The Queen That Finds Ways Part 9
Chapter 9: Trust and Loyalty
One week, that is what it took to learn who entered the castle within the last two years, to get Andrius to let go of the pearl and the complete list and prepare everything. It was slower and faster as expected, Ivara had to admit.
The day a young Wayfinder brough both was the same day they rounded up every suspicious staff member in the great hall. The number was smaller and bigger at the same time as expected: twenty-eight people from all areas within the castle.
The pearl and the list under Radek’s watch, Ivara walked into the great hall, dressed in her new clothes. The clothes her uncle had commissioned before his death, a set of dark red pants in the cut of the Wayfinders and a cream-colored tunic down her knees with a fake skirt part and dark red embroidery of her favorite flower at the hem around the neckline. It was royal, practical, still feminine enough to not cause an uproar.
The heels of her boots made a harsh sound as she entered the hall with Nynette and Wyborn behind her. Soldiers stood at each door, nodding to her in greeting. Her eyes wandered over the twenty-eight people. Roughly half of them were stable hands which meant the chance was low, it was one of them, but not impossible.
“All of you were brought here today because you are the newest staff members of the castle and we suspect one of you worked with the attackers who killed King Elfred and princess Bernia, poisoned princess Bernia to cause her mind to wither and opened the gates for the attackers to accomplish this despicable cowardice act.”
Rumbling and whispered went through the group. The three of them watched them closely. Who reacted shocked, who tried to look away, who searched for an escape, who talked with who.
“Those two kitchen aids, the freckled one and the one with the strong curls”, Nynette whispered to Ivara.
As expected, the stable hands appeared shocked, confused, appalled but it could also be an act, but the two kitchen aids Nynette pointed out, they were scared, looked around, eyeing the door next to them and whispering.
“Wy?”
“On it.”
The kitchen aid’s gaze fell on a servant who looked equally nervous and eyed the door. From there it was a chain reaction. A second servant, a third, a third and fourth kitchen aid, a seamstress, a gardener. Nine people, plus the two servants who attacked. That made thirty-one new staff members in two years and a third of them were planted to spy and kill. Eleven they found now and heavens knew how many were under the old staff.
Separated from the rest who glared at them with a deep fury Ivara felt as well stirring inside her, those nine they picked out now held their chins high in defiance surrounded by soldiers.
Ivara stepped in front of them, picked out the freckled kitchen aid Nynette found and looked at her. She was maybe three years older, not ugly but also not extraordinarily beautiful, just an average woman. An average woman who decided to poison a princess.
“You work for King Odard.”
A simple statement, no question, no assumption. The woman gasped surprised. Not in shock, not taken back, surprised.
“Thank you for admitting it”, Ivara smirked coldly.
“I admitted horse shit.”
“You weren’t appalled or shocked. That was a confession. Soldiers, bring them to their friends in prison. I am sure there are some more rats hiding under the bountiful table of castle Heln.”
She went to turn but a servant tried to attack her. Almost amused, she grabbed his empty hand by his wrist, stepped aside and used the momentum he created to throw him into a soldier.
“You bitch, he will show you when he arrives and takes what is his”, the guy hissed.
“Oh, I am so afraid.”
She stepped closer and bent forward to look up to the former servant that tried to attack her and was now held back by the soldier. Almost sweetly she smiled at him.
“Isn’t it funny, he didn’t kill me that day despite us standing only a hand width apart? I think you know shit about what your king wants or doesn’t want. You are just a tool to him. You could have lived a comfortable life here if you gave up your mission, but you made your decision, now live with the consequences.”
With this she straightened her back again and turned to the remaining staff she deemed partially trustworthy for now.
“Let this be a warning for the rest of you. I will figure out if you betray me, unlike my uncle. Do it and you will die. Be loyal and you have nothing to worry about. Stay away from those”, she pointed at the planted spies, “And you have nothing to worry. You know Tyrohlena protects their people. We always did and always will. You are free to go.”
The group of the remaining staff bowed deeply and murmured thanks before they took their leave. Not in a hurry as one would assume, but slowly, taking their sweet time glaring daggers at the traitors. Ivara watched it with small satisfaction.
The soldiers lead the group of traitors, or more spies, she still had no idea how to call them, out once the others left.
“Who would know you had this in you.”
Iona. That was Iona’s voice. Ivara turned around on her heels and saw her aunt’s Wayfinder with a weak smile, the first time in a week. Since Mara’s death and the meeting two days later Iona hid.
“Iona! I missed you.”
“I apologize; I needed some time to breath. But as I can see, you have everything under control. Ally is guiding you well.”
The praise was balm to her soul. Just like the tunic that had the same color tone her uncle’s tunics used to. It gave her something to ground herself into when she felt the grief taking the same away from her again.
“I need something to do before…”
“Before it swallows you.”
Iona understood. She nodded and pushed herself from the wall she had leaned against to hug Ivara. A part of Ivara’s mind stated she should stop everyone from hugging her all the time to keep her reputation, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. There was no shame in finding solace in sharing her grief with those who also lost loved ones, or finding support in them. She was also just human.
“Radek is waiting for you in your new chambers.”
Bracing herself against what would come next, Ivara tousled her lips in a smile. The new chambers, the chambers that once belonged to her grandfather, were the biggest ones in the castle with one huge bedroom, a study that served as small meeting room as well, a small living room and three attached rooms for Wayfinders and the spouse of the king or queen. Just that Ivara planned to use all this a bit differently.
“Nynette, Wyborn, we leave.”
“Right behind you.”
The slightly adoring tone in Wyborn’s voice made her shake her head. Sometimes she wondered if he was so in love with her or too obsessed with her but one day, Ivara would find out, she was sure about that.
With Iona they walked through the halls to her chambers. Even if the castle started its daily rhythm again it felt foreign to Ivara now after they buried the dead the day before. A part of her couldn’t shake off the impression of something was different within the rhythm, not only because she lost three family members.
“You feel it too.”
Iona looked at her, eyes covering a hidden sadness.
“Yes, but what is it?”
“Their grief.”
Then she understood. The footsteps of the laundress sounded heavier. The laughter of the maids was missing, the chatter of everyone felt dimmed, the servants walked slower with the little trollies. They fulfilled their duty just like her, all while grieving, just like her.
“Your father and uncle didn’t notice when your grandfather died.”
Iona’s gaze followed a young castle hand who repaired a door as they walked by.
“They weren’t taught what you have been taught.”
“To listen to the sounds around me. The sounds that are missing.”
A thin-lipped smile, a nod.
“You are queen and Wayfinder alike. Maybe last one more since the elders let you do the test.”
A huffed laugh escaped Iona as she looked at Ivara.
“You know?”
“Radek told me. He is still angry about that. Sounds like he thinks he can protect you from everything.”
“Yes”, Ivara sighed from the bottom of her heart, “He does.”
“Aleera and I will talk to him.”
That was the last word before they entered her chambers and went straight for the study. Radek waited there, the small box with the pearl on the huge desk in front of him. The sealed letter neatly next to it. Serilsa, Cadoc and Perun waited with him.
“How did it go?”, Serilsa asked right away.
“We caught nine. One attacked Iva but she played with him like he was a toddler. At least that idiot gave away he worked for Odard.”
The low rumble in Wyborn’s voice was something new as he fell into the chair closest to the desk.
“We have something else to do now. Iona?”
“Yeah?”
“You might also be able to gain powers from it. Do you want to give it a try?”
Confusion was written all over Iona’s face until she stepped closer.
“Yeah, won’t hurt.”
“Good, Radek?”
“Yeah.”
Ivara smiled relieved, afraid he would say no after he saw how she had reacted to it back then.
“Sit down, if you react like me, this won’t be fun.”
While they got comfortable, she picked up the box and opened it. It looked so innocent like this, when no light reflected from it to lure the unknowing victim. First, she held it in front of Radek and let him touch it, watched how his whole body went rigid and slumped back for a moment, but he was still awake.
“That was strange… It felt like I could hear water, the river…”
“I thought you would have a connection to water”, she chuckled.
While she gave him time to collect his thoughts Ivara went to Iona, who carefully touched the pearl, almost afraid to break it. Her eyes focused on something distant and then she groaned.
“Oh, loud, when did the world became so loud.”
“Your hearing?”, Ivara asked in a whisper.
“Don’t know. I guess.”
“You know I just whispered?”
“What?”
“Yeah, that means her hearing got better”, Cadoc stated matter of fact.
“Don’t yell.”
That was the last piece to confirm it. Behind Ivara the tea pot suddenly burst. Everyone jumped from the sound except Radek.
“Was that you?”
Perun’s eyes went from the tea pot to Radek who had sweat pearls on his face.
“I think so, I felt a pull…draw?... to it.”
“That is going to be fun.”
The broad smirk on Cadoc’s face was not what Ivara expected from all this, on the other side, today was the day of shattered expectations, good and bad. At least she was right about Radek and his powers. Now he needed to find a way to master them, before the castle ran out of tea pots.
After the day had been already eventful someone would think that was enough to call it quits already but Ivara got taught differently when in the evening Cadoc entered her chamber with two pots and a bag. The way he looked told her he had found what she send him to find.
Nynette also got it and just narrowed her eyes at the items in his hands and asked one thing.
“Who?”
“One of the dessert cooks and an old kitchen maid. They had come to the castle together twenty years ago. They are with the other traitors now. It was hidden deep in the pantry behind the confectionery sugar.”
With her hand on her eyebrow Ivara leaned back in the chair, her lips pressed together as she thought about what to do.
“Words about this morning might have spread partially already”, she mused aloud.
“It will take another day or two to go through the whole staff.”
Nynette followed her train of thoughts.
“The kitchen staff saw them being taken away for treachery”, Wyborn added.
“I should address all this. There will be more.”
“The same round up as today with the whole staff?”
The suggestion wasn’t that bad and for some reason Wyborn started to show a kind of thinking about how to use interpersonal relationships in their favor.
“I am with Wyborn here”, Cadoc agreed, “The sooner the better.
“I have the feeling we are still missing something.”
In one swift motion Ivara got up and went to the window to stare out into the dark, moonless night. If this went on for decades there must be a way of communication. Odard was how old? Maybe end thirties or early forties which means he could be behind all this from the start if he began planning this at Ivara’s age but how should a young prince get the resources to do such an operation?
“We are overseeing something. This had been going on for too long to be just Odard’s doing.”
“We can worry about this once we have cleaned the castle of every planted spy or assassin, Iva”, Cadoc reminded her.
“Yes, you are right. Tell the captain of the guard to bring every staff member to the great hall tomorrow afternoon. Bring the things you found with you as well.”
“I will. Now rest, it was a long day.”
He hugged her carefully before he grabbed the pots and bag again and vanished.
“You know he is right. You need your sleep. We all can see how much strength it takes from you just to get through the day.”
A gentle touch on her shoulder by Nynette made Ivara falter and be agreeable to their suggestion.
“You are right. Tomorrow will be another fight.”
So they repeated the spiel. The staff gathered in the great hall, they watched for any signs, this time with everyone strategical placed along the walls, and found five more conspirators, followed by the almost the same speech Ivara gave the day before.
That made eighteen people. Eighteen men and women planted by King Odard and maybe his father to destroy her family from the inside. The reason? The only things her uncle could come up were some old grudges because Tyrohlena didn’t help the kingdom of Fenvil hundred years ago when hunger and sickness had the whole continent in its grip and every kingdom had to fight for their own people, but Tyrohlena was one who managed the best. It was a petty reason but not unlikely. Wars have been fought over petty things before.
Yet Ivara came to the belief after her last vision, they were wrong about it. Somehow Fenvil learned about them having the pearl, heavens knew how and were after it to gain more power. If this even worked like that.
When she fell into bed that night, she could only hope Iona and Radek would learn to handle their powers fast. She noticed how he secretively switched to wooden or tin mugs to not break any more porcelain. A part of her was curious if Wyborn would also be lucky, or any other from the list but they also couldn’t risk to have too many Wayfinders being basically knocked out of duty because their fresh powers made them unreliable fighters.
A soft kiss to her temple and big arms wrapped around her from behind at the same time made her smile and stop overthinking things when Wyborn and Nynette came to bed as well.
“You were doing this lip thing again, even when in bed. I think I need to give your lips something else to do.”
A teasing tone followed a gentle but demanding kiss by Nynette.
“How can you think of this now?”
It was more yawned than really spoken by Wyborn and made Ivara chuckle. She looked over her shoulder, feeling lighter just from this normal evening ritual of teasing each other like this.
“You know she is insatiable when stressed.”
“Yeah, we better solve some problems soon or none of you get any sleep in the future”, Nynette threatened playfully.
“Maybe we just need to tie you down and wear you out.”
The moment Ivara suggested it, she regretted it because she could feel the excitement in Nynette as pressed as she was to her.
“Threatening me with good times now?”
“Behave, both of you, or no one gets any good time.”
Another hearty yawn of Wyborn followed. An amused huff from Nynette followed before she stretched over Ivara to kiss him goodnight.
“Sleep well, oh mighty warrior.”
“Yeah, love ya too, Nyn”, he chuckled and pulled both closer with his long arm.
