Queen of Sorrows--Part Three, Chapter Nine

[Evie]

Previous chapter: https://rhemuthcastle.com/index.php/topic,3494.0.html


Chapter Nine

June 18, 1465
The Palace of Horthánthy
The makeshift nursery
Evening

Joss kept a careful eye on the new arrival. She looked, if anything, even more like the Haldane Princess he loved than Miranda herself did at the moment, but he was well aware that appearances could be deceiving, and he could not imagine the real Miranda addressing him so familiarly in front of others. Certainly not as a freshly-made widow and in front of her impressionable young children!

But she was standing between them all and the portal that would be the quickest way to safety, so perhaps the best recourse would be to give her the impression that she had managed to fool him. "Right, then," he said. "Let me bring you through to Coroth, and my men will follow with the children." 

She's the imposter, the real Miranda's Mind-Voice cautioned him. That's Lady Jesaminda.

So I surmised. But I think the best way of catching her off guard might be to play along.

"Oh no," said the imposter, "Please bring the children through first, my love!" she begged him, her beautifully expressive Haldane gray eyes imploring him to listen. "Please, before Lord Davorin discovers us here!"

I suspect a trap, 'my love,' Joss heard Rafe's Mind-Voice in his head. He could have sworn he detected a hint of a smirk in it, though the man's expression remained guardedly watchful of the scene playing out before him. Shall I go check out that portal before we take any other steps we might regret? Darling?

Yes, go check that out before I test your theory by just shoving your smartmouthed arse onto the portal stone. Joss took another step closer to the real Miranda as he extended his arms towards the toddler she held. "I'll take the little Prince through first," he said quietly, carefully positioning himself in such a way that Jesaminda had to turn slightly in order to watch him, giving Rafe the opportunity to stealthily step past the curtain behind her.

Miranda clutched her son even closer. I don't trust her! She's up to something.

I realize that! But I need her to think that I believe her until we can figure out how to deal with her without putting you or your children in even more danger. He glanced at Rezza. And if I end up needing to kill Jesaminda, I'd much rather not have to do so in front of your very bright and observant five-year-old!

The real Queen reluctantly surrendered her husband's heir to him. Praying that he knew what he was doing, Joss smiled at the false Queen. How's that inspection coming along, Rafe? Turning towards Danelija to keep Jesaminda's attention away from his men, he said "Please bring the Princesses."

Rezza and Silvé clutched at their mother's skirts, pressing themselves against her. Joss hastily revised his request. "Or perhaps you should bring them instead."

The faux Miranda gave him an outraged look. "You surely can't mean to bring the imposter with us! I won't stand for it! Leave her for Lord Davorin to handle!"

Situation sorted, Your Grace, Rafe's Mind-Voice belatedly replied. Jesu, that was a sticky one to handle! It's a good thing our unexpected visitor came along and gave us reason to suspect a trap, because the first one of us to try to use it would really have found himself in a pickle! It's been untrapped, but there's a good chance I might have alerted someone to our presence while nullifying the trigger spell, so we need to leave immediately. Who is your smarmy lady friend? Rafe quietly stepped back out from behind the curtain.

Lady Jesaminda, so don't let your guard down. "No worries, my lady, I give you my word I have no intention of allowing the imposter to escape justice," he replied to Jesaminda. Is it safe for me to take the Hort through now, Rafe?

Yes, My Lord. Shall Marc and I follow with the Princesses immediately after you, or get the Queen to safety first?

Once Jesaminda sees I've managed to jump somewhere rather than remaining stuck on the Portal, she's likely to become very unpredictable. Stay off the Portal stone and protect the Queen and her daughters at all costs. Lady Danelija also. I'll return immediately once I've handed off the Hort.  "Come, Your Majesty," Joss invited, stepping past Jesaminda into the curtained nook in hopes that she would follow, allowing his men to slip in behind her, between her and the others remaining in the nursery.

#

Mistress Lucija had been cowering in the nursemaids' sleeping chamber, listening to the strange voices in the main room beyond, at first too frightened to peek out because she didn't know what was happening, but was certain it portended no good. After the first few minutes, she'd heard a voice that had sounded like Queen Miranda's and had ventured a quick look. She had been shocked to see not just one Queen but two, not to mention Lady Danelija apparently very healthy and hale even though she'd been scheduled to have her head chopped off earlier that very afternoon. Where Mistress Darija had slipped off to, she had no notion. Quite likely the girl was hiding in the garderobe.

Not having a clue who the three unknown men were who were dressed like Lord Davorin's personal guardsmen but whose voices, though only faintly accented, sounded foreign-born, she'd bided her time in silence hoping to escape unnoticed. If she left them alone, hopefully they would leave her be. But then the golden-haired man had taken the little Hort from Maida's arms, and she had let him, the stupid fool! Lucija couldn't stay still for that! She had already let little Brendan and Ciardha be taken away from her, and they'd been killed, brutalized by Lord Davorin's hirelings. It might cost her her life, but she couldn't let that happen yet again. Not to sweet little Létald, whom she had nursed since birth!

"Leave the sweet babby alone, you ruddy bastard!" she shrieked as she launched herself through the doorway at the man's departing back, hurtling through the main chamber in her effort to stop him.

#

Joss had nearly forgotten about the senior nursemaid. He almost dropped the tiny sovereign in his startlement, but sensing Jesaminda behind him turning to deal with this new threat, he picked up his pace and all but ran into the garderobe, feeling around with his foot in the spot Miranda had Mind-Shared with him two days earlier until he sensed the tingle. He started to step onto the stone and disappear, but fortunately before he'd quite managed to start the jump, he belatedly remembered he needed to know how to get back again. Cursing under his breath, he crouched to touch the stone, committing the portal's signature to memory, then straightened, holding the now awake and wiggly toddler tightly as he focused on the jump to Coroth.

Nearly throwing the neighboring realm's rightful heir into the arms of the first startled guard who approached him, he stepped back onto the Portal stone to return for Miranda and her daughters, praying that all hell hadn't broken loose even further in his brief absence.

#

"Leave the sweet babby alone, you ruddy bastard!" the Duke's man Bennet heard through the closed door behind him, and he correctly surmised that the situation had gone all pear-shaped. Another certain indicator was the sound of several booted footsteps rapidly making their way up the nearby stairwell towards him and a voice shouting arrest orders. He yanked the door open, ducking through and swiftly locking it behind himself, muttering a quick spell over the lock to ensure it remained secure even if the approaching men had the key.

A sudden blast of energy singed his livery. Bennet had seen the flash barely in time to leap to one side instinctively, which had spared him from receiving the full force of the blast. He stared at the confusing sight of two Queen Mirandas standing before him, one suddenly launching herself at the other while brandishing a small paring knife.

"The other door!" Danelija hissed, pointing out the connecting door between the nursery and Lord Davorin's former quarters. Bennet dashed across the room towards it, locking it and casting the same spell on it to secure it while another woman behind him keened loudly. "He's gone! He's taken the little Hort!"

The Queen who had just attempted to kill him suddenly looked alarmed. She dashed behind the curtain. The other Queen attempted to follow, but was hampered by the two Princesses, who had caught up with her and who appeared to be trying to scale her like a tree.

"Take the girls!" the second Queen tossed over her shoulder towards Danelija, who dashed to her side and pried the eldest princess off her, Rafe doing the same with the younger one. Marc rushed towards Bennet, checking him for injuries as they heard a scream of fury coming from behind the curtain.

Several men hammered at the outer door now. Bennet knew it was only a matter of time before they either managed to break through it or someone on the outside figured out the counterspell to get in. "What else can I do?" he asked Danelija, hoping that she knew which Queen was real and which was the false one, although he suspected the one in front of him was likely the true Miranda of Tralia and Orsal, unless the little princesses had actually been attempting to attack her rather than seeking her protection.

"Kill Jesaminda!" Danelija urged with a nod of her head towards the curtained niche, trying to retain her hold on the struggling child she held. "The Duke used the portal in the garderobe. He should be back at any moment, and she'll kill him if she catches him off guard."

Bennet needed no further urging than that. He could get the particulars regarding heretofore unsuspected portals in garderobes later. He started towards the curtain, but not before the Queen in nursemaid clothing had ducked behind it also.

#

Joss was very glad he had been careful to step back onto the Portal stone in Coroth facing in the opposite direction from the one he'd been facing when he'd arrived there, for he would have been at a decided disadvantage had he arrived back in Horthánthy with his nose all but pressed against the stone garderobe wall rather than facing towards the room. As it was, he barely had time to register the sight of Lady Jesaminda standing before him before she attacked.

He caught almost the full force of the blow, her psychic energies only slightly deflected by the instinctive flaring of his shields. He'd had the foresight to draw his sword prior to making the jump, suspecting he might have need to use it, though it was of little help against an energy attack except for helping to channel the charge through the length of it and out the tip of the sword back into the stone floor–fortunately not into the portal stone itself, for he had no idea how that might have fared if he'd inadvertently used it to ground the energies.

Clenching his burned fist around the pommel more tightly and willing himself to ignore the pain, he attempted to swing at his attacker, only to find himself drenched with a spray of blood that jetted towards him before his blade had even made contact with Jesaminda's flesh. He gaped at Miranda over Jesaminda's slumping body as his mind caught up with what he had just seen. While Jesaminda had been distracted by his arrival, Miranda had crept up on her unseen and unsensed, hooking one arm around the woman's throat to jerk her head upwards while slashing through her jugular with the paring knife. Bloody hell, when had she learned that?!

Marc and Bennet rushed in as Miranda fell back against the wall behind her, slumping to the ground and shaking in shock. He could hardly blame her; he was feeling more than a little shocky himself as the pain began to catch up with him.

#

Marc quickly assessed the situation. The Duke would need to be treated first; his injuries were fairly severe, and he was on the verge of passing out on the portal stone that was their only means of escape.

"Have Danelija and the other man-at-arms bring my daughters," Miranda whispered to Bennet as he gently pulled her away from Jesaminda's corpse, "but prepare them first. Or better yet, have them close their eyes before they're brought in here."

"On it, Your Majesty." He Mind-Sent a quick burst of images to Rafe of what he had just witnessed in the garderobe along with the Queen's instructions. "Can you stand, my lady?"

"Yes," said the Hortic Queen, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet. "But I am not leaving until my daughters have been taken through to safety."

#

Rafe, still holding the younger Princess in his arms, bent slightly to address her elder sister, who was still trying to get away from Danelija in her fright. "Your Highness, Truth-Read me." Catching the girl's attention with those words, he continued. "Your Mummy wants you and Lady Danelija to follow me at once, but before we go through that curtain, you need to know that it is going to be very messy in the garderobe. Your mummy had to kill the Bad Lady. But the Bad Lady can't hurt you anymore. I know you two are scared, but we need to take you and your Mummy back to where Duke Joscelin lives before those bad men pounding on the door can get in. Mummy says it would be best if the two of you would close your eyes and let us carry you." The doorframe shook and gave a groan as if to punctuate his words. "Let's go!"

Rezza allowed Danelija to pick her up. She buried her face in the lady-in-waiting's neck as they hurried through the doorway.

#

There wasn't time to do a full Healing, but the worst of the Duke's burns had been Healed and his pain had been alleviated. Just as importantly, the portal stone was now empty again and ready for use.

Joss knew it would be futile to ask Miranda to make the first jump. "Rafe, do you think you can carry the Princesses through together?"

"On it, Your Grace." Rafe lifted little Silvé onto his shoulders. "Hold on tight, sweeting; we're going to take a quick pony ride, would you like that?" He held out his arms for Rezza, and Danelija handed the older girl over to him. "All right, I'm going to take a little step forward," he cautioned. "You might feel the stone wall behind you for just a moment, then we'll be in a new place. Mummy will be coming right behind us."

As Rezza nodded her head against his chest, her eyes still squeezed shut, he stepped onto the portal stone and vanished.

Joss glanced at Miranda. "You next, Your Majesty."

She hesitated. "Danelija next."

His lips tightened slightly, but he nodded to Bennet.

Bennet took the lady-in-waiting's hand as he stepped towards the portal, assessing the best way to get them both into the small space they had to work with. He backed into the space, pressing himself against the wall with his feet spread as far apart as they could go and still both fit on the small portal stone. "My lady, stand with your feet between mine, or even on them, and if you'll forgive me in advance, I'm going to need to hold you indecently close to bring you through, but you're welcome to slap me once we're in Coroth as long as you wait until we're off the portal stone first."

Danelija laughed, stepping onto the portal stone as instructed and surprising him with a swift kiss on the cheek as he tightened his arms around her. He grinned as he brought her through to Coroth.

Joss gave Miranda a look that conveyed in no uncertain terms that he would knock her unconscious and carry her through if he had to, if she didn't go next. Without further demur, she stepped onto the portal stone and vanished.

A movement at the doorway caught Joss's eye. It was the senior nursemaid. He'd nearly forgotten about the annoying twit. "Marc, bring Mistress Lucija through." He heard a loud sound from the adjoining chamber, as if the door was being ripped off its hinges. "Now!"

"Oh no, I can't, sir!" the nursemaid protested, nearly babbling in her fright. "They'll kill me family if I do!"

There was no time to argue. "All right, your choice. Marc, your turn."

His man-at-arms was not happy about leaving the Duke to follow last, but they had had this argument many times before, and he had never yet managed to win it. A deafening burst from the adjoining room settled the matter. The sooner he was through, the sooner the Duke could follow. He stepped onto the portal stone and made the leap to Coroth as quickly as he could, flinging himself to one side as he arrived in his haste to clear the portal stone.

#

Lord Davorin's men had nearly managed to break down the door before his arrival, but a quick blast of energy from him ensured that no one would ever lock him out of the nursery again. He strode through the charred doorway into the empty room, heading directly for the garderobe corridor. The senior nursemaid sat just outside it, curled up in a small ball on the floor, weeping.

He turned the corner, nearly slipping on a pool of blood. The sight of his daughter's gore-drenched corpse distracted him momentarily. Enraged, he glanced towards the portal stone just in time to see the Duke of Corwyn vanish, facing him with one hand raised in an extraordinarily rude one-fingered salute as he made his departure.

#

June 18, 1465
Coroth Castle
A guest apartment
Night

The staff at Coroth had managed to pull off a short series of miracles in a very short time. While Marc tended to the Duke's remaining burns, his guests had been escorted to guest apartments where fresh baths and trays of food had been brought up to them. Miranda had little appetite for the food, although she appreciated the thoughtful gesture, but the bath had been a welcome relief. While she was scrubbing the last traces of Jesaminda's blood from her skin, there was a discreet knock on the door, and a chambermaid entered, handing Lady Danelija a few changes of clothing that had been hastily procured from the wardrobes of various officers' wives in hopes that at least some of them would prove more suitable for a Queen and a Tralian noblewoman's use than the blood-stained nursemaid livery they had arrived in.

In the meantime, all three royal children slept soundly, their memories of the past few days mercifully blurred once Miranda had had a chance to take a peek into each mind to ensure she retained enough knowledge of what they had been through to piece together an accurate account of what they had endured since Lord Davorin's coup began. She felt certain Comte Réhon-Rogan would wish to know every detail when it came time to bring Lord Davorin to justice. The attending Healer had also offered to blur the Hortic Queen's memories, but Miranda had refused, not simply to preserve those intact for the Regent's perusal as well, but also because she was still sorting through them herself, wanting to make sure no small detail was lost as she pieced together her own memories with new information that continued to arrive, trying to fit everything together into a more complete understanding of what had taken place over the past two days. Perhaps in time, she would allow the worst of the memories to be blurred–certainly she didn't wish to be plagued with nightly nightmares, constantly reliving the most stressful moments among them!--but for the time being, she could cope.

A courier had arrived in Coroth during the Duke's absence, bearing the information that Captain O'Flynn had coordinated his efforts with the Duke of Bočna in order to lend support to the Regent, whose borrowed Beldourian navy would be arriving in Orsalis and Horthánthy within the next couple of days, coordinating their efforts with the Gwyneddan ships already waiting in readiness. While awaiting the Regent's arrival, the Duke of Bočna had managed to hastily assemble a small but dedicated army of soldiers loyal to the young Hort, which had started their march towards the capital cities. Already, men from Orsal and Tralia had joined with a few units of Gwyneddan and Beldourian soldiers to chase down various scattered units of the Corps Phénix.

As Miranda accepted the linen towel from Lady Danelija, her lady-in-waiting selected a gown and chemise from the stack of clothing that she thought would come closest to fitting the Queen's measurements, assisting her into them once she was sufficiently dry. So late at night, Miranda had not thought it advisable to give her hair a thorough wash, knowing it would take hours to dry afterwards even if Danelija combed through it in front of the fire, but she had at least managed to use a damp rag to remove what few smears of blood had managed to soak through the linen headwrap she had worn with her nursemaid livery, and it had been neatly rebraided and wrapped around her head in a simple coronet-like style, secured with the few hairpins Miranda had needed to secure her coiled hair beneath her headwear. Danelija held up a small mirror so she could survey the results. Miranda nodded in approval. She might not look particularly regal at the moment, but she was clean, dry, decently clothed, and presentable enough to be brought before her brother the King of Gwynedd the following morning, which was all that mattered at the moment.

Removing the outer gown and handing it to Danelija to set aside while she removed the hairpins as well, Miranda readied herself for bed, knowing the next day was likely to be a long one, especially once she had to account for her precipitous disappearance to the King her brother. He would not be at all happy with her if he learned how close she had come to being captured and killed. She felt an unexpected pang of grief that Cinhil would not be there when she returned to Rhemuth. But she would not be there for more than a few days anyway. For better or for worse, Rhemuth was no longer her home.

#

Lady Danelija was reluctant to take her leave of the Queen, but at least Lady Marija would be in Rhemuth to attend her now, and if she chose to, she could also bring Anna, Elisaveta, and Zjata with her when she left Coroth, as those ladies-in-waiting were here as well. She knew none of those ladies had been the Queen's particular favorites, either having chosen to favor her rivals instead, or in the case of Elisaveta, having been so steadfastly averse to being drawn into taking anyone's side that she hadn't become close to anyone in the household at all over the past seven years besides her friend Eva, whom she had known prior to their selection as ladies-in-waiting for reasons the late Hort had found politically expedient. But she felt the others would honor their commitments to the Queen despite that, being united now against their shared enemy Lord Davorin, against which all previous rivalries meant little now. The previous Hort, at the center of all their past rivalries, was now dead, and Miranda was now the Queen Mother of the current rightful heir to the title. If anything, Marija and the other ladies would soon be vying for the most favorable position in her orbit instead, hoping in doing so to remain in the good graces of the young Hort and his Regent.

Assuming, of course, that said Regent survived Lord Davorin's machinations over the coming days and managed to bring the usurper to justice, and that Adémar's sole legitimate son continued to thrive. And that was why Danelija needed to leave, at least for a time, in order to do what she could to ensure both of those things happened. And yet she dreaded this very necessary conversation with the Queen whom she had come to think of as a friend, not knowing how Miranda would react to learning she'd been harboring an intelligencer in her household this entire time, and one who was not solely in her service.

Even now, she wondered if it was prudent to reveal to Miranda that she was in the Comte's service. Yet necessity had forced her to inform Duke Joscelin of her true mission, and if she had read the relationship between Corwyn's Duke and her Queen aright, what he knew now, she would likely come to learn about soon, for she suspected there was a deeper attachment between the two than one might expect from a mere childhood acquaintance. Danelija would prefer for Miranda to hear the truth from her own lips.

#

Miranda stared in disbelief at the lady-in-waiting who had been one of her three original Tralian friends in Adémar's Court. "How long have you been in Comte Réhon-Rogan's service?" she asked.

"Since my eighteenth year," Danelija told her, "a few months before I moved to Horthánthy to join your household. My lord Réhon could see how the wind was blowing even then, and was concerned that any woman the Hort married might come to harm, especially if she were to bear the Hort an heir, at least if that woman was not Jesaminda. And it seemed clear enough by that point that Jesaminda was not likely to be able to conceive children, and whether she was capable or not, the Hort was unlikely to marry her in either case. So he charged me with being vigilant for any threats to your safety, especially if you should fall pregnant with the Hort's heir, since that would increase the likelihood of a coup, and to inform him at once if it ever appeared that Lord Davorin was on the verge of making his move against the Hort."

"But the Comte wasn't even the Regent yet," Miranda observed. "In fact, if Adémar had died without a son, the Comte would have been his heir."

"Yes," Danelija agreed. "An inheritance he would have assumed if he'd had to, but one which he hoped–and still hopes–never to inherit. He would have been well content with remaining in Nouveau Richemont for the rest of his days. But he felt a responsibility to warn the late Hort of his suspicions, and as those warnings had fallen upon deaf ears, he felt a further responsibility to try to keep his Queen and future sovereign safe from Lord Davorin in the event that what he feared ever came to pass." She sighed. "I should have been more vigilant. Maybe I could have warned you that the coup was imminent, if only I had known what signs to look for."

"I was actively watching for such signs already," said Miranda, "and yet I was caught just as unprepared when it actually happened." She studied Danelija for a moment. "So, does this mean you will be remaining in my household, or leaving it? And if you stay, where will your primary loyalty lie?"

Danelija pondered the Queen's questions for a long moment, trying to figure out the best way to articulate what was in her heart. "My primary loyalty lies with what I believe is in the best interests of Orsal and Tralia remaining a strong and uniting force within the Forcinn," she finally ventured. "I also believe that the best way to ensure the realm's strength is to protect the true Hortic lineage. That is why I put my support behind the Comte to begin with–he was and is determined to protect the Von Horthy line, even when the former Hort couldn't be made to recognize the need to safeguard it properly. Now your son is the future of that royal lineage. If I serve Comte Réhon, that is because ultimately we both serve Létald of Orsal and Tralia. So I don't see a conflict of interests between serving the young Hort and serving his mother. You are still a Hortic Queen, Your Majesty, and I am certain you intend to continue supporting your own son as Hort of Orsal and Tralia. To that end, I would like to remain in your household if you are still willing to have me as your lady-in-waiting. But also to that end, I must request at least a short leave of absence first, until the Comte is able to return and bring Lord Davorin to justice. If the information is correct that the Duke has received from his courier, then that may well happen within the next few days, but Réhon will need eyes and ears on the ground in Horthánthy once he arrives there."

Miranda raised her eyebrows at that. "Lord Davorin is still alive, you know, and he still wants you dead."

"Oh, I'm well aware, Your Majesty, but I hope to go on disappointing him." Danelija smiled. "I had hoped I might be able to return with some sort of guise, similar to what was used when I pretended to be Darija. I assume that sort of spell can be made to last for more than a few days until it's no longer needed?"

"It can be upheld as long as it's needed, yes. But as I discovered in my brief time pretending to be Maida, there is more to a convincing disguise than simply looking like a different person. You also have to act convincingly different enough that Davorin never suspects that you aren't who you are claiming to be. And he's certain to have figured out by now that one or more guises were used in order to gain access to the children's nursery, so he will likely have more safeguards against imposters set up by now."

"You could be right about that," said Danelija. "But I would think that it would be difficult if not impossible to check every person in Horthánthy to see if they are who they claim to be, and in any case I think I might be needed more in the town itself now than in the Palace. Though I would like the opportunity to find out if my half-sister is still well; we left the Palace suddenly and in a way she would not have expected, so she may be worrying about me also."

"And if you don't intend to return to the Palace, where will you stay? I can't very well send you back to Horthánthy without knowing you'll have a roof over your head and a convincing pretext for being there," Miranda observed. "All arrivals and departures from the port are under close scrutiny by now, and even if you plan on having one of the Duke's men return you to Horthánthy by Portal, you'll need some safe place to hide from Davorin's notice once you are there."

Danelija considered the problem. "I know an innkeeper's daughter in town who briefly worked at the Palace as a kitchen maid, but she left service and returned to working at her father's inn after one of Lord Davorin's men took too keen an interest in her. She is also acquainted with Olga. I think even if I were to look completely different, she might have some sympathy for a friend of Olga's who is looking for work and who wishes to avoid the notice of the men in orange and gold. Even if she couldn't offer me a position at the inn, she might be willing to give me a place to sleep."

Miranda sighed. "That's a lot of 'maybes' and 'mights.' But if you are determined to go back, I'll ask His Grace of Corwyn if he can at least send you back with a pouch of coin so you can pay for food and lodging if need be until conditions are more stable in Horthánthy. Hopefully the crisis will be over in just a few more days, but I suppose that depends on how much support Lord Davorin has behind him. Even once it's clear to all that the Comte is alive and well and is Létald's rightful Regent, I can't imagine Davorin willingly surrendering to him now that he's come so close to gaining all his aspirations. If nothing else, he might still manage to pull off a disappearing act and evade justice."

Danelija grimaced. "Let's hope not! I'd hate for all of us to have to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders for him in fear he might figure out some way to return. There's no telling what he might try next in an effort to hang on to power. I'm honestly a little surprised he didn't immediately try to force you into marrying him in order to secure a greater claim to act in Létald's stead! If he had managed to capture you, I wouldn't have put it past him to propose that idea to you as an alternative to execution."

The newly widowed Queen shuddered at the thought.


Next chapter:  https://rhemuthcastle.com/index.php/topic,3496.0.html

[DerynifanK]

Goodness! Such excitement and confusion. Glad all escaped safely. Don't envy Miranda having to explain all this to her brother, the king.

[Evie]

Goodness! Such excitement and confusion. Glad all escaped safely. Don't envy Miranda having to explain all this to her brother, the king.

Yes, methinks the lady will have a bit of explaining to do, and to a very unamused King! 

[tmcd]

And the band played "Yakety Sax" ...

[Evie]

And the band played "Yakety Sax" ...

You did say you were expecting a farce.... 

[Jerusha]

I am personally fond of Joss's rude farewell salute!

[Evie]

I am personally fond of Joss's rude farewell salute!

LOL! Yeah, I wondered if that was maybe a tad anachronistic (though that wouldn't have stopped me putting it in the scene), but a brief bit of research assured me that the gesture goes back at least to Roman times. Or in their world,  Rûman. 

[JudithR]

Goodness! Such excitement and confusion. Glad all escaped safely. Don't envy Miranda having to explain all this to her brother, the king.

Yes, methinks the lady will have a bit of explaining to do, and to a very unamused King! 

Is Miranda older or younger than Nicholas?  That may, even though he's an absolute monarch (divine right and all that), alter the dynamic of the "expression of views"

[Evie]

Goodness! Such excitement and confusion. Glad all escaped safely. Don't envy Miranda having to explain all this to her brother, the king.

Yes, methinks the lady will have a bit of explaining to do, and to a very unamused King! 

Is Miranda older or younger than Nicholas?  That may, even though he's an absolute monarch (divine right and all that), alter the dynamic of the "expression of views"

She's one year younger, but not particularly subservient, so not at all unwilling to go toe to toe with Big Brother. 

[Demercia]

And she is Soraya's daughter.  And Nicholas is married to Catalina so is being well trained.

[Evie]

And she is Soraya's daughter.  And Nicholas is married to Catalina so is being well trained.

The poor man might have cause to wonder who is actually ruling his kingdom!