Eventually Beau’s execution was scheduled. Two evenings before, however, Adair held a fete in my honor. A gown was sent ahead of time that he had commissioned for me to wear. It was a deep purple, almost black. When I moved the fabric beneath the light, it shimmered with ripples of blue. The stitching was silver, with slashes of silver in the sleeves. The beading on the bodice was shaped into blooming night flowers. In the box it came in were a plain silver caul and a pearl necklace with pearl-drop earrings to match. Elenna helped me dress, brushing out my long black hair until it shone. I watched her reflection in the mirror. She was serene while I was fidgeting with nerves. Our plot to save Beau was nearing its end. After this evening, he would be free or I would be caught in my game. It was a gamble to try to save him. Elenna had agreed with me; Beau must live.
Elenna helped me lace the back of the gown. It was styled to hide my growing girth, which was a surprising consideration coming from Adair. He is dangerous. He knows how to lull me into a false sense of security. One slip of the tongue tonight and everything I’ve worked towards may be my undoing.
Adair himself came to escort me. I was waiting for him in the salon. He swept in and pulled me into his arms. He kissed me, lingering overlong with his hand on my buttocks. I let him, despite my desire to push him away and give up the lie. You shall be his lover; it is the only way.
“You look beautiful, just like the night you claimed your title,” he said as he held me at arm’s length.
The night I had stood before the old king and proclaimed myself the last Diranel diviner seemed a lifetime ago. That girl is dead; the woman left behind will be your death, I told Adair silently. I pretended to be flattered and lowered my head in a curtsy. “Thank you, it is because of you that I was able to take my rightful place.”
He tilted my chin up to force me to look at him.
“You bow to no one, Maea. You are my equal, the wife of my heart, and tonight I make it so everyone can see that.” His words startled me. He means to proclaim me as his paramour. I did blush then. I would rather let the lies continue in secret.
He hurried me out of the chamber, with my arm linked with his. Elenna fell in step behind us, a shadow in pale gray. It was customary for women of position to have a lady’s maid. No one would balk at the sight of me attended by one, though I brought her for reasons much different than companionship. Outside, we were joined by three palace guards. We passed by other courtiers on their way to the fete. They bowed to us, and I heard the murmurs as we were walking together. Whether he announces it or not, the entire kingdom will know after tonight. Unwillingly my thoughts went to Johai. This had been his idea, or one I had convinced him of, but I imagined the specter becoming enraged to think I had been taken by the king. What if he finds out and descends upon the palace before the time has come? Can I stop him if he does? I tried to put it from my mind. I had a different battle to face this evening. I held my head up high and tried not to let my terror and fear show on my face. They must think I am strong. I must look like I belong at his side.
We went down a passageway that was vacant but for the two palace guards at either end. My heart was beating wildly. Adair squeezed my hand. “Ready?” he whispered in my ear. His breath brushed against my skin. My flesh prickled with the sensation.
I nodded and found the words lodged in my throat. The battle must begin sometime. The doors swung open, and for a moment I was blinded by the candlelight and the glitter of the hall. The courtiers were staring at us, and the court crier shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the beating of my heart. It sounded like drums and like the pull of the vision, but I did not sink under. I had more control of my powers now. I walked arm in arm with Adair into the hall.
He led me to the head table, where dual chairs had been set. One was meant for Adair and the other for Sabine, who was still in her lie-in awaiting the birth of their son. I thought Adair would seat me next to the dual thrones, but instead he placed me in the spot of the queen. My eyes grew large as he pushed my chair into the table. I could hear the whispers like a sting against my skin. The remainder of the royal family filed in. Princess Edalene had grown in my time away, and she had all the sharp beauty of a girl at the edge of becoming a woman. She smiled at me with a mischievous gleam in her eye. To Adair’s right sat Layton and a few of his chosen nobles, including the young dukes. Adair stood, and the rest of the court followed suit. I stood beside him, looking over the crowd, feeling overwhelmed by the eyes staring at me in judgment. I could no longer stare forward; instead I looked at the tabletop.
“Good people,” Adair began, “I come before you with great news. We have fought and won a battle against the Biski in the west before they could join the Neaux. It was thanks to this woman, Duchess Maea Diranel.” He grabbed my hand and looked at me with a smile. He turned once more to the crowd, “Because of her vision and guidance, we were able to stop our enemies from joining together. The war is far from over. We must remain vigilant. Do not doubt that those we have fought, these monsters that have raped our women and killed our sons and brothers, will go unpunished. We will wipe the land of these scum and bring in a new age!”
The men around the room shouted and stamped their feet. I would not like to be Neaux in this palace right now. I looked over to Princess Edalene. She was the daughter of Adair’s mother, Princess Florian, through rape. Her father had been a Neaux invader. The princess had the look of Neaux about her, with ebony hair and olive skin. All that marked her of the royal house was her sapphire eyes that many of her kin shared. She felt me staring and smiled at me as if to reassure me. She’s strong. She’s learned to bear the mark of her paternity. She reminded me of Sabine that way. Sabine. I thought of Sabine in her chamber, waiting for the birth of her son, and was glad she was not here to witness this.
After the announcement, dinner was served. We drank and feasted. My appetite was returning, and I devoured most everything put before me, from roast boar to fresh fruit. I talked with Princess Edalene, who recounted her studies to me.
“I tolerate the books, but I have been begging brother for a sword,” she confided to me in a stage whisper.
Adair overheard and looked at his sister. “Edalene, you have no need of a sword. What good would that serve at the palace?”
“What if the war comes here? I want to be able to defend myself,” she replied. She tossed her hair and gave her brother a haughty look.
He shook his head. “You have guards to protect you.”
She scoffed. “Half of them don’t know which end of a sword to hold. And none of them can find me when we play ghost in the graveyard. They don’t know the secret passageways about the palace half as well as me,” she confessed to me in a whisper.
Adair heard, and he lectured her on not leaving her guards. It sounded like an old argument. As they bickered, Elenna came to me and whispered in my ear, “The time has come.”
I turned to Adair as Elenna melted into the crowd of servants behind me. She slipped between the tables and serving men and women and out of the banquet hall. I put my hand on Adair’s as he was chiding his sister. “I’m going to stretch my legs and get some air,” I told him.
He placed his hand over mine. “Very well, do not go too far. I’ll be wanting to claim a dance before the night is through.”
I smiled, and he reached up to kiss me. I kept it brief; I did not want to display our relationship for the entire court to see.
I slid past the long tables where the minor nobility and merchants feasted and cavorted. I was walking past a long table at the back of the hall when someone stood and blocked my path. I tried to excuse myself, but before I could, he said, “Lady Diranel, it is good to see you returned to court.” I looked up at the severe expression of Ambassador Malchor, Jerauchian ambassador and Johai’s grandfather.
“Your excellence.” I gave him a quick bow. “Had I known you remained at court, I would have paid you a visit.”
He was looking me over, his dark eyes scrutinizing. “I�
�m sure you would have,” he replied. “If it would please you, I would have you read my dreams once more. They have troubled me much since you last left Keisan.”
I looked to the table beside him. The priest was sitting nearby, his hands folded in his lap as he looked at me serenely. He tilted his head as he regarded me. For a moment I saw a hint of a shadow hanging over his head; when I blinked, it disappeared. He let his master know I was here. The ambassador was one of Damara’s allies back then. It would be a good idea to rekindle that alliance. Jerauch’s support would help.
“I shall make sure to visit you and read your dreams soon, then.” I bowed.
He returned the bow, and I hurried on my way. I dared not linger longer lest Adair grow suspicious. I made my way outside the hall and into the courtyard beyond. As I had hoped, Elenna was waiting for me with Layton. The courtyard was barren with the winter, and the air smelled of earth and wet. The wind was blowing hard enough to tug at my hair, and a few tendrils came loose from my caul.
“You summoned me?” Layton said.
I smiled, but he did not return the expression. Something had changed Layton since I had left Keisan. Before he had been easy to smile and joke; now he was hard and taciturn. What happened to the man who embraced me as a sister upon our first meeting?
“I did,” I replied.
“You should not have. There are spies everywhere.” He looked at Elenna, who returned his glare with a serene smile of her own.
“I trust Elenna beyond doubt,” I said. “I dared not seek you out any other way. Adair is having me watched. I am certain he does not trust me no matter what he declares to court.”
“No, he does not, neither does his council. Don’t let Duke Delonty deceive you; they are all his creatures.”
“I surmised as much for myself.” I took a seat on the bench. Elenna came and sat beside me.
“You are tired. We should return to your chambers. It would not be good for the baby if you overexert yourself.” Elenna fussed.
I laid a hand on her shoulder. “I am fine. Don’t worry.”
Layton was staring at me. “You are with child. Is it…?”
“Adair’s? No. I have not betrayed my own dignity that much.”
Layton visibly relaxed. “Tell me, who do you work for?”
“I work for the good of the kingdom. I am no one’s creature and everyone’s.”
He scratched his chin in thought. Elenna hummed under her breath a wordless melody that floated over the air and between us. “Once upon a time I thought you were my mother’s creature, but she is lost to me. The dead cannot continue to toy with the living.”
“What do you mean?” I felt a cold ripple down my back.
“Johai, when he came to court, he told me that he saw my mother die in Neaux. He said she was trying to prove Adair’s part in Sarelle’s murder. She was trying to build a case to denounce him of his throne. So I could be made king in his place.”
I balled my hands in to a fist. Johai’s influence goes further than I thought. He has been pulling the strings from the beginning. He wanted to take Layton out of the equation. “I can assure you when last I saw your mother, she was alive.”
He looked at me as if afraid to believe my words. “How can you be certain?”
“Because when I left her, she had agreed to stay as the Queen of Neaux’s counsel in exchange to help put you on the throne of Danhad.” I neglected to mention that Queen Arlene had rejected the idea of using treachery to defeat Adair, but Layton did not need to hear that. “Her intention was for you to be king, because it is the only way to save our kingdoms. Adair’s rule has brought war to this land and possible destruction. If you were elected, then it might be able to make peace with Neaux.”
He shook his head and paced away from me. “I cannot be king! You’re asking me to betray my oldest friend.”
“A friend who condemned your mother to death and killed his own uncle to keep his crown. You know it is true. You’ve heard the rumors; you’ve probably even investigated the truth. That’s why you came to me. You know the truth, and you want to do something about it.” My hands were shaking, but my voice was steady.
Layton paced back and forth. “It’s not that simple. My wife is pregnant again, and if I were to die, what happens to her and the children? This is treason you are talking about!”
“It has to be done. If not you, then some other tyrant may take the throne. Either way, Adair must perish. It is the only way to ensure peace.”
He was looking at me as if I had taken out his heart and presented it to him on a platter, and to tell the truth, I did not revel in my task, but if letting Adair live meant hundreds of thousands would die, I could not stand aside and let the innocent be slaughtered. This has to be done, I kept reminding myself, but it made it no easier to swallow. If only this could be done without bloodshed.
“Is peace worth the price?” He stared at me for a moment, waiting for an answer. I had none to give. He shook his head once more and walked away. I did not try to stop him. Layton would come to his own conclusions in the end.
“What of our other friend?” I asked Elenna.
“He is beyond the palace gates. No one will notice for another couple of hours, and even when they do, they will never suspect you had anything to do with it.”
I felt weary. “Good,” I said. Elenna helped me to my feet. My body ached. I should rest, but I must stay until the night winds down for this plan to work. Elenna and I returned inside and found Adair just outside the courtyard door.
“I was coming to look for you. Is everything well with you?”
“Yes, I’m fine, just a bit tired is all.”
Adair clasped my hand and returned me to the table. The night wore on, several nobles and merchants came by and paid tribute to me and to Adair. I was showered with gifts of silk, pearls and jewels. One merchant gave me a crown made of silver and amethyst. It was beautifully wrought, but I did not think I would ever wear it. I am not queen even if Adair would style me as the wife of his heart.
I danced a few times with Adair. He held me close and made lewd comments as I felt his manhood pressed against me. It was all I could do not to push him away and flee. As the night wore down, however, Adair stood up to address the crowd. A hush fell over the revelers. “I wish you all to revel the night away, but for now I will escort Duchess Diranel to her chambers to rest.”
We exited through the crowd, the courtiers bowing low as we passed. This is what it would be like to be queen, I thought. It was a lonely feeling. No one met my gaze, but I felt them judging me behind their smiles. When we reached my chamber, Adair said goodnight to me with a lingering kiss.
He cupped my face in his hands as we pulled apart. “You seem distant. Is everything aright with you?”
I leaned into his touch. “The babe has just taken my energy. I am not yet used to so much activity. Thank you, for everything.”
He kissed me on the brow. “All I do is for love of you, Maea.”
I looked away from him. How much longer can I maintain this charade? He did not seem to notice as he continued on. “The council will meet again soon. I would have you read the waters and give us guidance.”
I will need to return to the Sea Chamber. I fear what I will see when I look into the depths of that dark water. “Is there any news of the war?”
“Little enough, my ambassador in Neaux tells me that the queen’s regent will not listen to peace talks. We can only resolve this on the field of battle.”
I flinched. I had forgotten a new ambassador had been sent after Jon’s death. He should have lived. He would have known what to do. He was so much better at playing this game.
“I have been careless with my tongue. Jon was your husband; I should remember these things.” He held my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.
I looked up at Adair’s blue eyes. They were so similar to Johai’s, yet they held none of the same warmth or the mysteries Johai’s had.
“Yes. He was
a good man. His death was a tragedy.” He died because of your machinations, I wanted to spit.
“You loved him?” Adair stopped his caressing. His gaze lingered on my growing stomach.
I smiled. “Not in a romantic way. He was a shield for me.” Adair was watching me intently, and I felt compelled to add, “We never consummated our marriage.”
Adair’s tension relaxed. “I see.” He continued to rub my hand and took a step closer. “I would come into your chamber if you would have me.”
My heart was thumping as I tried to keep him at bay. I should have known he would not be long satisfied with my excuses.
Adair pushed back a stray hair from my face as I fumbled to find a reply. “The man who got you with child, he used you and left you. I will never do that to you, Maea. I will remain true to you. You made a good decision in coming back to me. You hold my heart. You are the wife of my heart.”
He grabbed my chin and tilted my head back. His words were sweet like honey, and no matter how I guarded myself against his charm, I felt them worming their way in, making my resolve crumble. He kissed me, and for once I let myself melt into his touch, let myself believe the lie for a moment.
“Your Majesty!” someone shouted, and we pulled apart. A red-faced servant was rushing towards us. He wore black livery with the oak tree of House Raleban upon the breast.
“What is it?” Adair snarled. I, for one, was thankful for the interruption. I must be careful. Adair’s sweet words almost had me deceived for a moment.
The servant wrung his hands and hung his head. “The queen’s labor pains have begun. The child is coming.”
Adair’s face paled. He replied in a more sober tone, “Thank you. Send Her Majesty my well wishes.”
The man nodded. “There is one other thing, Your Majesty. The queen requests that Lady Diranel attend the birth.”
Adair looked sidelong at me, but I could not guess his thoughts. Why me? Why now? I wondered.
[fan] diviners trilogy - complete series Page 81