processed, and smoked or salted as quickly as possible. Her salt pits had turned out to be an excellent idea, as well. The salt had a slightly bitter aftertaste, but it would prevent spoilage and keep all of their thyroids functioning. Lily felt like she had scored two big wins with those projects.

  When Hans heard that the smokehouse was in operation, he rode down to the beach to examine it thoroughly. Afterward, he bowed most respectfully to the countess and asked for a description of the process. Lily was happy to share her design with other Ativernese, so she wrote it out and gave it to Hans as a scroll.

  The king’s envoy was almost ready for his return journey. Lily had given him gifts for everyone whose support she would need. Helke was busily polishing a couple of precious stones, and he swore that the recipients would faint when they saw them. When Lily stopped by his workshop, she remembered that she hadn’t taught the dressmakers to incorporate glass beads into their lace yet. She also wanted them to make beaded bracelets and other decorative items. The girls were ready to start any day, but the glass blower was taking his time. He wanted to make an impression on the countess.

  Lily also had goods that she wanted to send to her father for sale. There weren’t enough hours in the day for her to do everything, and as a result, she was rarely able to find time to work on her manners with Lons. Undeterred, he began to work with her when they sat around the dinner table, showing her how to move, how to smile, what to talk about. The countess gained the upper hand, however, once forks were introduced. Nothing like it had ever been seen before, and Lons had not the faintest idea what to do with one. As far as Lily could tell, people in her new world used knives to cut their food and spoons for soup, but everything else they ate with their hands.

  It had taken a great deal of trouble to explain to the blacksmith what a fork should look like. Once he got the idea, she handed over boxes of ugly old silver plates for him to melt down to make forks and other tableware. To make sure she got all her silver back, she put a Virman in the forge to keep an eye on things. Soon, Lily had thirty-two full sets of silverware. Her servants stared at her, but she was pleased to see the table finally set with forks, knives, soup spoons and dessert spoons.

  When Hans appeared at dinner, he stopped in confusion. After examining the new items, though, he pronounced them both attractive and useful. Lily had secretly set aside a set of silverware for him to take away as a gift, but she decided not to show it to him until the day of his departure.

  ***

  Someone knocked on the door.

  “Come in!”

  Erik Torvson appeared in the doorway. He smiled, revealing several missing teeth. Lily smiled politely in reply. “I am glad to see you, Erik. How was your trip?”

  “It went well, My Lady. I spoke to the mayor and bought everything you asked for, even a little bit more than you asked for. What I mean to say is someone came back with me.” He stepped aside, and Lily’s smile grew even wider.

  “Taris! How good it is to see you, my friend!”

  Taris Brok gave a perfectly measured bow, but it was obvious that he was glad to see the countess again.

  “My Lady, you are even lovelier than you were when I took my leave. I did not think that was possible.”

  “Then I suppose I’ll be absolutely gorgeous by the time I’m eighty,” Lily laughed. “What brings you back to Earton?”

  “I brought a letter from your father, My Lady. I also have some carrier pigeons for you and a few other things. Your father asked me to stay here and help you unless you’d rather no
t have me here.”

  Lily clapped her hands. “Taris! How could I not want you here? I’m so glad you will be here over the winter. Go get some rest, and later you can tell me all about my father.”

  Taris handed Lily a letter, bowed and left. Lily knew that Emma would make sure he got the best room. She thanked her lucky stars her father’s agent had turned up. She didn’t want to make the trip to Altver to sell the things she and Helke were working on, but someone needed to do it. She wanted her inventions to gain traction over the winter so that her name would already be on everyone’s lips when she paid her visit to the king’s court in the spring. She remembered something people had always said back in medical school: first you work hard for your grades, and then they work hard for you. Lily had every intention of working hard so she would have something to show the king.

  ***

  With Taris gone, she began to go over her various projects in her head.

  Emma was in charge of everything at the castle, and Ingrid was keeping an eye on the villages. Leif was the master down at the smokehouse and salt pits and accompanied Ingrid on periodic tours of the villages. Leis Antrel handled all the guards. That left Lily responsible for all the manufacturing on the estate since no one else could do the job for her. Lons Avels took care of all the estate’s books and reports, but she went over all his work. So far, it didn’t look like he was lining his own pocket.

  Now, what will I do with Taris?

  She decided to make him her traveling sales manager. Erik could go with him as both bodyguard and auditor.

  The estate now had all the livestock it could hold, and the peasants had stored up a huge amount of peat to use as fuel over the winter.

  I’ll have them keep bringing it in, though. Earton has plenty of bogs. We could probably find a place for the hound of the Baskervilles if we had to.

  ***

  “My Lady?”

  Lily turned quickly. It was Erik. He had disappeared somehow when Taris came in, but now he was back.

  “Ingrid gave me a little gift for you.”

  Lily’s eyebrows went up. The man was holding a sack, and there was obviously something alive wriggling in it. Erik untied the sack and pulled out a healthy sized dog. She took a step forward. On closer inspection, she saw that it was actually a very large puppy, with huge paws and thick, fluffy fur.