Chapter 14

EIRWYN SAT ON HER OWNpew to the side of the raised dais in front of the cathedral and watched Bella marry the king.

She never thought in all her wildest dreams that her friend would become queen. Or that her friend, her smart and talented friend, would fall for her arrogant brother.

The few days since she"d last seen Knox had flown by. She"d been cooped up at the palace for days now, helping Bella put the finishing touches on the wedding.

She was happy for her friend whose fortune had changed drastically, but it put Eirwyn on high alert. Every day she woke with dread as she panicked. It was like she couldn"t catch her breath unless she thought about Knox, which was more often than was probably healthy.

She"d stolen a few precious moments on the roof, feeling the wind in her hair and listening to the birds chirp. Yesterday morning, she"d snuck out before the rest of the castle had awoken and ridden to the edge of the forest near the road.

She didn"t go in, and she didn"t see Knox. But just being closer to him, feeling the energy from the forest helped settle her nerves. With all the chaos of the wedding, thoughts of Knox still took up most of her brain.

The priest rang a bell, and Eirwyn blinked. The wedding was over, and Bella and the king turned and faced the crowd. Her brother stood tall, strong, and proud as he stared icily at the crowd.

His eyes stopped briefly on Eirwyn, and he gave a small twitch of his lips. Every time they"d spoken this week, she felt a slimy feeling down her spinet, like when they"d been children. Usually it meant something bad was about to happen.

Bella knelt in her pale yellow lace gown, and the priest said some boring, colorful words before placing a crown on her head. The king offered her a hand, and she stood.

Then the priest introduced her as Queen Bella. The crowd stood and clapped as the two walked down the stairs and aisle to the end of the giant cathedral in the middle of town.

She and Bella had snuck out in the middle of the night and woven a spell, making the entire cathedral shine like new. It had been nice to have the old Bella back. They"d talked like the good old days at the tavern before going back to the castle.

The illusion on the cathedral would wear off in a few days. Less, if it rained. Bella"s magic had been something they had bonded over five or six years ago. Eirwyn had taught Bella all the things she"d learned, had snuck her a few books here and there. But Bella said Eirwyn never paid enough attention to the details, which frustrated the knowledge obsessed Bella.

Eirwyn hung back, clinging to the few shadows in the church. There was to be a celebration at the summer palace tonight, and then the King and Queen were going to take an extended honeymoon and tour the kingdom, eventually landing at the winter palace just in time for seasons to change.

Eirwyn would be staying in Demerel at the summer palace, so that was a blessing at least. She was looking forward to having the run of the palace without her arrogant, condescending brother breathing down her neck.

The townspeople had mostly forgotten about the war in their excitement about the wedding of one of their own beloved to the king. Even the Robins had quieted in town, although she"d heard there was more movement in and out of the country.

She"d listened to more gossip from the servants, but they rarely discussed the Robins or the war. Helga waited at the back of the church, and Eirwyn stood and shook out her blue silk dress.

With head held high, she followed her brother and now sister-in-law down the aisle. Helga stepped into the aisle and helped her put on her red cloak before falling into step behind her. Together they walked to the second carriage, this one enclosed.

Gastone and Bella were stepping into the first open-air carriage, waving to the peasants who lined the streets. Guards stood shoulder to shoulder to keep them from pressing too close.

The carriage door shut, and Eirwyn tipped her head back with a sigh. Her stomach still twisted and turned, and she couldn"t wait until tomorrow when this nightmare week would be finished.

"How"s your stomach?" Helga asked.

Eirwyn sighed. "It"ll all be better tomorrow. Just a few more hours, then I"ll be free."

The swaying of the carriage almost lulled her to sleep. She jerked when the carriage rolled to a halt in front of the palace. The footman opened the door, and Eirwyn waited until her brother and friend ascended the stairs before she stepped down.

Gastone had been very clear on his instructions. He didn"t want anyone looking at Eirwyn. He wanted all eyes on him and his beautiful, loving bride.

Eirwyn didn"t mind, and she wasn"t going to do anything that might make him angry on his big day. She hoped Bella would be a calming influence on him. Maybe they could be a real family now.

She went up the steps, dread sinking into her stomach like a brick. She glanced over her shoulder at Helga and said softly, "I need to go to my room before the reception."

Helga frowned and nodded. "I"ll inform the butler, then I"ll be right up to help."

Eirwyn waved at her. "No, I"m just going to lay down for an hour. I think it"ll help settle my stomach. See if anything else needs done, if the housekeeper needs anything for the reception."

Helga nodded as they walked through the doors, and Eirwyn went to her room. She pulled her dress over her head and laid it on the back of a chair so it wouldn"t wrinkle. Then she crawled into her cool silk sheets with a sigh.

****

When Eirwyn woke up, the reception ball was in full swing down stairs. She needed air, though. A weight was pressing on her, threatening to suffocate her. She stretched, grateful that at least her stomach felt better. Then she got dressed, washed her face, and reapplied her rouge.

She stared at her wedding slippers where she"d kicked them off by the settee and went to her closet for her walking boots. She wanted to wear them to the tavern later, so she might as well put them on now.

She smiled and breathed a deep, calming breath. Just a few hours of schmoozing with the court, and then she"d be able to see Knox. Her smile turned into a grin as she thought about her dainty, red lace underwear she"d specifically worn today for him.

She just hoped she"d finally have time to show him.

A lone bird cawed outside her window, and she frowned. What was happening in the gazebo that she needed to see? The bird wasn"t specific.

But she"d wanted air anyway, so she grabbed her red cloak and went down the servants back stairs and outside. She wandered the gardens, following the bird"s suggestion. She turned toward the gazebo as voices echoed softly.

She frowned and ducked onto a side path with tall hedges.

Voices came softly from the other side, and she thanked the bird. She wasn"t sure why he"d wanted her to hear whoever was in the gazebo. Most likely, it was some clandestine meeting of passion.

In a few hours, maybe she"d be able to convince Knox to give in to his feelings and explore passion with her. She continued on the path through the now dark gardens, hoping for more than a one-night stand with him.

She stared up at the giant castle, the peaks looming into the sky and shining with a thousand lanterns on the parapets. Pigeons chattered with excitement for the party, but the crow that squawked nearby led her to be cautious.

She walked around the blooming rose bushes that edged the pond in the center of the gardens. The hedge wall on the other side muffled the voices, and she rounded the bend and spied the gazebo.

"She doesn"t know a thing, but I need you to take care of it tonight," a familiar deep voice echoed from inside the gazebo.

Eirwyn"s footsteps slowed as she listened, and she wrapped the shadows around her more, snuffing out the light. This was one reason she loved going to the tavern. She liked to see and hear all the juicy gossip and know who was doing what. It led to fewer surprises and being more prepared when everything went to shit.

That was why it"d been so stressful and such a shock when Gastone had shown up at the tavern that night to drag her back home. She"d not seen it coming. And now it"d led to a chain reaction of the wedding.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" a soft, feminine voice asked.

"Yes, absolutely. It"s long overdue. The kingdom depends on this, do you understand?"

Eirwyn frowned. Was that Gastone?

"No, but you"re the king. Your word is my command."

Eirwyn"s eyebrows rose. It was her brother! And he was meeting with this woman on his wedding night during his wedding reception? What was he up to?

"Your wife won"t be happy," the woman said.

Eirwyn"s rage began to boil. The king was already cheating on Bella too? It definitely wasn"t true love. Bella deserved better.

The king snorted. "She won"t be that torn up about it. Trust me. I know my wife. Now, will you do it or not?"

Eirwyn frowned. How could he know Bella when they"d only met a month ago? What could her strict, tyrannical brother be planning that her friend would approve of?

The woman said, "Aye, but half now and half when I bring back the heart."

There was a pause, then a soft clinking sound echoed.

"We"re done here. I"ll send a note to the guild master when you return with a meeting place for the other half and the heart."

Boots slid on the floor of the gazebo. Eirwyn dipped in between two big rose bushes as her heart raced, not even caring if her new gown became torn. There was no telling what her brother would do if he found her eavesdropping.

She watched through the leaves as he walked out of the gazebo and down the straightest path to the veranda. She could barely hear the faint music through the open doors. The night was muggy but much cooler than it"d been in the day.

She stepped out of the bushes on silent feet, intent on sliding past gazebo while trying to glimpse this mystery woman. Whoever she was, Eirwyn wanted to find out what she was getting paid to do and how it could hurt Bella or the kingdom.

She turned to the gazebo but hadn"t taken even two steps when a hooded figure appeared in the doorway. Eirwyn frowned.

She"d heard a woman, but this was a small man wearing dark pants, boots, and cloak. A hood obscured his face, but then he lifted small gloved hands and blew a sparkling dust in her direction.

Eirwyn coughed and jerked to the side to avoid it, but it was too late. Her vision swam, and she fell, inky blackness welcoming her with open arms.