The Prince's Consort (Chronicles of Tournai Book 1)

by Antonia Aquilante

  “Good. I want whoever this is found.” Philip thought a moment. “Get a sorcerer to work with you. See if he can find anything. I’m tired of there being no trace found.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. Master Savarin returned to the city two days ago.”

  “Fine. Send word to him that I need him to work with you in the search.” Savarin was the most powerful sorcerer in Tournai. It was a stroke of luck he’d returned from his travels.

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “And we need to increase security here at the palace, and for Prince Amory himself as well,” Philip said. “I know we already talked about this, and I’ve seen your reports, but it’s far too easy to get into the palace and close to Amory.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. We’ve already put into place the measures I detailed in my report, but I agree to the need for further measures, especially in Prince Amory’s personal security,” Captain Loriot said.

  “Philip,” Amory said quietly.

  Philip looked at Amory, sitting next to him while Jadis bandaged his arm. “Please don’t argue about this, Amory.”

  “I won’t, and I’ll take every precaution Captain Loriot says I should, but I want you to increase your own security as well.” Amory shook his head before Philip could begin arguing. “Yes, every attack has been directed at me, but today those arrows were fired at us while we were together. I don’t see any reason for you not to take precautions as well.”

  Captain Loriot spoke before Philip could. “I agree with Prince Amory, Your Highness. We don’t know who is behind this or why they’re doing it. We don’t know they won’t attack you directly. An increase in your personal security would be prudent.”

  He looked from Captain Loriot to Amory, but the look in Amory’s dark eyes persuaded him. “All right. I’ll take whatever precautions you advise as well.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. I’m going to increase guard presence in the palace further. I want guards with both of you in and outside the palace. I would also like Savarin to bolster the magical protections on your suite. I’ll draw up a guard schedule and have other recommendations for you shortly.”

  “Fine. Let me know as soon as you find anything in the woods.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  Philip slumped back into the couch after the guards bowed and left the room. Amory lifted Philip’s hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. He didn’t tell Philip everything would be all right, for which Philip was grateful. He wanted to be hopeful, but they had no idea who was trying to kill Amory. And their enemy had gotten too close already.

  Philip wouldn’t give up the search. He couldn’t. They had to find out who was trying to kill Amory. Because he and Amory only just began their life together, and he refused to let someone cut it short. So he said it. “It’s going to be all right.”

  Amory looked into Philip’s eyes for a long moment and then nodded. “Yes. It will.”

  “I’m all done with Prince Amory,” Jadis said. “Were you injured, Your Highness?”

  “No, I wasn’t.”

  “Excellent, then I’ll leave you, Your Highness,” Jadis said, turning to repack his supplies in his bag.

  “Thank you, Jadis,” Amory said.

  Philip echoed his thanks and then stopped and thought. He wasn’t convinced of Amory’s idea about them having a child, but he had promised Amory they would discuss it with a healer before making any decisions. Whether they could have a child wasn’t the most important consideration at the moment, but then again, maybe it was.

  “If you have a moment, Jadis, there’s something else we’d like to discuss with you.”

  Amory looked at him, curious and a little worried. Philip squeezed his hand in reassurance.

  “Of course.” Jadis put his bag down and turned his attention fully to Philip and Amory.

  “Amory did some research recently into something about which we could use your opinion.” Philip watched comprehension dawn on Amory’s face. At Amory’s nod, Philip told Jadis what Amory found, Amory elaborating some points along the way. Jadis said little at first, but his eyebrows began a steady climb toward his hairline. He asked for clarification once or twice before Philip and Amory finished.

  After a brief silence, Jadis seemed to shake himself. “Well, this is not something I’ve ever heard of anyone doing.”

  “You’ve heard of the spell, though?” Amory asked.

  “Only in the vaguest terms. I read references to it during my training, but I don’t think it’s been used in recent memory. You’re considering this?” Jadis asked.

  “Possibly,” Philip answered. “We need more information about what it entails, what the dangers are. More information in general.”

  Jadis nodded. “If I could have Prince Amory’s notes, it would be helpful. I’ll do some research and study the spell. If it has a component of sorcery and not only healing, which I assume it does, I’ll need a sorcerer’s opinion as well. I don’t have those powers or that knowledge, Your Highness.”

  “Certainly. Ask Savarin. And keep this confidential,” Philip said. They did not need it becoming public knowledge.

  “Of course. You didn’t need to ask, Your Highness. I’ll let you know what I find.”

  “Thank you, Jadis. I’ll get my notes to you today,” Amory said.

  A moment later, the healer was gone, leaving Philip alone with Amory, who immediately turned to him “I didn’t think you would speak to him so soon, especially with everything that happened today.”

  Philip shrugged. He surprised himself too, but he’d promised Amory, and he wouldn’t lie. The idea of a child of their own was intriguing. “I said we would.”

  “But right this minute?”

  “After everything that happened today… yes, right this minute. We’re going to be careful, more than careful, and we’re going to find who is trying to hurt you. And our life will go on, and this may be a part of it. So we’ll see what Jadis and Savarin have to say.”

  There was so much in Amory’s eyes, but he smiled and nodded. “All right.”

  WHOEVER TRIED to kill Amory on the road was long gone by the time the search began. Philip was frustrated on a level Amory had never seen before, and that worried him despite understanding the feeling. He was frustrated himself, and he was afraid too, which made the frustration all the worse.

  The guardsmen conducting the search found signs of someone hiding in the trees along the road and probably someone on the ground. Perhaps an archer in a tree with a lookout below. Amory could see Philip biting back what would have been a cutting remark or a curse, his fists clenched. He didn’t blame Philip. The guards weren’t telling them anything they couldn’t have surmised from what happened.

  The sorcerer wasn’t much more help. It was the first time Amory met Savarin, but Philip told him Savarin often accepted assignments from the palace. A tall man with broad shoulders and bright blond hair, he had the air of sophistication that came from travel and a sharp look in his eyes. He towered over Amory, and though he was quite handsome, Amory found him more intimidating than attractive.

  “I found no indication they were using magic at all, except for this.” The sorcerer passed something across the desk to Philip.

  Amory looked at what Savarin handed Philip as Philip turned it over in his hands. It didn’t look like much—a twist of silvery metal on a frayed black cord—but Amory knew next to nothing about sorcery. He assumed the object wasn’t dangerous since Savarin let Philip handle it.

  “What is this?” Philip asked Savarin, and Amory didn’t feel quite so ignorant anymore.

  “A charm spelled to make the wearer unnoticeable, or less noticeable really.”

  “What does that mean?” Amory asked, hoping he wasn’t asking something obvious. Philip’s hand came up to cover Amory’s where it rested on Philip’s shoulder. Amory stood at Philip’s side as he sat behind the large desk, but he allowed Philip to draw Amory down to perch on the arm of his chair. Neither of them was moving far from
the other if they could help it.

  “It means that when someone wears the charm it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for them to be seen, Your Highness. It’s not that they are invisible. If you collided with someone wearing the charm, you would see them, or if you expected them to be where they were, or you were actually looking for them. There are also spells to counteract these charms. For instance, the palace’s protection spells prevent these charms from working on the palace grounds. But without counterspells, it would be as if the wearer wasn’t there.”

  Well, that was… interesting. He and Philip were silent for a moment. If Amory knew Philip, he knew his husband was taking in the implications of what they’d been told.

  “And you believe the men in the woods were wearing these?” Philip asked.

  “I do, Your Highness. It would ensure you and your guards saw nothing before and during the attack.”

  Philip nodded, accepting the answer he had clearly anticipated. “So where would they get these? Do they have a sorcerer working for them? You said you didn’t believe they were doing magic themselves.”

  “No, I don’t. There isn’t a sorcerer in this group, or at least there wasn’t in the forest.” Savarin reached across the desk and took the charm from Philip, studying it for another moment. “They could have a sorcerer working with them who made this, but it’s as likely they bought it. Good ones like this are expensive, and their sale is regulated, but I believe they’re sold at more than one shop in the city. Sometimes legally, sometimes not.”

  “Is there any chance of figuring out where they were purchased and who purchased them?” Amory asked.

  “Possibly. If I can figure out who made it.” Savarin stared at the charm. “And if I recognize who made it. If they didn’t buy it here in Tournai, I doubt I’ll be able to, but I’ll try.”

  “Good. Let us know what you find,” Philip said.

  “Yes, Your Highness.” The sorcerer rose and bowed to Philip and Amory. “Your Highness.”

  After the sorcerer strode from the room, Amory looked down at Philip. Philip’s face was tight with frustration and anger, the extent of which he hadn’t allowed to show in front of Savarin. “Nothing again. Always nothing.”

  Amory sighed. It was mostly true, but he hated seeing Philip so frustrated. He hated feeling it himself. “The charm is something.”

  “I suppose.”

  “If he can find out who made it, he may be able to find out who purchased it. It’s something.”

  “Yes, though little enough,” Philip grumbled.

  A wave of something desperate and scared built inside Amory, and he couldn’t keep it from spilling out. “It’s something, Pip. I need it to be something, because otherwise I begin to think we’re never going to find out who’s trying to kill me. And if we never find them, how long is it going to take them to succeed? They’re not going to give up.”

  Philip’s face went blank with shock an instant before pain rippled across it, and Amory wished he could take those words back. “Amory.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m fine, really.”

  “You’re not.” Philip pulled Amory into his lap. “Neither am I. But we’re going to find out who’s doing this, and we’re going to stop them. Yes, the charm is something. It’s the first thing we have, so that’s good.”

  Philip’s arms wound around Amory, pulling him against Philip’s chest. Amory let him, let Philip soothe him after his embarrassing outburst and the constant fear that followed him. He rested his head on Philip’s shoulder, holding on to Philip as well, and hoped it helped Philip too.

  In the following days, Amory stayed close to the palace, and to Philip, as much as possible. It felt a little cowardly, as if he was hiding, but keeping close to the palace was also safer. He was surrounded by guards when he did leave, but he was far more secure in the palace. The guards clearly believed so as well. No one went so far as to restrict his movements, but restrictions were probably coming, the longer the danger continued, and perversely, they might annoy him then, but Amory was happy enough for the moment to restrict his own movements.

  That there was so much for him to do at the palace helped. Well, what helped most was how reassured Philip was when Amory was close by, but having plenty to do as he adjusted to his role of consort helped to keep him from going crazy. Palace security had been increased beyond anything Amory could have imagined. There were more guards in the corridors, on the walls, and at every gate, and everyone going in was searched. If they could get in—the guards adhered far more to lists of permitted visitors and appointments than they ever had in the past.

  Somehow Amory still didn’t feel safe.

  They had been unable to keep knowledge of the latest attempt quiet, so the whole city knew someone was trying to kill him, which was probably for the best. The new security measures would only cause talk and fear otherwise. Tristan and Adeline brought stories of an air of horror in the city with them when they visited. If there was any other reaction, no one gave voice to it anywhere Tristan or Adeline could hear.

  Adeline was almost as worried about Amory as Philip, as was Tristan, but he handled it better. Adeline could only be distracted with questions about her wedding plans, and then only sometimes. Tristan was quieter, watchful and concerned, but Etan could usually tempt him into conversation. Amory liked watching Tristan and Etan together, getting to know each other, becoming friends. It provided a distraction for Amory, but only a fleeting one.

  Despite everything in the palace to occupy his time and mind, despite the love of his friends, Amory couldn’t escape the anxiety plaguing him. It made his chest tight and his whole body tense. Absolutely the only thing that helped was Philip. When he was with Philip, he found some measure of calm, and Philip did as well. When they closed themselves into their suite at night and lay close together, Amory could breathe again. He could feel the tension seep out of Philip’s body, his own muscles relaxing the same way.

  They escaped to Alzata more than once during those weeks. Elodie wanted to go with them every time they went, but they couldn’t bring her. Bringing Elodie meant bringing Elodie’s ladies, her maids, and possibly her friends, because she was a very social creature, and her natural inclinations to surround herself with people were opposed to what they were trying to do by visiting Alzata. They tried to make her understand, but Amory wasn’t sure she did. How could she? She was young and carefree. She worried about him and Philip, but she wasn’t living with the constant fear. No one had tried to hurt her, and though her security was increased as a precaution, it didn’t hamper her movements or dampen her spirits.

  Amory felt safer with Philip at Alzata. The estate was isolated and well-protected by walls, guards, and strong protection spells, and with few people having any reason to go there, Alzata was easier to keep secure. Traveling there in a closed carriage surrounded by a veritable army of guards cut the risk during travel, but Amory sometimes wished they could stay at the estate, just the two of them, until whoever was trying to kill him was found. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stay there, hidden away together, for longer than a few days at a time. Those few days probably saved both his and Philip’s sanity.

  And through those long weeks, there were no further attempts on Amory’s life. It should have made him feel better, but it didn’t.

  “I FOUND out who produced the charm found in the woods,” Savarin said with little preamble. Philip liked that about him; he could get straight to the point.

  The scene in Philip’s office was very similar to the one when Savarin first brought them the charm. Savarin was in the chair across the desk from Philip. Amory was beside Philip again, but he perched on the edge of Philip’s desk, twisted to face Savarin.

  “And?”

  “He makes his living making charms of various types but mostly protection charms. He’s extremely skilled at it. His charms are in demand.”

  “Do we know who bought this one from him?” Amory asked.

  “No, Your Hig
hness. He doesn’t sell directly to customers,” Savarin said. “He supplies two high-end shops in the city with a variety of charms, including a very limited number of the type of charm we found in the woods. We have records of customers and items purchased from one of the shops.”

  “And the other?” Philip asked.

  “The records from the other shop are not as detailed or complete, certainly not as detailed as the law requires with regard to sales of this charm. We were able to obtain a list of customers and lists of items sold, which include when the items were sold. However, they are not matched up with the customers who purchased them.” Savarin shook his head in something that might have been disbelief or disgust or both. “Captain Loriot is working through the lists we received to find who purchased these charms.”

  “Which we won’t be able to do with regard to the second shop,” Amory said. Philip could hear the frustration mounting in his husband’s voice, and he laid a hand on Amory’s thigh, hoping to keep Amory calm. Frustration and disappointment dragged at Philip too. He’d hoped the charm would finally provide them with something to point them in the right direction. Something that might end their ordeal.

  “No, Your Highness, we won’t. However, Captain Loriot will question all of the shop’s customers. ”

  “For whatever that’s worth,” Philip muttered, but he knew Amory heard him, and Philip thought Savarin did too.

  “The other complication, Your Highness, is that the charm may have been purchased from someone who bought the charm legitimately or stolen. There are shops in certain parts of Jumelle dealing in such stolen merchandise. We’re looking into those as well.”

  “Thank you, Savarin.”

  “You’re welcome, Your Highness. I’m sorry I don’t have better news. I will continue to help in the investigation in any way I can.”

  Philip nodded. He was about to dismiss the sorcerer when the man spoke again.

  “I do have something to report on the other matter you asked Jadis and me to look into, Your Highnesses. I would like to bring Jadis in as well, if I may.”