Chapter Thirty-Two
With Gautier dead, a new possibility opened to Jaime, and when Aleric brought it up, he agreed.
His old home was beyond strange after so many years. In some ways, it was the same. In others, it was changed and felt wrong. Some of the furniture in the sitting rooms was the same as he remembered, but it had been moved around. The drapes were a different color, and the Castle itself didn’t feel like home anymore. And even though he’d known a new lord lived there, it was strange to see him next to King Alton.
Lord Monet had helped Jaime write letters, and one had been for Rhyo village. The Baron’s son had taken over, and he wrote back. Even though Jaime had been gone for years, many of the residents remembered a boy who came one day at the age of seven, the couple who’d taken him in, and his name, Theo, which they’d thought was genuine. The new Baron remembered playing outside with his orange-eyed friend who’d sometimes taken meals with the family.
Everything had been explained in another letter to the King who decided he wanted to meet the survivor of the unexplained massacre. With Jaime’s statement along with Aleric and Zacharie’s, and a note from Rhyo, Lord Monet had also asked if there was any way for Jaime to have his rightful position back.
Lord Wenton had held Hemshire for years, and the city was doing well. It was larger than Jaime remembered from his childhood memories. Unlike Jaime’s previous imaginings, the lord didn’t have a spouse, and no children ran about the halls. He’d never married or cared to have kids.
“My brother is the Baron of a village in the East,” said Lord Wenton. “I also hold a village along the coast that has grown and might as well be considered a town now. I technically have no heir of my own to put down, and I’ve made a verbal agreement with my brother that his son will also inherit Hemshire and the village of Lotting once I pass or retire if I grow too feeble. His son could inherit Lotting, and you could take Hemshire when it’s time.”
“Or, if you wish, you can have Monmith,” said King Alton. “When I banished Gautier, I gave the city to an older man. He’s dead, and his wife is the Countess. They have one estranged son who likely won't be returning even for a position. While Gautier was banished, and children typically aren’t granted the hold afterward, I would be willing to give it to you once the Countess passes or decides to retire. Your circumstances are unusual, and considering your origins and early life, the choice is yours to make.”
“I don’t want Monmith, Your Majesty. I don’t think it would ever feel like home, and I don’t want the last name Gautier. Quite frankly, I don’t want anything to do with him at all, and I’d never ask Aleric to live in the home of someone who abused him. Even if we had a new one built…” He shook his head. “Neither of us wants to go there.”
“Do you want to take Hemshire?” asked Lord Wenton. “Your husband is in line to take over for Lord Monet.”
“We’ve already discussed this, and we decided that if he can have Hemshire, we’ll move here.” Aleric rested a hand on his stomach, and Foofy, sitting on his shoulder, made a small noise. “My younger brother Zacharie can have the position in Soleil instead of me.”
The Castle might feel more like home after a while, especially if they had a child. Not that they’d be living there anytime soon. Lord Wenton had to be nearing sixty, and he likely had some good years left, although Jaime didn’t want to ask. It would sound like he was hoping for the man to be near retirement or death.
“Very well,” said Lord Wenton. “I can officially put Jaime down as my heir. King Alton can ratify it later when the time comes.”
“Of course.”
The child in Aleric’s stomach might be an adult before they took the position, not that Jaime minded.
“You do look like your Mother,” said Lord Wenton.
“You knew her?”
“No. There are portraits of your family in the attic.”
Jaime’s heart nearly stopped. “There are portraits? I thought those would be gone.”
Lord Wenton shook his head. “Everything had been taken down when I moved in except for others. Nature, one of the city, that sort of thing. A couple of people from Hemshire had been hired to…I don’t want to say erase the evidence of others living here, but that’s basically what they did. They didn’t want to have me move into a home that felt as if the previous residents had only stepped away and might come back soon.”
Especially after the horrible way they’d died.
“They gathered some personal things and the portraits in crates, and they asked me what to do. With no one to give the items to, I still didn’t feel right about having it all thrown out or sold off in bits and pieces. Storing it in the attic was also odd, but…” He spread his hands. “It was better than throwing everything in a midden. For the most part, I’ve forgotten about it all. I went up to look around after I received Lord Monet’s letter and unwrapped a few of the portraits. There are a few singles and family ones.”
“I want to see them.”
“I can have the servants bring them down. I’m sure you want to take those things home with you too.”
“Let me go up,” said Jaime. “I want to check the passage first.”
“Let’s go do that now.”
Jaime gave his hand to his husband to help him up. Aleric said he felt huge at six months, especially with his pecs already swollen to later produce milk. To Jaime, not much had grown on him except for those and his round belly which looked absolutely adorable to him. Pregnancy had made his complexion brighter, and even his hair was brighter and fuller.
Aleric said his distrustful thoughts weren’t entirely gone. After so long, it made sense they wouldn't all vanish in a second, but he did seem easier overall around Jaime. With Gautier gone, it was as if he could finally thrive, like a flower seeking the sun after darkness.
In Jaime’s eyes, Aleric had bloomed.
Foofy was practically obsessed with Aleric to the point that Delphine said he wasn't her pet anymore. He always wanted to be around Aleric to pat his stomach, and they had a feeling their future child might have a friend from birth. Foofy had come along in the carriage too. They’d tried to leave him at the Castle, thinking he wouldn’t like the trip, but they’d barely gone past the gate when they heard a squeal, and Foofy had jumped on the moving carriage to climb in through the open window. Aleric said they couldn’t possibly go away without him if he’d gone through that much trouble.
He must have been waiting for the baby to eventually make its appearance. Fortunately, Lord Monet didn't sneeze when the minky was around or mind their new, unusual pet.
Aleric held his arm as they went to the back passage. It was hard to believe dead bodies had once been strewn about the Castle, including servants. Of course, no one would guess by walking down it. Jaime remembered the spot where Mother had opened the wall, and they all paused by it.
“I didn’t think to look for passages in here,” Lord Wenton said. “I knew about the fireplace one, and that’s it. Can you open it?”
“Yeah.”
Foofy watched with bright eyes as Aleric stepped back. It took some force when Jaime pushed. The section clicked, and he was able to open it. King Alton made a faint noise of surprise.
“I never would have guessed.”
“I doubt the servants did either, and they walk by it daily,” said Lord Wenton.
Jaime didn’t like the dark passage any better as an adult, and he took a crystal lantern from the ceiling. “I’ll be back. Aleric, stay here, all right? It’s dusty, and I don’t want you climbing the ladder.”
“We’ll wait,” said Aleric, and Foofy patted his head.
Jaime went ahead as he scanned the floor. In his memory, the ceiling had been higher. With his height and build, it seemed far narrower. He also remembered the look on Father’s face. He’d regretted not going with them and staying to fight in a futile attempt to protect the rest of the family.
If those two men hadn’t come, Mother would have taken Jaime out through the fireplace.
He came to the ladder and carefully climbed it, realizing it wasn't so sturdy after all since he wasn’t a small child clambering up. Cobwebs lined the walls, and he tried to remember.
He was sure Mother’s hair had still been up when they used the ladder. It had been loose before entering the sitting room.
The sheath of his sword bumped the edge before he stood and held out the lantern. Amid the gloom and old dust caked on the floor despite the passage being closed, he caught a dull glint ahead. His heart thudded as he hurried over and picked it up. It was dirty, and he crouched to pull out his hanky and rub at the cold metal in his hands.
The diamonds were all still there in Mother’s rose clip.
It was the one she’d worn that night and many others. She’d let him look at it before, and he’d marveled at the rich details. Father had given it to her as a present when he was around four.
It had fallen out of her hair, and she hadn’t stopped to grab it. She might not have even noticed in her panic to save her son. If he went on, he’d come to the end and the sitting room. They hadn’t used it earlier, and he didn’t think he could bring himself to enter. Mother and his sibling had died on the floor, and Father had died in that room too.
He realized that if he lived there with Aleric and their child, or possibly children, he’d likely feel at home again. They get used to it, and the place would have their personal touch. He wasn’t sure if he could ever enter that room again. It was worse than the Hall where he knew both sets of Grandparents had perished along with cousins and close family friends that he didn’t remember so well anymore.
He took a deep breath and stood. He didn’t know what lay in the attic, but he had something special of Mother’s now. If they had a little girl, perhaps she’d like the clip one day.
***
Jaime helped Aleric up the narrow, circular staircase that led into the attic. He’d already gone through, and he was ready to show his husband. Foofy had gone off somewhere, which meant he was probably searching the lord’s larder for snacks.
“That’s you,” Aleric said almost immediately when they entered. Jaime had found and unwrapped a family portrait. He had no memory of it being done and guessed he was about three. He was seated between his parents. The work must have taken ages since most three-year-olds aren’t prone to sitting neatly and quietly for hours at a time.
Little Jaime didn’t exactly look pleased on the couch in his vest and coat.
“Your Mother was beautiful, and you take a lot after her,” said Aleric.
“Not Father, unfortunately, except for the eyes,” said Jaime. “A coincidence of color. I…”
“What?” Aleric slipped an arm around his back.
“I thought I was seeing him in my face as I grew up. When I came up here, I was hoping I’d see a resemblance, and find Gautier was lying. Father looks like how I remember, but not quite either. Gautier was right when he said my young mind had filled in the bits and thought we looked alike to a point. I don’t take after him at all. If I’d grown up here, I think people might have suspected I wasn’t his son.”
“He loved you like a son.”
“I know.” Mother wasn’t smiling since people often didn’t for portraits. It would grow tiresome. She still looked happy. “Honestly, I’m not sure why she didn’t get rid of me. I don’t see her parents as being the sort to force their daughter to keep a baby like that.”
“She chose you instead. Gautier sought to punish and try to ruin her. She didn’t let him. He thought he won in a way, and she turned it right back around on him.”
Maybe that partly accounted for the attack later. While Gautier had mostly been mad at Lord Scaliger for getting what Gautier thought should be his, he must have still been furious with Mother in the back of his mind.
She’d kept the child and had a good marriage with Father. How dare she have anything good? How dare she have another child with the man who’d stolen her because in his head, that’s all she was to him. A thing. Gautier thought to claim her like an item, and Lord Scaliger had taken her. The choices and wants of Meredith had never mattered to him.
He would have taken Jaime if possible, and he cringed to think of having been raised by that man. Maybe he would have grown into a person who thinks to take and claim and reacts with violence and anger when refused.
Deep down, Gautier had been insecure with an ego too easily shaken.
Jaime kissed the side of Aleric’s head. “Maybe we could put this one up at home?”
“You can put any up. It’s your family, and I know Father won’t mind. We’re joined now. Whatever you want.”
Jaime placed his hand on Aleric’s belly. The two main things he wanted in life were right next to him.