Chapter 24 Isabel
Anger burned through me as I nearly shook with rage.
Jess’s performance had been outrageous, beyond any act of childish defiance to date. Her insolence threatened the very future of the monarchy, and fury resonated through my chest.
In contrast, the King stared into the rich wood of the table before him. He hadn’t spoken or moved since the room had cleared. He hadn’t even looked up.
My mouth twisted at his weakness.
Our guests had been dismissed to relax, be it in their quarters or with a stroll of the gardens, while servants cleared the table and retreated beyond the ire of their monarchs.
“I am going to wring her spoiled little neck,” I fumed.
“How could she show us up like that in front of two members of the Council and the Warden of the East? Does she have no clue what it means to rule, to be subject to the needs and whims of the nobles? Tongues will wag across the Kingdom before this week is done, mark my words.
This will reflect on you, Alfred, on us.”
Alfred’s eyes closed as his weathered fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. “Issy, she was out of line stabbing the Duke like that, but did you see what he was doing all night? At one point, he practically licked her ear.”
I shoved my chair back and stood, then paced a warlike path in the marble floor.
“Alfred, don’t you dare go there. Do you think I have never had to put up with a noble whose hands decided to explore into territory well beyond his reach? Or had to face the humiliation of a man looking down his nose at my judgement because I am only a woman?”
The King straightened and stared, his eyes wide.
“Are all men so na?ve? Sweet Irina!” I threw my hands in the air.
“Of course, I have. Every woman has. It makes me so angry I want to burn everything down, but it is the way of many men. Women understand it, and we learn to deal with it in our own way, in a way that maintains peace and order in the household.”
My voice lowered from a near shout to a menacing growl.
“What we never do is embarrass our King and Queen in front of the most important men in the Kingdom. Just one night we needed that little brat to see the bigger picture, and she couldn’t do it. Just. One. Night.” My voice rose, punctuating each word.
Alfred sucked in a breath and rose to stand before me, halting my pacing.
He took my hand in his own and waited for my gaze to meet his.
Then he spoke in a measured tone, as one hand reached up to brush my cheek.
I wanted to recoil at his touch, but leaned into it instead.
“My Queen . . . my love . . . if any man ever touches you the way the Duke touched our daughter, promise me you won’t ‘deal with it in your own way.’
Promise you’ll tell me so I can see him locked in the tower while his offending hand is fed to our hounds.
“I am not na?ve enough to think that men always behave well, but I will never allow anyone to dishonor you or our daughter—ever. Am I clear?”
My mouth opened, then closed.
I grasped at anger, but it slipped away as though I tried to hold smoke between my fingers. My husband’s eyes held such passion and a simmering, protective rage, something I had thought long lost to years of marriage. A tear rolled down my cheek for the first time in years.
Alfred wiped the tear away, then pulled the hand he held to his lips and kissed it.
“None of these men are right for our little girl. The Crown can wait until we find the right match—a match who will offer her the respect and love she deserves. Besides, none of these men truly offer the Kingdom any new strategic alliance or advantage. Men of the Council? The Duke of Huntcliff?
There is no risk of that weasel rebelling, save to fight against something squirming on his fork.”
He shook his head with a wan smile. “What were we thinking, Issy?”
I blinked away another tear. “My King is far wiser than his Queen.”
“Nonsense.” He smiled, and his eyes glittered in the lamp light. “My Queen gives me strength, unburdens my heart, makes me wise.”
He kissed my forehead and drew me into his arms, then sighed.
“We have had enough for one night. Let’s get some rest and start fresh in the morning. We are young still, and Jess will not inherit the throne for many years. I do not know why we were in such a rush that we would ever consider Lord Piggy.”
I snorted into his chest and slapped his arm. “Now who’s besmirching honor, Your Majesty?”
“My dear, being a sovereign has its privileges. If I say he’s Lord Piggy, then that is who he is,” he said with a wide grin. “Sometimes it truly is good to be the King.”
The next morning, as the King and I ate breakfast, a page scurried into the room and whispered into Alfred’s ear.
His face darkened.
“Show them in at once,” he said.
I set my fork down and gave my husband a sharp, questioning gaze, but before he could respond, Chancellor Thorn, Minister of War Bril, and Sheriff Wilfred marched into the room.
“Your Majesties,” Thorn began through a hasty bow. “Forgive the interruption, but this couldn’t wait for Council this afternoon.”
“It’s all right, Danai. What is it?”
Thorn nodded to Wilfred and Bril.
The Sheriff fixed his eyes on the King and spoke, “Your Majesty, we know some things with certainty, and we suspect others. I’ll start with what we know.”
Alfred crossed his arms. “Get on with it.”
Wilfred’s head bobbed as he cleared his throat.
“As you are aware, four Gifted have been kidnapped from various locations throughout the Kingdom.
Chancellor Thorn and his Mages worked closely with my team to ascertain some pattern for the kidnappings but came up empty.
Both men and women were taken, their Gifts varied widely, and each individual was stolen from their home city or town, which are hundreds of miles apart.
We traced the victims’ families, some of which were prominent, others not, some wealthy, others poor.
“We found only three common threads. First, each victim was Gifted. Second, every trail we could follow led east. Finally, brown-robed members of the Children were seen by witnesses in two of the four cases.” He paused, but Alfred remained silent.
“Based on these facts, and some witness statements, Chancellor Thorn and I believe the victims are being taken through the mountain pass into Melucia.”
“What?” Alfred nearly shot out of his chair as I leaned forward. “Melucia? Surely you do not think the Melucians—?”
“We don’t know enough to be sure, but that is exactly what we fear,” Thorn said. “Whether it is some group within their country or the government itself—”
“The Triad? You think the Triad is kidnapping our Gifted?” Alfred’s gaze darted from one Councilor to the next.
Bril cleared his throat, drawing the monarch’s eye.
“Sire, our border forces posted at Huntcliff have reported an unusual level of activity by Melucian Rangers in the mountains. Some time ago, they began a new practice of stopping all caravans passing through the mountains for inspection.
Two Merchants interviewed said they had never been stopped and inspected before, and that the Rangers appeared to be anxious and looking for something specific.”
“Do you think our caravans are at risk? Were they threatened?” Alfred asked.
Bril shook his head. “There were no explicit threats, but in each case, Rangers handled the inspections. Heavily armed men stand guard while others conduct their search. We’ve never seen such measures by the Melucians and have no idea what sparked this escalation.
On the advice of the Merchants’ Guild, we have ceased all outbound trade through the pass until we can better understand the situation.”
“Halted all trading?” Alfred muttered.
Thorn barreled forward, “Your Majesty, it is reasonable to assume the two situations may be connected, that the Melucian Rangers had knowledge of the kidnappings and were searching for our missing Gifted.”
My chair creaked as I leaned back, one brow raised. “That is quite a leap, Danai. For all we know, there was theft and they are simply being cautious. Our patrols would do similar, would they not?”
“Of course, Majesty, we certainly would.”
Wilfred beat Thorn to respond. “I would agree with Her Majesty if we had not also received reports of unusual movement of the Children along the pass. Nearly a dozen robed men were seen going to and from Melucia during the same time period. In my years as High Sheriff,
I have never seen a single report of that faction traveling abroad. They are rarely seen traveling beyond their compound in Irina’s Seat.”
Alfred steepled his fingers and mused, “After a thousand years of peace . . .”
I frowned.
After another moment of silence, Alfred asked, “Recommendations?”
Our Minister of War was normally reserved and rarely spoke at Council but didn’t hesitate on this occasion.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We recommend full closure and reinforcement of our eastern border. The Third Infantry and Sixth Archery divisions are posted nearby and could be repositioned within the week. There’s already a complement of scouts stationed near Huntcliff.
We should increase patrols in the mountains and gather intelligence on Melucian numbers and movements, focusing on their Rangers. Additionally, we recommend a team of engineers be dispatched to assess the structural defenses along the border.
Both Huntcliff’s walls and those of our defensive forts require attention.”
“There has been no need for defense for centuries,” Alfred said.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just invade?” I broke in, unable to hold my tongue.
Thorn took a step forward. “Your Majesties, these are our scaled down recommendations. Many of our Council preferred a more . . . how should I say this . . . robust approach.”
“Has anyone simply asked the Rangers what they are looking for?” I asked.
“Of course,” Thorn snapped, quickly adding, “Your Majesty.” He eyed the King before continuing. “They have yet to reply to our messages.”
“What is it, Danai? I can see you still hold something back,” I pressed.
“Our spies in Grove’s Pass have missed two reporting intervals. One miss is uncommon, but happens on rare occasion. Two? That has never occurred. Never.” His head lowered. “We fear they are lost.”
The room held its breath as the King pondered.
Finally, he nodded once to Bril. “Fine. Do it—the reinforcements, defensive fortifications, and increased patrols. But, gentlemen, keep these suppositions quiet. If questioned, this is a training exercise and nothing more.
I do not want the country rallying to war before we even know what is truly happening.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Bril said, his head bobbing crisply.
The three men exited, leaving Alfred and me staring at each other in disbelief. A moment passed before I reached for my tea and took a sip. The delicate porcelain of the cup and saucer rattled in my quivering hands.
“I just hope one of those scouts doesn’t get nervous and take a shot at a Ranger. One frightened soldier could bring a thousand years of peace to an end—and there would be nothing we could do about it,” Alfred grumbled.
He was worried, I thought, and for good reason.