“And another thing,” said Lily, “if Miranda wanted to use contraceptives, you would have to comply.” The prince turned red but had nothing to say.
The last thing Mirrie needs is to have a child every year and become an old woman at thirty. No way! She should choose when to give birth and to how many children.
There was one husband who had famously brought his wife down to the grave. She met her death in childbirth, and he built her the Taj Mahal, only who uses it—her? Love is love, but one should also have some brains!
***
Amir was left quite pleased. Even if I cannot have four wives, a man can still have concubines! Any son could be an heir, provided he was smart and strong. Miranda is a good match. She already knows a lot and is able to do a lot.
The Khanganat would profit from women who could weave lace; blow clear, smooth glass; heal people. Besides, Miranda was related to the king.
Lily understood that. There was nothing she could say. She knew Amir; the young man was smart, had good manners, and was not much older than Miranda. The king wouldn't object to this marriage. Until then, Miranda would live at home.
***
“Is something bothering you, Momma?”
It was Miranda. She quietly came up to Lily’s armchair and stroked her cheek.
“Yes, my baby.”
“Why? Because of Papa?”
“That, too. But mainly because of you.”
“Why?” her blue eyes looked surprised.
“Prince Amir asked for your hand.”
“Amir? My hand?”
“Yes. He wants you to be his bride when you are of age to marry him—when you turn fifteen or even seventeen.”
Mirrie was puzzled.
“Does that mean I’ll have to go to the Khanganat?”
“I’m afraid so. You will be able to visit, but you won’t be able to live at home.”
“Will you come with me?”
Lily ruffled the girl’s hair.
“Baby, at that age you will not need me anymore. I will knit booties and caps for your children and pass them to you on occasion. Sometimes, I will visit you.”
“I would be sad without you.”
“Me, too.”
“Is there any way out of it?”
Lily sighed.
“There’s only one way out.”
“What is it?”
“To say yes now, so they don’t give you in marriage to someone else. We will see to it when you grow up. Amir is a clever young man. If you happen to fall in love with someone else, he will let you go.”
“Do you think so?”
“The king is interested in this marriage.”
Miranda sighed like a grown-up.
“I cannot go against the king’s will. I am scared, Mother.”
“What are you scared of?”
Miranda climbed onto the woman’s lap and snuggled with her.
“I am scared of finding myself in a loveless marriage, like you and Papa.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Momma!”
Her voice was struck with pain. Miranda was already a grown-up child. Children grew up faster in this world.
“Okay, you are right. But your life will be different.”
“You really think so?”
“Yes. I hadn’t seen your father once before we got married. It will be different for you, I promise.”
Mirrie clung to her mother.
“Do you give me the Countess’ word?”
“I give you my word.”
“Let’s play backgammon!”
Of course, Miranda agreed to marry. She was too young to make decisions herself.
Lily had a great desire to slap his Majesty the Prince, but she remained silent. Life would put everything in its right place.
The masquerade ball was about to begin.
***
Jess wanted to go straight to his house in the city, but Richard wouldn’t let him.
“Wait. Let's first head to the king, and afterward, you can start looking for your wife. Otherwise, you will look foolish.”
Jess didn’t think himself foolish, but it was wise to test the waters. The palace was bustling and noisy. The king’s servants welcomed the prince and the earl and led them straight toward the carnival. The Virmans stayed outside. The king despised them, and they could not help it.
Richard went straight to his father. Edward was sitting in his study. He looked a little paler and thinner, but so dear.
You realize how you miss your loved ones only after you leave home!
Richard could not resist and rushed to embrace his father. He felt the trembling in his hands.
“My son.”
Jerisson also received a big hug from the king.
Edward ordered the servant to bring herbal tea and wine for his children and closed the door.
“Tell me from the beginning, is everything okay?”
As if! Richard told his father how the Virmans had saved them from death. Edward only shook his head. He told him of the Virman’s lion hearts, of their bravery, of the ones who were saved and those who were lost. The king sighed.
“I will ask for them to be rewarded immediately. I shouldn't have been angry with them; they saved my boys.”
Richard agreed passionately and suggested rewarding the Virmans with Broklend ships. Edward shrugged, implying that August’s ships were quite advanced. The king would rather give the Virmans something more precious to equate their venerable deed.
Richard inquired about the conspiracy, but Edward brushed him off.
“Conspiracy?”
“Yes, there was a big one. The Avesterras tried to put the false son of Edmund on the throne.”
“Whose son was he?”
“Some servant girl’s in the palace. They faked the marriage certificate and blackmailed the Crown. This is not the worst thing though. The whole Ivelen family died in the aftermath of the plot, leaving only the two youngest twins alive.”
“How did that happen?”
“It was bad. We suspect it to be an attempted murder given off as a mishap. Yes, we also grieve, but what can we do? We can seek revenge for the poor girl and her family. Although I was never fond of the Ivelens, I am deeply sorry for their misfortune.”
His Majesty would have revealed to Richard the entire story, but he did not want to tell Jess. He wanted him and his wife to sleep soundly at night. Edward decided to wait.
“We have our annual masquerade ball tonight. I hope you remember.”
You bet! Jerisson loved the annual ball and enjoyed it heartily.
“Today?”
“Did you mix the dates when traveling abroad? Yes, today. It coincided with your return. I hope you will both be attending.”
“We’ve just arrived.”
“The court tailors will help you. Jess, your presence is compulsory.”
“Why? I want to go back to my home.”
“Because your wife will also attend.”
“My wife? But she is—”
“Have you not yet realized that she has little in common with the pink cow you picture her to be? Lilian Earton is a good, clever woman. I will give you a piece of advice, Jess. Watch her at the ball. I will point her out to you. Richard, go to the court tailor and ask them to fix you a costume.”
“I have a better idea. I will ask the Virmans to lend me some of their clothes, to mark the peace treaty.”
Edward nodded.
“Good. As for the Earl of Earton, I wish to have a word with you, my boy.”
Richard winked at his friend and left the room. Jess slouched in his chair. Edward didn’t attack him, he only glanced at him and sighed wearily.
“Leave it. I am not a fool. What do you want to say to me? That your wife seems to have become an entirely different woman?”
Jess nodded. This too, but not only—
“I would like to hear what you’ve got to say first. I feel like everything around me is crumbling.�
��
“I’ve known your father my whole life. I remember you as a little boy. You’re a clever young man. Right now you are also mad at your wife.”
Jess shrugged.
“Not anymore. I cooled off a bit.”
“Good because I need your marriage to last. Lilian is a clever woman. I am going to give her the title. Either your second or your third son will become the Baron of Broklend, depending on who inherits the trade. Lilian asked me. If I am to give her the title—and I will—the Broklend family will become hereditary nobles.”
Edward touched his delicate lace cuff.
“Don’t be that surprised, dear nephew. Cases like yours have occurred before countless times for as long as my memory serves me. There are only two paths: either divorce—and I stand by your wife’s opinion and decision—or you will have to step on your ego. Tell me honestly: did you commit adultery?”
Jess didn't even try to deny it.
“Did you give any jewelry to your mistresses?”
“Her jewelry?”
“Who else’s!”
“Erm—”
“August gave you her jewelry. What have you done with it?”
“I don’t remember. But I gave her all the Earton jewelry—”
“And gave a couple of her rings to your mistress! August had to buy his deceased wife’s ring from a stranger. He was in a rage! They barely managed to restrain him.”
Jess whistled in apprehension. He understood August’s anger. The incident must have come across as a serious insult. Even though Jess hadn’t committed it out of malice, it would be difficult to believe that. The door creaked.
“Your Majesty.”
“Come in, Countess.”
Alicia Earton slipped inside the room. Jess stiffened.
What’s happening? Did they invite her on purpose or did she come herself? What does all this mean?
Alicia bowed to the king, waited for his approving nod, and approached her son.
“My darling son, I am glad to see you.”
“Mother.”
Jess performed the entire court ritual of greeting under the cold look of Alicia’s eyes.
“I am glad you are alive. How was the voyage?”
“If it weren’t for the Virmans, my body would’ve been freely drifting across the seas, and Richard’s, too. Who would have known that Schaltz was—”
“Nobody could have suspected it. Amalia didn’t know either. It was a serious conspiracy that aimed to destroy all my relatives and put Tyson on the throne.”
“Earl Tyson?”
“He is not a simple earl. He has the kinship to the Crown. On top of that, he has strong ties with Avesterra,” noted Edward, naming one of the noblest of the plotters.
“But that’s not enough!”
“It would have been if there was no one else.”
Jess understood.
“What now then?”
“We’ll see. They started with the Ivelens. You and Richard were next. I was kept for the end. They could've made me abdicate and given one of my girls in marriage to the villain.”
Jess clenched his fists.
“Uncle, why did they start with Amalia?”
“Because the Ivelens have more right to the throne than these Tysons. And because you and Richard are friends, and Amalia is your sister. Avesterra wanted to destroy the most powerful families before they even started the riot. He destroyed the Ivelens, the Lemargles…”
Edward was lying about the Lemargles. His agents had set their house on fire from eight sides and made sure that nobody escaped. The official reason was fire by negligence.
“Bastards!”
“Precisely.”
“I was also at risk of being poisoned. If it wasn’t for your wife—”
“How?”
“Tahir Jiman din Dashar. Does this name mean anything to you?”
“He is a medicus from the Khanganat.”
“Absolutely correct. Your wife brought him to the palace when I fell ill. She spent days and nights by my bedside; she even changed my pot.”
Jess’s eyes bulged with surprise and made him look like a crab.
“Yes-yes, don’t be so surprised. Lilian is not the woman you described her to be. I am genuinely surprised that you failed to see her for her true worth. Your mother can confirm…”
Alicia smiled.
“I happily call Lilian my daughter-in-law.”
Jess thought that that wasn't the best compliment.
“She is clever, beautiful, she loves Miranda. Is that not enough for you?”
It was rather too much for Jess.
“What are your intentions regarding your wife?” asked the king. He gave Jess a piercing look.
I must be careful with my answers.
Jess spread out his palms.
“I don’t know. At first, I wanted to rip off her head. I wanted to lock her up in Earton. But now, I only want to talk to her and go from there.”
“You speak like a man. What are you going to talk about?”
Jess’s spirits rose.
“First, I will ask her how she is doing since we last saw each other and thank her for looking so well after Miranda. I also brought her some amazing presents—”
“What’s so amazing about your presents?”
Alicia couldn't resist asking.
“What exactly have you found? I’m sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty!”
“It’s absolutely fine, Countess. A woman knows what another woman wants.”
“Luckily, we managed to rescue our belongings from the sinking ship! I suppose that the Virmans took a lot of things from Schaltz.”
“Too little a price for saving your lives,” assured Edward. “So?”
Aldonai be merciful! I owe Richard a dozen bottles of my best wine. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve been left with nothing now. Thanks to him, I don’t look like a fool.
Jess chided himself. Get yourself together. Reply only to the king. Pay secondary attention to your mother.
“Your Majesty, I understand that it will be extremely hard to get my wife to forgive me!”
Edward and Alicia exchanged glances.
“Go on,” the king’s voice was passionless.
“Due to certain circumstances,” (them being Lilian’s cowishness, thought Jess) “I was undoubtedly not very keen on seeing my wife so often. As a result, I put her life in danger. And not only hers, but also the life of my daughter. Considering the ways she had to deal with those problems, my guilt grew to unimaginable heights.”
Jess measured the “unimaginable heights of guilt” against the sum of money spent on presents. The guilt might have been unimaginable, but like any immaterial value, it faded against the ingots of gold. Jess almost winced at the thought of the expense. Most courtiers would be left penniless. Is it too much? No. It will give me security.
“I will certainly try to have a word with my wife, but mere words wouldn’t be enough. Judging from your letters, I decided to ask you to make a preliminary evaluation of some of my presents to my wife. Fortunately, as I have learned, you communicated with her more than I have ever done over the whole course of my family life.” Jess congratulated himself on the eloquent phrasing. In his address to the king, he managed to give mention to his mother, point out his regret, and cover his guilt with a plain request.
“How did this thought occur to you in the first place?”
“Richard instructed me.”
“He told you to act this way?” The King’s voice was deceivingly calm, but Jess gave himself an imaginary beating—with an axe on the head. “No, Your Majesty. He was surprisingly not very voluble about it.”
“Stop speaking in riddles, Jess.”
Observing the slightly shifted poses of his interlocutors and noting a change in the king’s tone, Jerisson realized that he could let himself speak more freely. His uncle would not get too angry.
“The only thing that Richard did was make me stop pacing around the roo
m and start thinking.”
“Very interesting. And how did he manage that? What did he say to you?” Alicia asked unexpectedly. Jess almost fell. The fact that his mother spoke without asking the king’s permission showed that they had primarily agreed to skin him to the bone together. Alicia’s silent scorn wasn't accidental; everything was much worse. For a moment, Jess was overwhelmed with a slight panic. Thank Aldonai, the conversation is going well. His fright soon receded.
“I am also curious, Jess,” said Edward. “As your king and your elder relative, I would also like to hear these magical words.” The king’s tone was imbued with mockery (not to mention the double-meaning that could be appreciated by only two people in the room). Jess didn’t dare throw a joke back, although his answer might have come across as a joke.
“Actually, I don’t remember word for word what he said, but it all came down to an offer to bang my forehead against something heavy to make me think. Oddly enough, it worked well, and I began to reason out loud, as suggested by Richard.”
“I congratulate you on your son, Your Majesty,” Alicia addressed the smiling Edward.
“Fine, Jess, I am curious what presents you have chosen. I hope you will not disappoint me.” Although unsaid, the word “again” was implied in the sentence.
Jess opened a chest and began revealing the gifts.
“To begin with, it would please any woman to receive jewelry. For example, here is a set of multi-colored amber. Earrings, brooches, even this ferr— futo—” Jess stumbled and murmured silently to himself that one could break his tongue with these female things.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty, this is a decoration which is meant to be worn over your head, with a droplet which hangs over your forehead. I am not a great expert on jewelry but, in my mind, the jeweler who invented this is just a genius. I would also like to know where he got this colored amber from. If these droplets are not rare, the place of extraction is a gold mine! I even dare to suggest that your people should try to find this gold mine. I saw some of your ladies wearing these headpieces and they look just wonderful!”
The Price of Happiness: A Strong Woman in the Middle Ages (A Medieval Tale Book 5) Page 16