The news of Esconodia was good, however, and she knew she had to
continue on despite the loss of Matthew. The volunteers were having their
desired affect, and the military of Bernodia was defecting to the south in
droves, especially once word reached them that Esconodia had pulled back
and would not help them. It had started slowly at first, one here, and two
there, but, as word got back that they were indeed treated well, receiving
good food and supplies instead of the meager rations of the Bernodian army,
they came in units and then full battalions.
Andrew's decree to have those who defected killed backfired. When
commanding officers tried to carry out the order, the rank and file soldiers
of the Bernodian army turned against them. Soon, all of Bernodia, except
for Denville Castle, was controlled by the national military, stronger than it
was before because of the added strength of the Bernodians.
Another council was called and, this time, Lord High Chamberlain's
chair was conspicuously empty. Louise fought back tears as she tried to run
the council. Everyone was much subdued knowing the price Lord High
Chamberlain had paid. The generals, as usual, wanted to attack
immediately. Louise knew an attack would be victorious, but the thought of
destroying Denville castle, with its many memories, tore at her heart. She
called a recess to think about it.
As she paced in her chamber, many things ran through her mind.
How could she destroy Denville Castle? She was married there. She hoped
her own daughter could be married there, and that they could hold the New
Year's Eve celebration again. But a siege wouldn't work. With winter
coming on, any army that tried to lay siege in the north would be too
vulnerable.
She thought about her father, about Alexander, about Duke
Reginald, and then about Matthew - all of the men in her life that had been
so good and lived so well. Without Matthew she really felt alone. She
finally called for Marie and Jacob and expressed her fears, asking if they
could think of a plan to get Andrew to surrender. She didn't want to attack
Denville Castle, and she didn't want to destroy Andrew. With Tobias in
prison, Andrew was one of the few close relatives she had left.
After discussing it for quite a while, they began talking of how all of
this had been Matthew's plan, and he wasn't around to see the success of it.
As Louise could feel the tears welling up in her heart again, Marie
commented, "I guess we'll never know what his personal reasons were for
not charging Duke Elnard as he should have."
That was it! The answer hit Louise with full force. "I think Eldna is
the answer," she said.
She sent for Eldna, and, even as she did, she thought to herself that it
was funny that Matthew, in a sense, was the answer to her problem, even
after he was gone. When Eldna arrived, she was very defiant. "Why should
I help you? You have my son locked in the tower and are hunting for my
grandson."
Louise tried to appease her old aunt by telling her they brought her
there just for the very reason that they did not want to fight against Andrew.
The old woman was still angry. "So you can just capture him and lock him
up like his father?"
Louise promised Eldna that if she could convince Andrew to
surrender Bernodia, she would allow him to remain as Duke of Sedville
after Eldna was ready to turn over rule to him. Eldna was somewhat calmer,
but still defiant. "And will you let Tobias go?"
Louise shook her head. "I cannot justify freeing a man who has tried
to cause insurrection and attempted to kill my daughter."
Eldna was stubborn. "I can not help you. Tobias should have ruled
instead of you anyway."
Louise became angry. "Why? Because I married Alexander?
Because I married the man I loved, as you wished you could have?"
Eldna angrily whirled to face her. "What are you talking about?
Who told you that?"
Louise could see tears forming in Eldna's eyes, despite her anger.
Louise spoke calmly, controlling her own emotions. "You can not tell me
you do not know that Tobias tried to kill Matthew. Matthew refused to have
him charged, as he should have. Matthew also had many opportunities to
destroy Tobias and could never do it. I learned it was because he loved
you."
In an instant, Eldna's whole demeanor changed. She started to
quiver and fell into a chair, sobbing. Louise knelt down in front of her old
aunt. "Matthew died trying to end this without people being killed. I don't
want to have to destroy Andrew. Please, Eldna, don't let Matthew's death
be in vain."
Eldna sobbed for quite some time, and then she wiped her tears
away and nodded. Louise let the generals know of her decision. They
prepared a document of surrender that would inform Andrew that he would
still be allowed to rule Sedville, the province his grandmother currently
ruled, after his grandmother was ready to turn it to him. But this would be
the case only if he surrendered Bernodia and Denville castle peacefully.
Louise, Jacob, and Marie traveled north in the carriage with Eldna.
They stayed one night at Walsken Manor. The memories of that place came
flooding back to Louise, causing her emotions to ride a tidal wave. At one
point, she heard crying. She followed the sound to the room where
Alexander had died. There was Marie, sobbing in Jacob's arms. Jacob
looked helpless. He turned to Louise. "I don't know what happened. She
led me here, and, before I knew what was happening, she started to cry."
Louise felt tears flowing down her own cheeks. "This is the room
where her father died." Louise patted his arm. "Maybe you can leave us
alone."
Jacob walked to the door, looked back with deep sympathy, and then
left, shutting the door quietly behind him. Louise pulled her daughter into
her own arms, and both of them cried. After some time, Marie looked up at
her. "Mother, do you think of him much?"
Louise pulled Marie to the couch. "Not a day goes by that I don't
think of your father."
"How do you keep going?"
Louise brushed the tears from her daughter's face. "Sometimes, I
feel he is with me, helping me."
"Really?" Marie asked.
Louise smiled at her. "Really."
"Like when?" Marie asked.
"Like when I didn't know what to do with a certain rebellious young
lady, and I felt to have Captain Jacob Richins be her tutor. It was almost as
if I heard your father tell me to do it."
Marie smiled. "Is that why you hoped we would fall in love?"
Louise smiled and nodded. "He is so very much like your father."
Louise spent a lot of time telling Marie stories of her father. Marie
shared some stories of her own about when the two of them had traveled
together to Bernodia. When they finally met Jacob and Eldna for dinner,
Louise felt a new healing in her heart that she desperately needed, and she
knew Marie did, too. Louise looked over at Jacob and again thought how
much he looked like Alexander. She looked at her daughter with Jacob, and
the memories of her and Alexander came swirling back around her.
A few days later they reached the army that had Denville Castle
surrounded. Word was sent that Eldna was there to visit with Andrew. She
was allowed into the castle, and, before the end of the day, a treaty had been
signed, and Andrew had surrendered.
Once the castle was deemed secured by Jacob and the Royal Guard,
Louise took Marie into the castle. It hurt her heart to see the disrepair it had
fallen into. She was determined to have it all fixed within two months for a
Christmas time wedding for Marie and Jacob.
She was deep in her thoughts when Jacob rushed to her. "Your
Majesty, you need to come with me, please." He led her quickly to the
dungeon, with Marie close behind. There was Eldna, sobbing. As she came
up behind Eldna, she could see she was kneeling over Matthew. He was
unconscious and emaciated, and the smell of rotting flesh filled the air.
Louise looked at his arm and could see the blueish-black of his skin that
told her he had gangrene.
The shock and excitement of seeing him alive was soon tempered by
the obvious fact that he was near death. The thought of what he had
endured in this filthy dungeon tore at her heart, but knowing he was alive,
and having hope that he might yet be saved, lifted her heart.
They took him to the infirmary. Doctors were quickly called in.
They said if he was to have any chance at all of survival, his arm would
have to be amputated immediately. Hopefully, it was not too late.
Chapter 34
Peace At Last
December 30
th
was a gorgeous day for a wedding. The sun was just
rising as Louise, Marie, and Jacob made their way up a small hill to the
beautiful cemetery. It had not been cared for in the ensuing years, much the
same as Denville Castle had not. Louise had had the fence around it
repaired, and Jacob and Marie directed the trimming of the bushes and trees.
On this day of the wedding they wanted to spend a short time there
away from the busy crowds that would follow, alone with their thoughts.
Louise thought about how beautiful and peaceful it was. The trees had long
since lost their leaves, but the sun rising over the Bernodian mountains cast
an orange glow across the clouds on the horizon. The red, orange, and
yellow hues burned like fire across the whole eastern mountain rim.
The fiery sky was reflected in the clear lake that sparkled and
shimmered in the slight breeze. Marie and Jacob carried some special gifts
wrapped in cloths. Louise carried some dried flowers that Queen Ellen and
Lady Margaret had prepared. They had come for the wedding, but the long
carriage ride was hard enough on them that they could not make the climb
up the hill. Instead, they sent their love in the flowers they prepared.
Louise placed the flowers on the grave of Alexander and Duke
Reginald, and Jacob unrolled the cloth and placed a pumpkin, some corn,
some potatoes, and the head of a sunflower on Alexander's grave. Perhaps
some might think this was a strange remembrance, but they could think of
no other way to honor him for the many things he had given his people.
Jacob stood and held Marie close. "He would be so proud of you."
Marie smiled through her tears. She then unwrapped a book, printed
on her father's press. The press had been started again to send books out
and to teach people to read. She had written this book herself from the
stories her grandmothers told her. It wasn't as complete as she had wanted,
and it wasn't very big, but she had it printed anyway, as a gift to her father.
It was simply titled "Alexander and Louise."
As the tears streamed down their faces, Louise hugged her daughter.
"It's a beautiful story, but it isn't finished. It needs to be followed by one
titled "Jacob and Marie". Jacob and Marie looked at her and smiled.
Jacob put an arm around Marie and one around Louise. All was
quiet as they were each lost in their own thoughts. Both women leaned
against Jacob. He had become a strength to both of them, just as Alexander
had. They stood there quietly for some time, the cool breeze swirling the
smell of winter around them. There was not yet any snow, unusual for
Bernodia. Marie had expressed her disappointment that they would not be
able to have snow cream and snow candy for her wedding. She wanted so
badly to have Jacob try them. Even without it, they would have plenty of
honey candy.
As they all stood there silently, Marie turned to Louise. "Mother,
will the pain ever go away?"
Louise wisely answered, "Would you have the love you have for
them be gone?"
Marie shook her head. "Then," Louise said, "there will always be
the pain, for you cannot have the one without the other."
Unannounced, two others quietly made their way up the hill to join
them. As they entered the cemetery, the gate squeaked, and Louise, Marie,
and Jacob turned toward the noise. Matthew, pale and walking with a cane,
his empty sleeve hanging at his side, came slowly in with Eldna supporting
him.
Louise smiled at Matthew. "You shouldn't be clear out here."
Matthew smiled back. "I'm just warming up for my big role today."
They all stood there quietly. Eldna looked at Alexander's grave. "I
wish I would have gotten to know him better. I guess I didn't give him
much of a chance."
After some time there, they made their way back to the castle to
prepare for the wedding. They moved slowly, and Jacob and Eldna walked
beside Matthew to help him. They paused in Alexander's garden. Horses
had been turned in during the preceding years, and it had been completely
destroyed. Louise had had a new fence built around it and had it prepared
for spring. Marie would be directing the planting of it next year; Louise
could hardly wait to see it full of life again.
Denville Castle, nearly renewed, sparkled in the morning light.
Louise had brought in artisans from all over Bernodia and even some from
Esconodia. They had worked around the clock for nearly two months.
They were afraid the cold winter would slow them down, but the days
stayed unusually mild.
Honey and cream had been purchased from all over the land, and
much had been given freely. The hard times in Bernodia were becoming a
memory. Through the last two months, as work went on in the castle,
Louise had spent her time sorting out and returning properties to the rightful
owners - doing what justice she could for the people of Bernodia. Peace
and prosperity were returning.
Matthew had sent an embassage to Esconodia as promised,
including one of the royal cooks to teach them how to make honey candy
and snow cream. He had told them to promise the king that he would come
himself when his strength had returned. The cook sent was the daughter of
the old cook that Alexander had loved so much, who was now very old, but
very pleased when Louise invited her to the castle to help direct the kitchen
for the wedding dinner. When the cook's daughter returned from
Esconodia, she brought huge amounts of food and crafted items as gifts for
the wedding. A beautiful, hand-carved cradle was presented to Jacob and
Marie. Louise joked that she didn't expect it to go empty very long.