by C. J. Archer
Erik plucked at my sleeve. “She will need new clothes. What cloth do they sell in the village?”
Tea sloshed over the sides of Theodore’s cup as he knocked it in his excitement. He set it down and beamed at me. “Forget the village shops. Leon wore many fine outfits. You can have the maids unpick them and make dresses out of the fabric. There are some exquisite items in his wardrobe. Cloth of gold and silver, silks of the finest quality… I can’t wait to pick out the best pieces for you.”
Erik clicked his fingers. “There was a nice cloak he wore once. Wine red with gold vines, leaves and birds stitched all over.”
Theodore clapped his hands. “I know the one! There’s a matching doublet and breeches too.”
Erik lifted his cup in salute. “You will have to be the master of the queen’s wardrobe, Theo. Dane will not appreciate your skill as valet. He will not wear red with gold thread. But Josie will.”
Theodore blushed as he picked up his cup again. “That’s kind of you, Erik, but the job must go to a woman.”
“Bah! You are like a woman.”
Theodore took a long sip of his tea.
“First, you must think about her wedding dress. Or the coronation dress?” Erik turned to Kitty. “Which will be first?”
Kitty concentrated on her tea as hard as Theodore concentrated on his.
“Kitty?” Erik prompted.
“There will be no wedding,” I said.
Erik frowned. “Dane has promised.”
“This is a promise he can’t keep. Kitty knows it too, don’t you, Kitty?”
The men looked at her. After a moment, she set her teacup down with a deep sigh. “You would have made a fine queen, Josie. You’re kind, clever, and brave.” She blinked rapidly and looked away.
“But that’s not enough,” I finished for her. “Queens must have diplomacy.”
“You will learn the art of politics,” Theodore said.
“And most of all,” I went on, “they must have connections to other royal houses. That’s how alliances are forged, trade is expanded, and wars are averted. Dane will marry Princess Illiriya of Vytill.”
Theodore shook his head. “But—”
“No buts, Theo. Kitty understands. The nobles and advisors won’t agree to Dane becoming king unless he agrees to marry her.”
“No!” Erik all but shouted. “Dane will not accept this.”
I set down my teacup and rose. “He already has when he declared himself today.”
My chest felt tight, my throat raw. I headed outside for fresh air and sat on the bench seat in the garden. The sun had disappeared behind a blanket of cloud that extended in all directions and looked as though it was here to stay for some time. The stars would not be visible tonight.
Not that it mattered. Dane wouldn’t notice them anyway. He was going to be too busy for stargazing from now on.
The arrival of Lady Miranda Claypool the following day lifted my mood a little. She had come with her parents after traveling all night to reach the palace. Her father, the minister for finance, had received a letter the day before from Dane requesting his presence after declaring himself king. He was among the first of the ministers and nobles to rush to the palace, but he wouldn’t be the last.
“I’m so tired,” Miranda said, as we sat in the parlor adjoining her bedchamber. As a senior advisor, Lord Claypool was assigned one of the better suites that comprised of multiple rooms. We were alone, however. Miranda’s father was in a meeting with Dane, and her mother was speaking to other newly arrived ladies.
“I’m so glad you came,” I told her.
“And I’m so pleased to be here. I cannot quite fathom the news! It’s quite incredible, and I admit that I don’t really know why the captain of the guards is now the king.”
“It’s a long story. The short version is that Dane discovered his past in Freedland and learned that he is the son of a former Freedland princess and Prince Hugo of Glancia.”
Miranda squeezed my hands. “You always knew there was something special about him.”
I gave her a grim smile. “A little too special.”
She drew me into a hug. “Don’t worry yet. Wait and see what my father advises. There is still a chance for you two to be together.”
Her words might have been hopeful ones, but her tone was not. Like Kitty, she was born into the world of nobles and knew that marriage was a contract between parties. It had nothing to do with love or what either party desired.
“Enough about that,” she said, drawing away. “Tell me about your travels.” Her smile slipped and her eyes filled with tears. “Tell me how she died.”
“Ah. Yes. About that.” I stood and took her hand. “Come with me for a ride into the forest.”
“The forest? Josie, what is this about? Where are you taking me?”
“To see an old friend.”
She gasped. “You did find her body. I thought it was strange that it simply disappeared and wasn’t found after the floodwaters subsided. But why did you bury her in the forest here and not at her home?”
I refused to answer which drove her a little mad, but she stopped asking me questions by the time we mounted horses in the stables. Quentin and another guard rode with us as an escort, although I doubted the Deerhorns would dare try anything while I was with Miranda. No one had seen them since they’d stormed out of the council chamber the day before, although the maids and footmen said they were still in the palace. Theodore joined us too, since he claimed he had nothing better to do.
When we dismounted at the cottage, Quentin put out a hand to stay me. “We should knock first,” he said. “Yelena and Martha have moved into rooms at the palace, but Erik’s here. We don’t want to walk in on them in the middle of…you know.”
“Walk in on who?” Miranda asked.
I handed the reins of my horse to the guard named Jay.
“He should be bloody working,” Jay grumbled. “His injury ain’t so bad now.”
“You can tell him that yourself when he comes out,” I said as the door opened.
Erik stood there, entirely naked, scratching his head and yawning. He looked as though he’d just woken up. Miranda gasped and spun around. I didn’t bother. I was used to seeing Erik without clothes on after traveling with him for so long. Besides, it gave me a good view of his stitched wound. It was still healing nicely.
“Get out here, you lazy sod,” Quentin said.
Erik stepped onto the porch.
“Put some clothes on first!” Theodore cried. “Lady Miranda doesn’t want to see that.”
Erik frowned at Miranda’s back. “It is big and frightening at first,” he said with a knowing nod. “But you will get used to it, just like the other ladies.”
Miranda broke into giggles.
Quentin rolled his eyes. “She’s a lady. Be more respectful.”
“Kitty is a lady too and she likes to look at my little friend. My little friend has become her—”
Miranda spun around. “Kitty?” She turned huge, unblinking eyes onto me. “Josie?”
I took her hand. “Come inside. There’s someone who’ll be very pleased to see you, but probably not as pleased as you will be to see her.”
Erik stepped aside and Miranda rushed past him. He looked a little disappointed that she didn’t take more notice of his equipage. Miranda was too intent on Kitty to care.
Kitty hadn’t yet seen her. She descended the stairs with the self-assured grace of a duchess. The effect was spoiled by her messy hair, her dreamy smile, and Erik’s shirt reaching to her knees.
“It is you!” Miranda raced to the staircase and threw her arms around Kitty.
Kitty squealed with delight and hugged her back. “Dearest Miranda, you came. Josie, isn’t this wonderful? All three of us together again. If only Meg were here.” She drew away from Miranda. “Do stop crying, dearest. As you can see, I am not dead.”
Miranda pressed her trembling lips together and nodded. She hugged Kitty again and
planted a kiss on both her cheeks.
Kitty laughed. “Come and sit down. Josie and I have so much to tell you. Erik, do you mind fetching tea? Oh, Erik,” she chided. “Did you answer the door to Miranda like that? No wonder she’s in shock.”
Erik planted his hands on his hips and grinned.
“We’re in civilization now, not the depths of Freedland. Go and get dressed.”
“You have my shirt,” he pointed out.
“Ah. Right. I’ll join you and dress too. Quentin, do you mind making tea? Martha left some in the pot. I would ask Josie, but until I know whether she’ll be Dane’s mistress or not, I can’t think of her as a servant.”
Quentin puffed out his chest. “I ain’t a servant either. I’m the king’s best friend.”
“Do just make the tea for me.” A bat of her eyelashes had Quentin scurrying off to the kitchen to do her bidding. Theodore followed.
While Erik and Kitty dressed upstairs, I sat with Miranda and told her how we faked Kitty’s death to keep her safe from the duke of Gladstow.
“It was your idea,” I pointed out.
“Yes, but I didn’t think it would be so successful,” she said. “What luck there happened to be a flooded river!”
Kitty returned as Quentin and Theodore brought in the tea. Her hair still hung down her back and her bodice laces were loose, but she was at least fully clothed. Erik followed her, fastening up his jerkin as he descended the stairs.
“What was the reaction to my death?” Kitty asked as she accepted a cup from Theodore.
“Shock,” Miranda said. “Sadness.”
Kitty eyed her sideways. “Who was sad?”
“Your parents.”
“Only because they no longer had a duchess for a daughter.”
“I was sad,” Miranda said, taking Kitty’s hand.
Kitty beamed. “I’m so glad to hear it. What about Gladstow? Did he mourn me at all?”
“He did all the things a grieving husband should. Your burial service was lovely, by the way. You would have liked it.”
“Were there lots of mourners?”
“Hundreds.”
“What flowers adorned my grave?”
“Daisies.”
Kitty wrinkled her nose. “Couldn’t he get something prettier?”
“There wasn’t much in bloom in early autumn. Not in great quantities.”
“But daisies are so common,” Kitty whined.
Miranda pressed her lips together to suppress her smile.
“I would have ridden all over Glancia to find exotic flowers for your burial,” Erik declared.
Kitty touched his jaw. “You sweet thing. You would mourn me properly too, and not simply do it for show like Gladstow.”
Erik gave her a solemn nod.
Miranda watched their exchange with a smile on her lips. “I see you weren’t bored on your journey.”
“Erik helped me cope with the hardships,” Kitty said. “There were many hardships, Miranda. You have no idea the things I had to do. I slept outside with nothing but my cloak for protection. I stayed in disgusting inns that made me wish I was sleeping outside. I hid from bandits and Vytillian guards. I cooked rabbit and peeled potatoes. I didn’t wash my hair for days on end. Days! And I wore the same clothes too.” She extended her arms forward. “Look at my fingernails, Miranda. I’ve been trying to clean them ever since we returned, but I fear the dirt may never come out.”
Miranda clucked sympathetically. “You poor thing. You’ve been very brave. Thank goodness you had Erik to distract you from such horrid things.”
“Oh yes. He’s been a wonderful distraction.”
“Thank goodness,” I muttered into my teacup.
Miranda shot me a sly grin. “So tell me about the bandits. And why were Vytillian guards after you?”
We spent the rest of the day at the cottage telling Miranda not only about our adventures, but also what we’d learned about magic and the palace servants. We told her everything. She already knew about the magic, but she listened intently as we detailed our other discoveries. By the end, she was quite speechless.
“Say something,” Kitty said, eyeing her friend carefully.
Miranda blinked at her. “I don’t know what to say. It’s all so fantastical.”
Kitty placed a hand on Miranda’s knee. “You mustn’t be afraid of them.”
“Of who?”
“The servants. They may be criminals, but some, like Dane, were imprisoned under false pretenses, and others were jailed for weak reasons simply to get them out of the way.” She nodded at Theodore.
He seemed surprised to be singled out. “Excuse me,” he muttered, rising and collecting the empty cups. “I’d best tidy up. Martha is no longer here, and Kitty shouldn’t have to. She’s still a duchess.”
She smiled sweetly at him. “That’s why Theo is my favorite.”
Erik pouted. “I thought I was.”
I rose to help Theodore in the kitchen. He seemed a little down. His own past must be worrying him, and perhaps he was having second thoughts about staying in Glancia. He must want to learn more about himself.
A knock on the door diverted my course, however. I opened it to Milo, one of the palace guards. He had not ridden with us to the cottage.
“Captain requests your presence at the palace, Josie,” he said. “He asks you to meet him and Lord Claypool in the council chamber.”
“Lord Claypool? What does he want with me?”
Milo shrugged.
Miranda traveled back to the palace with me, Theodore, and the guards, while Erik stayed with Kitty. He claimed he was protecting her from discovery, but we all knew the real reason.
A meeting with Lord Claypool in the council chamber seemed very official. There was only one thing the minister of finance would want to discuss with me, and it wasn’t a topic I wanted to discuss with him. Even so, a nobleman of Lord Claypool’s character wasn’t someone to be refused.
He smiled upon my entry into the council chamber and invited me to sit. Dane also smiled, but his was strained. He steered me towards a chair at the head of the table.
“Now will you tell us what this is about?” Dane asked.
Lord Claypool sat but Dane, ever restless, stood at my side, his hand on the back of my chair. When Lord Claypool realized he wasn’t going to sit, he clasped his hands on the table and cleared his throat.
“You told me in our meeting just now that you trust me, Dane.”
Dane nodded. “You’ve had Glancia’s interests at heart a lot longer than me.”
Lord Claypool seemed pleased with his response. “Miss Cully, you might be wondering why I’m referring to him as Dane rather than your majesty or Lockhart or even Hammer.”
“Not at all,” I said. “Until Yelena’s letters can be verified, his identity is unconfirmed. Even then, the nobles must agree that he should be king before he can be given the title,”
He smiled. “I see why my daughter speaks so highly of you. I’m glad you understand my predicament. Now, to the meeting we just had with the other nobles who have arrived today after hearing the news. You should be made aware that many of us support Dane’s claim.”
I arched my brow.
“I see that surprises you,” he said.
“After your preamble just now, I suspected you were going to say the opposite.”
“There are some who vehemently oppose him, naturally, but I am not one of them. Dane taking the throne solves many issues the country faces. Those issues are dire. I do not want a war of succession, and I want to see King Phillip taking over Glancia even less.” He adjusted his weight in the chair. He was a tall man, strongly built but not heavyset. “The thing is, Dane seems unconvinced.”
I glanced up at him.
He touched the back of my neck, his thumb stroking the skin beneath my hairline. “Josie knows I don’t want to be king.”
“Is that why you asked me here?” I said to Lord Claypool. “To try to convince him it’s the
best thing for Glancia? Because I have tried. I also think it’s the best thing for Glancia. It’s the only course of action that will solve everything. Dane knows that, and by declaring himself today, he has agreed to take the throne.”
Lord Claypool’s gaze lifted from mine to Dane’s before falling to Dane’s hand, now resting on my shoulder. His eyes closed briefly before reopening. “I don’t like to be the one to do this, but…it must be done. It has to be said now, before things get too far.” He nodded at Dane’s hand. “You two cannot marry.”
Dane stiffened. “That is not for you to decide.” His icy tone sent a chill down my spine, but Lord Claypool did not even flinch.
“You are both intelligent. You’ve both been around the palace long enough to know how it is. Noblemen marry noblewomen. Princes and kings marry princesses, or ladies if no suitable princess is available.”
“Just because that’s the way it has always been, it doesn’t mean it must remain that way,” Dane growled.
Lord Claypool addressed me. “I see that you understand, Josie, and have already come to terms with it.”
My throat was too tight to do anything other than nod.
Dane’s hand fell away. He dropped to his haunches, his face level with mine. His features were hard. “There is no law against us marrying.”
“Marrying Josie will not keep Glancia safe from the likes of King Phillip.”
“I will keep Glancia safe,” Dane shot back.
“We cannot fight off the Vytill army. They are weaker without taxes brought in from The Thumb, but they are not yet a poor nation. They are also eyeing our land and harbors. Come, Dane, be reasonable. Be sensible. If you are to be king, you cannot marry for love.”
“You did.”
Lord Claypool sat back in the chair as if pushed. “I was fortunate that the woman I loved was a noblewoman. But if I were the king, I couldn’t have married her. Not when there was a foreign princess available. That is the price kings pay.”
Dane shot to his feet and paced to the window. He paused, looking out, before marching back. “I don’t accept that price.”
Lord Claypool sighed. “Josie? What do you say?”
I drew in a shuddery breath. “Dane must marry Princess Illiriya.”