Noble Beginnings

by D. W. Jackson

  "He tried to kill me not half an hour ago," she said to Dorran by way of explanation at his questioning look. "He may well become more respectful with time, when he accepts that his attempt has failed, especially if he turns out to have been a mercenary. The most important concern is that he is not allowed to escape without being questioned. Anyway..." She raised her voice in the hall, and the rest of its inhabitants quieted to listen. "I believe there are other lines of inquiry that may prove more useful. Let us wait for the present."

  An uneasy silence fell at this, but was repeatedly chased away by the ever-growing crowd of people trickling back into the in and out of the chamber in ones and twos, all of them unsettled and milling about like ants with their nest overturned. Thea stood at the center of the chaos, pale but dignified, speaking to a number of people but never for more than a few minutes at a time. He wondered if she wished she could retire, and then wondered whether she would feel safe doing so, even if it appeared that the force that had attacked her had been smaller than he'd initially believed.

  Shaken, he eyed the bodies until they were dragged off by teams of the stronger. He recognized Tam and Marcus as well, but both of them only glanced at him briefly, and he couldn't find anything to say to them, not today.

  Someone tried to kill my mother, he thought numbly. Probably my sisters, as well. He should have felt rage and a thirst for vengeance, or at least a feeling of overwhelming protection, but the realization hadn't penetrated that far yet. Another question came before they could, somehow stranger than all the rest: Were they also coming after me? He didn't have any answers, though, and sensed that now was not the time to ask his mother.

  He had resolved to give his doubts time to settle when a brown-and-gray blur suddenly stumbled into the room. He didn't recognize the graceless stride for a second, but as the figure straightened, he recognized Nora. He hadn't seen her look so clumsy since she had been a girl. It occurred to him that he hadn't noticed when she left the room, and his blood went cold for the umpteenth time in minutes. How had he failed to keep track of her? What was she thinking, running off like that?

  She straightened from her stumble and scanned the room for a long moment. When her eyes met his, she opened her mouth, but he was halfway across the chamber towards her before she'd figured out what to say.

  "Where did you go?" he asked quickly. "Were you safe? Have you seen anyone else?"

  "All the assassins were in a group," she said automatically. "I think." Then she blinked and frowned. "You were right, I should have brought more people with me. But...but I had Edith. She followed me out. And I had this," she added, pulling a knife from a fold in her dress and brandishing it with surprising skill.

  He stepped well out of the range of the blade. "Well, that's something. But where's Edith now?"

  "She..." Nora pursed her lips, and Dorran noticed for the first time how pale she looked, how it highlighted the shadows under her eyes which were usually so carefully hidden. "You need to come with me. The assassins..." She shook her head. "No, it was probably the conspirators….they had another victim. Alive, thankfully, which I think the assassins wouldn't have bothered with, but...she's not in good shape." Nora's eyes scanned the room. "I need to report to Mother. After that, will you come with me? I think it might be best if you hear what she has to say firsthand."

  Dorran nodded, and Nora hurried over to the Duchess, waiting patiently but insistently to be given her turn. Dorran watched from a distance as she began to speak; Thea raised her hand to her mouth, but then lowered it and leaned forward as she spoke quietly with her daughter. While she always stood straight and looked at her other children straight-on, Dorran reflected, she still bent down and turned her ear slightly towards Nora, just as she had to all of them when they were very small. Dorran thought it might be because she was the youngest, but suspected that it was actually because out of the three of them, Nora was the most likely to be telling her mother important secrets.

  Finally, Nora was dismissed. She curtsied deeply from the waist instead of bowing, a sign that she was in a hurry. She threw Dorran a quick glance before sweeping out of the room. He followed her as quietly as he could. Tam, who was manning the door, gave Dorran a serious look as he shut it behind him.

  "This way," Nora said unnecessarily over her shoulder, leading him out and down the hall. "I think she's going to be fine, but we'll need whatever information she has as soon as she can give it to us. The conspirators could well be very, very close, and even if the ones we've defeated are all the force they could muster, we're going to need to move quickly if we want to prevent them from getting away to act again. Ill-wishers running around everywhere are the last things we need on top of everything else..."

  "So you think people in the castle organized for..”

  "I don't see how it could have been otherwise," Nora said. "It may not be much, but we do have a guard, not to mention a gate. To get around those, they'd need information and keys. It was a fairly impressive effort, too. If they already managed to get that many men into the castle, it doesn't make sense for them not to have at least one agent inside the castle walls."

  "Do you have any idea who it is?" Dorran asked, heart sinking. The idea of conspirators in the castle was unsettling at best. He found himself wondering, irrationally, how safe his mother and Adhara would really be in Thea's private meeting hall. He knew all the people in the room, and trusted them, but now...

  "I have a few," Nora said grimly, "but none of them are good, and I can't be positive it isn't someone I've overlooked. Either way, though, I'd like some confirmation first."

  Dorran nodded, even though she couldn't see the movement, as he followed her down the stairs towards the castle's small infirmary. There was an edge to her voice and a set to her shoulders that he had never seen before, but he knew instantly what it meant. Those assassins had tried to kill at least two unarmed, unprepared members of this family, and Nora was just as upset about that as Dorran was.

  Before opening the door, she turned to look at him and opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, grimaced, and pulled the door open. And because she had given him no warning, and he had been too preoccupied to think about it, Dorran was completely unprepared for what, and whom, he saw when the door swung open.

  CHAPTER XIII

  "Myriel!" He gasped. Before he could make the conscious decision to do so, he had already clattered to his knees beside the cot. Her eyes were half-closed, lips parted; she looked barely conscious. "What happened?" he said his voice merely a whimper.

  His sister's voice was quieter than usual, shaken. "As soon as I saw that the situation was under control, I gathered the servants together and had them scour the castle in pairs. They found her in the storage closet off the east wing of the castle. I think she had word of the plot to assassinate the Duchess, and the conspirators needed to keep her silent. We're lucky they didn't kill her. Though it looks like they might have come close to doing just that."

  Dorran let the words wash over him as he tentatively stroked Myriel's forehead with a finger, hoping she would wake despite the angry, scabbed bump on one side of her head. She groaned when he touched it, and her eyes blearily rose to meet his.

  It took a moment for her to recognize him, but when she did, she took a full, pained breath. "It’s you...Lord Dorran," she said, words slurred. "You may not believe me, but please...the Duchess is in danger…"

  "I know. She's safe now," he said quickly, stroking her cheek with an absent thumb to help her maintain her attention on him. "Do you know who did this to you?"

  She nodded once, a tiny movement. "It was...you may not believe me, my lord, but..."

  "None of that, we're friends, of course I believe you." Dorran was babbling now, stomach sinking as he wondered who might be implicated. "Who?"

  "It was...Miss Lyrre...and her mother."

  Dorran sat back for a moment, stunned and blinking, but recovered quickly. "Thank you, Myriel. How are you feeling?"

&
nbsp; "I shall recover, my lord," she replied steadily, though her exhaustion was evident in her tone.

  "I'm happy to hear it. We'll ensure you're taken good care of," he promised, realizing how awkward and inadequate the words sounded coming from him at the moment. "...Thank you, Myriel."

  It seemed a struggle for her to raise her eyelids, but she did so one more time, looking him squarely in the face. "Anytime, Lord Dorran," she said, and then her eyes slid shut.

  He watched her for a long minute as her breathing slowed and stretched into the steady cadence of sleep; then he removed his hand from her own. He didn't even remember putting it there. When he stood, he looked back at Nora. "Do we have any other evidence?" he asked quietly, walking over to where he stood. "I mean, I believe her….how could I not? But..."

  She shook her head. "We don't have evidence yet, but we'll find it. It's unfortunate we didn't hear about this sooner, but we have some of the assailants in the dungeons, and there are guards moving to apprehend Lyrre and Lady Alven as we speak. If we're lucky, they'll still be in their chambers. If not..." She shrugged. "We'll find a way to track them down."

  But we're outmanned enough just keeping the castle secure and these would-be assassins imprisoned, Dorran thought. Instead of contradicting the steel in his little sister's voice, though, he settled on a different question. "How long was she in there?"

  Nora looked away. "I don't know," she said quietly. "When was the last time you saw her?"

  Dorran stomach knotted. Had it been...? "Two, maybe three days," he muttered finally. "She showed up briefly the day before yesterday, I think, but she was in and out before I got a chance to talk to her. She seemed preoccupied..." He wondered whether she'd already heard hints of the plot by then, or whether she'd been caught during her first attempt to eavesdrop. "She's been busy for a while, sort of in and out, and I told her she didn't need to come by every day if she had too much to do. When she never showed up this morning, I thought..."

  "I don't know how long she was in there," Nora said. "It might have been considerably shorter than that. And even if it wasn't, Myriel doesn't expect you to follow her every movement."

  Her voice was matter-of-fact, but Dorran knew she was trying to comfort him, something she was not very skilled at. He smiled at her in thanks for at least putting forth the effort, then he shook his head. "Is she going to be all right?"

  Nora nodded tentatively. "From what I overheard Berta saying, she should be fine with a day or two of rest."

  Dorran glanced over at the old healer, who was banging away with a mortar and pestle in the corner with the same lighthearted air she'd had when he was a child and he had come to her for a poultice for a skinned knee.

  Oh, he remembered, and quietly walked up to her, waiting patiently. When she turned around, he explained his need for poultice materials. Within minutes, she had him fit out with a bowl for heating water, a large pitcher of twice-boiled water, and a bag of herbs. She ran through the instructions for how to use them quickly and efficiently, and after thanking her, Dorran returned to his sister. "All right, now I'm ready."

  "You're sure you're not about to bleed to death?" Nora asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

  He gave her a flat look. "Quite sure."

  "Good. Then let's go," Nora said, putting a hand on his arm. "We should see whether or not the guards have caught our suspects yet."

  Dorran nodded, but couldn't help throwing one more glance over his shoulder at Myriel's still form as they left.

  It took perhaps another hour before the guards managed to find and arrest Lyrre and Lady Alven. They were found in the lowest levels of the castle. They were hiding like mice near what had once been an ancient escape route. The guards brought them, hands bound, to the main hall, where Thea and her family sat awaiting them.

  "Have your guards unhand me!" The arrogant cry burst from Alven's lips the moment she caught sight of Thea. "I demand to know what is going on? Why have you bound us like common riffraff?"

  "You know perfectly well why you have been detained," Thea said coldly. "I have decided to give you a chance to defend yourself, Lady Beatrice. I expect you to be cooperative in exchange for this favor."

  Dorran shivered internally at the tone in his mother's voice, but focused his attention on the two accused nobles instead. Lady Alven was struggling to meet Thea's eyes, and Lyrre was staring at the ground, either from guilt or to show non-resistance, Dorran couldn't tell.

  "Now," Thea said. "Do you know the men who attacked me? I expect the truth."

  Alven kept her head held high, saying nothing.

  "Lyrre?" Thea asked, her tone a hair softer. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

  Lyrre's eyes darted up at that. She looked from Thea to her mother to Dorran, scanning every face around the room before lowering her head. "I'm...I don't know, my lady."

  "I see." Thea looked unimpressed. "In that case, shall I tell you what we have discovered so far?" She waited, then took their silence as a signal to continue. "A few hours ago, several of my servant raised the alarm about unknown, armed men in the castle. Nora went to fetch whatever help she could, and Adhara and I tried to retreat to my private chambers. On the way, however, we were assailed by nearly a dozen men, and had to barricade ourselves in a room on the way for our own safety. Had my son and his friends not arrived a few minutes later, we would likely be dead. None of the men that were captured have mentioned any plan to take us alive."

  She paused to let that sink in, then continued. "They have not confessed to the source of their orders, but I suspect that they will it is only a matter of time. Now, however...Beatrice, you were found trying to escape the castle in secret, mere hours after this assassination attempt, before I had announced to even my closest advisors what had occurred. It would be in your best interests to throw yourself on my mercy now by telling me all you know. Were you acting alone, or were you given another incentive? Speak, or so help me you will never spend a day in the sunlight again."

  Alven remained silent, glaring faintly at the ground. Her expression gave away nothing but minor annoyance. As for Lyrre, she had let her hair fall forward to hide her face. Dorran wondered what she was thinking.

  Thea sighed. "Very well." She turned to one of the castle guards. "Lock them in the dungeons. I want them treated well, but separate them. I do not wish them to communicate with one another. They are to have no visitors unless I expressly allow it."

  The guard nodded and led the two disgraced nobles from the hall, a few of Dorran's fighters following closely behind.

  Thea leaned back in her throne and sighed, her hands twisting in her lap as they often did when she was nervous.

  "What are you thinking, Mother?" Adhara asked quietly.

  "I am trying to understand their motives," Thea answered. "At the very least, we must assume that they helped to coordinate the attack. The men were all after me, so it was unlikely they were attempting to flee for their own safety. It is obvious to assume that they became involved for the sake of personal gain, but it would be most helpful to know what that gain would be. Did they plan on getting Lyrre to marry Dorran so they would have control over the duchy if that was the case the attempt would have been better served after she had secured his hand. I don’t know what it is but something is missing and once we find out what it is we will start to see the whole picture."

  Adhara paused for a moment before continuing. "Do you think they were enticed by some outside group?"

  Thea smiled dryly. "Something along those lines. I don't think this was a naked bid for power on Alven's part, if that's what you mean, or even on Lyrre's. If Alven is nothing else, she is capable and knows how to pretend subtlety."

  Adhara nodded and then fell silent; Nora spoke next. "Mother, we should take precautions to ensure that if there is another attempt on your life, you are not so defenseless."

  Thea looked grim. "You are quite right, Nora. I shall make a point of having a bodyguard with me at all times in the future, but
are you willing to take up such a practice yourself?"

  "No," Nora answered quickly. "With the tasks you have appointed me, Mother, a bodyguard would only hinder me. I am decent in self-defense and more than decent in stealth. I am sure that a bodyguard would be more hindrance than help."

  Dorran coughed, and they turned to look at him. "Stealth didn't work very well for Myriel," he pointed out. "I will admit that your knife work is impressive, but it wouldn't hold up in any length of a fight. Do you think you might be able to keep one other person nearby, at least?" He blinked as an idea occurred to him. "Actually...I have a young fighter who I think you might do well with. A youth named Marcus who's sly and quick on his feet. Would you be willing to accept his protection?"

  Nora considered this for a moment, and then agreed. Dorran found Tam in the crowd and asked that he make sure word was sent to Marcus; by the time he returned, Nora and Thea were quietly discussing some fine point of strategy or intrigue. He wasn’t sure which one but when it came to those two ladies they almost went hand in hand. They made no attempt to involve him in the conversation, so he turned to Adhara instead, who sat with her hands in her lap, examining them closely.

  "Are you all right?" Dorran asked.

  She smiled politely at him as she nodded. "I'm unhurt. Those bastards barely managed to lay a hand on me."

  "I'm glad." Dorran paused. "I don't suppose you keep a knife on you like Nora does..."

  “No," she said. "I'm not any good with one. I would most likely only end up stabbing myself if I tried to use one in a pinch. Though I'm starting to think that I should learn."

  "It might be a good idea," Dorran admitted. "I have to admit, I never imagined you needing to use one."

  "I have, but I never quite got around to it. I'm just glad Nora's quick on her feet." Adhara sighed, a thick frown forming on her face. "By the way, how is Myriel? I heard that she'll recover, but nothing more."

  "She was knocked out and drugged, but Berta said she should be fine." Dorran shook his head. "I just can't believe that it was her. I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but the thought of Myriel being put in danger like that..." He trailed off. I hate it, he thought privately, surprised by the vehemence of his reaction. Was it because he hated the idea of innocents being harmed, or because he knew Myriel in particular? He knew a lot of people who were put in danger over the attack why was the fact that Myriel involved so bothering to him?