“Catrin was a princess from a neighboring land,” Ceridwen said with a look at Aland. “She was most unhappy with many aspects of her life, and because if it, her father removed her from the court and public life. I told you all this, Thea.” It seemed to Thea that her mother was repeating this for her father’s sake rather than hers.
“What kingdom?” Thea asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” Ceridwen was unexpectedly firm. “To be taken from society as she was is nothing but a sadness. We need not perpetuate it by dredging it up. The kingdom recovered from the loss of the heir. The king passed the kingdom to a close male heir, and the throne was kept safe. That is all that matters.”
“What? Where is the scandal in that?” Thea couldn’t understand. “Why would courtiers shush one another?”
“My father felt for the king deeply. He refused to allow gossip surrounding the man or his poor daughter to light in our court. I have kept to that rule. It is kindness to not bring up old wounds,” Aland said.
Thea could see that he’d relaxed from when she’d first asked.
“Is that the only reason you came here? To ask me of an idle report you overheard in the gardens?” Aland looked at her carefully.
“I would hope that some arrangement could be agreed upon regarding Ulric,” Thea said lightly.
“It has been. The one he and I agreed to.” Now Aland was short with her again.
“Then no, I have nothing else to say. I thank you for your time.” Thea dropped a curtsy and left quickly. As she walked back to her chambers, she thought over what they had said. More importantly, what they had not said.
Her parents were afraid to have Catrin mentioned. They knew there was something bad about her. But what?
She stopped in the corridor. With Ulric condemned, she felt certain she’d see Catrin tonight. This opportunity was just the sort of thing Catrin loved—gloating, taunting Thea, engaging her guilt and making her feel wretched. She’d ask her then.
For the first time since this whole dancing at night affair had begun, Thea was looking forward to it. She just hoped Catrin would be there.
***
Thea took a breath as she and her sisters entered the great hall. She was nervous, and her hands felt sweaty. Her cheeks also felt flushed, although when she’d looked in her glass, she was pale.
She took her place at her father’s side. He was flanked by her and her mother. On her other side sat Sebastian. Ulric and Casimir sat to the left of Ceridwen. She was able to meet Casimir’s eye, and she could see the same worry in him that she felt.
Well, here we all are. All the players lined up neatly in a row, she thought. Up until this moment, she’d just been trying to go along, to not anger Catrin, to not make things any worse. But all of this, on the heels of the death of Archibald, changed her. She knew that no matter what she did would be wrong in Catrin’s eyes. The situation could not be won.
So it was time to just do what was best for her, her sisters, and her family. To minimize the damage Catrin would be happy to inflict. Tonight that meant she had to try to save Ulric without telling anyone anything that would get them killed. Catrin always harped on the fact that she could change rules on a whim. Catrin also had a grudging admiration for her. She needed to be the princess her father taught her to be and capitalize on that. Up until now, she’d been passive, letting the actions of others determine her course.
Well, no more. She took her seat between her father and Sebastian. Their greetings seemed distracted. Understandable. She herself was greatly distracted. She looked around.
Her father had ordered fewer candles. The room was a little darker and more solemn. It fit the mood. People talked quietly, and many openly watched the head table. The quieter tone was appropriate for the coming events.
Dinner passed in a blur. She kept thinking about the right way to say what she wanted to say without angering her father. He would not appreciate her openly challenging him. However, she could publicly claim that her womanly senses could not let Ulric walk the scaffold steps without, at the very least, trying to put a halt to the insanity. Her father would know it for the ruse it was, but if he was so concerned about her, her sisters, the kingdom, et cetera, he should appreciate the effort she was making.
Such a thought was unlikely to save her in the immediate future. Best to just take a few more deep breaths and get to it. She stood and walked quickly from her place at the head table. Rounding it, she ignored the whispered questions of her sisters.
“Thea!” Sebastian spoke more loudly, less concerned with being discreet. She ignored him as well. Reaching the open space in front of the head table where her parents sat, she stopped and dropped the deepest curtsy of her life. And waited.
The noise level of the hall rose for a moment as people asked what she was about. She stayed down, head lowered, forcing herself to remain completely still. Gradually, even the whispers behind her stopped and the hall itself was quiet.
“Daughter, you may rise.”
Oh, he was angry. She could hear it in the controlled manner of his speech. She lifted her head and met his gaze. He kept his face neutral. But his eyes were angry. Aland didn’t take well to surprises. Her eyes flicked to her mother. Ceridwen looked upset briefly and then quashed it.
“Thank you, Father. I stand before you to beg your indulgence.”
“You may ask, Thea.”
“I am struck with the immense honor that has been paid to me and to all my sisters. That you would care so much for all of us that you would allow brave men to discover the mystery that plagues your cobbler and your court.” A small ripple of laughter followed her words. She didn’t want to make light of the situation, but she knew that humor would keep things from getting too heated. Hopefully.
“Do you find the sacrifice that’s been made for you something to mock or jeer?” Aland raised his brows.
He wasn’t going to make this easy on her. “Not at all, Father. I know the risks involved on many fronts. I am merely complimenting you on being open with the risks. Further, I deeply appreciate the Prince Ulric being willing to take those risks. When a man is willing to give his life for the honor of a lady, it’s imperative that sacrifice be acknowledged. Ulric, on behalf of my sisters and myself, I thank you.” She turned and faced Ulric, and curtsied deeply, almost reverently, again.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Ulric said quietly.
He probably doesn’t want to get involved in this, she thought. She had to suppress a smile. She lifted her head and smiled at him then faced her father again.
“With such a great show of honor from all parties, I can do no less. I ask you, Father, to spare the life of Prince Ulric. He is a brave man, and worthy of your benevolence.” The thought that he would die tomorrow forced tears from her. She’d normally wipe them away, but she let them fall down her face, only dabbing at them gently when they’d reached her jaw.
She stopped speaking. As she’d anticipated, her words caused a babble of voices behind her. She didn’t try and contain them. She just waited, watching her father carefully. In the meantime, more tears fell. She couldn’t help it.
He broke off looking at her, and gazed around the hall. “Your sense of duty and insistence on acknowledging the honor that Prince Ulric has paid you does you credit, daughter. I am glad that you understand what is at stake.”
“I am glad to hear it.” She jumped in before he could speak again. “I do not think that Prince Ulric needs to pay the ultimate price. I think the fact that he was willing to do so says so much for him that indulgence is something he’s earned.”
Aland held up a hand. “We appreciate your compassion for the Prince Ulric. Like you, we are also struck by the willingness of a prince to stand for the honor of our daughters. However, Ulric and I made an agreement not five nights ago, here in this very hall. Witnessed by all present. We both gave our word as surety the terms of the agreement would be met.”
He rose quickly, pulling Ceridwen up with him. “I re
spect your request, but I cannot allow for it. Ulric and I have made a bargain. Tomorrow we shall finish the terms.” He looked around the hall, a stern expression on his face.
Thea held back from screaming at him. A man’s life for this? She opened her mouth but Aland held up a hand again. “Thank you, Thea, for speaking for Ulric. We honor you for it. Now, however, with what lies ahead, we will retire. As should all of you.” He gave Thea a look that promised this was not over, and led Ceridwen out of the room.
Thea couldn’t believe it. She only just remembered to curtsy as he walked in the opposite direction from where she stood. He clapped Ulric on the back as he left. Ulric himself looked dazed. Before he could move, several guards surrounded him. Thea could see more guards doing the same to the men who’d been with him earlier.
The noise in the hall following the king’s words was deafening. In spite of his out of hand dismissal, she would not give in. She hurried towards the side door he’d left from.
“Father, may I walk with you?” She nearly shouted.
Aland stopped. He didn’t turn around, just stopped. The guards around him halted abruptly. They had to work not to run into either the king or the queen.
“Of course, Thea. You are always welcome to join me.”
“Thank you, Father.” Thea inhaled deeply so that she didn’t sound as though she’d been racing, although she’d run to catch up to him.
He nodded. As they walked towards the royal chambers, he didn’t speak. Thea could almost feel his anger, and she resolved she would not buckle under it. Her father could not hurt her more than Catrin already had, she realized. She nearly came to a halt herself as the enormity of that realization hit her.
Her father had loomed in her life for as long as she could remember. No one wanted to anger him, because his anger was legendary. He was sharp and quick-witted. To get on his bad side meant not only dealing with his anger, but also his scathing tongue. Nobody ever enjoyed standing up to him.
How did he expect her to be an effective ruler when he’d taught her to allow the anger of one person to control her? Such thoughts made her feel off-kilter and unsteady.
They reached the sitting room, and he nearly took the door off the hinges as he strode in.
“Out,” he said to Tomas and the guards.
Everyone hurried, Tomas closing the door quietly behind him.
Aland had his back to her and her mother. He didn’t speak. Suddenly, Thea was angry.
“Father, I am ashamed.”
“As you should be, Thea!” He rounded on her. He didn’t yell, but his anger was apparent.
She didn’t raise her voice. “Not of myself, Father. Of you.”
Ceridwen gasped.
Aland yelled, “You dare to speak to your father, your king, in such a fashion?”
“I do. Do you not tell your subjects that they can speak openly with you? It’s not true, of course, but you tout it as something you hold true to. I am speaking openly with you.” It was hard when he glared so, but she kept her head up, her eyes on him, and her voice steady. Really, what could he do that would harm her more than Catrin?
“You are always welcome to speak openly with me. I have never stopped you. I will, however, insist that you utilize some manners and decorum and not make our private disagreement public. You did not honor that this evening.”
“I had no choice. If you are going to be so pig headed as to go through with this, you can withstand someone openly challenging your decision.” Thea didn’t know where her courage came from.
“Did you have too much wine this evening, daughter? I cannot see why you would speak so carelessly otherwise.” She could see that Aland was working to calm himself.
“This would probably be better discussed in the morning,” Ceridwen put in. “When tempers are not so high, perhaps.”
“No, Mother. I apologize if I am rude, but this must be said. Father, you will really put a man to death because he cannot find out what happens to our slippers? Do you not hear how ridiculous that sounds?”
Suddenly the rage left Aland. Thea could see that his shoulders sagged. “Do you really think I want to put that poor boy to death? Do you know me so little?”
“I thought I knew you well. Your actions cause me to question that, Father. I have never known you to withhold mercy.”
Aland inhaled. “May the Lord spare me from daughters!” He threw up his hands and walked towards the window.
“Nothing is going to help. You have twelve, and in spite of your roaring, you’ve raised them to be like you.”
Aland didn’t turn around. “Why did you not speak of this with me when we met this morning?”
Thea shrugged, even though Aland couldn’t see her. “You were ready for me to do so. Nothing I could have said would have made an impact. Additionally, that was not why I came. When I considered what you’d said, I felt that making my request publically would be better. For all of us.”
At this, Aland did turn around. “How so, daughter? Please enlighten me to your strategy.”
Ceridwen sat down. Thea met her eyes and held her gaze while she spoke. “Father, what do you think will happen when Ulric takes the scaffold tomorrow?”
Aland narrowed his eyes. “You mean why am I going through with it? I’ll tell you, but you are not off the hook. I thought I made this clear prior, but as you are so concerned,” Thea could hear the sarcasm in his tone, “allow me to share again. I made a request to the kingdom and indeed, to the world at large, to discover what was going on with my daughters. Now on the surface that might seem unwise. However, I’ve learned it’s better to take a potential problem and be open about it from the beginning. Thus, I lessen any stain that some might cast upon all of you. But I must make both the reward and the cost high. Succeed, and one might be a king. Fail, and one will end where we all do. It’s that simple, Thea. You and your sisters are worth dying over, and you need to be viewed as such. There will be scandal attached to you. It’s inevitable. But me allowing a man to die for you makes all of you more valuable than the scandal. You could,” he said, “end all of this and just tell me why your slippers are worn.”
“I cannot tell you one single thing,” Thea snapped. “I am unsure why you don’t listen, other than you have become so accustomed to hearing what you want that you feel if you just keep badgering me, I’ll do the same and give in. What you do not hear is that I can’t. I cannot tell you anything. If you are killing Ulric to drive home that point, then I cannot stop you. But I will tell you nothing, because there is nothing I can tell you.”
“You have said as much. Tell me why you felt asking me in hall tonight was the best thing.”
“You have made much of the honor of you and Ulric, correct?” Thea waited for him to nod. “You are worried about scandal regarding us as well, correct?” He nodded again. “I share your concern. We will be known as the princesses who let men die for slippers. I felt that if I appealed to your compassion publically it would allow you to show mercy and not lose any honor. As well, it would show that my sisters and I are not so heartless as to let a man go to his death without a whimper of protest.”
To her surprise, Aland smiled. “The tears were a masterful touch.”
Thea flared at him. “They were genuine, Father! While I find Ulric far too dramatic and silly, I don’t wish for his death. He’s a good man.”
“I am not negating your feelings, Thea. I am merely saying that the tears enhanced what it was you were trying to do.”
“You are very cynical.” To her horror, she felt the tears again. She’d cried more in the past two months than she had in her entire life. She brushed them away.
“One does not hold onto a throne in a vigorous kingdom without understanding the idea of performing well. It would appear you understand it also, although perhaps have not embraced it as of yet.” He glanced at Ceridwen, who made a sound suspiciously like a smothered laugh.
“Then I hope not to, if one can dismiss a man’s life.”
/> “I do not dismiss his life. I just cannot spare it, Thea. We made a bargain. He was unable to meet the terms from his side. It’s that simple. I will not castigate you in front of the court, Thea. I will let people know that I appreciate the compassion driving you to stand up to your king. It’s a good trait for a leader.”
“You’re going to kill him.” Her voice was flat.
“I have no choice. I have stated that you and your sisters are worthy of such a sacrifice. If I do not maintain that assertion, your value is decreased. Forever. It’s not just you, Thea. Your sisters still have to make matches. There are plenty of daughters looking for husbands. If I allow you to be devalued, they will suffer for it. I am not at fault here! I am doing what I can to improve a situation I did not create, nor do I understand.”
“I am sorry, Father. We will not come to terms on this. I think you can show mercy. You do not feel you can. Men follow mercy and compassion more readily than they do that which they fear. You yourself taught me that. It is a shame that you cannot live by it.”
Without waiting for him to respond, or dismiss her, she strode to the door and walked out. She heard both her parents call her, but she ignored them and increased her pace. She didn’t want to go round with him anymore. They were both entrenched in their positions. Neither would bend.
She hoped she could get back to her chambers before her sisters came in. Hopefully, they had lingered in hall. Then she could hide in bed until it was time to go below.
She could only pray that her conversation with Catrin would go better, if indeed it happened at all.
***
She made it back before her sisters. Tossing off her gown, she slid into bed and pulled the bedclothes up over her head. Given her luck lately, she was surprised. She half expected the roof to fall in because something had gone the way she wanted.
When they came in, she could hear them talking. Mirabelle must have been close to her, because she heard her say, “Oh! Let’s be quiet. I think Thea’s sleeping.”
Thea's Tale (Sisters Of The Curse Book 1) Page 22