The Wicked House of Caroline

Once the decree to transition power was in place, it was almost as if it were a normal court session. If she didn’t know any better, she’d believed that they trusted her as High Counselor.

Beks walked through the Gilded Palace, making her way to Laurence’s villa just as the two clerics were leaving and led out by Chamberlain Wilton. They stepped to the side and bowed to her as Beks walked past them. She gave them a nod of her head in return.

She walked into the entrance of Laurence’s chamber and then glanced over her shoulder to make sure the clerics had left. When they disappeared towards the main doors of the villa, Beks turned back to the room.

Laurence was being bathed. A low, shallow tub was used and servants would lower him into the portable tub beside his bed. A drain at the far end connected to a pipe that drained out into the bathing pool in the other room. When she got closer, her mother came out of the bathroom, wiping her hands on a fine linen towel.

Beks gave a quick greeting to Lady Eleanor, who supervised two servants in moving Laurence back to the bed, where she could dry him off and dress him. Beks stepped past the bed and looked towards her mother. The Duchess met her expectant gaze, but didn’t speak. Instead, she closed her eyes and lowered her head, shaking it solemnly.

Beks’ breath was tight and her body tensed up at her mother’s silent confirmation. The dread that had been building inside of Beks spilled over and her arm shot out to grab onto the bed post to steady herself.

“Beks?” Lady Eleanor looked up from where she was holding a towel and wiping the neck and shoulders of her fiancé. “Are you all right?”

“I’m all right...how is Brother Laurence?” Beks forced a neutral expression as her fingers dug into the wood as she willed her legs not to tremble.

Lady Eleanor’s expression saddened as she looked down at the unconscious man on the bed. Her dark eyes reddened once more.

“I’m afraid he’s worse than yesterday, Beks,” she replied in a hoarse voice. Lady Eleanor swallowed hard as the servants were dismissed. Once the doors were closed, Lady Eleanor let the towel in her hand drop. Her breath trembled as she looked at the younger woman and tried to force a smile. “I’m scared.”

Beks raised her hand to her chest and pressed against it as her breath grew heavy. Experience told her that inaction would do nothing to improve the situation, so she had to do something. She had toyed with a particular arrangement the night before. She even arranged with Nexus despite not speaking to the other parties involved.

But I can’t leave him here to die. Beks took a deep breath and moved her hand away from the bedpost. “My lady, may I have a moment of your time?”

Lady Eleanor looked up from where she had put the towel aside and was pulling up the blanket over Laurence’s chest. She hesitated and looked back at her fiancé, unwilling to leave him. She clenched her jaw, but nodded.

“I will watch him,” Duchess Caroline said as Lady Eleanor nervously tucked the blanket around Laurence. She gave the Duchess a grateful nod and followed Beks out.

Instead of going back to Laurence’s study, Beks led Lady Eleanor outside and to the Old Tower without a word. She didn’t stop until she reached her bedroom, and once Lady Eleanor stepped inside, Beks closed the door and put her hand against a shiny oblong object hanging on the wall. A pulse of light seemed to go across the room before being absorbed in the walls. Lady Eleanor’s brows shot up.

“Is that a scale?” Lady Eleanor asked as she walked towards it, her brows furrowing in wonder.

“Leviathan sea serpent,” Beks replied. “The partial remains of one washed up on the north shore of Sagittate a few years ago. Its throat scales can be used to manipulate sound, making speech sound if drowned out by the deep ocean, and thus unintelligible.”

Lady Eleanor looked at the shiny dark blue and black scale. “I’ve heard of these, but have never seen them.” She lifted her hand to touch it and hissed as she snatched it back. “It’s like ice.”

“The northern trenches are cold,” Beks said with a wry smile. “My lady, I didn’t bring you here to admire my leviathan scale.”

Lady Eleanor turned around and gave Beks an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry, Beks...I haven’t been myself lately.”

“I know. And I don’t blame you,” Beks told her. She took a deep breath and motioned for Lady Eleanor to take a seat. “There has been...an arrangement made at today’s court session,” Beks began. Lady Eleanor sat on the edge of the edge of her bed and nodded, urging her to continue. “It is in regard to the Authority to Rule. The nobles are in an uproar about it. Holding my position as a High Counselor alone is difficult. If I force it, they will turn against me completely. At most, I can have them wait for your father for two more days.”

“Two more days?” Lady Eleanor knit her brows and frowned. “What do you mean?”

“If your father does not arrive by the end of the second day, starting tomorrow, I will transfer Authority to Rule to the Fourth Prince.”

“No!” Lady Eleanor shot up from the edge of the bed and took a step forward. “Laurence is not dead! Why would the Fourth Prince get Authority to Rule in his place? It isn’t his turn to be king!” Her eyes were red and her face pained as she yelled. “You can’t give him power!”

“I have little choice. Brother Laurence cannot rule as he is. In fact, we don’t know if he will remain in this state for much longer.”

Lady Eleanor jerked her head back and squinted her eyes. “Beks, you can’t give up on him.”

Beks took a deep breath. “I am not giving up on him, but he has only gotten worse. I can’t help but feel as if something is wrong.” She met Lady Eleanor’s eyes with conviction. “Do you not think it’s strange that Brother Laurence needed to be bathed twice today?”

Lady Eleanor’s eyes crinkled up and she shook her head. “This morning, his bath was delayed and we had to bathe him again this afternoon because a maid accidentally spilled broth all over Laurence....” She trailed off and looked at Beks. “Duchess Caroline had bumped into the maid.”

Beks gave her a slow, encouraging nod. “Brother Laurence had to be in water for my mother to check if he was absorbing biha from the clerics.”

Lady Eleanor squinted. “I don’t understand.”

Beks took a deep breath and explained her mother’s theory. She watched Lady Eleanor’s face grow pale before gritting her teeth and allowing angry tears to rim her eyes.

“My mother uses water biha and is very sensitive to it. As long as the water is touching Brother Laurence, she can use it to monitor his energy.”

Lady Eleanor was grimacing. “And what did she find?”

“The clerics were purposely manipulating their biha to get close to Brother Laurence’s skin, but did not let it touch and be absorbed,” Beks replied carefully. “That is why he is looking far worse.”

A shaking breath left the other woman. “They wouldn’t....”

“They have.”

“They’re clerics!” Lady Eleanor grabbed the back of a chair nearby and tossed it to the side. She whirled around and looked at Beks. “Why would they let a person die? Their job is to heal! If they couldn’t do it, why did they keep coming?” She looked as if she were going to rip her hair out at any moment, but Beks could only stand in place. Lady Eleanor almost snarled as she turned around and marched towards the door. “I’m going to drag them back and make them heal Laurence or I’ll run them through myself!”

She made it three steps before Beks’ dry voice reached her. “Do you think they’re afraid of you?”

Lady Eleanor stopped. Beks watched her shoulders rise and fall with deep breaths before speaking. “What are you talking about?”

“If the clerics aren’t afraid to allow the King to die, what makes you think they’d be afraid of you, the King’s fiancée?” Beks told her. She was surprised her voice was so even. “They are following someone else’s orders. It could be the Temple’s, I don’t know, but they wouldn’t pretend to heal Brother Laurence without a reason.”

“To deny their aid to a monarch must be a crime! We can’t let them act like false clerics-”

“Arresting them would be worse. It would be seen as an insult to the Temple,” Beks said as she remained in place. “Aside from the chaos it would cause between the Temple and Kadmus if we accused them allowing the King to die, without much proof as they can claim Brother Laurence has not been receptive to their biha, I will also be accused of conspiring against the King for stopping clerics from healing him.”

“But you also summoned them!” Lady Eleanor choked out.

“I summoned them, but they’re not doing what they’re supposed to. It could be seen as a plan to prevent Brother Laurence from waking up.”

“That’s ridiculous-”

“When someone is enough of a thorn in your side, anything they do is wrong and done with the worst intentions,” Beks said as she lifted her chin and gave Lady Eleanor a pitiful shake of her head. “My lady, you’ve been hunting often. You should know a trap when you see one.”

Lady Eleanor’s shoulders fell as she looked at Beks helplessly. “Who would do this?” she said in a breathy, defeated voice. “Laurence has done so much work to improve the kingdom, even before he was king. Why would someone want him to die?” Her face turned cold. “Is it the Third Consort?”

Her hands clenched into fists on either side of her, and Beks stepped forward to take one hand, and pried it open in an effort to calm the other woman.

“I can’t prove it’s him,” Beks answered truthfully. “But from what I’ve seen, if Laurence stays, he will not get proper care and will die soon.” The hand in hers tensed up and Beks held it tight to steady Ledy Eleanor. “The trap has been sprung. Uncle Timur said that once a trap has been sprung, there are only two endings. One is that the captured have met their end. The other is that the trap is broken. Sister Eleanor.” Beks raised her eyes and met the tear-filled ones of Lady Eleanor. “If you trust me, I will break the trap.”

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Despite her position, Beks didn’t recall ever taking such a big risk in her life.

From the start, her life had been planned and controlled by others. Everything she did was prepared for her and in a controlled environment. And while she did many things by herself, she had done so after extensive research and counsel.

To go from carefully crafted roadmaps and structure to such a plan with little experience and so many variables out of her control was insane, but she found herself in a difficult position.

The late Queen once told her that those cornered in such a place, when they have nothing in front of them but utter ruin, will dare to take any risk for that small chance of survival.

‘Relocating’ Laurence’s body in secret was something she was doing out of desperation.

If he remained in the Gilded Palace, she would not be able to get him healers who would actually heal him in time. She weighed the risks of revealing the clerics and there was too much to deal with and repercussions to face. Doing so wouldn’t heal Laurence, either.

With the Third Consort harping on her about Laurence, nobles she wasn’t sure she could trust, and the Temple appearing to conspire against her, Laurence would be left to die as he was.

She was absolutely sure the Third Consort would not allow her to remove Laurence from the Gilded Palace in a legitimate way. Doing so would take Laurence out of the Third Consort’s control, so if Beks wanted to take Laurence away, she had to do it herself and with as little help as possible.

In a way, it wasn’t much different from other projects she’d done on behalf of the royal family prior.

Use the right individuals in the right roles and coordinate the timing, and the job will go smoothly. All she had to do was select the most fitting players and organize the order of operations, as well as play her role.

However, even with her family’s support and Lady Eleanor’s willingness and trust, Beks wasn’t confident to pull off the ‘relocation’ on her own. The Gilded Palace and surrounding royal grounds were sprawling. There were guards and palace staff, not to mention the nobles coming in and out for court. There were too many things she couldn’t control, increasing the risk of something going wrong.

But she had Nexus.

Information was vital. This was the case for the laws she’d memorized to the habits of servants and guards to the layout of the Gilded Palace.

Her first step was to figure out the end goal. Where could Laurence go to recover safely?

Sagittate.

Not only was it remote, but it was brimming with biha. So much that just breathing the air in Sagittate would be beneficial to an unconscious Laurence.

The second question: how would Laurence get there?

Nexus’ information network included a vast array of people, which included farmers, merchants, and traveling traders who often followed lengths of rural road that would be overlooked by most people.

One of Nexus’ larger information hubs was the Port of Black Sands, the closest and largest port to Kadmium. On the major route from the capital to the port, a carriage could reach it in a day and a half. Through the rural roads, the time doubled.

From the Port of Black Sands, Laurence would then need to be transported to Stromhaven, the main port on Sagittate. There laid another problem.

There was a reason the preferred method of travel to the peninsula was by land, though it took weeks.

Due to a mixing of waters from the northern sea and the southern sea, as well as the cold air coming from the frigid tundra, there were perpetually turbulent waters off the coast of Sagittate, between it and the mainland - Stromwal. Not only did the ships passing through need to stand against the tossing of the towering waves and powerful winds, but the crew had to be skilled enough to maneuver the ship.

An inexperienced crew was a death sentence.

Nexus could put her in touch with a ship and a crew, but couldn’t guarantee safe passage through Stromwal.

“You need a ship?” Her mother looked up after Beks explained her plan. In her room at the Old Tower, her parents sat on the foot of her bed while she stood in the center. Lady Eleanor sat on the chair at her vanity table, her hands wringing the fabric of her dress as she listened to Beks’ plan.

Beks looked at her mother and gave her a small nod. “Anyone conspiring against Brother Laurence knows his situation. He is already helpless and it is a matter of time until something worse befalls him. They would see his disappearance not as a life-threatening act, but as an attempt to save him. They will comb the kingdom looking for Laurence and considering how close I am to him; I’d be a suspect.”

“And if you’re a suspect, then by extension, so are we and Sagittate,” her father concluded. Beks nodded.

“That’s right. The most logical, and practical, thing to do would be to search the route going north to the peninsula. It wouldn’t be difficult to catch up considering how long the journey is, how fast a carriage with a comatose person is, and the speed of guards on horseback,” Beks said as she stood in place. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the floor with her lips in a tight line. “Everyone knows how dangerous it is to take a ship to Sagittate. Even our family takes the land route, but a ship will get Brother Laurence there not only faster, but it’ll be easier to hide him, as it is unexpected that we’d risk him traveling by ship.”

“What about the Stromwal?” Lady Eleanor asked as her worried face grew paler.

“Give me a day.” The Duchess spoke up once more and they looked towards her. She sat up straight with a glint of pride in her eyes as she met her daughter’s gaze. “I will get you not only a suitable ship, but a worthy crew.”

Beks furrowed her brows. “What are the chances that they’ll get through Stromwal?”

Her father chuckled. He reached over and grasped the Duchess’ hand, weaving his fingers atop hers before lifting it up and grinning. “Don’t worry, Beks. Your mother knows ships. If she says they can get through Stromwal, then they will get through Stromwal.”

Beks wanted to ask more questions, but trusted her parents.

“Laurence will be weak.” Lady Eleanor looked down at her hands and crinkled her eyes. “The food he is given isn’t enough to sustain him. He needs life biha.”

Beks nodded once. “I’ll arrange it.” Perhaps she sounded too casual, but Lady Eleanor looked up and gave her a quizzical look.

“You know a cleric?”

“Not everyone who can heal and use life biha is a cleric.” She had already recruited that person and had him in mind from the beginning. If she couldn’t get him onboard her plan, then she would not take this risk.

There was a reason Mr. Kesse was the late Queen’s former aide. He was extremely useful when the late Queen fought for the crown and was injured.

“I will work with your mother to arrange for someone to meet His Majesty when they reach Sagittate,” the Duke told them. “Our Duchy doesn’t lack life biha users.”

Unlike most places in Kadmus, those who could use life biha were encouraged, and in some cases forced, to join the Temple to become a cleric. It was a prestigious position and the family would often get sizable remittances from the clerics. In Sagittate, where there was an abundance of biha users, not only were life biha users not encouraged to join the Temple, but actively encouraged to assist in healthcare.

The Temple’s influence was not as strong in Sagittate, giving it another appeal for Laurence’s recuperation.

“The Third Consort will suspect Sagittate. What if they come?” Lady Eleanor asked, as if already calculating how much time Laurence would have.

“I know,” Beks said. “But misinformation is easy to spread.” She turned to look at Lady Eleanor and met her eyes. “Sister, I ask you again. The risk for me is great, but the risk for you will be greater. Are you certain you wish to be involved?”

Lady Eleanor didn’t falter. She lifted her chin and determination could be seen in her clear eyes. “Laurence is both the rightful king whom I am loyal to, and the man I love. That alone should be enough.” Her face softened a bit. “Also, there is no one else who can carry Laurence through the workmen’s tunnels except me.”

Even exhausted, Lady Eleanor’s physical fitness could not be questioned. She was raised as any child of a prominent marquis was, like a soldier. She could easily get Laurence on to her shoulders and carry him. Beks knew this as she’d seen Lady Eleanor do so multiple times.

Laurence always thought it was hilarious.

“How many people know about the workmen’s tunnels?” her father asked.

The tunnels were narrow passages between some of the walls of the Gilded Palace. While it was being built, the royal family would occupy the completed portions while construction continued. In order for the workers to be out of sight, lest they offend the royal family, the passages were built to allow them to move around unseen.

Those passages were never included in the official blueprints of the palace and the workers that used them had long died.

Beks only stumbled upon them because she was a bored and curious child on eternal house arrest.

“I doubt anyone else knows. I’ve never seen anyone use them and I only told those two.” Those two being Laurence and Lady Eleanor. It was how Lady Eleanor sneaked into Laurence’s villa all the time.

Lady Eleanor furrowed her brows. “The Third Consort, Luther, and everyone here believes in my loyalty to Laurence. If you are not suspected, then I definitely will be. If I’m involved, it’ll be easier to lead them away from Laurence.” Her eyes narrowed, determined. “Once I give him to your contact, I will act as a diversion.”

“My lady, by doing so, you are inviting the entire court to turn against you and the Glasser March,” the Duke said with a disapproving frown. “Your father hasn’t arrived yet and if he doesn’t when His Majesty is moved, then it can be said that he had something to do with it. Your direct involvement will exacerbate the situation.”

“Our loyalty is not to the court. It is to the rightful monarch and he is Laurence,” Lady Eleanor replied, her voice filled with conviction. To her, this must’ve looked as an act of loyalty, not possible treason.

“Speaking of the Marquis. Where is he now?” Beks asked. Tomorrow night was their deadline, and from court that day, the nobles looked forward to it.

The Duke’s lips curled up into a knowing sneer. “He had to turn back. The rural route they were taking had a landslide. With no rain. Mysterious, isn’t it?”

Both Beks and Lady Eleanor let out disgusted snorts. “They’re quite determined,” Beks said in a low voice. “Then, the Marquis is delayed again?”

“At least another three to four days.”

Unless he could fly, the Marquis wouldn’t make it by tomorrow. The deadline was up and handing Authority to Rule to Luther was all but finalized.

“Beks,” Lady Eleanor called out to her. “When will we move him?”

Beks pursed her lips. She turned to look at her mother. “Can you get a ship and crew ready by the day after tomorrow?”

“My dear, I can get a ship and crew ready by morning,” Duchess Caroline replied in a smooth voice.

Bes nodded and looked back at Lady Eleanor. “Tomorrow night,” she said. “You will take him out of the palace while court is being held, and I will transfer Authority to Rule.”

“So soon?” Lady Eleanor appeared taken aback. “Will you have everything ready by then?”

The corners of Beks’ lips curled up. “I’ve never faced a deadline I couldn’t meet. You’ve seen me work. You should know that by now.”

Lady Eleanor relaxed her shoulders a bit and nodded.

“Then, we will leave the rest up to you.” Her father rose to his feet and helped her mother up.

Beks nodded and walked them to the door. At this time at the Old Tower, it was late and the maids had all retired to the ground floor chambers. Royal guards had also gone to their posts outside the building. She saw her parents out and then walked to the wardrobe pushed against her far wall.

The clothes that had been hanging or placed inside were laid across her bed and the wardrobe’s back panel was pushed out, revealing a dark, narrow passage that connected to the workmen’s tunnels.

Lady Eleanor bunched up her skirt so she could climb through. She sat on the drawers within the wardrobe and looked at Beks. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the younger woman.

“I promise you that I will get your brother out safely.”

Beks closed her eyes and hugged Lady Eleanor back. “Follow the instructions I give you. I will arrange for someone to escort you out of the city. When the royal guards lose track, that escort will arrange to take you to Sagittate.”

Lady Eleanor pulled back and gave her a curious look. “How do you know the royal guards will lose track of me?”

Beks gave her a wry smile. “Priority will go to securing the capital for Luther’s coronation. You know the Third Consort won’t accept him remaining as Prince Regent. The sooner he can confirm that Brother Laurence is gone, unable to rule again, the sooner he will pull his people together to make Luther king.”

Lady Eleanor’s eyes reddened. She gritted her teeth and nodded. “They will make trouble for you.”

“I will do what needs to be done for the kingdom,” Beks said. “You will need to be careful. Knowing the Third Consort, he will send mercenaries after you. Guards likely won’t kill a former monarch in a coma, but as they say, money speaks.”

Lady Eleanor nodded and reached out, putting her hand on Beks’ shoulder. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

Beks released a low breath. If she were honest, she wasn’t sure. “I doubt Luther will be able to run the kingdom immediately, so I want to stay, but I’m worried about what the Third Consort will do once his son has Authority to Rule.”

“I fear they’ll run you out of the palace....”

“I’m sure he’s close. The Third Consort has never liked me.”

Lady Eleanor furrowed her brows. She raised her hands and dug around the collar of her dress to fish out a thin silver chain with a metal key attached to it.

“Laurence has been contemplating dissolving your engagement to Luther for some time. He didn’t want to unless it was necessary, but Luther has become more and more displeasing in recent weeks.” Lady Eleanor grasped Beks’ hand and placed the key in her palm. “Under his mattress, on the side furthest from the door. Your brother has prepared for you.”

She pushed Beks’ fingers closed around the key as Beks looked down at it. “Is this a secret passage?”

Despite herself, Lady Eleanor let out a guffaw and smiled. “No. No one knows the secrets of the Gilded Palace like you,” she said as an affectionate hand caressed the side of Beks’ face. “If you need to leave, he has given you a way out.”

It must’ve been money. Perhaps a land deed or some jewelry that could be easily hidden and then pawned to fund her escape.

Most of Beks’ allowance was in the bank and she could easily be blocked from accessing it with a royal order. She nodded, appreciative of Laurence’s thoughtfulness.

“Thank you,” Beks said. “I won’t leave so soon. I still want to do what I can for the kingdom...responsibility is not easy to let go of.”

“I know the kingdom needs you, Beks. Regardless of whether you are the prophesized daughter with dawn in her hair or not, you have been groomed to support the kingdom. I know you want to, but don’t let them take advantage of you, Beks. Do not suffer for nothing.”

“I won’t.”

“Also be cautious. I remember being told of how times were before the late Queen rebelled and took the throne. There are those who are waiting for the kingdom to return to how it was before now that the late Queen is gone.”

Beks gave her a solemn nod. “I know. The late Queen had to burn the kingdom to the ground to rebuild it.” Lady Eleanor gave her one last embrace and slipped through the back of the wardrobe. She pushed the back panel closed and Beks locked it from within. Her eyes narrowed. “And if I have to do the same, I will.”