doubt that he would still have been
strong, but he would have known how
to be loving, tender—things that
Frederick himself did not know until
Eleanor, and could not emulate
without her.”
Anhur took her hand and smiled,
making
his
wrinkles
more
pronounced. “It is why you must live
to raise your son alongside Vulcan.
You are both strong, but in different
ways.” He released her hand and
stood, moving back to his pot. He was
stirring it once more. “Be careful this
night, Majesty.”
Standing, Jaisyn stared at the old
man bent over the pot and nodded. “I
will leave you now, Anhur. I will
come again soon.”
“I would like that, Majesty,” he
answered. As if by some silent call,
the urchin was at the door once more,
beckoning her forward.
Chapter 19
Magda and Asha dug through
Jaisyn’s chests in search of the sword
they had packed away. Jaisyn wanted
it and she wanted it now. Magda had
watched an obviously distressed
Jaisyn enter the room, move to the
bed, and stare unseeingly at the door.
It had taken her walking up to the
queen and actually brushing her
golden tresses for Jaisyn to remember
where she was. As soon as she had,
she gently pushed Magda aside and
asked her to retrieve her sword. After
that, she strode over to her door and
whispered something to the guards in
the hallways before closing the door
once
more.
Magda
knew
that
something had happened between
Vulcan and Jaisyn, and had looked on
helplessly as her lamb distressed over
the situation, but she had never seen
the queen look so worried.
“’ere it is! I ’ave it,” Asha suddenly
called, pushing through fabric to
retrieve the bejeweled sword. Jaisyn,
who’d been sitting on the bed, was
suddenly up and heading over. Asha
handed her the sword and Jaisyn
attempted to sling it around her waist.
Finding that she no longer could,
Jaisyn stared at it for a long moment
before placing it on the bed.
“Would ye like some herbal tea,
Majesty? It’ll relax ye,” Magda asked,
worriedly staring at Jaisyn. A soft
sheen of sweat had broken out across
her brow and she seemed to be
straining her eyes. They were wide
and frantic.
Jaisyn shook her head and suddenly
rounded on Magda. She looked over
to Asha before returning her gaze to
Magda. “It has to be prepared by your
hands or Asha’s. No one else. All of
the food that comes into my room
from now on.”
Magda nodded and smiled, trying to
reassure Jaisyn. It didn’t work. She
went back over to the bed, and sat
down with the sword next to her.
Magda turned to Asha, who shrugged
her shoulders helplessly. On the
younger woman’s face was the same
look of concern that Magda wore.
***
“I’m going to bring you some herbal
tea—”
“No! No more tea!” Jaisyn hissed
and Magda flinched. “I’m sorry,
Maggie.” Her hand went to her face
and she tried to smile at this woman
who knew her so well. Magda
approached and took a seat on the
bed next to her. Her arms went
around her shoulders and she asked
softly, “Are ye all right? Is it the baby?
Are ye havin’ cramps?”
Jaisyn shook her head. “I’m fine. I
am.”
She calmed herself, steadying her
breathing, which in turn steadied her
heart. But another thought struck her
and she stood, pulling out of Magda’s
arms. “Where are my sisters?”
Magda’s forehead crinkled as her
eyebrows lifted. “They went riding.
They searched for ye but when they
couldn’t—”
“They? Who went riding?” Jaisyn
asked, feeling her heart sink into her
stomach.
“Lady Mor’an, Lady Calista, Lady
Jane, Lady Anne, and yer sisters.”
Magda stood and captured Jaisyn’s
arms between her hands, slowly
maneuvering her to the bed. Asha
moved the sword and pulled the
covers back. “Come now, lambie. Ye
and the baby need to rest. This stress
is no good for ye.”
Magda pushed firmly and Jaisyn sat
on the bed. Asha began to undo her
boots and Magda swung her legs onto
the bed, pulling the covers about her
body. Jaisyn admitted exhaustion. It
was all catching up to her. Lydia’s
foul mixture, Anhur’s potion, the
information that her brain wanted to
expel. And now, her sisters were out
riding with the woman who’d tried to
kill her.
“Where did they go?” Jaisyn asked
sluggishly, staring up at Magda, and
wondering
why
everything
was
becoming so blurred. She blinked
rapidly, feeling a slight burn in her
eyes as she struggled to keep them
open. The air seemed to be pulsing
around her, matching the slowing beat
of her heart.
Magda’s lips moved but Jaisyn
couldn’t make out the words. She fell
asleep moments later.
***
Jaisyn awoke with the same feeling
of dryness in her throat that she had
when she’d awoken in Bael’s bed,
and a feeling of foreboding settled
over her. Her eyelids flickered up and
she struggled to unlock the tensed
muscles in her arms.
“So…you are finally awake.”
She froze as that voice washed over
her like a cold pail of water. Turning
her head, she looked into the smiling
face of Lydia Mor’an. Her hair was
pulled away from her face, held in
place by what appeared to be golden
headband with glittering diamonds.
The headband reminded Jaisyn of a
crown. She blinked again, and tried to
shake her head.
“You seem confused, dear. Perhaps
you would like to know the time of
day?” Lydia asked courteously, that
bright white smile still on her face.
She’d been lying on Jaisyn’s bed, her
face hovering over the young queen’s
as she watched her sleep.
Although her eyes remained focused
on Lydia, Jaisyn began to search her
brain for the whereabouts of her
sword. Had it not been on the bed, in
the spot Lydia now occupied? If so,
then Lydia must have removed it.
Where had she put it?
“Everyone else is at supper. As I am
quite fond of you, I decided to sit with
you until you awoke.” Her hand
suddenly ran along Jaisyn’s cheek and
it was all the queen could do not to
flinch away. “You looked so peaceful
when you were sleeping. And now,
you have the look of a woman
trapped. Do you feel trapped, my
dear?”
“Why are you doing this?” Jaisyn
asked, and was surprised at the
croaky sound of her voice. Lydia’s
smile only widened. Her fingers
moved up to the queen’s hair and she
lightly tested it between her finger
tips. A look of curiosity passed over
her features.
“The texture of your hair is like
wool, very soft and fine wool,” Lydia
continued on as if she hadn’t heard
the question. “I noticed your younger
sister has the same type of hair. Is it
common where you are from?
Woolly, golden hair?” Her fingers
moved to Jaisyn’s cheeks. “And
golden skin?”
Jaisyn’s eyes rolled back in her head
and she took a deep breath, trying to
find the strength she would need to
deal with Lydia. She was awake, but
she still felt sluggish. Her entire body
felt heavy, as if it were being pressed
down by an invisible force.
“You are probably wondering why
you feel so weak?” Lydia inquired and
when Jaisyn croaked out ‘Yes’ she
replied, “It is one of the side effects of
the mixture I gave you.”
Golden eyes narrowed and Lydia
lifted her hand to her own cheek. Her
smile faded briefly. “I knew that the
old fool would try to stop me, so I
planned ahead. The potion I gave you
w a s
the poison that killed Eleanor.
One of its side effects makes the
victim very weak. I was certain that
Anhur would give you something to
counteract the poison, but even an
aged Seer can do nothing about the
drowsiness it brings.”
“Why are you doing this?” Jaisyn
repeated, clearing her throat and
feeling a swift pounding in her head.
Lydia chuckled, clucking her tongue
as if the answer should be obvious.
“Because Vulcan should not be king.
The crown belongs to my son, who
was robbed of his inheritance because
Frederick married an outsider.” She
suddenly sat up. Bracing her arms on
the bed, she stared down at Jaisyn.
“Open your mouth.”
For the first time, Jaisyn noticed a
small glass vial containing a red liquid
in one of her hands. She shook her
head and turned it to the side, praying
to both Lyria and the Gods that Anhur
called on, to give her the strength to
fight this evil woman.
A light laugh reverberated through
the room. “I am told that this one is
quite painless. Unlike Eleanor, you
will have no cough, no ailments. You
will simply sleep the sleep of the dead
until you leave this world. Open your
mouth.”
Jaisyn turned to glare up at the
queen and shook her head. Lydia
smiled and as quick as a lightning bolt,
her free hand was pressed against
Jaisyn’s throat, cutting off her oxygen
supply. The queen fought back as best
she could in her weakened condition,
trying in vain to pull Lydia’s hand
away from her throat.
“You will open your mouth and
drink this, even if I have to force it
down your throat.”
Drawing in as deep a breath as she
could with Lydia cutting off her air
supply, Jaisyn reached out her hand
and shoved Lydia back. The older
woman released her throat and Jaisyn
breathed deeply. While Lydia strained
to right herself, Jaisyn pushed herself
up and called out—although it came
out softly—“Help.”
She was about to swing her feet to
the floor when Lydia suddenly
pressed against her, and a small but
dangerous-looking dagger was at her
throat.
“I’ve laced the tip with another
poison,” Lydia told her softly, placing
the blade against her skin. Her blue
eyes were icy now, and her face had
grown serious. “I will give you the
choice I never gave Eleanor. You can
open your mouth, drink the poison
and die painlessly, or I can knick your
throat and watch you suffer before
you succumb to the inevitable.”
Jaisyn stared into the hard blue gaze
of the woman who was speaking of
her death as if she were picking out
new clothing. “You would pit Varian
against his own brother?”
Lydia’s reply was immediate. “I
would pit Varian against anyone who
stands in his way of the throne. You,
that baby in your belly, Vulcan—
everyone.”
“Vulcan will know it was you who
killed me.”
She laughed throatily. “No, he
won’t. The apothecaries will be
unable to find the poison. They will
tell him you caught a fever and are
unlikely to wake. He already thinks
you unfaithful, so he will not mourn
you or the baby in your belly. No
doubt, he does not believe it is his.
Once you’re dead, I will send Calista
to him, the same way I went to his
father. They will be married. She will
gain his trust and poison him. When
he is dead, Varian will take the
throne, and all will be right. It will be
as it should.”
“What if there is a child?” Jaisyn
knew she had to keep Lydia talking. If