Month: Apr 2023

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Forty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Four – Part Five

Josette

“Are there no candidates from outside Kiranvar?”

General Marsden was appalled. “The queen is already half Nephelosian, isn’t that enough of a step outside the capital’s bloodline?”

“There hasn’t been any foreign blood on the Kalamene throne for hundreds of years.” The chamberlain could always be relied on to provide some historical context.

“But surely a consort from Hest or Hadyn would be an encouraging sign of unity for the rest of the empire?”

Marsden’s face darkened. “I refuse to be governed by some outsider!” His eyes bulged when he realised how what he said sounded in present company. “Saving yourself of course, Guard Frieder.”

Elwyn smiled and chose not to comment on Marsden’s embarrassment. “There’s a whole continent out there that expands well beyond the limits of Kiranvar. Would it be such a terrible thing for that to be reflected by Chavon’s throne?” She sounded just like Alessandria. Perhaps it was part of the magical effect that the queen had left on her bodyguard.

The conversation was getting Marsden more and more irritated. “We cannot give the lesser countries ideas!” He brandished a sheaf of papers at Elwyn. “Look at these, demands from Hadyn for funds to rebuild the Seshara palace. Demands! The cheek of it.”

If someone didn’t try to defuse the tension, Elwyn’s first council meeting was going to result in the general having a fit. A vein was throbbing dangerously on Marsden’s temple.

While Elwyn was staring with concern at Marsden, I decided to interject. “We must be careful in this business. You make an excellent point, General. The consort chosen for the honour of fathering the next generation of kings will send a message to the rest of the empire. Kiranvar is the centre of Starshine, we cannot turn our backs on that. “We have the chance to encourage progress without forcing matters forward too quickly. Perhaps Guard Frieder is right that we should consider a wider range of candidates. Not just men from the inner circle? Families that have ties to the wider world?”

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privleged – Part One Hundred and Forty-One

Chapter Twenty-Four – Part Four

Josette

She listened with great attention to the matters of state under discussion. Even with the queen absent, the problem of securing the succession was an absolute priority. A silence fell and sheepish faces turned towards Elwyn.

It was left to me to explain our cause for guilt. Rather than creating a shortlist of candidates ready for the queen’s return, we had been trying to reach a final decision without her input. Horwin had been the one pushing for it but Granville hadn’t slapped him down, hence the discomfort.

When Alessandria finally came back to Ilserine, the people would have their celebration. But it would be a royal wedding rather than a delayed festival to mark the coronation. Unless Elwyn decided to dash those plans to pieces.

And it wouldn’t have surprised me if she did. The queen wouldn’t have been too happy about losing her right to choose her own husband. But compromises did have to be made in exchange for Alessandria’s impulsive journey. I hoped that Elwyn would realise that giving up control over the consort decision was a natural concession to make.

Elwyn ruled that the council could proceed with their selection process but that final candidates would be relayed to Alessandria before she returned. The queen still held the right of veto for the consort but it was important to get this matter sorted as quickly as possible.

Granville jolted in his seat. He must have realised that Horwin’s removal from the council meant that there was no one left to champion his son, Ermin, as a suitor for the queen’s hand. He couldn’t do it himself, his type didn’t like to be seen to be doing that sort of thing.

The scribe was sent running to Cyrano’s chambers to fetch the shortlist of names the queen’s father had been working on. To my amazement, Ermin was still on it. Cyrano was too decent for his own good.

While Granville must have been scrambling for a way to move the discussion towards his son’s suitability without being obvious about it, Elwyn interjected.

“Are there no candidates from outside Kiranvar?”

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Forty

Chapter Twenty-Four – Part Three

Josette

By that point, Horwin had abandoned the defiant jut of his chin. The colour had drained from his face as his eyes darted back and forth. What had he been up to lately? He was always scheming for some bauble or another that he felt was his by right. What was Elwyn about to expose in front of all of us?

“Lord Cyrano was appointed by the queen to run this council and, by your doing, he has been excluded from meetings. If anyone here thinks that they will be able to get away with that sort of behaviour from now on, they will find themselves sorely mistaken.

“To demonstrate how little tolerance there will be for such actions, for defying the will of your ruler, the Queen has ordered that Horwin will be stripped of his duties here at court and his seat on the council. You are banished from court with immediate effect. If you refuse to withdraw, your title and lands will be forfeit.”

There was a faint flush spreading across Elwyn’s cheeks. I could only imagine how exhilarated she was feeling. She had chosen the perfect first target. The elder statesmen all hated Horwin but had considered him to be a necessary evil while he was around. Anyone with less power than Horwin would have resented the fact that he had wormed his way in so far.

In the stunned silence that followed his dismissal, the remaining council members filed into the room to take their seats. Horwin had fled as quickly as his legs could carry him. We all knew that he ought to count himself lucky to just be exiled from the capital.

The charges brought were almost certainly the tip of the iceberg. It could have ended much worse for Horwin, his lands taken away from him or sentenced to death. That was why he had disappeared so fast. Having carried out what appeared to be her main item of business, Elwyn sat back. She seemed happy to let Duke Granville run the rest of the meeting.

She listened with great attention to the matters of state under discussion. Even with the queen absent, the problem of securing the succession was an absolute priority. A silence fell and sheepish faces turned towards Elwyn.

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Thirty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Four – Part Two

Josette

It was a standard tactic and, to my shame, one that I had allowed to pass for years. I couldn’t get outraged at every last degrading comment flung at me. We’d never get any work done if I did. Especially when everyone else in the room seemed to be determined to pretend that nothing insulting had been said. Learning to pick my battles was the only way I’d been able to find to survive.

Horwin was a jumped up little stain on the noble class, not that I’d ever say so to him. But he was also embedded in the fabric of court. The chancellor was an impassioned protector of him and insisted that it would be impossible for him to continue running the royal household without Horwin’s devoted assistance.

So Horwin knew that he was untouchable, to the point of being able to bully whoever he felt was worthy of his punishment. It was the sort of behaviour that helped small men to feel larger than they were.

Disappointingly, Elwyn seemed to follow the same line of thinking as me. She didn’t seem to consider it worth disrupting the flow of the meeting to discipline Horwin. As my heart sank, Elwyn adopted an innocent smile.

But as Horwin approached his usual chair, Elwyn got to her feet. “Lord Horwin, thank you so much for coming today. However, before you take a seat, don’t.”

That took him by surprise, although his stagger was an act of pure theatre rather than a natural reaction.

“It has been brought to the queen’s nature that you have seen fit to exploit her good nature.”

“I have no idea what you are referring to, your, um, honour?”

“Guard Frieder will do well enough, my lord. When Queen Alessandria rose to the throne, she kindly allowed for each council member to keep their seat along with the power and income that they bestow. And you have since chosen to answer that generosity with disobedience.”

By that point, Horwin had abandoned the defiant jut of his chin. The colour had drained from his face as his eyes darted back and forth. What had he been up to lately? He was always scheming for some bauble or another that he felt was his by right. What was Elwyn about to expose in front of all of us?

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Thirty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Ally

Josette the Overly Meek

I was the first to reach the council chamber before the next scheduled meeting. I wanted to have a front row seat to see how Granville would react to the latest change in court affairs.

It was also important that I spoke with Elwyn Frieder as soon as possible. Neither of us could afford for what happened to Lord Cyrano to be repeated. There was murky business going on and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Or at least I thought I was the first to arrive at the council room.

“Ah, my lady. Do come in.” Elwyn had been lying in wait, panther-like.

She was sitting in the queen’s seat at the head of the great council table. Not even Cyrano had used that particular chair but there Elwyn was. Unsure of what to expect from this unknown quantity, I settled in my usual position halfway down the table.

“I was wondering something ma’am.”

I was startled. “Wondering what, my, er, lady?”

Elwyn shook her head at me. “I’m not titled, my lady. It wouldn’t do for anyone to think that I’m giving myself airs and graces. I don’t want to step above my station. Guard Elwyn will have to do. Guard Frieder if a formal mood happens to strike you.”

I smiled with genuine warmth. No one could deny that it was a blandly acceptable form of address. “Guard Elwyn it is then. What is it that I can help you with?”

But the question was destined to go unanswered at the heavy doors banged open.

“It’s exactly as I told you, Granville.” Horwin called over his shoulder. “The women are already here, gossiping away like mother hens.” He strolled into the chamber, adopting an innocent expression as if he hadn’t said anything at all.

It was a standard tactic and, to my shame, one that I had allowed to pass for years. I couldn’t get outraged at every last degrading comment flung at me. We’d never get any work done if I did. Especially when everyone else in the room seemed to be determined to pretend that nothing insulting had been said. Learning to pick my battles was the only way I’d been able to find to survive.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Thirty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Three – Part Five

Granville

Granville didn’t respond well to teasing. “Emperor Marq was anointed by Kalama, it was important to hold the empire together under his leadership. He had the wisdom to know that I was the right man for the job. Alessandria, well, she’s…”

“You’re going purple, dear. I don’t understand you sometimes. Two monarchs, in their own different way, abandon their throne and you’ll defend one to the hilt but the other displeases you almost to the point of rebellion. That’s the problem with a monarchy, you can’t pick and choose.”

When her husband said nothing, Helaine came over to peer into his eyes. “It’s because you can’t predict her, isn’t it? You never like not knowing what’s going on.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The duchess settled herself next to Granville. In this private moment, Granville allowed himself the luxury of leaning against his wife, inhaling the heady scent of her hair. “Granville, times are changing. You can’t hold the tide back. You’re the one who’s always said that it is your duty to uphold the will of the monarch. You have to support the Frieder girl. Don’t let her end up like Lord Cyrano.”

Duke Granville was still unsettled by the way Josette had spoken to him. He couldn’t fight his wife on this too. It was clear that she too was right. He nodded.

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Thirty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Three – Part Four

Cyrano

“Sir Arell, you are officially ordered to accompany me to the Seshara palace for the first stage of the investigation.”

I could tell by the gleaming smirk on Arell’s face that we were both feeling a surge of triumph. As we hoped, Arell was sure to think that Lessa had made a huge mistake.

It was all part of the plan but I couldn’t tip him off. He couldn’t be allowed to suspect that he was walking headfirst into a trap. My job was to be the bait, I was thrilled about it.

“We leave within the week.” I strode away from Arell’s door as quickly as I could. This was my last chance to enjoy some time away from my least favourite not-technically royal.

#

“Well, my dear, you’ve got what you wanted.” Duchess Helaine breezed into the chambers she shared with her husband.

Granville looked up from the report he was studying. “Pardon?”

“Lord Cyrano will be leaving court very soon.”

“And how on earth do you know that?”

“Gossip is far more potent than any spy operation. I can’t believe you’ve never learned this.”

“I don’t deal in spies, Helaine. It isn’t honourable.”

“My darling, I know enough of your honour to have realised that you’ve become very good over the years at bending it to suit your will. No, listen to me. This is your fault, you know. You decided that yours was the only way forward. Granville, you can justify anything with honour. Now the applecart’s been tipped over by the queen and you’re upset about it.”

“I am not upset.” He didn’t want to acknowledge her other arguments.

“You’re far too used to getting your own way. Marq wasn’t interested in what the council did and you started believing that you’d always have free rein. Maybe you’re getting too old to accept change.”

Granville didn’t respond well to teasing. “Emperor Marq was anointed by Kalama, it was important to hold the empire together under his leadership. He had the wisdom to know that I was the right man for the job. Alessandria, well, she’s…”

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Thirty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Three – Part Three

Cyrano

After a painful amount of time, Arell brought his lamentations to a close. It was an impressive exercise in royal genealogy if nothing else. He rounded it off by stating how deeply wounded he had been by the death of Emperor Marq in particular. And who wouldn’t be? What was more bound to sting than losing one’s mother’s father’s uncle’s third cousin once removed?

“Well Arell, my daughter does want to grant your wish. She has sent a directive that a dedicated investigative task force is to be created. Post haste.”

Arell’s eyes narrowed to the thinnest of slits, immediately suspicious. His squinting face made me think of a particularly shifty rat. “And who is to take charge of this supposed investigation?”

“Well, as I have been relieved of my various duties with the court, the queen thought that I was the natural choice.”

“No! That is unacceptable! She cannot be cleared of wrongdoing by her father. It won’t have even the appearance of justice. This is worse than no investigation at all.”

“I agree with you.”

Speechless, Arell could only sputter. A fleck of spit splashed onto his elaborately decorated collar. He always made sure to exhibit his wealth through his clothes, working to out-peacock even the flashiest of the Kiranvari court.

“The queen is aware of such thoughts. She trusts me to be impartial given that she knows her own innocence. And I am of course keen to bring the killer to justice as they deprived me of my wife. But there are other opinions on this matter. This is why she asked me to announce the plan to you first. If you felt that the appointment wasn’t appropriate then she had additional instructions.”

“Additio- what?”

“Clearly, I will need some help and supervision in order to make sure that my conclusions are accurate.”

“And which underling is this independent supervisor to be? Is this some scheme to bring about a romantic getaway with the likes of Lady Josette?”

Well that was an odd thing for him to say. How did he come up with such paranoid twaddle so fast? Arell did keep finding ways to introduce Josette into conversations for some reason.

“Sir Arell, you are officially ordered to accompany me to the Seshara palace for the first stage of the investigation.”

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Thirty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Three – Part Two

Cyrano

If Arell had been trying to be humble, he’d missed the mark by a wide margin. “You have made many complaints that have been passed onto her and she has made her response.”

“You’re not saddling me with the blame for the arrival of that little Frieder mouse!”

I continued to ignore Arell’s outbursts as the bastard launched into a rambling list of his varied grievances. I wouldn’t tell Elwyn what Arell had been saying about her. The unfortunate attachment that she felt for him had already caused her enough pain and embarrassment.

To a certain extent, I could sympathise. I’d experienced an uncontrollable attraction once too. But Seraphina had been a very different situation. What Elwyn saw in this loathsome man was completely beyond me.

 “And I must say that I am furious that no official investigation seems to have been launched into the Seshara palace fire. I’m sure that Alessandria has been far too busy celebrating her good fortune thanks to this event but you would have thought that a royal massacre would give some cause for concern. After all, my own dear mother, father, brother, sister…”

Again, I had to tune out what Arell had to say. This wasn’t the first time I’d heard that particular speech from him. I cared about the royals we’d lost, of course I did. But not in the very loud way Arell did. He’d been known to establish his connection to every last royal that had died in the blaze.

All I’d lost to the fire was my beloved wife, what could I know when it came to grief? In comparison to what Arell had suffered and took pains to let everyone know about, I’d got off lightly.

After a painful amount of time, Arell brought his lamentations to a close. It was an impressive exercise in royal genealogy if nothing else. He rounded it off by stating how deeply wounded he had been by the death of Emperor Marq in particular. And who wouldn’t be? What was more bound to sting than losing one’s mother’s father’s uncle’s third cousin once removed?

Part one of this chapter can be found here.

Part one of Privileged can be found here.

Privileged – Part One Hundred and Thirty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three – Part One

The Displaced Leader

Cyrano the Apprehensive

Breathing in deeply, I tried my best to keep calm. I was a chunk of driftwood, floating on the surface of a gentle summer ocean. In my mind’s eye, I saw how the soft sunlight shone down on me and bathed me in its glow. The water was lapping at my sides. I was a source of shelter, of precious life for various sea dwellers.

Before I started getting too far into my mental image, I shook myself back to the moment I was in. Trying to hang onto the sense of peace I’d created, I forced myself to knock on Arell’s chamber door.

It opened a crack and was immediately filled with a hostile gaze. The expression intensified into outright loathing when he saw who had come knocking.

“What do you want?” Arell paused. “My lord?” He hated having to call me that. I had to take such victories where I could find them during my conversations with Arell.

There was no point in beating around the bush, I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. “The queen has sent instructions for you.”

Somehow, I’d already managed to strike a nerve. I’d learned that Arell was surprisingly sensitive, prone to flaring up at the slightest thing.

“I am starting to doubt that this girl even exists, acting as she always does through intermediaries. Anyway, I must be far below her notice if she is real. You must be mistaken, the command cannot have been meant for me. I’m one of the very few royal family members left on the continent so I must be far beneath her stately notice.”

If Arell had been trying to be humble, he’d missed the mark by a wide margin. “You have made many complaints that have been passed onto her and she has made her response.”

Part one of Privileged can be found here.