“That’s good. What if she’s lost her mind?”
“Then Jess will have a hard time of it.” Edward sighed. Insanity was not considered grounds for divorce. If a man’s wife was insane, he was expected to bear it as a punishment from Aldonai. He knew that Jess was unlikely to see it that way.
“I will send someone in the spring. Now, I want you to pack your bags and go to your country house. This is no time for you to be concerned about others’ problems.”
“Yes, Uncle.” Amalia kissed him on the cheek and went out.
Edward shrugged his shoulders and turned to his desk. If Lilian really was insane, he would have to do something. I hesitate to send a ship for what could turn out to be nothing. I could send runners, but they will not return for many weeks. Perhaps I should send someone, just in case. Then another thought came to the King. It was an ugly thought, but he examined it closely. He was the King, and he was accustomed to facing unpleasant tasks.
If something was truly wrong with Lilian Earton, he would not have her killed, but he could make sure she was cut off from all assistance. Stuck in the middle of nowhere without supplies, she would surely die. It would be nobody’s fault, and Jess would be free.
His Majesty only wanted his son to be happy.
The End
Read the whole series…
The ball winds tighter, pulling in threads from around the land…
A ship full of Virmans is headed to Earton, and so is a slave trader’s ship.
Ali Akhmet remembers Lily as the woman who saved his life, and Father Leider remembers her as the woman who spurned his advances.
Baron Torius Avermal counts his profits, while his son dreams of seeing Lilian Earton dead in the ground.
Intrigue simmers quietly at the courts of the kings…
Adelaide dreams of a wealthy husband, and her cousin dreams of the same thing. Those dreams do not bode well for Lilian.
Alicia Earton has plans of her own, while her “daughter” Amalia is concerned for her brother, the Earl of Earton.
Meanwhile, Earton is humming with activity, both seen and unseen, but that makes life no less dangerous…
And that is just the beginning.
Book Recommendations
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Fayroll:
More Than a Game
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Winds of Fate
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Sicilian Defense
Under the Black Flag
Different Sides
The Crown and the Key
Word and Steel
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* * *
[1]A tennight is ten days, and a month is forty days. A year has nine months and three extra days, the length of which depends on the phase of the moon. New Year’s is celebrated during those three days.
[2] Radiant Ones are similar to angels in the local religion.
[3] Edematous fever was an old name for mumps.
[4] Wool sock—local slang for an old maid
[5] A local variation of chess.
[6] Green is the color of mourning in Ativerna. Pastors also wear green to remind people that life is short.
[7] Something similar happened at the Vatican in the Middle Ages, when a papal conclave was asked to decide whether women were humans or animals
[8] There were several types of aristocratic titles. Hereditary titles, such as duke, count or baron, added the name of the family’s estate to the person’s name. For example: Lilian Earton, Amadeo Troquer. Lons Avels was a chevalier. This title came with no estate, but it was hereditary. If he had managed to acquire an estate, he would have taken the name of the estate. Without an estate, he used his parents’ last name. Non-hereditary titles were assigned for feats of bravery and service to the king, or they could be purchased. If three generations of a family receive a non-hereditary title, it became hereditary and the family could own land. Otherwise, this avenue was shut off to them. Without a title, no one was allowed to own an estate.
[9] A shield facing outward signaled that the boat was ready for battle, while a shield facing inward signified peace, negotiation and trade. Virmans often painted their signal shields red, the color of blood and battle, or black, the color of earth and trade.
[10] The church system ranked its servants as follows: Father, Father Superior, and Aldon. There were only 12 Aldons, and they all took a vow of celibacy. The Aldons were the leaders of the church, like the College of Cardinals without the pope.
First lessons Page 28