by Jeff Wheeler
Then Dunsdworth came to a sudden, jarring stop, picked up a seed pod from the tree, and hurled it at the gurgling fountain. The pod landed with a splash and the young duke grinned fiercely at his deliberate act of sacrilege.
Isybelle looked at him in surprise and muffled a laugh. “You shouldn’t do that, Dunne!”
“I can’t help it,” the young duke said, shaking his head and clenching his fists. He was very expressive, very attentive to his own feelings. “Sometimes I am so angry with Eredur that I could strike him. He chose his own bride. Yet he will not allow me to choose my own. I want you, Belle!”
The look he gave her was full of heat, and Isybelle’s eyelashes fluttered at the bald declaration of love. His words tortured her, Ankarette could see, because she desperately wanted him too. She pined for him when he was not with her. Wrote him love notes, which she then burned in the fire. Some days she was utterly miserable; other days, she was so giddy that Ankarette thought the girl would burst. Ankarette’s attachment to Sir Thomas had only grown, so she understood her friend’s torment. But she would never reveal her feelings for him to anyone. It was a secret she was determined to keep.
“You know I share your wish,” Isybelle said forlornly. “But Papa said we must be patient.”
“Hang being patient!” Dunsdworth moaned. “What would Eredur do if we married in secret? Would he send me over the falls? I don’t think so. He married in secret to suit his fancy. And look who he chose? A woman whose relations are so grasping, they’ve snatched up every crumb on the table. It sickens me, Belle, truly. The king treats your father with miserable contempt after all he has done for him!”
“Shhh!” Isybelle said soothingly, touching his arm. She liked to touch him, and her gestures were becoming more and more familiar and tender. “Someone may hear you.”
“Who? One of the Espion? I have nothing to fear from them. They’re on our side.”
“Maybe not all of them,” Isybelle warned. She glanced around the garden, but it was just the three of them. Then she looked up at his face with adoration. She was so smitten by his handsome looks, his wavy auburn hair. She’d crafted poems about his features, only to commit those to the flames as well.
They drew near the fountain. Sweat trickled down Ankarette’s back. Her gown was so heavy and tight . . .
She remembered in a rush what it had felt like to jump off that boulder in the North. If only she could return to that moment, standing next to Sir Thomas at the edge of the rock. This time, she would accept his offer to jump together.
Dunsdworth plopped down at the edge of the fountain and leaned his head back. “It’s so hot! When will this cursed summer end?”
Isybelle stood by, gazing down at him and hesitating. He patted the stone bench next to him, inviting her to sit, and she smiled with pleasure. But when she turned to lower herself to the fountain, Dunsdworth suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap, startling her.
“Dunne!” she said, gasping with surprise, and started to squirm to get away. He smiled at his trick and held her back, wrapping his arms around her. He pressed his nose against her back.
“That tickles—stop!” She halfheartedly tried to rebuff him. There was a smile of pleasure on her mouth.
Ankarette had seen him take many liberties before, but this was well beyond anything she’d witnessed. She was in a difficult situation. Dunsdworth was a man she did not wish to offend. He was handsome, ambitious, and felt he deserved to be the king. If something happened to Eredur, he was the next in line for the throne. The thought of serving as his poisoner filled her with desolation. She had seen plenty of evidence herself that Eredur’s assessment of his brother’s cruelty and tendency toward revenge was justified.
“My lord,” Ankarette warned softly.
“She’s right,” Isybelle said, and he let her go. “I don’t want any rumors to start.” Her cheeks were flushed and her hands trembled as she got to her feet. She gazed at him longingly, her heart in her eyes. Ankarette wished her friend would be more circumspect.
“Hang the rumors.” He leaned back and cupped some water in his hand and then splashed her with it. “And hang tradition! We’re meant for each other, Belle.” The water stained the front of her dress and she backed away lest he become more playful. Ankarette would tell Eredur, as she always did, in the middle of the night. Their flirtations were getting more and more pronounced. It was time to order Dunsdworth back to his duchy.
“I care for you too, Dunne,” she said, biting her lip. “As this Fountain is my witness. Let me throw in a coin. A wish.”
“Water does not grant wishes,” he said with a chuckle. His eyes were burning with feeling. Was it lust? Love? Ambition? It wasn’t clear which.
“Don’t say those things,” she chided.
“I say what I feel,” he answered, rising from the bench. She backed away from him with a playful shake of her head.
“Why does he keep us apart!” he said with aching need. “He cannot have you for himself, so his intention can only be to stop me from having what I desire. He does it out of spite.” His eyes began to burn with hatred. “Why does he toy with me like this? He shares counsel with our brother, Severn, who is only sixteen. He’s not even finished growing yet. And I’ve seen how close he and your sister are . . . if he asks to marry her when they’re older, I think Eredur will agree! I do!”
“He’s the king,” Isybelle reminded him. “He can do as he wishes.”
Dunsdworth shook his head. “He shouldn’t be,” he mumbled.
“You cannot say things like that,” she said. Ankarette agreed. He had already crossed the line of proper decorum. He did it habitually, it seemed.
Ankarette noticed movement and saw Sir Thomas striding toward them, an agitated look on his face. Had he been watching them surreptitiously and decided enough was enough? Ankarette felt a little blush of shame. Should she have done more to prevent it?
“Sir Thomas is coming,” Ankarette warned in a low voice.
“Hang Sir Thomas as well,” Dunsdworth chuckled, repeating his favorite phrase. He looked in Isybelle’s eyes with an almost feverish intensity. “Soon, my love. Soon. I promise you.”
“How can you promise that?” Isybelle said. “The king will not relent.”
“Have faith in me, Belle,” he said with a cunning smile. “Save your coins from rust. Put your trust in me.”
Ankarette had to give him credit. He was a capable wooer.
Sir Thomas arrived shortly thereafter, slightly out of breath. “The duke needs to see you,” he said to Dunsdworth. “A rebellion has started in the North.”
Isybelle gasped, but Dunsdworth did not seem at all surprised by the news.
“What has happened?” Isybelle asked.
“Your father will tell you more. There is a man who says that Eredur is not the true king, that the Fountain wants the mad king to reign again. His name is Robert Conyers.”
Sir Thomas gave Ankarette a knowing look as he said it. Was this the same man they had met on the way to Marshaw? She assumed it was, but what did that mean? Was Warrewik finally making his move?
“A rebellion?” Dunsdworth scoffed. But his tone was unconvincing.
“Aye,” Sir Thomas answered. “The king wants you to return to your lands to raise up soldiers to defend the realm,” he told him. “The duke will be going to Callait to ready the garrison in case they are needed. The king has called on the Dukes of Westmarch and Southport to help him put the rebellion to rest.”
“Not Warrewik?” Dunsdworth said. “He’s the most experienced battle commander next to the king.”
“He is, ’tis true. The Espion say this plot was hatched by Morvared in Occitania. We have her husband in Holistern Tower and she has few resources where she is. It’s a desperate gambit on her part, but Eredur is decisive. He wants to crush the rebellion before it spreads. Some like the idea of playing with fire.”
He gave Dunsdworth a pointed look as he said it.
Dunsdworth folded his arms. “If my brother commands it, I will obey.”
Later that evening, the duke’s state room was bustling with activity. The duke looked especially agitated. “We’re all going to Callait,” he told his wife and daughters. “I want you near me during the rebellion. Sir Thomas, tell the king that we will leave with the tide this evening.”
“Aye, my lord,” Sir Thomas said. “Shall I go ahead and warn Vauclair that you’re coming?”
The duke shook his head. “There is no time. I want you with Eredur, Sir Thomas. Stay with the king’s army. There will probably be a battle, and your experience at Mortimer’s Cross will be invaluable. I want you to meet up with the Duke of Clare’s army and advise him. Go.”
Sir Thomas bowed, but Ankarette could tell he wasn’t pleased by the prospect of waiting on and protecting Dunsdworth.
After he was gone, the duke turned to Ankarette. “You are not coming with us to Callait, my dear.”
Isybelle looked genuinely shocked. “Why not, Father? I need Ankarette near me.”
He shook his head no. “You will have to do without her for a short season. Ankarette, I’m leaving you here because I received word that we’re expecting the herald of Occitania to arrive shortly. You’ve met Lord Hux before, so you know what he looks like. You delivered a message to me from him if you recall.”
“Very well,” she answered, her stomach churning.
He looked at her pointedly. “I don’t know why he’s coming. But you need to be here to protect the king. This rebellion, if it’s being instigated by Queen Morvared, may be more dangerous than it appears. Up until now, King Lewis has not acted openly against Eredur. This might signal a change in that policy. You will stay at Kingfountain and keep your eye on Lord Hux when he arrives. I’ll have Sir Thomas leave several Espion for you to command. Now get your things packed, Isybelle. We will be leaving for the docks shortly.”
The news of the Occitanian poisoner’s arrival put Ankarette in an anxious mood. She found Sir Thomas and shared what she’d learned.
“I hadn’t heard he was coming,” he said worriedly as they walked down the main corridor of the palace. He flashed her a concerned glance. “Who would you like to keep with you? You can have the best.”
“Are you worried about me, Sir Thomas?” she asked him with a smile.
“Of course. Hux is dangerous. I’d rather stay here and help you than ride north and play nursemaid to Dunsdworth as he wets his sword for the first time.” He snorted derisively. “Wait until he experiences his first battle. It’ll lose its savor soon enough. Who do you want assigned to stay behind?”
“How about Bennet and Durke?”
Thomas pursed his lips. “Good choices, both of them.” He fixed her with his gaze. “If Hux tries anything, take him out of the game.”
“You’re quite agitated, Sir Thomas.”
“You noticed that?” he quipped. “Of course. War is a fog, Ankarette. You can’t see your hand before your face. Is Warrewik behind this rebellion? Robert Conyers? He fought at Mortimer’s Cross too. Is he under orders, or did the Occitanians bribe him? When there’s a fire in the fields, it’s best to stamp it out fast ere it spreads. Eredur is wise to send Warrewik to Callait. It gets him out of position.”
“I agree. But Warrewik is no fool,” Ankarette said. “I’m not sure what he’s planning, but this doesn’t feel right.”
“I agree with you wholeheartedly, lass. When nobles squabble and kings fight, there are plenty of daggers that slash. Let me know if you learn anything after I’m gone. I’ll do the same for you.” He gave her a hopeful smile. “You’ve got my back, lass. Right?”
“And you have mine,” she answered, feeling a flush of warmth in her heart. “I’ll watch the South. You watch the North.”
“Back to back,” he said as they passed a smoking set of torches. He reached out and patted her shoulder in a friendly way. And she felt her blood sizzle at his touch.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Threat
With Sir Thomas sent away and one of Warrewik’s lieutenants running the Espion in his absence, it was up to Ankarette to keep the king informed. She hardly slept in anticipation of Lord Hux’s arrival. Being the king’s herald gave Hux unparalleled access to foreign courts. Refusing to let him come could be seen as enough of an affront to declare war. She had interviewed the king’s cook, a short and energetic woman named Liona, and was convinced the woman was trustworthy. The cook had vowed to deliver all the royal family’s meals personally and not entrust the task to underlings. Her husband was one of the castle woodsmen and he was also put on his guard to watch for strangers or anything untoward.
The Espion had tripled the guard on Holistern Tower, and Ankarette had even inspected the mad king’s rooms herself. His unintelligible mutterings always made her feel uneasy in his presence. Ankarette spent her mornings inspecting the royal bedchambers and memorizing where everything was and where it belonged. Her task was to make sure that anything out of place would be quickly identified. She was in the middle of one such inspection when Bennet informed her that Lord Hux had arrived. She hadn’t needed to be told. She had sensed his presence herself.
In preparation for Lord Hux’s arrival, she had focused on her embroidery, keeping her stores of Fountain magic full at all times. In her year’s tutelage to John Tunmore, she had awakened that part of herself that had been dormant before. Her magic would assist her against the Occitanian poisoner. Now that she knew about the power they shared, it would be more difficult for him to act in her presence.
When the news arrived, Ankarette hurried down to the audience hall where the king would receive Lord Hux. As part of her plan, Espion disguised as palace servants had already been dispatched to the hall. She met with Durke just outside the entryway.
“Is all prepared?” she asked, trying not to fidget.
Durke was a handsome man, very tall, and caught the eye of most of the ladies at court. He was a capable spy and quite a charming courtier. “It is, Ankarette. Hux won’t be able to use the garderobe without us knowing it. Do you think he will try to assassinate the king in person?”
Ankarette shook her head. “That is not his style. He would never do something so brazen. Where is the king?”
“’Tis as you’ve planned. He’s in the stables preparing to ride out to join the Duke of Westmarch. The queen will meet with Hux.”
Ankarette nodded. “Very good. We will watch Hux like a hawk and see what he does. If he goes after the king, we hunt him down.”
Durke smiled broadly. “I think your strategy is sound, Ankarette. Hux will be forced to react, which will give us the advantage. The Espion at the sanctuary will notify me as soon as the king has left the city.”
“Well done. Let’s go inside.”
Durke opened the door for her, and Ankarette entered. The room was full of lords and ladies of the realm. Talk of the rebellion was on everyone’s mind since Warrewik had left and the hall was unusually boisterous. Ankarette spied the queen talking to Lord Hastings, the king’s chancellor, who would ride off later and inform the king about how the conference had gone. Ankarette glided through the hall, sensing that Lord Hux was standing outside the doors, waiting to be admitted. The doormen waited for Ankarette’s signal.
After maneuvering through the crowd, Ankarette was within the queen’s line of sight. Queen Elyse immediately excused herself from Lord Hastings and mounted the dais to the twin thrones at the head of the hall. Ankarette stayed by the serving table, making it so the queen could see her—and so Lord Hux could not. She nodded to the queen.
“Allow him in,” the queen said to Lord Hastings. She fidgeted on the throne just a moment before assuming a tranquil pose. She was very good at masking her disquiet. Ankarette admired her poise—the crown blazed on her golden hair like fire.
The two sentries posted at the door obeyed the order and the doors groaned as they opened. Ankarette counted the Espion in the room once more as she waited for the pois
oner to enter. She thought twelve would be enough to overwhelm one man.
Lord Hux strode in confidently with a beaming smile. He bowed respectfully to some of the lords and ladies, addressing them by name as if familiar acquaintances. His hair was combed forward in the Occitanian fashion and he wore a ceremonial saber at his waist. It was more ornamental than dangerous, but it still caught Ankarette’s eye. No doubt he sensed her presence, as she did his, but he did not turn to look for her. Instead, he marched up to the queen and made a gracious, formal bow.
“Your Majesty,” he said with an elegant accent. “It is indeed an honor to stand before you.”
“You grace us with your presence,” the queen replied formally. “How fares the Queen of Occitania?”
“Quite well, I assure you,” he answered, rubbing his hands together. He bowed again. “You are so kind to ask.”
“I pray, forgive me for bearing sad news, but the king has already left to subdue the rebels. He will not be able to hear your message in person, but I am here to preside on his behalf.”
Ankarette watched him closely for a sign of reaction. How would he betray his surprise? This would teach her something about him.
Lord Hux bowed again, completely unaffected. “It is only right that the king should disband the rabble himself. He is without peer on the battlefield, they say.”
“Some say, Lord Hux,” the queen continued, “that this rebellion was instigated by one of your countrywomen. Lady Morvared?” It was said in an accusatory tone. Again, Ankarette was impressed with how well the queen was following her instructions. She was seeing her own plan unfurl before her.
Again, Hux was unflustered. “Idle rumors, Your Majesty. Dame Morvared is not supported by the King of Occitania, my master. She and her young son live humbly with her father in one of his manors in the countryside.”
The mad king’s son, whom many believed had not even been sired by him, was nearly Ankarette’s own age. Some still called him a prince of the blood, though, and there was little question he was more fit to rule than his father. He never left his mother’s presence.