The Stepsister's Lament by S R Nulton

Author:S R Nulton [Nulton, S R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-18T06:00:00+00:00

~

“I wonder what was that all about?” I mused after Reese dragged me back to his room. Before he could speak, I held up a hand. We’d been followed by Bekins. I could hear his slow gait coming down the hall.

“Shhh…” I warned him before taking out a few herbs from my pocket and sprinkling them in a circle around us. A quick word in the Fey’s most ancient of tongues and the spell was complete.

“Secrecy? What will that do? And where did you learn to do that? It’s pretty advanced magic!”

Of course he knows ancient Fey! I sighed and sat on one of the horribly uncomfortable armchairs that were all the rage in royal palaces. “It will disguise our discussion as gossip about imaginary nobles and keep any itching ears from hearing our actual conversation. Aunt Grace thought I might need that someday, considering my Grandmother’s odd obsession. I also know spells for dusting out-of-reach areas. She was nothing if not practical while teaching me how to use the little bit of magic I have. Now, did you understand anything the queen was telling us after that little incident with the poison?”

He frowned. “Some of it. Did you?”

“No. I thought she was still speaking fancifully until you responded to her.”

“Yes, well, I wish she had been. I think that the king has done something to her. A spell or something. Grandfather has been collecting information about this kingdom for ages and trying to assemble it into something that makes sense. Right now, this is just more conjecture, but it sounded like she was saying that he collects wives and gets rid of them when he’s gotten what he wants. It actually fits with what we’ve been hearing. This queen is just more tenacious than the last. Somehow she’s avoided dying.”

“That was when you brought up the pets!” I declared, snapping my fingers.

He nodded. “He’s having her watched until he is ready to get rid of her. Pretty sure he’s waiting for something, and getting more and more impatient. One thing’s for sure, that butler is loyal to the king and keeping him well informed.”

“I caught that part. ‘A true servant follows the spirit of his master’s orders, even when the master is unable to issue them.’ He’s trying to keep us separate because he believes that’s what the king would have him do.” My husband began pacing, but was careful to stay within the circle I had created while I continued.

“Most likely he’s trying to keep us from helping that poor woman. She doesn’t even remember that her stepdaughter died last fall in a hunting accident! How does one forget something like that?” I asked rhetorically.

Reese stopped. “She did? I hadn’t heard! But I have been traveling too much to receive any of the reports from my informants…” He took a deep breath and let it out. “She’s actually acting more sane this morning than she did yesterday.”

“Discussing magnets, mangos and Brussels sprouts is more sane? What could she possibly have been doing to make her seem worse than that?”

“Paranoia.

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