“What did you tell them?” asked his employer.
“Look, it wasn’t my fault I got captured,” said Claud defensively. “There was a whole company of guards.” This was stretching the truth a little but he was desperate to justify himself. “They must have overheard us in the forest that last day.”
“What did you tell them?” repeated his questioner, ignoring his attempts at justification.
“Nothing!” replied Claud. “There wasn’t much of an interrogation. When I wouldn’t talk they were happy enough to leave me for the Intelligence Chief in Arcadie.”
There was a long pause while the man weighed Claud with his eyes.
“Fortunately for you our spies at the Summer Palace corroborate that,” he said finally.
Claud breathed a sigh of relief. Already the pain was fading from his mind, replaced with his previous dreams of gold. He didn’t hear the second man who approached from behind and he didn’t feel the bullet that pierced his skull.
The questioner looked down impassively at the body, sprawled at his feet.
“Fortunate because otherwise your death would have been more painful,” he said to the dead Claud. Signaling to the other men to remount, he turned and swung back onto his horse.
The King
The king rested his forehead on his fingertips, gently massaging his temple. Eleanor was implacable, determined to see this princess business through, but he felt uneasy. He reread the report on the desk in front of him. It reported only failure – again. Failure to find and recapture Claud, failure to find his rescuers, failure even to identify their nationality. It took all of the king’s self-control not to ball the report up and throw it in the fire. Instead he placed it in one of the drawers and locked it, placing the key in his pocket.
So far he had avoided telling Max or the Princess Companion of the escape of their prisoner but Max was sure to notice the increased guard when they started their journey back to the capital the next day. And he had decided to speak to Alyssa that night. With no idea who had hired Claud, or why, he needed all the allies he could get.
As if summoned by his thoughts, there was a quiet knock at the door. When the Princess Companion appeared, he stood politely and beckoned her to a seat in front of his desk. Seeing her sitting across from him reminded him of the night they had captured Claud. He sighed. Scrutinising her face, his discomfort grew. She was pale and he could read pain in her eyes.
She had missed dinner, complaining of a mild headache, but from the look of her the headache must be severe. He wished he could send her back to bed but they were leaving first thing in the morning. This was his last opportunity to talk to her.
“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re sick,” he opened.
“Sick?” she looked confused for a moment and then, “Oh yes, my headache. That’s alright, your majesty. I’m at your service.”
She sat up straighter and focused on his face, showing her first sign of curiosity.
“Mrs Pine tells me you’re well-liked by most of the servants,” he continued. “And you’re certainly popular with my family.”
“That’s nice to hear, your majesty,” she said quietly.
She sounded a little choked up and he wondered what he had said that could possibly have distressed her.
“But Mrs Pine also says that you’re intending to leave our service when we reach Arcadie.”
“Yes, your majesty,” she replied. “I have an aunt who’s expecting me. She runs the Blue Arrow Inn.”
“I know the Blue Arrow,” said the king. “It’s one of the biggest inns in the capital. I don’t want to cause any trouble for your aunt but I need you to stay with us, Alyssa.”
She frowned now and gave a small, involuntary head shake. The king pressed on.
“You have an intelligent mind,” he said, “but more importantly, you have good instincts with people. You suspected Claud when no one else did.”
“Thank you, your majesty, but I can’t stay.”
“Claud’s escaped.”
“What! When? How?” She was leaning forward now, gripping the armrests of her chair.
“When he was being transported back to the capital. My intelligence chief never had the chance to interrogate him. We can find no trace of him or his rescuers. We still have no idea who he was working for or why they were gathering information on the royal family.”
“But…” her voice trailed away and the king could almost see her brain working furiously.
“I’m sure you’ve heard that a marriage alliance is being planned for my son,” said the king. “We’ll be having a series of royal visitors. And the princesses will be bringing retinues with them. If our unknown enemy comes from one of the kingdoms sending a delegation, my family may be at risk.” Now it was the king who was leaning forward. “But the delegations also present us with an opportunity to identify our enemy.”
“That makes sense,” she replied, “but what does it have to do with me?”
“People act differently around servants than they do around royalty,” said the king. “I need someone I can trust, someone with your instincts, to observe them.”
“Surely you have other people who could do that better than me?”
“My intelligence chief will have his own people of course. But I want a spy of my own. And it was you, not my intelligence chief, who discovered Claud. I can’t think of anyone better.”
“So you want me to come back to the Summer Palace with you. To remain as a servant?”
“No, not a servant. I need you closer to the delegations than that. I want you to remain as Princess Companion, of course.”
“But I’m only a woodcutter’s daughter. I can’t be Companion when you’re at court.”
“Of course you can! It’s an assigned role, not a hereditary one. I can give it to whoever I want.” There was silence for a moment as Alyssa considered his offer.
“I’m sorry, your majesty, I want to help but I can’t stay on. I just can’t.”
She rubbed her face with her hands and the king felt guilty for exacerbating her headache.
“I need you Alyssa, my family needs you,” the king pushed. “What if it’s an assassin they send next time, instead of a spy? What if it’s Lily they target? Or Sophie? Or Max?”
She sucked in her breath and her pale face got paler.
“Alright,” she said, finally. “I’ll do it – for the girls. But as soon as you find out who’s targeting you I’m going to my aunt.”
The king smiled in relief.
“Thank you Alyssa. I’ll see you’re well compensated.” She hadn’t even asked about payment and that only increased his trust in her. “All I need you to do is to stick close to my children. Observe everything and report anything to me. Even if it’s just a bad feeling in your stomach, I want to know about it.”
“My spine,” she said with her first smile of the night, “it’s down my spine that I feel it, not in my stomach.”
“You feel anything strange in any part of your anatomy and I want to know about it,” said the king firmly. “But for now you look like you should be in bed. There’ll be time enough for further conversation in Arcadie, before the first delegation arrives.”
He stood up and came around the desk, accompanying her to the door with all the courtesy he would have shown a duchess.
Once she was gone he collapsed back into his chair and pulled a piece of paper towards him. He had one last report to read before he could seek his own bed. He glanced at the title. Another of the southern villages had suffered a bad harvest and had now exhausted their winter supplies. They were seeking aid from the capital to make it through to the next harvest. He sighed.
Chapter 13
Arcadie was so much bigger than I had imagined that I couldn’t stop gawking out the window of our carriage like the country bumpkin I evidently was. The girls found my incredulity hilarious and spoke over the top of each other, rushing to point out all the sights of interest. Up until now I had spe
nt the journey trying to stop myself looking out the window. King Henry, Queen Eleanor and Max had been riding beside the carriage and I knew I only wanted to look out because I was hoping to get a glimpse of Max. However, once we hit the outskirts of the capital, they rode up ahead and I let myself stare out at the unfolding city.
I already knew it was built on a low hill, with the Summer Palace at its centre, but I hadn’t anticipated the size of it or the noise produced by so many people and animals crowded together. Our carriage was travelling along the wide, main road that cut through the layers of the city and led directly to the Palace. At first the houses were small, built in long, connected rows. And the side streets we passed were small and winding.
Before long, though, the branching streets began to widen and the houses became more elaborate, their wooden fronts painted in bright colours. Twice I could see a bustling market place opening off of a side street. I stopped just short of sticking my head out the window, breathing in the tantalising smell of meat pies and roast chestnuts. Occasionally there would be someone watching us from an upper window, waving a handkerchief or throwing flowers.
As the road climbed upwards, the houses got bigger and bigger. These larger homes were surrounded by spacious gardens and were made from stone and decorated with pillars or arches. There were fewer people on the road here and I missed the sight of the bustling men and women and the playful children who had darted between the vehicles. I had been imagining I could glimpse my own family amongst them but I immediately knew my family would be out of place in this fancier part of the city.
At last the carriage passed under an enormous archway that cut through a thick wall made of white stone. A footman opened the door and the princesses tumbled out, leaving me to climb out more slowly and, I hoped, more gracefully.
The Summer Palace rose before me and I gasped in shock at the sight. It was built from the same white stone as the surrounding wall but with dark slate for the roof. The soaring towers with their graceful spires mirrored the fairy tale castles of my imagination. I had never even dreamed of living in such a beautiful place and I felt overwhelmed by the thought that this was my new home.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” asked a warm, familiar voice in my ear.
My pleasure at hearing his voice and my delight in the beauty of the palace made me forget I was trying to keep my distance.
“Absolutely gorgeous! Even more beautiful than I imagined!”
“I wish you could see your face,” he chuckled. “I think a bug’s going to fly into your mouth any second now.”
I snapped my teeth shut but couldn’t hold back the smile.
“I can’t believe you never told me about it!” I said.
“I can’t believe you were planning to leave us,” he replied, his voice reproachful now. “And without saying anything. Father told me that he only just convinced you to stay – that you were planning to go work for your aunt at the Blue Arrow.”
I shrugged.
“I never expected to keep my position once you all returned to Arcadie,” I said. “I assumed that once you got back to court the queen would find a more appropriate person to be Companion.”
“But Lily and Sophie love you! I can’t believe you were going to abandon them. Abandon us.”
He looked angry and I wished I could explain that abandoning him was the last thing I wanted to do.
“No-one is being abandoned,” I snapped instead. “And I still think your court is going to be less than pleased to have a woodcutter’s daughter thrust on them.”
I could tell he hadn’t thought of this and I could see concern on his face. I wondered if he was picturing me embarrassing him in front of his friends.
Before I could find out, Lily and Sophie rushed towards me and grabbed both of my hands. As they towed me away, I looked back at Max. He was watching me leave, the same worried expression in his eyes. My heart sank.
My very real concern about being introduced to the Palace’s inhabitants, now reinforced by Max’s reaction, distracted me from the tour that followed. It didn’t help that Lily and Sophie led me through the rooms so fast that I felt hopelessly lost. I wouldn’t be going anywhere without the twins for a while. Not if I actually wanted to end up at my destination, that is.
I had known the Winter Castle was much smaller than the Summer Palace but I hadn’t appreciated just how much smaller until now. The Palace seemed to be an endless maze of rooms. Inside, the white marble was softened by beautiful rugs and wood accents. The style was elegant and simple but the furnishings and decorations conveyed a sense of age and wealth. I was impressed and wondered who was responsible for the interior decoration of the Palace.
We passed lots of people in our whirlwind tour, mostly servants cleaning or moving quickly through the rooms. But a few were dressed like nobles and I was relieved when the princesses didn’t stop, moving through these rooms as quickly as the others.
I was still feeling overwhelmed and nervous so I was relieved when the twins got bored of their tour and decided to show me their rooms instead.
“Of course, they’re your rooms now, too,” reminded Lily.
“And we have a whole tower at the Palace,” Sophie announced. I thought ruefully of all those stairs and wished for some of the twins’ boundless energy. Luckily their tower turned out to be one of the shorter ones. When I got a look at the rooms inside of it, I realised that the princesses’ suite at the Winter Castle had been modeled on this tower. The rooms were all decorated in the same style using the same green and pink. It felt like unexpectedly finding a small piece of home in an unfamiliar place and I felt unreasonably cheered.
As well as a large bedroom, the twins had a huge bathroom, a classroom, a playroom and a formal sitting room. And best of all, there was a small separate bedroom opening off the main one. I went into my new bedroom and walked straight over to the window. The tower might have been smaller than some of the others but it still gave an amazing view over the city and –
“The ocean!” I exclaimed, loud enough to bring the twins into my room.
They both came over to me and peered out the window.
“What is it?” asked Lily. “I can’t see anything.”
“It’s the ocean!” I replied. And when they still looked confused, I added, “I’ve never seen it before.”
“You’ve never seen the ocean before?” asked Sophie in astonishment.
“No, of course not,” I said, amused. “I grew up in the middle of the forest remember.”
“Sorry, Alyssa,” said Sophie, “I forgot.”
“That’s alright,” I said, gathering both girls into a spontaneous hug. “It’s beautiful, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it is and I have a great idea,” said Lily. I looked down at her enquiringly and she dimpled at me mischievously. “Why don’t we go down to visit the ocean tomorrow. Wouldn’t you like to see it close up?”
It was a nice thought but I examined her expression suspiciously.
“You’re not allowed down at the docks are you?” I asked.
“No,” sighed Lily, disappointed.
“Apparently it’s dangerous,” added Sophie.
I knew I should be angry with them – I thought I’d broken them of the habit of trying to trick me – but I couldn’t muster up the emotion. I got the feeling Lily was testing the boundaries for old times’ sake rather than with any real expectation of success. And I was feeling more than usually affectionate towards them both. Faced with all these new people and places, it was a relief to feel sure of the twins’ childish affection.
Apparently it was normal for the court to give the royal family a day to settle in before descending on them. So it was with great relief that I followed the twins down to lunch in one of the small, private dining rooms. Only the king and queen were there to eat with us and I tried to convince myself I was glad of Max’s absence. With only the five of us present, it should have felt like a normal lunch at the Winter Castle. But my roiling inter
nal landscape reminded me that lots of things had changed.
I started obsessing over Max’s whereabouts, wondering if he was avoiding me after our earlier conversation. Then I caught the king’s eye and was reminded of a bigger worry. What if a spy or assassin came with one of the delegations? What if I didn’t sense them – betraying the king’s trust in me? Or worse, what if they hurt Lily or Sophie or Max? And finally, guiltily, what if they hurt me? Suddenly Max’s absence felt insignificant and I was embarrassed by my earlier thoughts.
Luckily there was no need for me to contribute to the conversation – Lily and Sophie talked nonstop about their ponies and all the summer activities they had missed while in the forest. I had already heard all this ad nauseam on the journey through the forest so I didn’t even feel guilty for ignoring them.
“No, visiting your ponies can wait until tomorrow. I think Alyssa would like a break from the two of you. She’s been looking pale lately and no wonder, shut up in the carriage with you two chatterboxes for a week!”
I tuned back into the conversation in time to realise that my inattention had nearly resulted in an afternoon visit to the stables. I smiled gratefully at the queen. I needed some time and space to arrange my thoughts and regain some equilibrium.
It was only after the king and queen had swept the twins out of the dining room that I realised I had been relying on the girls to be my guides. I wasn’t sure I could even find the way back to the princesses’ tower on my own. I wondered if I should just start walking and rely on running into someone who could give me directions. This thought was unappealing so I remained in my seat, hoping another solution would present itself. Luckily for me, it did.
“I see I’ve missed lunch,” said Max, coming through the door and plonking himself in one of the seats. He began to pick over the leftover food in the platters. “But I’m glad you’re still here, Alyssa.”
He smiled at me and I felt the old comfortable feeling from nights in the library and afternoons in the garden but laced now with a new excitement.
The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea (The Four Kingdoms Book 1) Page 12