What a wonderful lesson to have finally learned.
Someone at the door of the chapel cleared her throat. Mari turned to see a woman she recognized as Princess Aslynn’s handmaiden.
“Oh, hello,” she said, standing up.
“Lady Mari, Princess Aslynn has dispatched me to find you.”
“Is there trouble?” she asked, wondering if Rochelle had been right after all.
“No, milady. Her Highness thought you might like to bathe and change into a dress for today’s activities. Today is the last day of the market fair, then after lunch there is to be a play in the courtyard, followed by fireworks.”
“Sounds like a full day.”
“The better to offset the dedicated prayer of Coronation Day.” The handmaiden smiled wryly, seeing Mari had forgotten about that aspect of Transition Week.
“Are we truly expected to sit in prayer all day?” Mari couldn’t help asking.
“Traditionally, yes, but most people approach Coronation Day with brevity when it comes to their prayers, and far more emphasis on dedicated merrymaking.”
Mari smiled, but she couldn’t help thinking some prayer for the troubled crown prince would not be a bad thing. She stood and walked with the handmaiden, who introduced herself as Melanie, to the door.
“Will Princess Aslynn and Lord Wingfield be coming to breakfast?”
“No, milady. A visitor arrived early this morning. They have been sequestered with him for half an hour already. The princess seemed to think it would be a while before they would be done speaking with him.”
“Who is he, do you know?”
“No, milady.”
“Hmm. Well, I guess I had better get moving if I hope to attend breakfast myself.”
Melanie took Mari to the quarters set aside for the princess and her husband when they visited. There, she bathed, and then Melanie helped her dress in a russet satin gown Mari had to trust did not clash with her hair.
Breakfast was odd, with no one but Prince Edward sitting at the high table. The guests ate quickly, seeing there was little reason to tarry, and left to take in the market fair, which promised to be at its best for its last day.
Mari ate quickly also, and sparingly, feeling uncomfortable with the way Prince Edward was watching her. Every time she looked up, she caught his eye—he was staring without even bothering to hide it.
As soon as she finished, she left the table and headed out to the fair, which she had not yet taken in. There were stalls a-plenty, with clothing, dresses, jewelry, art, and household items, from finely made to sturdy utilitarian. All in the fresh air, rinsed clean by the night’s rain.
But her favorite was a curio stall, filled with baubles from far off shores. She spent a great deal of time there, though she began to wish she had money to purchase some of the wonderful items.
Out the castle gates and into the village proper, she wandered. In and among the stalls, children ran in hectic chaos while parents and shopkeepers scolded. Jugglers tossed everything from brightly colored balls, to knives, to fresh fruit—whatever they could get their hands on. Tumblers rolled through, scattering people as they cartwheeled and flipped down the street.
Most of the food vendors were not open yet, but one selling pastries was, and Mari could not resist paying the small sum to sample the heavenly sweet.
As she ate, she wandered further down Main Street, heading toward the gate dividing the village from moors. People were streaming in and out the gate, and Mari was amazed at the sheer number of them. She hadn’t realized Fair Haven was so heavily populated.
Then she remembered the port and figured some of the traffic came from there. But when she walked out of the village, she found a tent village had sprung up in the shadow of the village wall, and realized it must be housing for visitors coming to see the coronation.
As she turned to go back to the gate, she heard the bells of the convent toll eleven. It wouldn’t be long before the guests began assembling for lunch.
Mari was not hungry, but she was still tired. She would give the fair a few minutes more before going up to her room to get a little sleep before the play. With luck, her mother and sister would be gone.
⇜⊂⊃⊂⊃⊂⊃⇝
Edward watched Lady Mari as she wandered through the fair, wanting to talk to her, but wishing she would go somewhere a little more private.
She was heading back toward the courtyard and he was following when the demon-witch Maudette appeared at his side.
“Are you prepared to leave?” she asked.
“Not yet,” he said, intent on keeping sight of the lady.
Maudette laughed. “Pursue her if you must,” she said. Something in her voice made Edward turn to look at her; the smile twisting her lips was hard. “Only remember you have a day’s ride to make, no matter when you leave.”
“I remember,” Edward said, looking up at the dark woman. “What about this man the royal twins have been in conference with all morning? Will he affect our plans?”
“What man?” Maudette asked, cocking her head to one side.
“I’m not sure, but my manservant thinks it may be the man who came five years ago to solve the stable brat’s mystery.”
“Meedo!” The witch hissed, the sound sending shivers down Edward’s spine. She disappeared, and the force of her departure rocked him back a step.
Edward frowned, taking that to mean the stranger’s return was not a good thing. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed the occurrence, but no one seemed to even notice he was there. Not knowing what to expect and remembering Lady Mari, he looked up, but the young woman was long gone from sight.
Before he could do anything other than exhale his disappointment, he jumped: the witch was back, standing in front of him. “I hate that!”
Maudette ignored the remark. “This presents a bit of a challenge, but nothing I can’t overcome. Be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, boy. We may be pressed for time.”
“Of course,” he said darkly, thinking he would need to track down the lady and take her somewhere private to discuss the ideas he had in mind.
“You’re not considering backing out of our deal?” the demon-witch asked.
Edward returned his attention to her. “I don’t recall agreeing to the terms of payment.”
She smiled again, this time in true amusement. “What wouldn’t you pay to gain the crown promised you at your birth? A king can have whatever he wants, whomever he wants.”
“But the people—”
“Are the king’s subjects. A strong king knows this. A strong king takes what pleases him. I think you will be a very strong king.”
“Of course I will be a strong king. I was bred for it. But do not be so certain you know what I would give up to buy your help. After all, I need only be patient....”
“Look what patience has brought you so far, boy. The royal brat is young and healthy. It could be decades before he dies of natural causes. He’ll have bred an heir long before that, and probably with that darling little redhead you covet so much. Your opportunity lies in allying yourself with me. Only a fool would fail to seize it.”
Edward bristled. “I am no fool.”
Maudette caressed his chin. “Of course not. That is why I know you will gladly pay the small price I’ll ask of you.”
“If you know, then why not tell me?”
“There are still a few details to work out with my partner that are of no concern to you. Now, I must go. Be ready when next I appear.”
“I will,” Edward said as she vanished yet again. He had to admit, the witch made a good argument for him to take part in her plan. It was his destiny to be king of the Bonnie Isles. He knew that in his bones.
And as king, he could have any woman he wanted as his wife. And he wanted Lady Mari. Having watched her all morning, he found himself even more smitten with her.
She possessed a gentle sweetness, an air of purity, goodness, and shy innocence. He found himself drawn to her be
yond any reason.
He would have her, just as he would have the crown.
⇜⊂⊃⊂⊃⊂⊃⇝
Meedo sat back in his chair, letting everything he’d heard sift through the special filters in his mind. Filters some said were magic. He didn’t know where his “powers” came from, but he thought of them as a gift rather than magic. What his gift was telling him now would take some time to sort out.
“There’s much confusion surrounding this place and the people in this room,” he said at last, opening his eyes to look at five expectant faces. The twins, the Greyloch heir, the crown prince’s bodyguard, and the old swordmaster each told their impressions of the past few days, but there was more that remained to be told. “The strands of your lives are coming to a knot with forces as yet unknown. Soon.”
“What do you mean?” the prince asked.
Meedo could see the prince was shaken—and no wonder, with his whole life being turned upside down while some power disrupted his emotional center. Meedo could tell this disruption—this anger—was still just a whisper away from taking hold again. Only the man’s remarkable will held it in check.
“You remember I once described to you the path of a person’s life, how it is like a ribbon and the present moment is a bead sliding along that ribbon?”
“Yes,” the prince answered.
“I can clearly see the ribbons of everyone in this room. Also the other two royals, and...a girl. These ribbons are gathering in, running together, yet still apart. There are two more ribbons that come out of blurred, obscured origins, and wrap around, knotting with all your ribbons. The beads are very close to this knot of conflict.”
“Can you see the outcome?” Master Jabari asked, ever practical.
Meedo paused before shaking his head. “The knot is also blurred, and ends in obscurity. The outcome is uncertain.”
“But what do we do?” Princess Aslynn asked. “How do we know who these other people are? Do we know for sure they are enemies?”
“It is definitely a conflict of immense proportions. I will need to meditate to see if I can discover more concrete answers for you. If I can have the use of a quiet place...?”
“Absolutely,” Prince Sebastian said. “You may use this room. Jared will assign a guard to see that you are not disturbed. Do you require anything? Food? Drink?”
“I’ll be fine,” Meedo assured him.
“And in the meantime?” the princess pressed.
“In the meantime, Prince Sebastian, do your best to heal the rift that has hammered in around you. This anger driving you has origins outside of you, and the danger of it has not left you. I see you know this. Inside your heart, you have the means to push it out. Find it. The rest of you gather your strength in whatever way you may, and lend support to your prince. I sense the conflict centers upon him, and hinges on his survival.”
⇜⊂⊃⊂⊃⊂⊃⇝
Sebastian stood, and the others followed his cue. “I pray that, together, we can see our way beyond this conflict and get on with living.”
“As do I,” Aslynn agreed, looking across the table at him. He saw in her eyes all the pain she had endured in the last few days and felt ashamed. His actions had a great deal to do with the cause. He still had no words, but he held her gaze, willing her to understand. She gave him a tentative smile and nodded.
“Then we will leave you to your work,” he said to Meedo, and gestured for the others to precede him out of the study.
Once out of the study, Jared left to dispatch the guard to watch the study door, and Master Jabari faced Sebastian.
“Prince Sebastian,” he said formally. Sebastian remembered their last conversation and winced. “With your permission, I will mobilize the auxiliary guardsmen. Most of them will already be here for the coronation, so it will be a small matter.”
“Discreetly, Master Jabari. I suspect our guests are already...shall we say, disturbed by recent royal behavior,” he pointed to himself, “and if we openly mobilize the auxiliaries, we could have a panic on our hands. I suggest calling out a maximum of fifty—preferably younger guardsmen with no families to alarm.”
Master Jabari frowned as he considered the proposal, and then nodded. “A wise course of action, Your Highness. It will be done.”
“Master,” he said, and the old military man paused in turning away. “Thank you.” The swordmaster nodded and saluted. Sebastian returned the salute and watched him march off smartly.
Aslynn was watching him as he turned away from Master Jabari, and he met her gaze.
Adam cleared his throat in the silence. “I’ll, ah…go see to it that we can get some lunch before the play starts,” he said. “If we’re trying not to alarm the guests, we ought to put in an appearance today.”
“Yes,” Sebastian agreed, without looking away from his sister. “That’s a good idea.”
“Right.” Adam backed away from them, then turned and headed for the dining hall.
Aslynn waited.
“I’ve been unfair,” he said at last. She reached out and took his hand. “All this while I accused you of turning away, when it was really me.”
“Oh, Sebastian,” she said. No blame, no excuses, just love.
He pulled her into a hug. “I will never doubt your love again.”
“I am always here for you, brother.”
Chapter Ten
Maudette appeared next to Tawnia and hissed at where she found herself. Just the sight of the statues and stained glass made her cringe, but after her initial surprise, she was supremely amused.
“Nice work,” she said, and the other woman turned to her. “I’m impressed.”
“What?” Tawnia snarled with impatience. Whatever spell she was cooking up was making her cranky.
“Complications.”
“Of what kind?”
“The annoying kind. You recall the busybody who spoiled your last best plans?”
“What about him?”
“He’s back.” Always curious to see how humans reacted to bad news, she found this human’s reaction highly entertaining.
Tawnia’s delicate features contorted in rage and she slammed her fists down on the broken altar. A movement to sweep the bowl and knife off the surface was aborted; instead, she turned to face the empty chapel. Hands balled into shaking fists, she shouted in wordless anger.
Maudette chuckled, and Tawnia spun to face her. She held up a hand. “You obviously have not considered that this is the perfect opportunity for revenge.”
Tawnia squinted at her a moment, then, as abruptly as they had contorted, her features smoothed to their usual beautiful, perfect expression. “Of course.”
“You’re much stronger now,” Maudette went on. “And this time, you have me. Together, we can defeat him. Several times over.”
Tawnia smiled. “Yes. We can simply remove him from the equation before he can affect the outcome.”
Dipping her finger in the bowl, Maudette raised it to her nose and sniffed. Blood. Tawnia’s, if she was not mistaken. Blood and Holy water, very powerful focusing agents. This little witch could be getting in way over her head in a hurry. True to her perverse nature, part of her wished she could see that happen.
“This ups the stakes considerably,” she said casually. “I will dispatch the meddler for you. But it is time to renegotiate my payment.”
Tawnia scoffed. “It is not enough that you deny me the twins?”
“They would be amusing to toy with for a while, but where would I keep them? What I crave are souls, and if I can’t get them to trade...well, they’ll be worthless to me.”
“That is not my concern. We had a deal....”
“Not one that covered pest extermination.”
“Then I’ll handle him myself.”
“I believe you could, if you had nothing else in your little burning bowl.” She gestured to the ceremonial bowl on the altar and then to Tawnia. “Look at you. You’re stretched as thin as thread. This meddler will come along and
break you with a snap of his fingers.”
Frowning, Tawnia paced halfway around the altar, then back to stand before Maudette. “What is your bid?”
“Your son’s soul.”
“Never!”
“He’ll have the use of it until he dies,” Maudette said, her voice silken with her most reasonable tone.
“And then suffer with you for eternity? That would not be a sound bargain.”
“You’d be surprised how many make it. Such as yourself. Besides, I like him. He would not have to suffer. Much.”
“I love my son.”
“Adore, covet, promote, glory in him, yes. But love? Listen. You can’t give me his soul. All I ask—demand—as payment is your permission to ask him to bargain.”
“He will never agree.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about.”
“If I grant permission, then I want the twins back, no matter what success you have.”
“Take them.” Maudette waved her hand airily.
“Very well. We have a new deal.”
Maudette chuckled. “Good. Go back to your conjuring. I must check to see that your son’s army is gathering.”
She disappeared.
⇜⊂⊃⊂⊃⊂⊃⇝
Edward sat on the edge of his seat, but it had nothing to do with the performance taking place in the courtyard.
He and the rest of the royal family, looking a little too chummy for his peace of mind, sat on a raised dais across the courtyard from the stage. The acting troupe—supposedly one of good reputation—was performing some love story Edward found eminently forgettable.
No, what had him on edge was the lateness of the hour and the fact that he hadn’t yet had a chance to speak to Lady Mari. He was sure the witch would arrive soon to summon him away, but he was not ready to go.
The object of his attention sat a few rows in front of him in the general seating area, on the far left of the row. She appeared rapt in the performance, leaning forward, chin resting on her open palm, her elbow propped on the arm of the chair. Her lips curved in a slight smile. Edward wanted to reach out and touch them, to see if they felt as soft as they looked.
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