I ask you today to come to the palace for a private conversation. I'll be waiting for you in my office after sunset.
Edward VIII, by the grace of Aldonai,
The King of Ativerna
Lily bit her lip. Wow, sad. How could so much be contained in just three lines?
“Has my husband not appeared?”
The secretary shook his head. It was not easy to refuse the will of the king. I shall go. How frightening!
The woman’s hand mechanically slipped to her stomach, protecting it from the outside world. I would rather die myself than let anyone take you away from me! You’re my child, a vital part of me. I do risk losing my life. If something goes wrong…
“Invite the earl to see me as soon as he is back,” ordered Lily.
She didn’t have to wait for long.
“Lilian.”
Jerisson squeezed his wife’s hand, double-checked her clothes and her weapon, and hugged her tight.
“Lily.”
The kiss was sincere and full of emotion. It was as if Jess was drinking water from a forest spring and couldn't tear himself from his wife's lips. Lily answered his kiss. Only a light knock on the door tore them apart. Hans Tremain stood on the threshold, and Jerisson gave him a nod.
“You are responsible for my wife with your life.”
Hans wasn’t going to answer back. He passed the cape to Lily and the woman wrapped herself in it and left the study. Jerisson watched her leave with great sadness. He gathered himself together and also left the room.
I will not let anyone threaten my family ever again!
***
The palace was quiet and calm. A solitary footman waited for Lilian’s arrival.
“The king ordered for everything to be got ready. The court is moving to the winter residency—Litoral.”
Lily shivered. Some of the courtiers must already be there. As for His Majesty, will I leave the room untouched? She was scared, but she had no choice. Her fingers nervously squeezed amber beads.
At least my hands aren’t shaking!
There were two people in the king’s study—Edward and Richard. Edward was seated, and his son stood behind his chair. Both of them looked at the countess with a lot of suspicion.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness,” Lily took a long curtsey.
The men looked without particular empathy. Lily was silent, and Edward nodded first, letting her stand up.
“I am glad to see you, Countess. I’ve been told terrible news. You…Lilian, was there ever anything between you and Alexander Falion?”
“Never, Your Majesty.”
“Were you his mistress?”
“Never.”
“Did you make any agreements with him?”
“Never.”
“Have you ever led him on?”
Lily frowned.
“It’s easy to wrongly interpret a woman’s behavior. I don’t believe that I ever gave any hope or made any promises to Alexander Falion. I think it is obvious that I cannot be accountable for his own imagination.”
“This woman has a terrible memory,” said a quiet voice. She recognized it and turned around abruptly. She saw eight more people enter the king’s study. Lily knew three of them. It was Falion Senior, Alexander, and his friend. The rest were strangers. To hell with you! What does all this mean?
Lily must have accidentally said that out loud because the rest turned their eyes on her. Their look was condescending and mocking. Alexander smirked.
“Sometimes you are such a fool, Lilian.”
Only when I trust ones like you! This time Lily stopped herself from saying it out loud. She didn’t want to make these people angry, especially because they had swords in their hands. Judging by their shine, the swords were sharp.
“These are the leftovers of the conspiracy,” calmly explained Edward. “Am I right? It seems that Hans hasn’t managed to get his hands on you yet.”
“And he never will.” The elder Falion smiled. “He is already standing before Aldonai.”
Lily squeezed the amber beads with all her force. Hans? Is it true? God! Another one of my friends! I want you all to die—in most curious poses. I will murder you one by one!
Lilian’s fear had vanished and was replaced by fury. The Countess of Earton, who was no longer Aliya, patronizingly looked up. Her brain labored over remembering all the details of the past.
“The Yerbys did swear that you were standing behind them, only nobody took them seriously.”
“For good,” Falion said with a smile. “It’s really true.”
“You were the ones who made an agreement with the Ivelens. They would have received the Crown, and what about yourself?”
“We would receive the Crown in the future,” calmly replied Falion junior. “I was going to marry Cecilia Ivelen.”
“And after, you planned to murder the Ivelens,” continued Richard. “It’s not surprising. The Falions have some relation to the ruling dynasty.”
Lily winced. Of course, two rats can agree about the cat. Having eliminated the danger, they would start eating each other. How noble!
“How do these gentlemen justify their behavior?”
“Be quiet, woman!” interrupted Tarney.
Lily gave him a mocking look.
“You are such a brave boy when I don’t have my dog with me!” The story seemed to be famous. The baron turned red and spattered saliva while cursing, only the countess didn’t even look at him.
“I thought better of you, Alexander.”
A vulgar betrayal. How tasteless. To his own surprise, Falion junior felt embarrassed.
“I also thought better of you, Lilian. I even got carried away and fell in love, until you carried yourself from hand to hand.”
Lily raised her eyebrows.
“What do you mean from hand to hand? The only person I have ever slept with is my husband, and that will never change. We exchanged vows at the altar.”
“It didn’t stop you from flirting with me.”
“Flirting is not love. It’s nothing more than good manners.”
Lilian felt relatively confident. She trusted her husband and knew that he wouldn't leave her. Her maids had sewn the chainmail net into Lily’s dress, which was enough to save her from a blow of the sword. She also had two daggers fastened to her forearms, hidden by wide sleeves. Thankfully, they hadn’t searched her at the entrance.
“You betrayed me,” said Alexander. “I trusted you.”
Lily snorted.
“Did you decide that after we had blown your conspiracy? I cannot believe your nobleness.”
She lingered on the topic according to the plan. They needed to win more time. Judging from the brisk look Edward gave her, she did everything well. What else could I do?
“In fact, everything is much simpler,” said Edward. “After the Ivelens’ death, the Falions realized their plan had failed. Finding them was only a question of time. Your pregnancy is not in question here, apart from having hurt the pride of that sissy Alexander.” He nodded toward Falion junior. “Do you really think he would've married you? You are the daughter of a non-hereditary baron, almost a merchant, whereas he’s a royal descendant.”
“More like a descendant of a donkey,” quietly murmured Lily. She couldn't deny that there had been some chemistry between her and Falion, like in Gone with the Wind. A man could love with his soul, his body, or his member.
“The most attractive thing he saw in you was money. As soon as Falion realized he wouldn’t get that, he got furious. The conspiracy required making significant investments and eventually failed. Although they felt themselves safe.”
“Marrying me would have given them the possibility of raking up big cash from both the Eartons and the Ivelens.”
“You begin to realize, Countess.”
Lily sighed. She was sure it wasn’t only greed. But what is an attraction when one is talking about big money? Ladies seek “love,” and gentlemen do “business.”
“So what! You o
nly had to kill my husband and my daughter. It turns out not to be that easy, right?”
“Right, although Leir Tremain and his squad have prevented three attempts of murder in one month.”
Lily went pale.
“You’ve known it all along!”
“We needed proof.” Edward sighed. “This is what Hans has been busy with.”
“What are they going to do next?”
There was a sound of clinking metal.
“I assume they plan to kill us all—you, me, Richard. They might leave the girls alive to marry.”
“Why did they not do it straight away? I don’t assume it was because of me.”
“Because of Gardwig.”
“Gardwig wouldn't have agreed, and Wellster wouldn’t have either. The last thing a newly-come king needs is a war with neighbors. That’s for certain.”
“But the Duke of Falion had nearly been killed!”
Lily felt especially silly under the mocking glances of the men. There was a feud even among the conspirators. The wolf pack tore apart its own brothers. Schaltz was only getting rid of his opponent. He would've blamed it on the battle, or the sharks, or Aldonai.
“Your guess is correct, Your Majesty.” The elder Falion smiled. “We didn’t expect to be that lucky. However…” The men stepped forward. Richard placed his hand on his sword. Edward slipped his hand underneath the table.
God, how have they not invented small crossbows yet? thought Lily.
She moaned. The beads fell to the floor, the countess knelt to pick them up and took the daggers out of her sleeves. She could throw them well and would kill at least two of the conspirators. Sorry, Miranda, Roman, Jacob! Poor orphaned children! You will still have Jerisson to take care of you.
The men looked at the weakened woman with contempt.
“Edward!” yelled Duke Falion, who very much resembled an Old Pike. “You will now write that you abdicate and consent to the marriage between your daughter and Alexander Falion.”
Edward grinned.
“Is he not already married?”
“I’m a widower.” Marquess Falion said with a laugh.
“It’s a pity he isn't the one who is dead,” a voice said quietly.
The door creaked.
“Gentlemen, I suggest you either put your swords down or quickly kill yourselves. Otherwise…”
“Hans!” Lily cried out.
Indeed, it was Leir Hans Tremain. He was quite alive and healthy, except for a torn raincoat.
“The rumors of my death are slightly exaggerated, gentlemen.” Hans smiled. “You’ve underestimated me and my people.” The king’s study filled with persons in dark cloaks, under which gleamed the azure color of the Royal Guard uniform.
Reynolds’ sword hit the ground. The men understood everything well. The king’s study was actually quite a spacious room. Edward sat out of easy reach at a heavy table. The hands of the king were beneath the table, and it was impossible to tell his movements. A hand grenade? thought Lily jokingly.
Hans had arrived just in time. His people were serious.
One by one, the swords clanged against the floor. That very moment, Lily held her head up and glanced at Alexander. There was so much in his solemn look: rage, despair, pain. “Good luck to the traitors,” she uttered almost inaudibly with her lips.
The traitor howled, throwing his body forward.
Nobody would have had time to help the Countess of Earton. “Medice, cura te ipsum,” or as medical students used to joke, the doctor who cannot help himself is worth nothing.
There was the flash of a sharp knife. Lily aimed it at his thigh to make sure she didn’t hit hidden armor. Alexander could've caught it, but his leg was injured before he knew it.
The Earl of Earton shielded Lily. Where did he come from? Perhaps he entered the room through one of the hidden pathways.
Edward smiled.
“Incredible! You know how to use a weapon!”
He paid no more attention to the Falions. Lily gave a sad smile.
“I did a little learning. I wanted to live.”
“How would you have used that weapon?” Lily looked at the second knife in her hand and rose from the floor. She swung her arm and threw the knife with an accurate, confident gesture. The blade entered the wooden panel past the ear of Duke Falion.
“Just like that! I swear that Aldonai would've forgiven me half of my sins for killing that vermin.”
Edward smiled.
“Yes, you are truly an incredible woman.”
“My wife is a treasure.”
Jess looked like a dragon on a pile of gold. Lily sighed and leaned on his strong shoulder. He came to save her. I would've managed without his help, but all the same, what else do I need for happiness? To know that someone cared about her and would even put her before the state; Jess wasn’t protecting the king, he was defending her. This might have been called love. Edward spread his hands.
“Forgive me, dear Countess, for turning you into bait. You are the Countess of Earton. You are the one they’ve attempted to kill before anybody else. You saved Amalia in childbirth. The Marquess of Falion courted you. The duke was saved by the Virmans who fulfilled your orders. In a word, you were always in the center of events, so I had no choice but to turn you into a live lure, even though your husband fought against it like a lion.”
“They would've made a move sooner or later,” replied Lily. “I am not mad. Right, Jess?”
“Yes, darling.”
Hans glanced at the Earton couple with a smile. He was frankly pleased with himself. He had started digging around on the Falions right after Yerby’s confession. He had strong suspicions, but the evidence was scarce. The Falions were smarter than the Ivelens. The Marquess of Falion was always around the countess. Hans had to put a lot of effort into hiding unnecessary facts.
Joint trips, walks, courtship, everything was innocent, at least from Lilian Earton’s perspective. Both Hans and Falion realized it. Yet, Hans couldn’t bring himself to explain to Lilian how their relationship had looked from the outset. If it weren’t for Hans’s consistent effort, most of the courtiers would have sworn that Falion and Lilian were lovers. Lilian hadn’t noticed it, but Falion realized it well. Thus, he teased the leir. Your elbow is near, but you cannot bite it, dear.
It took him a lot of time to carefully pull the new strings and put them together to reveal the sad truth. The Falions and the Ivelens were conspirators together. Alexander planned to marry Sessie. As for his wife, it was only a matter of time. As long as she lived, Falion’s hands were tied. He was a certain romantic sufferer in the eyes of the public. As soon as she died, the man would open a hunt. The elder Falion didn’t need it before the success of the conspiracy. Later.
At one point, Hans himself suspected the countess of adultery but quickly changed his mind. There were certain things that the countess couldn't have known due to her position, origin, and upbringing. He did everything he could. He had warned Jerisson, provided Lilian’s safety, and delivered his blow. Hans tried to make Falion find out the news in the right way. He provoked him to make the first move and achieved what he wanted.
It was a big risk for the Crown, but the only way he could weed out the remains of the poisonous grass. In their turn, the royal family acted out of their wish to protect their throne and the princesses. As for the Earton family, they had no interest in the feud. They wanted to go back home to their daughter. Jess took his wife’s hand, and they headed toward the exit. They didn’t notice the look with which Edward watched them go. The uncle was pleased to see his nephew happy.
***
Still, the event had an effect on Lily. She threw up in the corridor. Jess picked her up and wiped her face with a handkerchief.
“How are you, my dear?”
“The baby is okay. It is my nerves.”
It wasn’t the first time she had been fooled. Lily’s mind was a sea of relentless contradiction.
You fell for appearances?
Gold, castles, princes, and dukes, counts and marquesses, titles and nobility… Fool! I am three times a fool! Next to the palace, there is always death, dirt, poison, and blood. Did you hope to not get dirty? You got carried away by the game. Your home is Earton, not the capital. You dreamed about many things, but what did you get in the end? A lot of pain. It’s okay. I am strong. I will survive. I will pretend everything is fine. How painful!
The rales in her chest were her unshed tears. There was no reason why she deserved such pain.
You wanted to live, but you forgot that you lived among real people and became a catalyst for many events. There is blood and death on your conscience. Did you hope to get away with it so easily? You forget about the laws of equilibrium.
Although Jerisson couldn't guess his wife’s thoughts, he was still by her side, and it was enough. His presence soothed her. She wasn’t alone, she had a family. The second time she vomited was in the carriage. Once again, she remembered Falion.
Alexander! Why did you do it to me? What went wrong? I don’t understand what you feel. I know that your feelings for me were sincere. Then why?
Lilian simply didn’t understand that feelings often faded when it came to money, fame, or power. That was the case with Falion.
The Countess of Earton sat in the carriage and looked into the distance. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t wipe them.
Too much pain. Too sickening.
Jess hugged his wife, not knowing how to help. He knew what was wrong. It was the first time that the woman had encountered the dirty side of life and experienced betrayal and meanness. She had been within an inch of dying, and now her heart ached from the suffering. There wasn’t much he could do. She needed to let it pass.
At home in Earton, the couple was met by the servants. Terrified Marta, Loria, and the other maids began running around and taking care of Lily. She gave in to their nursing. She drank something warm, lay down in bed, and thought that such an “entertaining” day would leave her lying awake until morning. She fell into a gloomy state between sleep and wakefulness. She felt a strong embrace and heard a dear voice whispering something in her ear. She was asleep before she knew it—next to Jess, under his protection.
The Price of Happiness: A Strong Woman in the Middle Ages (A Medieval Tale Book 5) Page 37