Chapter 23
Listra stared at the food, then frowned. “Some poisons are impossible to detect. Odorless, colorless. We would only know if the food was tainted if we were to partake of it.”
“I have not eaten for a long while, but if I eat of this, I may never eat again.” Tashama lifted the tray, then carried it to the window. The guards turned to observe her, and she threw the food onto the walkway. “Poisoned,” she said, then carried the tray back into the room.
Servants hurried to clean up the mess, a grape escaped the others’ fate, and she picked it up. The knocking on the door caused the two women to turn and face it.
“Yes?” Listra called out.
A guard opened the door. “The prince desires your presence at the meal.”
“Another meal, Listra. But I presume this one will be safe.” A smile crossed her face. “Should we go dressed like this?”
“The prince might like to see you attired thus, but he would surely frown on seeing me dressed this way.”
“I will wait for you to clothe yourselves properly.” The guard closed the door behind him.
Tashama hurried to pull golden gowns over her head, while Listra pulled pink ones over her own. Then, the women took turns drying their hair. By the time Tashama had attached veils to Listra’s hair, the women were already late in attending the prince’s supper.
When they arrived at the great hall, everyone had already taken their seats at long white-clothed tables, and the princesses were directed to one of the lower tables.
Tashama observed Daveal sitting beside the prince at the elevated head table while Carissian sat on the other side of his sovereign. Tashama took her seat beside Listra.
Tashama asked the lady who sat next to her to pass the bread, but the lady ignored her. Tashama turned instead to Listra and smiled. “I guess she doesn’t like my company.”
Listra shook her head. “We are being treated in such a manner because we took the prince away from them when he was due to be crowned. Within a week or two, he selects his bride from among the single ladies. There was much fear that he was lost, and Oshon might have ruled in his place. He is my cousin as well. Oshon would not have led the Maldovians as well as Aleron.”
“I do not believe either is that well-suited for the job.”
Tashama turned to the disagreeable lady. “I have returned the prince to you, but believe me, he snores at night something fierce when he sleeps with a lady. He has no manners either. Why, I had quite a time getting him to turn away from me while I stripped my wet garments from my skin.”
The lady’s mouth dropped open as her eyes widened, then she picked up her plate and hurried to another table.
Tashama laughed out loud, then reached over for the bread.
“Bread, Listra?” She cut a slice from the loaf.
“Butter?” Listra handed the butter to Tashama.
The prince studied her, and she leaned down and whispered in Listra’s ear, “I believe I am unnerving the prince. I wonder what else I can do to annoy him.”
“You mustn’t do anything further.” Listra sipped her wine.
Tashama ate her slice of bread and then sat back in her chair.
“I believe I will make him aware that his staff is trying to poison us.”
“But we don’t know that for certain.”
“Let him decide for himself.”
Tashama stood. The voice-filled room died to a hush. She walked toward the head table, sure every eye in the great hall watched her. While her eyes remained fixed on the prince’s, his gaze studied her gowns instead, but as she walked in front of the table, his eyes met hers.
“I want to make you aware that Listra and I already had supper served in our room this evening.” She paused for effect.
“I assumed the food might make us ill, so I disposed of it—or I should say some servants hurried to dispose of it. I want to thank you for the generosity of offering me lobster, as I love such cuisine so much. I didn’t want you to think me ungrateful. ”
Tashama turned back toward her table, stopped, then pulled the grape from her bodice and placed it beside the prince’s plate.
“I forgot. This is all that remained from the first supper.” The prince eyed the grape, but Daveal swept it off the table with her hand as she reached for her cup.
Then she crushed the grape under the heel of her shoe.
“Oh, I tried to stop it from rolling away, Your Highness.”
Tashama tilted her chin up slightly as she considered the woman before her, then nodded. She returned to her table, while the conversation began to build slowly like a stream growing in strength, until the words grew as loud as a river gushing over rapids.
“What did you say to the prince?” Listra whispered to Tashama as she retook her seat.
“The food was poisoned. Simple as that.”
“We have no proof.”
“One little grape, but Devil managed to squish it all over the floor with her shoe. However, I’ve implanted the seed of doubt where she is concerned.
She helped very well with the endeavor.” Tashama considered the first supper they’d been served.
“Of course, the grapes might not have contained any poison. Most likely, the lobster would have though. I’m certain the word was spread about how much I like the food. ”
“Yes, and I do too.” Listra cut off a slice of roast and handed it to Tashama. “What did you mean earlier by, ‘he was passing the tests so well’?”
“Nothing.” Tashama sipped her wine. “Nothing at all.”
“Does he really snore?”
“No.” Tashama smiled. “But the word will soon get all over court that he does, don’t you think?”
“And did he watch you…”
“He helped me to remove some of my wet gowns, but he was a gentleman, always.”
A servant wiped up the grape from the floor.
Listra shook her head. “I wonder if the prince will have it tested on anyone.”
“He ought to test it on Devil.”
The two continued to eat their meal, then Listra cleared her throat. “I believe Oshon is quite angry with you too.”
“Yes, well, he shouldn’t have made plans to turn me over to Loran. Such a notion is traitorous, and it certainly wasn’t my fault that the man bought his freedom in such a way. And to top that off, he is seeing a woman of the Bachava order.”
“No.” Listra’s eyes grew round.
“Certainly. How else do you think I overheard his conversation? I was hiding in the temple when they were speaking. He tried to kiss her, and she wouldn’t allow him to.”
“No,” Listra repeated and Tashama laughed.
“Certainly. Only the dust in the temple made me sneeze. You would think they would keep the place dusted better than that.”
“The incense is what probably made you sneeze.”
“Oh, well, the incense then.”
Listra glanced over at the head table. “Carissian is watching you.”
“Yes, he’s trying to read my thoughts. I give them to him freely now, and this puzzles him.”
“Can you read his thoughts? Some say you cannot.”
“Certainly.” Tashama licked the peppermint flavor off her fingers. “Um, I’m glad we were able to eat tonight. I really was quite hungry.”
“The prince hasn’t eaten much.” Listra tilted her wine cup to her lips. “He cannot seem to take his eyes off you, though Daveal has tried to get his attention several times. Her face is three shades darker than I have ever seen it as a result of his ignoring her.”
Tashama smiled, then took her drink, stood up, and toasted it to the prince. “To your successful coronation, Prince Aleron!”
Everyone raised a toast to the prince, and Tashama sipped her drink. “And to mermaids and the like,” Tashama said under her breath as she sat down. “Did you finish your pillow for the prince’s coronation?”
“Yes, but now I’m not certain he will want it.”
“Will you attend the ceremony, tomorrow?”
“If I will be allowed.”
“I won’t.”
“You will not be allowed?”
“No, I won’t attend.”
Listra shook her head. “I do not see why you wish to aggravate the prince so.”
“It is he who aggravates me. He promised to stay with me while I returned to Karthland, and then what does he do? He returns me to prison.”
“To keep you safe from Loran.”
“And who is going to keep me safe from the Maldovians?” Tashama finished her wine, then waved for a refill. “I don’t know, Listra. I felt it my duty to my people to return here and lead them to victory. Now, I’m not certain I should have ever been brought back.”
“Why would your sorcerer have brought you here and not to Karthland?”
“He made a mistake. There was a tornado.” Tashama’s eyes filled with tears. She looked over at Listra. “I was angry with him for making the mistake and not coming to rescue me afterwards. If he’s not here, then maybe he’s dead.” She stood slowly as the conversation dropped off in the great hall.
“He must be all right.” Listra reached out her hand to Tashama’s.
“He has been like my father.” Tashama walked away from the table.
“For these past ten years, I…I would not be able to rule without him by my side.” She turned and ran for the door as the prince motioned for the guard.
“Let me go!” she screamed as two of the guards grabbed her arms and made her stop.
“Let me go!” she repeated as she tried to wrench her arms free from their tight grip.
Then she collapsed amidst sobs as the prince stood at his table. He motioned for Tashama to be removed from the hall, then hurried to conclude the feast.
The prince hurried out of the hall with Carissian. “What was the matter?”
“She was thinking about Balthazar when she had visions he might have died in the tornado.”
“Tornado?”
“I believe it was the black funnel-like object dropped down out of their clouds. I’ve seen her envision this image several times. The image is life-threatening. I believe now her injuries when we first discovered her were due to this. If so, Balthazar may no longer live.”
The prince rubbed his chin, then shook his head as he stopped in his footsteps. “She cannot rule without a royal sorcerer by her side.”
“Nor without a husband.”
“I want the grape analyzed for poison.”
“The princess believes the grapes were not poisoned, only the lobster.”
“Then I want to have the lobster analyzed as well.”
“Yes, sire.”
The prince quickened his pace down the long hall. “You seemed to have been concentrating on the princess quite a bit tonight.”
“She was very talkative this evening. She revealed how she was discovered in the temple by Oshon. The incense made her sneeze.”
The prince smiled. “A spy, she is not.”
They arrived at the guest chambers, and the prince said to the guard, “Have my healer come at once.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” The guard hurried off as the prince walked into the room with Carissian.
“You are tired.” The prince stood next to the bed where Tashama hugged a pillow against her chest while she stared at the wall with her back to him. “We’ve had an arduous day, and you must rest.”
“I shouldn’t have returned here,” Tashama whispered as she shook her head slowly from side to side. “Nothing matters anymore. I shouldn’t have returned here.”
Carissian rubbed his beard with concern. “She’s distraught, Your Highness. I’m not sure what to make of her like this. I would rather deal with her when she’s obstinate or cunning or anything, but like this.”
“She needs to sleep. I know I’m exhausted. Have my healer give her something to aid her sleep. I’m retiring early myself. Busy day tomorrow.” He slapped Carissian on the shoulder. “What with the coronation and all, it will be an early morning.”
The prince walked into the hall. Listra was brought to the room by her guards. The prince ignored her and hurried on his way while Listra hastened into the room. As the healer soon followed her, he asked Listra, “What was the matter?”
“She fears her sorcerer has died.”
The healer nodded, then bowed to Carissian. “The prince wishes her sedated,” Carissian said.
“Of course.” The healer pulled a goblet from his robes. After mixing a blue liquid and a pink one from two separate vials, he leaned over the bed to speak to Tashama. “Drink this.”
“Is it poisoned?” she asked.
“No, my lady. It is safe for you to drink.”
“Then I don’t wish it.” She waved her hand to him to take it away.
“The prince wants you to have the most pleasant of dreams.”
“I don’t wish it.” Tashama pulled the pillow over her head.
Carissian chuckled. “She is being stubborn again. This is a good sign.”
The pillow was pulled away from her face, then the guards held her arms as the healer raised her head and poured the liquid down her throat after parting her pursed lips.
The mixture dribbled down her cheek, and he wiped the excess away with his sleeve. He turned to Carissian. “Enough of the mixture made it down her throat. In a few minutes, she will sleep.”
Tashama frowned at them. “No.”
Carissian cast a scowl in Listra’s direction. “Stay with her until she sleeps.” He headed out of the room.
Listra sat on the bed and held Tashama’s hand as a tear trickled down her own cheek. “Tashama, you mustn’t fear so about your sorcerer. They are hardy souls, and Balthazar was known to have been more cunning than the rest.”
Tashama fought to keep her eyelids open as she saw another tear slip down Listra’s face. She reached her hand up to touch Listra’s cheek and shook her head. “Do not be sad, dear Listra,” she whispered.
“My own people reject me. All I have is your friendship now. I cannot lose you too.”
“You’ll find one who’ll win your heart.” Tashama touched Listra’s hand. She squeezed her hand lightly as her eyelids shut closed. “You’ll always be my friend.”
“Who is the one whom I am to love?” Listra implored as she rubbed Tashama’s hand. “Tashama, who is the one I am to love?”