by CJ Archer
"Yes." She studied her hands as she twisted them in her lap. "I could tell from the captain's questions that he suspects one of them."
"Do you suspect anyone in particular?"
"What an impertinent question!"
"I'm sorry, my lady. Forgive me."
"I don't mind. I like impertinent people. I find the impertinent ones are the honest ones who'll tell me what's what. This place is sorely lacking in impertinence," she muttered. "As to your question, Josie, the duchess of Gladstow was nice to me, as were the duke and duchess of Buxton. You can discount them, I think. I hardly spoke to the duke of Gladstow, but Lady Lucia Whippler, her brother, and Lady Violette Morgrave were sweet, although I've heard they use their sharp tongues to cut others down to size, particularly women. A wicked wit doesn't make them murderers, though."
"Among my friends, a wicked wit does not equate to a sharp tongue used to cut down rivals. We call that cruel."
"Everything is different here." There was that tone again, the resigned one, as if she wished she were anywhere but at court.
Miranda got up and padded to the window then sighed. "I'm not used to this, you know."
"Being poisoned?"
She laughed softly. "Rubbing shoulders with nobility. We live quietly at home. We're somewhat out of the way, you see, and my father's title is quite new and not very highly ranked, so we rarely have other noble families visit us."
"That must be lonely."
"Not at all. I have friends amongst the villagers; the governor's daughter and the doctor's daughters. Perhaps that's why I feel I can talk to you, Josie."
"Please do. I won't tell a soul anything told to me in confidence."
"Ever since arriving here, I feel as though I have been on display, my every move and utterance judged."
"By the king?"
"By everyone."
"You wish you'd never come?"
She didn't answer. She didn't need to. I could see it in the lowering of her chin and the slope of her shoulders. I could hardly blame her. She had been poisoned, after all. "It's not my parents' fault, you understand. They were given no choice."
"They weren't?"
She shook her head. "The king demanded every eligible daughter of Glancia's noble families be presented to him so he could choose a wife from among them. My father felt as though he couldn't refuse, and to be perfectly honest, I don't think he wanted to. He wanted to meet the king for himself and discuss national matters with him. Not that he's had many opportunities to do so."
"Why only Glancia women?" I asked. "Wouldn't a foreign princess be more politically acceptable?"
"That was one of the things my father wanted to bring up with the king." She leaned closer to the window. "There's His Majesty now. He's walking with Lady Lucia. Her brother, Lord Frederick, isn't far away, of course. He never is."
I couldn't tell whether she knew about their incestuous relationship. I didn't dare ask.
I joined her at the window but didn't see the king, at first. I was too stunned by the view of the garden, sprawled like an intricate carpet on the opposite side of the palace to the main gate and its forecourts. It was far more serene, with only a few nobles strolling around. My gaze followed the pathways woven through the lush sections of lawn like elaborate embroidery. Colorful flowers edged some of the paths, and topiary trees and potted plants dotted the landscape. The sun glinted off ponds and lakes. One was so large I couldn't see where it ended. I caught sight of the king, heading slowly toward a fountain in the center of the nearest garden. A woman rested her hand on his arm, her head tilted toward him as if sharing a secret.
Two footmen followed directly behind them, waving large fans to circulate the summer air. Even further behind walked the black clothed figure of Captain Hammer, and back again, another man kept in step with the ambling pace, a woman on each side. They were all too far away to make out their faces.
"I do hope she's making a good impression on him." It took me a moment to realize Lady Miranda was talking about Lady Lucia Whippler. "Although I'm afraid he might find her rather brash. She does so want to be noticed."
"You sound as if you hope he does notice her. Why?"
She eyed me closely. "I can see that you think me odd for not wanting the king's attention."
"I…I'm not sure. I don't know him, for one thing, but he's the king and you're a noblewoman."
"So I am supposed to want to marry him?" She sighed. "The thing is, I hardly know him either, Josie, and what I've seen so far…" She winced and shook her head. "Never mind."
"You can confide in me, Lady Miranda. I'll keep any secrets to myself."
"Call me Miranda. All my friends do, and I need a friend here at court." She turned back to the window. "As to the king, I find him quite immature and…changeable."
"Changeable?"
"Every time I think I understand his character, he does something that makes me doubt my opinion. The most extreme example was the time I was invited to his apartments to dine with him and four other guests. After dinner, we retreated to a salon that is quite close to his bedchamber and dressing rooms. One of the ladies, more brazen than me, entered his dressing room and wandered around, touching his things. She took a particular liking to a small cabinet of polished redwood inlaid with gold. When the king saw, he became furious and snatched it off her. He scolded her in front of everyone, reducing her to tears. I never saw her again, and it was rumored that he sent her and her family home in disgrace."
"What was in the cabinet that was so precious to him?"
"I didn't dare ask. His tirade frightened me, not just because of the vehemence but because it was out of character. He'd always been charming, if somewhat immature, but he was so angry with her for intruding."
"That is odd," I said. "Perhaps the pressure of becoming king is taking its toll. He's far from home, new to the role of kingship as well as to living like this and having people fawn over him. He wasn't raised to be royal. Adjusting must be hard."
"Indeed. I wouldn't wish it on a friend, that's for certain. The trappings are lovely, in a way, but he has some difficult decisions to make to steer Glancia safely into the future. The Rift changed so much, so quickly." She suddenly swung around to face me. "Josie, do you believe the gossip about magic?" It was difficult to tell whether she believed it or not, but she seemed keen to know my opinion.
"My father thinks it's possible, as do others in the village. I don't." I indicated the wall, the ceiling. "This looks very real to me."
"Ye-es, but…there's something strange about it, don't you think? Something not quite right, and it's not just that the palace was built so quickly. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I get the oddest feeling about the servants, and so does Hilda."
I shrugged and tried on a nonchalant expression. "I've only met a few of the guards, and they seem quite real to me too."
We talked some more as we watched Glancia's nobility passing time in the garden. Miranda pointed out the people she recognized, but I found my gaze wandering back to the king and the group trailing after him. It grew in size as more nobles were drawn into his wake. The scene looked so pleasant, so genteel and sophisticated, that it was difficult to reconcile it with the poisoning.
The group eventually returned to the palace and not five minutes later, I heard Quentin talking to someone in the sitting room, then he knocked.
"Excuse me, my lady," he said when Miranda opened the door between rooms. "The captain wishes to speak to Miss Cully in the garrison when she's finished here."
I said my goodbyes with a half-hearted promise to return to see her again soon. As much as I wanted to return, my father wouldn't allow it unless I were accompanying him.
"How is she?" the captain asked when Quentin and I reached the garrison. He removed his sword belt and hung it on the hook by a second door that led outside the palace. He must have arrived mere moments before us.
"Quite recovered," I said, scanning the now familiar faces that included
Sergeant Max and Erik the Marginer, but not Sergeant Brant. "But…"
"Yes?"
"Would you inform the king that she needs more rest?"
"Does she?" Max asked, pulling the only spare chair closer and offering it to me.
"She wants some time to herself."
Erik handed a tankard of ale to me and another to Hammer, leaning against the mantel. "Why?" Erik asked.
"To…" I waved my tankard in the air, searching for the best way to tell these loyal men that Miranda had no interest in their king. "To enjoy the, er, peace and quiet of her rooms a little longer."
They all stared at me.
"She hates him, doesn't she?" Quentin said.
"Not hate, just…" Merdu, I'd got myself into a bind. I felt like I was betraying her trust. "Captain, please inform the king she needs more rest, and keep this conversation to yourself."
"You wish me to lie to him?" Hammer asked.
"Not lie, just…" I sighed. "Yes, I want you to lie."
"She shouldn't have put you in this position."
"I don't mind. I am her doctor, in a way, and it's my job to look after her wellbeing, not just her health."
"She is coward," Erik said. "She should tell the king she hates him."
"Not hate," I said again. "She simply isn't romantically inclined toward him."
"But he's the king!" Quentin cried. "She can't do better."
"Then why don't you flutter your lashes at him," Max said.
"I would if he liked men. And if I liked men too. Which I don't." He flushed to the roots of his hair. "I really don't. Not that I care if anyone else does. It ain't my business."
Erik laughed and slapped Quentin on the shoulder. "He would not like you in that way. I've seen your prick." He wiggled his little finger.
Quentin flushed even redder, and that only made Erik laugh more.
"Enough!" the captain barked. "Leave that kind of talk for when we're not in the presence of a lady."
"Clearly you've spent too long at court," I said. "I am not a lady, and I hear much worse in the taverns at Mull. But I think I ought to warn you that the sort of love you're discussing is not allowed in Glancia. It's unlawful, although I can't recall anyone being arrested for it."
"Thank you for the warning." Hammer glared at the others. "No more jokes."
"Yes, sir," Quentin mumbled.
Max crossed to the sideboard and checked the contents of a cylindrical tin. Quentin took advantage of the spare chair and sat down.
"Let Theodore tell His Majesty about Lady Miranda," Max said quietly to Hammer. "He's diplomatic."
Hammer crossed his arms. "And I'm not?"
"No," sounded a number of voices.
Max's severe features hardly changed, but I could swear he was warring with a smile. "Theodore will know the right words so that His Majesty thinks he's being kind by allowing her to be alone in her rooms another day."
"They won't be her rooms much longer if she continues to avoid him," Quentin said. "He'll lose interest and make her family pack their things and move back up to the attic rooms with the other barons."
Max turned around and, seeing Quentin occupying his chair, grasped the back and tipped it forward. Quentin tumbled to the floor.
"Merdu!" Quentin spat. "You fat-brained oaf, that's not nice."
"It's not nice to take someone's chair. Besides, I'm your superior."
Quentin folded his arms over his chest and lifted his chin. "I'll ignore the insult this time, on account of you being much older than me and Josie being present. I don't want to start an argument in front of her. She sees enough bloodshed in her work every day, she doesn't need to see it when she's off duty."
Erik cheered in what I guessed to be his native tongue. "Fight later, when she is gone."
Quentin's eyes rounded.
"No!" both Max and Hammer said.
"Bloodthirsty oaf," Max said to Erik. "I am not fighting the little turd over a chair. He'll lose, I'll be the villain, and Hammer will be forced to assign me to slops duty, leaving Brant as the only sergeant. Is that what you want?"
The tattoos on Erik's forehead drew together. "Bah! I yawn at you, Max." He then yawned loudly and long.
Max merely rolled his eyes.
"Very well," Hammer said to Max. "I'll find Theodore and tell him to inform the king that Lady Miranda isn't well enough for company yet." He set down his tankard and pushed off from the mantel.
"Just a moment," I said. "I have something I need to tell you."
"Walk with me to see Theodore. We'll talk on the way. I may also need you to convince Theodore of Lady Miranda's need for rest."
I picked up my pack and he opened the door for me. I had to step aside to allow two guards to enter. They were both solid men, one with a black goatee, the other without, but nevertheless both looked striking in their crimson uniforms. The uniform meant it took me a moment to register why the bearded guard looked familiar. At first I thought I'd simply seen him in the garrison the day before, but the uniform didn't seem right.
Then it struck me.
He was the one who'd chased me from Tam's house into The Row.
Chapter 8
"Josie?" Hammer said. "What is it?"
I stared at the guard as he passed, trying to think, to understand what it meant. If that guard had been watching Tam's house, did he know the poison seller that Tam had met at the pier? Was he watching Tam on his behalf?
And if he knew the poison seller, did the captain know him too?
The guard suddenly stopped and spun round. "You!" He wagged a finger at me. "You're her."
My lips parted in a silent gasp and I shrank away from him, away from the captain.
"Oh no you don't." The guard caught my wrist. "You're not going anywhere until you explain how you got away and what you were doing at Tao's in the first place."
"Unhand her, Zeke," Hammer barked. "What is this about?"
The guard released me. "Sir, this is the woman I followed from Tao's house. She could be the poisoner, or working for him."
"I am not!" I cried.
"Then why run away from me?"
"You're a stranger, a man, and you were chasing me! Any respectable woman would run off."
"I wasn't chasing you, I was following you."
"There's no difference."
"Yes, there is," several men chimed from the garrison.
Hammer ushered me back into the garrison and shut the door. He looked angry but I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or the guard. "Why did you visit Tao?"
"To ask him if he knew who imported traitor's ease from Zemaya," I said.
"I already asked. Since he imports herbs and spices, I thought it wise to place a watch outside his house."
"Tam isn't the poison seller!"
"He might be."
"He isn't," I said. "He's a good man. Did anyone suspicious visit him?" I asked the guard.
"Only you," the guard said.
I ignored the implication and turned to Hammer. He still looked angry. "I learned something from Tam, as it happens. Something I assume you did not, Captain, or you wouldn't have bothered setting a watch on him."
"Go on," Hammer said flatly.
"He told me of a Zemayan he met at the pier and the suspicious package he collected from a ship that came from Zemaya. It was labeled as powder but it was heavy, like the poisonous roots of the plant from which traitor's ease comes from. You should go to the taverns and ask about him. Tell them you're looking for a man from Zemaya, but not Tam Tao."
The captain stared at me a moment then nodded at Max. "Take a small team into Mull."
"Aye, sir," Max said.
"And you, Zeke, need to identify yourself next time you're spotted by the person you're following."
"But then they'll know we're onto them, sir, and lead us astray," Zeke said.
"If they see they're being followed, they'll lead you astray anyway, as Josie did by entering The Row."
"Where she lost you," Quen
tin said from the chair Max vacated a second time. "Well done, Josie." The entire group of guards scowled at him and he shrugged sheepishly.
Hammer held the door open for me and we once again set off through the maze of service corridors.
"You're angry with me," I said to Hammer.
He looked at me sideways. "Why did you go into The Row? That place is dangerous."
"I was lost. My head got turned as I ran and before I knew it, I was there. As it turns out, it was the perfect place to lose your guard. The lanes are as confusing as these corridors."
"You could have been hurt. Or worse."
"Now you sound like my father."
"Your father is a wise man."
"And I am a wise woman. I used that wisdom to find a way out safely and lose Zeke."
He grunted. "I'll punish him later."
"Don't do that. It's hardly his fault for losing me."
"Not for losing you, for not immediately identifying himself, and for chasing you into The Row."
"I thought he was following, not chasing."
Another grunt, but this time it held some humor. "Thank you for the new information. I'm willing to concede that neither me nor my men could have gathered that information from Tao. Like most folk in Mull, he doesn't trust us."
"That's almost gracious of you, Captain."
Another sideways glance and this time it was accompanied by a tilt of his lips.
We passed guards approaching from the opposite direction. They nodded at Hammer, who nodded back. Several maids also walked past but paid us no mind. Their uniforms did not sport the palace coat of arms on the left breast, unlike the next maid. She smiled at Hammer but it slipped when she spotted me.
"Why do they all look at me like that?" I whispered.
"Like what?"
"Like they hate me."
"I suspect they see you as an outsider and think I should be avoiding you. Only the guards, Theodore and Balthazar, know that you're aware of our secret. Not the other staff."
I didn't think that explained it but kept my opinion to myself. "Balthazar is the master of the palace?"
"Yes. He's close with the king."
"As are you and Theodore."