Jax softened her tone, meeting his hopeful eyes. “In matters like these, we can’t afford to blur the lines, Perry. We must remain strong, for our people and for the realm.”
He didn’t answer, and the silence hung heavily between them.
Sighing, she left him to brood in grand foyer of the inn, seeking out Captain Solomon to arrange their departure. She found the regal guardsman chatting with the inn’s proprietor.
Smiling demurely, she pulled George away, giving the innkeeper an apologetic look for disrupting their conversation.
“I was just giving my thanks for superb accommodations and adherence to our security measures,” George explained, causing Jax to snort in a most unladylike manner.
“I’m sure the proprietor was more than willing to oblige considering how much gold we paid him,” she said, rolling her eyes at the whole process. She knew it was for her own protection, but reserving every available room at each place they stopped for overnight lodging had put a dent in her treasury that she didn’t deem necessary.
Normally, George would try to convince her that these were all essential measures, but he’d been walking on eggshells around her in the weeks following Arnie’s death, and she suspected he did not want to force an argument. “Shall we prepare for departure? I’ve sent men ahead to announce our arrival at the palace.”
“Jaquobie told me.” Jax made a face as she recalled the unpleasantness of the encounter. “This summit is going to be nothing but glorified brown-nosing by the other duchies. How Lysandeir plans to change any minds is beyond me.”
“He’ll do what he can to target you, Jax. If the Duke can convince you to see things his way, everyone else will fall in line,” George said, his worry evident about the measures the Duke might be willing to take.
While agreeing that the Duke could very well try and persuade her, Jax was more concerned about the resolve of the other leaders attending the summit. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, George,” she admitted with a frown. “Of course, my grandfather and Perry’s father will adhere to our agreement, but I can’t say that I hold much confidence in the other duchies if Lysandeir is able to make them an offer they can’t refuse. I believe Duke Crepsta will continue to side with us, after how things played out with his nephew…” Jax trailed off, shuddering at the memory, “but let’s just say I’m not counting all my chickens before they hatch. Savant and Isla DeLacqua did not even send representation to the summit.” She rolled her eyes, offended that her colleagues to the south chose not to treat this Accord as a serious threat to the stability of the realm. “I do wish Lady Carriena had been able to convince her father that their vote was worthwhile, but he already sent his abstention.”
“With two duchies abstaining, the Cetachi Accord needs six votes for approval, then?” George asked.
Nodding, Jax explained the current political landscape. “Jaquobie’s informants tell us that seven of the duchies are planning to vote against the measure. However, I think if Lysandeir strikes the right deal, Beautraud and Crepsta may falter, as they are our weakest allies at the moment. Hestes and Tandora have already agreed to the terms, so there is a chance we will have an uphill battle on our hands.” She nervously massaged her arms under the shelter of her cloak. “I hope I’m up for it,” she said, knowing this was going to be the first large political hurdle she attempted without her father’s guidance.
George placed a comforting hand of her shoulder, his warm dark eyes crinkling with a smile. “You’ll do fine, Jax. There’s nothing you can’t do if you set your mind to it.”
She could see a ghost of regret in his eyes. “George, please stop blaming yourself for what happened to Arnie. I’m tired of all this useless tension between you and me. It’s over and in the past. She deceived us all, used us all. It’s time to let it go.” She broke away from his pained gaze and stared beyond everything in the room. “She’s gone.”
George’s shoulders slumped, and she knew that he, too, had been close to the woman they all considered a friend during their younger years. “I can’t believe how it all played out. I…I feel like a failure,” he stuttered as his words caught in his throat.
She returned the comforting gesture by giving his muscular arm a tight squeeze. “When this summit is over, we will have time to properly mourn all that we lost. But for now, we must focus on the future and security of Saphire.”
“How do you do it?” George asked in stark wonder. “How do you box it all up and package it away?” He analyzed the calm mask she wore on her face.
Recognizing his sincere bewilderment, Jax knew he didn’t mean to offend her, but his question nonetheless suggested he thought her void of emotion. “I don’t have much of a choice in matters like these. I must be strong for the duchy.”
Studying the faint sadness in her eyes for a moment, George answered with an affirmative nod. “I’ll prepare the men for departure and have your carriage brought around, Your Grace.”
Jax silently thanked her Captain of the Ducal Guard and wandered through the halls of the spacious inn, looking for her other companions. She ran into Uma and Hendrie just outside the dining hall, both looking flushed, their cheeks bright red from either the biting cold or the topic of their whispered discussion that trailed off upon seeing her approach.
Saluting her with an impish grin, Hendrie’s brown eyes twinkled. “The bags have been brought down, Your Grace. We’re just waiting for the carriage to come around.”
Jax’s keen eyes darted between her two friends, wondering what she had just interrupted. “Thank you, Hendrie. George is having it brought out now. Might you join Uma and I inside the coach today?”
Hendrie shook his head. “Many thanks for the offer, Your Grace, but even in this weather, I prefer to ride outside. The fresh air keeps the queasiness at bay.” He motioned to his stomach, which became agitated any time he rode in small, confined spaces.
“You and George with your motion sickness. It’s a wonder I take you anywhere,” Jax said with a teasing laugh. Captain Solomon, too, found that any type of transportation other than walking or horseback left him feeling ill.
“Master Vyanti gave me some herbs to try this time around, but I’d rather not risk it to begin with. I want my stomach in tip-top shape for the feast tonight. Jaquobie told us that we’ve been invited to a meal separate from the formal dinner, but I’ve heard that the head of the palace kitchens is from Savant. Should be edible, I think.” Hendrie gave Uma a sheepish glance before continuing. “I’ll see to it that the trunks are loaded up.” With a slight bow, the young man disappeared down the hall.
“I hope I didn’t intrude?” Jax asked Uma with feigned coyness. She was bursting to know what might be going on between her maid and Perry’s dashing valet.
Uma’s pretty face blossomed to an impossibly dark shade of red. “We were just talking about how neither of us has been to Lysandeir before, that’s all.” Her warm eyes narrowed, silently beseeching Jax not to query her further.
Folding her arms as if expecting more details, Jax tapped her foot, raising one eyebrow. “Well, I don’t know why you are eager to visit. It’s a snowcapped wasteland, which is why I’ve kept away from it myself.”
Uma looked surprised. “I’ve heard that the fortress is a marvel. The most secure in the realm.”
This wasn’t the first time Jax had heard this about the palace in Lysandeir’s capital, Croivast, but she still bristled. “I’ll remind you, Uma, that as a representative of Saphire, we must never concede that another duchy is better than our own in any way.”
Uma’s lower lip quivered for only a moment before nodding. “Of course, Your Grace.”
Jax gave her a tight smile, but could tell that her curt reprimand stung. Even though she considered Uma a close friend, she had to remind herself that the young woman had been brought up in a small village without any formal training regarding the ways of the royal courts. Of course, Uma had learned quickly at Jax’s side through the years she’d been in the ro
yal family’s service, but every now and then, she needed a reminder of how to act appropriately.
“I’ll go check your suite one last time to make sure I didn’t forget anything,” Uma mumbled with contrition. She curtsied before backing away from the Duchess.
Sighing at her less-than-tactful misstep, Jax retreated to the foyer, where the rest of the Saphire delegation gathered. She bid good morning to the assembled soldiers who’d spent night and day protecting her throughout this journey.
“Duchess, if I may?” Jaquobie said, emerging from the shadows of the grand hall to pull her back toward the darkness. “When we arrive at court, might I suggest you interview Lady Lysette for the open position as your lady-in-waiting?” The High Courtier looked at Jax with piercing amber eyes, urging her to heed his suggestion.
“Why on earth would I make that offer to a stranger?” Jax hissed in hushed tones, hoping no one else overheard their conversation.
“You’ve delayed long enough in appointing someone. With Aranelda’s death, we can finally move past this horrid business, and what better way than filling the position?” Jaquobie pressed. “It is not right for a Duchess to go unattended, especially for as long as you have. It makes you appear fragile, as though you can’t move past the incident.”
“And by incident, you mean my best friend and her lover betraying me by killing my parents and trying to steal my throne?” She couldn’t believe Jaquobie was accusing her of being weak in the face of Arnie’s crimes. It wasn’t her fault that no one suitable enough had come forward to apply for the position.
Jaquobie looked past the venom in her eyes. “There is a royal wedding to plan now, meaning it’s high time you had someone else attending to your affairs.”
Jax felt her cheeks burn with indignation. “My lady-in-waiting is supposed to be my most trusted companion. You want me to appoint Lysandeir’s daughter to the post, with all that we’re up against at this summit? Are you mad?”
“Most trusted companion? How did that work out for you, Duchess?” Jaquobie said with a scowl, clearly not afraid of her temper. Pulling his robes tightly around his slender frame, he continued in a much more calculated tone. “Imagine how far offering the position would go, especially during these talks regarding the Cetachi Accord. Perhaps we can have Duke Lysandeir dismiss the whole matter by extending an invitation to his daughter to join the Saphire court and making a pledge of additional resources for border protection?”
Pushing her ego aside for the moment, Jax paused to consider the strategy the political mastermind proposed. “By additional resources, you mean my soldiers?”
Jaquobie nodded.
Jax’s mind processed the plan. “I hate the thought of sending Saphire men into foreign mountains to fight off Cetachi rebels.” She clicked her tongue, pondering the consequences. “But I would be tempted to loan the duchy a small company of guardsmen, granted our men train Lysandeir’s warriors to be more effective so that we can eventually withdraw any physical support.” She paced a short distance before returning to the shadows where Jaquobie lurked. “I’ll consider it, after I have met Lysette and vetted her character. For now, we move forward as originally planned,” she ordered, ignoring the scowl that briefly flashed across her High Courtier’s face at her verdict. Even though his taunts of weakness left her ego bruised, she would not be bullied into making such a weighty decision. After all, her last choice for lady-in-waiting had nearly cost her her life.
She heard a chorus of horses nickering outside, signaling the arrival of her gold-gilded carriage. The guardsmen parted for her as she marched out of the foyer of the inn and into the raging cold weather. The winter months were now well upon them, the snowstorm announcing its arrival with a vengeance. The wind whipped at her fur-lined hood, cold flecks of snow and ice pelting her exposed skin. Overnight, the world around them had turned into a frozen tundra. She muttered a curse, for she knew it would only get colder as they crossed into Lysandeir.
Perry appeared beside her, offering her his arm. She used it for support as she stepped into the warmth of the carriage. Once inside, she turned to give him a grateful smile, but he had already retreated to his horse, his brooding figure buried under layers of wool and fur. Frowning at his sullen attitude, she turned to survey the spacious compartment where she would spend the remaining hours of their journey north. Fur skin blankets covered nearly every surface, and she quickly burrowed into them, taking a seat by the window. Uma climbed in after her and the carriage door shut with a snap. The rest of her delegation would weather the ride on horseback.
“Won’t they all freeze out there? The storm is taking a turn for the worse, I fear,” Uma fretted as she looked out her own window.
Jax glanced at her friend’s reflection in the glass, seeing concern for the horses in her brown eyes. Reaching over, she gave Uma’s arm a reassuring pat. “I sent a small envoy to Lysandeir a few weeks back, before the season changed, to purchase horses specifically for this trip. There is a merchant in the mountains who breeds animals accustomed to nasty weather like this. They’ll be fine, dear one.” It was so like Uma to be more worried about the comfort of the animals than the people they carried.
Uma looked away from the window to concentrate fully on Jax. “May I ask what Jaquobie was hounding you about just now? You looked miffed as you walked away.”
Jax pursed her lips. “He thinks that offering Lady Lysette the post as my lady-in-waiting will somehow be enough to get Duke Lysandeir to call off this whole accord with Cetachi.”
Uma’s eyes widened. “Lady Lysette? But you don’t even know her.”
“I am quite aware.” Jax leaned back into the cushioned headrest, her face set in a scowl. “I told Jaquobie I would consider it, once I meet her and see what she’s all about…but I’d prefer not to go down that path. The position is too important to hand off to a stranger.” At the sound of her friend clearing her throat, she turned to look at her, curious about what she had to say.
“Do you intend to fill the post with a Saphirian noblewoman, Jax? I’m happy to keep filling in, but I don’t want to overstep my bounds if there is someone coming in to replace me.” Uma became suddenly preoccupied with her hands.
With a long sigh, Jax looked out the window. “You’re not going to be replaced, Uma. In fact, I’d be perfectly happy if things continued on the way they’ve been.”
“With me fulfilling the duties of a lady-in-waiting?” Uma pressed. “Jax, why can’t you just name me to the position and be done with it?”
The Duchess stiffened a bit at the edge of irritation in Uma’s voice. “You know it’s not that simple, dear one.”
“Because I’m common-born?” Uma said with a quiet fire Jax had never heard before. “Hendrie has been asking me why that should be a hindrance if I’m the best person for the role?”
Jax sat up and looked at her sternly. “Well, Hendrie should know that a lady-in-waiting hails from a noble family. That’s how it’s always been, Uma.”
“I told him that, Jax, and he pointed out how unfair that rule is. He’s very passionate about the subject—why we common folk are stuck in the mud with our brown eyes. After all, we work hard to make the duchies thrive, and yet, we’re still looked down upon by the nobles, and the ducal lines only deem us worthy to be servants.” Uma’s breath came out in a rush, as if she’d been afraid to stop talking until she voiced her thoughts.
“Where on earth is this coming from?” Jax demanded, never having heard her friend voice such concerns before.
“Hendrie and Perry discussed last night the new state Cetachi plans to build. Hendrie thinks it’s a wonderful thing, where the people, common-born people, get to decide who their leader will be, where they have the chance to become leaders themselves. That in Cetachi, people will have the opportunity to throw off the societal chains and become more, not judged by where they come from, but by what they do.” Tears filled Uma’s chocolate-colored eyes as she spoke. “I know someone like you could never understan
d, Jax, but to live in a place where I could amount to more than a servant girl...”
Speechless, Jax gaped at Uma, who shuddered and turned her attention to the window, wiping away the tears that had sprung up from her fervor. Never, in all their years together, had Uma displayed such resentment at her station. She’d always been so timid and reserved. Jax found the young woman’s sudden zeal nothing short of astonishing. “I didn’t realize you and Hendrie felt that way,” she said after careful consideration, “I hope you know you are more than a servant to me, Uma.”
At that, Uma’s face fell into her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. “Yes, ma’am, of course I know,” she mumbled between gasps.
“I take it Hendrie has had quite a lot to say on the Cetachi Accord,” Jax said with a calmness she did not feel. “Has this been your own sentiment for a long time?”
Uma shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought too much about it before. But after Hendrie told me what he and Perry had talked about and described this new way of life, I don’t know, it…it triggered something inside me. Made me realize I want to be more than what I am.”
Jax reached a delicate hand across the aisle to where her friend sat. “Who you are is a wonderful person. A person who is kind, intelligent, and brave. How does one improve upon qualities like those?” Her fingers entwined with those of her maid’s trembling hands, hoping to soothe her.
Uma paused for a moment before pulling her hands away and clasping them on her lap. “I suppose it all has to do with wanting what you can’t have.” She gave her sovereign a self-conscious look. “I will go to my grave being mortified of this moment, I hope you know. I apologize for stepping out of line.”
Jax watched an emotional barricade fortify between them as Uma regained her composure once more. “Please, do not beat yourself up for feeling strongly. I appreciate your honesty.” She shared a smile with her friend, but could not dismiss the roiling in her stomach. With Hendrie fueling the fire, her beloved Uma reacted just as she feared others would when they heard about Cetachi’s plans for statehood. If her calm, reserved lady’s maid could have such a visceral reaction, it did not bode well for the duchies.
A Summit in Shadow Page 4