1.5: Lady of the Shadows"Sire? Lady Campbell has arrived."
King Darian looked up from his book. "Thank you, Christine." The housekeeper strode away, leaving the king in the library. He sat there for a moment, staring at the pages of his book, thinking on what he would say.
Letting out a soft sigh, he stood up, the pain in his old knees a familiar sensation. He put his book away, lingering at the shelves for a moment. His other meetings with the candidates had gone well. He wasn't entirely sure how this one would go. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn't overstepped his bounds in this case. But he knew Lady Beatrice. And a letter from someone from his youth had decided him in the matter. He just hoped he approached it the right way.
The click of heels over the stone floor had Darian turning his head. "Lady Campbell," he greeted.
Beatrice curtsied. "Sire. I apologize for my tardiness."
"No, no not at all. I know you must be busy. I won't keep you long. Please, join me here for a moment, won't you?"
"Of course, sire." She sat down in the chair across from him, crossing her ankles for a moment, her hands in her lap.
"Thank you, for the research you gave me," the King murmured. "It was very helpful."
She inclined her head, a polite smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I am glad it was." It faded. "Sire? Is there something amiss? Your summons seemed rather- abrupt."
"Oh, no, there's nothing amiss. I apologize for giving that impression." King Darian stood. "Please, would you follow me? There is something I'd like to discuss with you."
Lady Beatrice blinked, then stood. "Of course." Her hands clasped in front of her, she followed after her leige. After three flights of stairs, she found herself in the King's personal chambers. It surprised her, but she said nothing. She knew how to bide her time.
The figure near the fireplace had her raising an eyebrow, however. As the King strode to him and the two clasped hands, her brows furrowed.
"Thank you for coming," Darian murmured.
"Anytime, your Highness."
Darian turned so he could keep one eye on Beatrice. "Please, have a seat. Lady Beatrice Campbell, I'd like to present to you-"
"Lord Gunner Villareal, first born of Lord Ezekial Villareal of Windenburg," Beatrice supplied, her eyes narrowed. She hadn't made a move to sit just yet. Instead, she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest.
He bowed with a flourish, then straightened, his grin cocky. "That I am, m'Lady. It's a pleasure to meet the lady behind the shadows, at last."
Beatrice's eyes widened and her head whipped around to the King. Before she could formulate something that wasn't a curse, Darian held up his hands. "Please, let's all sit down. Everything will be explained, Lady Campbell, I promise." The look he gave Lord Villareal was a sharp one.
It seemed to quell the smug grin, at least mostly. Lady Beatrice took a seat, though she kept her eye on Gunner as he took the chair next to hers. Darian sighed. "I know this is an unusual request-"
"You're full of those," Beatrice murmured quietly.
Darian's lip twitched. Then he laughed. "Aye. I have been at that. One has nothing to do with the other."
Well, not entirely, anyway. He sat down in far chair.
Beatrice pulled in a deep breath and sat back. "Alright, why have I been summoned here? And what is-" Her lip curled just slightly, "Lord Villareal doing here?"
Darian waved his hand. "Lady Campbell- Beatrice. Lord Gunner is here at my invitation. I realize I made an error in not informing you of the fact, but the truth is, it is a delicate matter. One in which I will need your help."
"In what capacity?" She was still eyeing Gunner warily.
"Lady Campbell," King Darian murmured, "he is aware of what you and your family do for me. There is no need to fear him or his knowledge. Would it put your mind at ease to know that I trust him implicitly?"
She frowned, her gaze meeting the King's for a long moment. After searching his expression, she nodded slowly. "Yes, that is good enough for me, sire."
"Excellent. Now, I don't have to tell you, Beatrice that the war in Windenburg was of great concern here."
"No, you do not." She eyed Gunner sideways.
"What the King is trying not to say, is that it has long been suspected that the Villareals, my dear ol' dad especially, was playing both sides in that war." Though Gunner smiled, there was a sharp edge to it. Beatrice didn't miss the rage in his eyes.
"No one could prove it."
"Not for lack of trying!"
The bitterness in his tone took Beatrice aback. The realization hit her. "You... it was you. You were my contact?"
His chin went up. "Yes. I needed help. Though my father gave me his name, mostly to save himself the scandal of having a child on the wrong side of the sheets, there is no love lost between my father and I. We swore an oath to the Windenburgs. I knew my father was very well betraying that oath. I helped Kellen escape. I didn't know who I could trust in Windenburg, so I came to King Darian. Darian gave me information obtained by you and your network. That information saved Kellen and it saved me."
Beatrice sat there for a moment, her hands on the arms of the chair, her grip tight. "You didn't call me here to thank me." It was a simple statement of fact.
"No, though, I suppose I'll get around to that, eventually. I've come here to ask a favor. The favor was to the King. He called you here."
The King stood up for a moment, looking into the fire.
Finally, he turned back to look at Beatrice. "Ezekial Villareal is a dangerous man. He is ruthless. If Gunner's duplicity were to be discovered, it would be disasterous. I have agreed to give him sanctuary here. But I am not sure that would stop his father. However, I have thought of something that might. His father respects one thing only: power. Power and reputation, more precisely."
"And his pride," Gunner supplied. He sat in his chair, that smirk back in place, but that look in his eye had not yet faded.
Darian shifted his gaze to him, nodding slowly. "Yes, pride as well. Which is why I believe my plan would be in everyone's best interest. In exchange, Gunner has already sworn his loyalty to me- to this kingdom."
Beatrice came to the edge of her seat. "Sire-"
"Lady Campbell, Lord Gunner needs to marry someone in Newcrest. Some of noble blood. You are that somebody."
*****
One month earlierBeatrice wiped the back of her hand over her forehead, sighing. "What am I doing out here?" she wondered out loud, not for the first time. The overturned earth in front of her was filled with fragments and some very interesting tidbits, it was true. Still, she had already been here for far longer than she had planned.
She should be back in Newcrest, preparing her newest report to send to the King. That and she had to find a way to convince this new scheme of his was ill advised. She should have been at least trying to help him refine it. Granted, she could find nothing wrong with either the Doran family nor the Rosas. Truth be told, they were as loyal to the King and to Newcrest as she herself was. But a competition for the throne? With her as one of the participants? It was ludicrous! She had never been one for the spotlight. She much prefered the shadows.
Of course, that didn't explain why she was here, in the middle of the jungle, attempting to find what amounted to a fairytale. She sighed. It had been a rather long trek so far with little to show for it. Hacking through vines with a machete, encountering all manner of jungle life- it took it's toll.
It hadn't been a total loss, of course. She had managed to find the rumored baths she had heard about from some locals at the market place.
But no temple. She sighed again. Why she was surprised, she had no idea. After all, her father's word had rarely been good when he was alive. Why had she thought the journal she found would contain any truth to it? Of course, when she had found it, a part of her had rejoiced. Something within had been so
sure she'd find something. That was what happened when you let flights of fancy rule over common sense.
Perhaps there was no temple, but she had found enough in the ruins in the jungle that would help advance studies. The original inhabitants of Selvadorado had been quite advanced from everything that was known about them. They had just vanished, though, centuries before. No one knew why. It was a mystery that every scholar dreamed of solving one day.
As for Beatrice herself, she was far more realistic. Every piece of data was something they hadn't had before. She would be content with that.
So it was that after gathering her things, returning to the small villa she had rented for her stay, and cleaning up, she was then on her way home. The boat trip was a long one, but one she enjoyed quite a bit.
However, returning home was better. She walked into the house, going straight to the kitchen. "Mira? Is that you? Here kitty!"
A high chirp of sound, followed by a joyous meow preceeded a small bundle of tan and cream-colored fur as it bounded to her. She scooped up the tiny kitten and held her up. "There's my baby!"
The kitten mewed and then began to purr as she rubbed her face against Beatrice's cheek. It was good to be home.
After changing, Beatrice went to her kitchen and grabbed a few things from the icebox. Though the family normally had servants, Beatrice had chosen to forego them after their last housekeeper had retired. She rather enjoyed cooking. There was something cathartic about handling a big knife and heating things over a heat source.
After eating, Beatrice went into her study to type up her notes from her trip. It would take her days, but if she did it a little at a time, it would go much smoother. She grinned to herself as she heard the unmistakable 'thump thump thump' of Mira as she bounded into the room. Mira disliked being alone and often had to be in the same room as Beatrice.
It was good to be home.
*****
Beatrice walked through her front door and just stood there for a long moment. Mira mewed at her. Beatrice looked down. Not even the little kitten's presence seemed to penetrate. What had she just agreed to? With a quivering lip, she picked up the little kitten and hugged her tightly to her chest.
*****
Watcher's Note: Apologies for abrupt end. Suffering from allergies. Even with meds, still a bit out of it. There will be a second update as usual. But wanted to give you something and thought this was the best place to stop for now. Apologies if it seems a bit all over the place XD
