Dark Jenny

TEN

By the time I met again with the king and queen, my cast itched something fierce.

I joined Bob Kay and the royal couple in the same room where Jennifer had received us the night before. Once again Bob wound up the slack in my manacles, just in case. Drake greeted us dressed in casual trousers and an old favorite shirt with the sleeves ripped out to accommodate his considerable arms. Jennifer wore a simple dress and a lone strand of pearls, and her hair hung loose and unadorned. The queen’s maids, including Rebecca, had withdrawn to give us privacy. I wondered if they were listening behind a door, or peering through a hidden peephole. I’d gain nothing by embracing my paranoia, though.

Drake bolted the door behind us. “So, we seem to have both a murder and a public relations crisis. I believe if we resolve the first, the second will take care of itself.” He nodded at my hand. “Iris fixed you up, I see.”

“She did.” I hoped he would also tell Bob to release me, but that didn’t happen.

Instead he continued, “So we’re agreed there’s a murderer in the building somewhere, who wants to make the queen look guilty.”

“No,” I corrected him. I’d finally pondered my way through something that had bothered me all along. “Even as a frame, this is a poor job. There are lots of kingdoms where the queen might kill someone with impunity, but not this one. We know murdering Patrice wasn’t the goal, and neither was killing Gillian or framing the queen.”

Jennifer spoke for the first time. “Then what was the point, Mr. LaCrosse?”

I shook my head. “Haven’t gotten that far yet. I suppose it could just be a way to disrupt things. Sow dissent. Start people talking. And whoever planned it didn’t care if someone had to die.”

“Or they simply wanted Gillian dead,” Jennifer said. “Why must there be a plot behind it?”

“Gillian has his enemies, sure,” Kay said. “Every soldier does, especially one as prominent as he is. But he fights in every tournament; they get their shot at him.”

“ If they’re the sword-and-sandal type,” I said. “If he pissed off a bard or someone’s lady-in-waiting instead, though, it’s unlikely they’d meet him on the field. But I still don’t think killing him was the main thing.”

Drake told Kay, “I like what your man LaCrosse says. I think the target of this is, ultimately, sedition. Someone wants to topple the crown, but indirectly.”

“Thanks,” I said, “but it’s only one theory. There’s also the idea that the queen did it and deliberately made it look amateurish and sloppy so she’d have plausible deniability. That’s a pretty good plan, too.”

“I am not a killer,” Jennifer said. Her glare at me was so cold I needed a sweater. “How often do those words have to be said?”

“ Please, Jennifer,” Drake almost snapped. I wondered what they’d been discussing before Kay and I arrived. “No one here thinks you’re a killer.”

Jennifer did not back down. “Are you certain?”

I caught Kay’s eye and wondered if we should slip out. He minutely shook his head.

Drake put his palm against her cheek. Their size difference made the gesture even more tender. “This is exactly what he wants, Jennifer. You and I at each other’s throats. The Knights of the Double Tarn looking at each other suspiciously. The nobles convinced there’s a cover-up of something.”

Jennifer would not be calmed. “Who’s ‘he,’ Marc?” It was half-taunt, half-accusation. She pointed at me. “This man? Some disgruntled knight? Your old friend Kindermord? Someone else none of us know?” She stared up at him, daring him to answer.

Drake started a little at the name Kindermord, but only a trained observer such as me would notice. The name also made Kay purse his lips a little. Drake recovered instantly and said at last, with more patience than I expected, “Jennifer, this isn’t helping.”

“You’re still going to hold court?” Kay interjected.

Drake nodded and turned away from his wife. Her gaze followed him with something very like contempt. “First thing tomorrow morning. We’ll let everyone speak, get their grievances into the open. No secrets.”

A sharp knock sounded from the door. Everyone except Drake jumped. Kay strode across the room and opened it. “Who the hell is knocking on the king’s private-”

He stopped suddenly. Thomas Gillian waited just outside. He wore shining dress armor and stood at ease with his hands clasped behind his back, polished boots apart. “Your Majesties, I offer my sincere apologies for this interruption.”

“Tom,” Drake said patiently, “we’re kind of in the middle of something. Is this urgent?”

“I believe it is.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Kay said, and stepped outside with Gillian. He didn’t shut the door all the way, but they spoke in low tones none of us could hear. I risked a glance at the queen, but her expression was unreadable.

Kay came back into the room and closed the door. He grimly faced Drake and Jennifer. “Gillian wants to speak to both of you,” he said darkly. “He’s got some of the others with him.”

“Show them in,” Drake said, sounding perplexed at Kay’s tone. “If it’s so important he-”

“Maybe you should speak to him alone,” Kay suggested. “I’ll tell the others to wait in the hall.”

Drake’s eyebrows went up at the interruption. “No,” he said firmly. “That would just spread more rumors.”

Kay started to protest again, but thought better of it. “You’re the king,” he said wearily, and returned to the door.

He stepped aside as Gillian and three other knights entered the room. Like Gillian, the soldiers wore their best go-to-court clothes and were clean and neatly shaved. In unison they knelt before Drake. The metal shin guards on their boots clanked against the stone floor.

“Permission to rise?” Gillian said.

Drake frowned a little at the formality, but he went with it. “Yes. Welcome, Sir Thomas, Sir Harold, Sir Peter, Sir Jordan.”

Gillian and his companions stood. He held his chin rigidly parallel with the floor. Ironically, he conveyed far more of royalty’s innate nobility than Drake. “Sire, I have come to a deeply troubling conclusion about yesterday’s attempt on my life.”

Drake crossed his arms. “And what’s that?”

“Sire, I have reflected on my past misdeeds, my deepest sins, and those whom I have wronged. In each case, I considered those affected by my actions and their possible desire for revenge. I have come to the conclusion that none of them could possibly have been involved.”

There was a moment of silence. “And?” Drake prompted.

Gillian nodded at me. “This man is clearly not the culprit, despite what the nobles may say. I have expressed this certainty to the other knights, all of who agree with me. With the usual three exceptions.”

“Dave Agravaine,” Kay asided to Drake. “And Hoel and Cador, of course.”

Drake said to Gillian, “I have to say my conclusions are pretty much the same as yours.”

Gillian nodded. “I would expect that, Your Majesty. You are a wise and intelligent man. But I and the other knights have come to an additional conclusion that you will no doubt dispute. Yet we are convinced it is the case. We believe,” Gillian concluded, his words utterly devoid of passion, “that the queen, already morally suspect for her past conduct, was behind the entire event.”

Drake showed no reaction, Kay sputtered in outrage, and Jennifer hissed, “That is absurd!”

Drake shushed everyone with a small wave of his hand. Except for the red flush of anger, he showed no outward sign. His voice remained steady. “So why would Jennifer try to kill you, Tommy?”

Gillian’s composure broke slightly, and for an instant, no longer than a bee’s wingbeat, real emotional pain showed. Then it was gone. “After much thought and prayer, I believe the queen intended to murder me as a warning to those who have publicly discussed her past conduct.”

“Tommy!” Jennifer gasped.

“How dare you!” Kay thundered simultaneously.

“Quiet!” Drake snapped. The effort to control his temper caused sweat to pop out along his hairline. Through clenched teeth he said, “That’s a very serious accusation, Gillian.”

“Yes, sir,” he responded. The knights behind him had neither moved nor spoken and, now that the king’s wrath was about to boil over, seemed anxious to be mistaken for furniture.

Kay had no regal image to maintain. “Why in the hell would the queen want to kill you?” he demanded. “ You never gossiped about her to anyone.”

Gillian turned just enough to meet Kay’s eyes. “That is true, Sir Robert. But the first rumors of the queen’s misconduct came from the Knights of the Double Tarn. I have achieved some prominence in that organization, second only to Elliot Spears. Therefore, by killing me, the others would be frightened into silence.”

“Tommy, you’re my friend. ” Jennifer’s disbelief and hurt certainly sounded genuine. “We’re family.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty, I once thought so.”

“Tommy, be reasonable,” Drake said, still calm. “You can’t seriously think Jennifer would go to such lengths just to quiet some rumors.”

“And those rumors are ancient. ” Jennifer’s voice shook with emotion. “I’ve had no opportunity to be indiscreet with Elliot in years. And I never have been.”

“I regret my lack of conviction in your response.” Gillian’s gaze did not waver.

“So what do you want me to do, Tommy?” Drake’s voice rose as he spoke. “Lock Jennifer up? Burn her at the stake? Chop off her head and stick it on a post? Would that satisfy all of you? Or do you just want to pass her around, so that what one knight got, you all get?”

By the end Drake was roaring, and Gillian’s three pals wilted under this royal onslaught. But Gillian was unbowed. “When you hold court tomorrow, sire,” he said in the same infuriatingly even tone, “I will ask to settle the matter in trial by combat.”

Drake laughed humorlessly. “No one’s settled a dispute that way in years. We have courts and laws now.”

“That is true, and were this any other crime, I would expect nothing else. But this is a crime of both treason and blood betrayal. As she said, the queen is also family. As such, this can only be expunged through spilled blood. Mine, or the queen’s through her champion.”

“Tommy, please,” Jennifer said, and approached him. Tears shone on her cheeks. “Look at me. I’ve known you since before you could shave. You’ve been my friend and confidant. How could you believe this of me?”

He turned those blank, serious eyes on her. “I assure you it was not an easy decision. And it broke my heart to admit it to myself.” Then he faced Drake again. “Because of the seriousness of the accusations, I ask that the combat be scheduled as soon as possible. Since Elliot is not here, I must insist that we not wait for you to summon him. You must choose a champion from among the knights present.”

“I’m not choosing anything,” Drake snapped. To the three silent witnesses he added, “Nor am I denying Gillian his request.” He stood to his full imposing height, and his voice grew official. “But since it involves the crown directly, I am claiming royal prerogative and will take the day to think it over. I suggest all of you do the same. If you go through with your intention to raise the issue at court… I’ll make my decision then.”

“As you say, Your Majesty,” Gillian said. He knelt again, and the three men with him followed suit. They stood and strode from the room without waiting to be dismissed. The door closed behind him with a solid, funereal thud.

“I don’t believe that,” Kay seethed. “Who the hell does he think he is?”

“A man with the moral high ground,” Drake said wryly. He turned to Jennifer. “So now what should we do?”

“You’re asking me?” she replied, and added a derisive “Hmph.”

“This is all about you,” he almost, but not quite, snarled. “By tonight, every Knight of the Double Tarn will know Gillian asked for trial by combat, and that one of them will be asked to stand in for Elliot.”

“How will you get out of it?” Kay asked.

Drake shrugged. “If Gillian really demands it, I’ll have to let him have it.”

“Are you serious?” Jennifer gasped. “You’ll let my honor, your wife’s honor, be decided by two thugs with swords?”

“I have a country to run, Jennifer. The loyalty of the military is essential to that, and they already think you’re guilty. I have to overcome that somehow.”

Jennifer stepped toward him slowly, trembling with fury. “So you, my husband, the man who shares my bed, would give in to these demands just to save face.”

“To save Grand Bruan,” he corrected.

“This is absurd,” she said again, and turned with a swirl of her silk gown. “I’ll be in my sewing room. When you have some rational thoughts, please let me know.” Her door slam was far more emphatic than Gillian’s.

Drake sighed and dropped into the nearest chair. He looked up at Kay and me. “Okay, fellows. I’m open to suggestions.”

“Is there any way to get word to Elliot?” Kay asked.

Drake shook his head. “I’d have to send one of the knights, and then everyone will know it’s because I don’t think anyone else will stand up for the queen’s innocence.”

“ Will anyone?” I asked.

No one answered.

Drake pondered a moment, then said, “I suppose, as Jennifer’s husband, I could fight Gillian.”

“No,” Kay said quickly. “You are the king, you have to stay above it all and pass judgment.”

Drake chuckled. “Not in a trial by combat. The winner’s sword is all the judge they need. You just don’t think I can beat Tommy, do you?”

Kay said nothing.

Drake turned to me. “You’ve got a unique perspective on this, Mr. LaCrosse. What do you think I should do?”

“Put off this fight as long as you can,” I said. “Let Kay investigate this further. The killer is here, and he’ll find him. Maybe he’s this ‘Kindermord’ the queen mentioned.”

Drake shook his head. “There’s no time. Somebody will have to fight Gillian, unless I get a lot smarter between now and tomorrow morning.” He paused. “And there’s no one named Kindermord. It’s just old gossip, older even than the stuff about Jennifer.”

Kay sighed. “Marc, I’m really sorry about all this. It happened on my watch.”

Drake smiled. “Bob, if it hadn’t happened on your watch, Jennifer’s head might already be decorating the main gate.” Drake heaved his large frame from the chair. “And now, if I don’t get in there and make peace with her, my head might be up there in the morning.”

“I’ll do what I can, Marc,” Kay said.

“Bob,” Drake asked quietly, “do you believe she’s guilty?”

“No,” Kay said at once.

Drake turned to me. “And you?”

I held up my hands. “I’m a prisoner, I have no opinion either way.”

Drake indicated my manacles. “Do we really need those, Bob?”

“I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s not involved,” Kay said. “But it only takes one percent to kill you.”

Drake nodded. “That’s true. I suppose I should go attempt to mollify my own one percent, then. Bob, keep me posted. Good evening, gentlemen.”

Drake went into the other room where Jennifer awaited. I almost expected crockery to fly past his head when the door opened, but it closed behind him uneventfully.

“You have no ideas about anything?” Kay demanded. “That makes me look real good for building you up to the king. Thanks.”

I clenched my fists; well, at least my left one. He was lucky I didn’t shatter my cast on his skull. I snapped, “You really want to know what I think? Even if you had a dozen guys like me, you’d never get to the bottom of this. A royal court is always full of secrets, and this one is no different, although it is impressively complicated. I mean, hell, maybe this was all to force Gillian into a tournament; I’d look real hard at anyone who volunteers to fight for the queen.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kay said, still fuming.

For some reason this disapproval made me even more determined to defend myself. “And even if I stayed and cleared up this mess, another one would just spring up in its place. That’s how it works.”

I must’ve sounded condescending, because Kay’s angry redness deepened almost to purple. “I don’t expect you to understand, you being a sophisticated outsider like you are. But this court, this king, this country, is different. We’ve earned the chance to make a safe, secure future for our children, instead of adding their blood to what’s already soaked into this island. That chance means each of us has to do everything, everything to make it work, to hold this dream of Grand Bruan together.”

He gestured at a nearby painting that showed a triumphant Marcus Drake on horseback, sunlight glinting off his upheld sword. “You see this? There has never been a single, unified government on this island in recorded history before this one. Now no one dares to attack us with swords and armor anymore, so they come after us with ideas, with gossip, with death by damn poison. And that poison spreads with every lie and accusation that gets made. It can’t be stopped with armor and swords, only with this.” He touched his temple. “And those of us who have learned to fight only with our hands need the help of people like you, who know how to fight that way.”

This passionate tirade, coming as it did from a big, square-headed soldier who at first glance might not appear to know any two-syllable words, moved me far more than I wanted to admit. Still, I held up my wrists and rattled them for emphasis. “It’s not my fight, Kay. And it’s only my problem until I get these off for good.”

Kay looked at me for a long, silent moment, searching my face for the idealism he was sure lay hidden there. He didn’t find it. Finally he sighed, “Damn it, Eddie,” then turned away and struck the stone wall with the flat of his hand. The noise echoed. Without looking he said, “I’ll take you back to your room, then, until I can make arrangements to get you safely out of the castle.”

The relief I felt at those words was tempered by the guilt at disappointing Kay. “I’m sorry, Bob.”

“Me, too.”