“I’m the ideal Queen. I’m beautiful. I paint. Write poetry. My needlepoint is enviable. And I’m a consummate hostess.” There were tears streaming down Evagene’s brightly flushed cheeks now. “Why can’t I stop itching!” She was all but clawing at her neck now.
“They will have something to help with the itching back at the tents.”
“You’re hiding something from me! Why don’t you want me out here? Is it Prince Zariffe? Is he here? Prince. Your Highness. Help!”
“I believe the Prince might be in that direction.” Niah pointed back the way they came.
Evagene frowned, staring at Alia, then at Niah. “You’re in this together. Trying to keep me from him. I shall find him myself.”
Cruddy hell. None of the accompanying footmen or the Palace guides were of any help, all backing away from a chaotic contagious Evagene. Alia herself wasn’t too sure how she was going to stop a frantic Evagene from rushing off into the woods, when thankfully Niah thought to stick her boot out and trip the woman. Evagene going down hard, remaining on the ground, dazed and confused.
One problem solved. Next was that no one wanted to help the woman up. Pointing at the nearest guide. “You, give me some rope.” Alia created a lasso and from a distance looped it over Evagene’s head, drawing it past her neck and shoulders. Then she pulled on the rope, tightening it. At least that would keep the woman’s arms trapped against her torso and mitigate the amount of scratching she could do. “And you.” Alia cast the second guide a hard look. “Give me the game bag.”
A few minutes later Alia had managed to stuff Evagene into the waxed calico game bag. Using the toe of her boot several times to roll a moaning Evagene until she could pull the bag drawstrings closed around her throat. Only the woman’s head remaining visible.
Excellent. Now several of the servants could carry a trapped Evagene back, whilst Alia looked for the right opportunity to slip away. Except all the servants had a peevish reluctant look on their face. Huffing out a sigh, Alia signalled Deacon. If he would carry the woman’s feet, then Alia would carry Evagene by the torso.
With every awkward step taken, retracing the path they had taken this morning, Alia knew her plan was disintegrating into an unrecoverable mess. There would be no slipping away. No seeking out Regal and shooting an arrow through his heart from a safe, discreet distance.
“You know.” Niah walked along beside them. “I don’t think I agree with Lady Evagene… about what she believes are the attributes required of a Queen. Frankly, I can’t imagine how painting or poetry would be of much use to the Realm… but being able to think and act during a crisis, that strikes me as very useful. To step up and do hard things, when others won’t. To do the right thing, even when it means helping a rival, or someone whose agenda does not match their own. That sounds to me like an exceedingly vital attribute for a future Queen of the Vallas Realm.”
Alia repositioned Evagene’s torso with a grunt, hefting her slightly higher. Thankfully she wasn’t struggling but her despairing quiet sobs made Alia feel like an overbearing bully. She was trying to help the woman, not hurt her further. “What are you saying?” She queried Niah, anything to get her mind off the dismal failure of this day. Perri was going to be so upset Regal wasn’t dead, she did so hate disappointing her sister.
“I’m beginning to think that perhaps I don’t wish to be Queen.”
“It strikes me as a thankless position.”
“Yet someone will eventually have to step into those shoes.”
“Are you withdrawing from the competition?”
“My family would never forgive me if I did… but I’ve begun to wonder whether lately if his Highness has come to think of me as a sister.” Niah’s dark eyes were glittering with amusement, Alia unable to decide if the woman was laughing at her and this preposterous situation, or for some reason herself.
Deacon caught Alia’s eye, he definitely was laughing at her. He’d been avidly eavesdropping. Casting a pointed look down at Evagene, whose legs he was holding wrapped safely in the game bag, and then in Niah’s direction before mouthing his thoughts: And then there were four.
* * *
They were still ten minutes away from the staging tents when a horn blasted, signalling an emergency. Oh, good, one of the servants had raced ahead, except, as she repositioned her hold on a still quietly weeping Evagene for what felt like the hundredth time, Alia noted both Palace guides and all the servants were still present and maintaining a matching, cautious pace.
Alia wasn’t one for foreboding, but her gut tightened, as an awful feeling gnawed at her suddenly, insisting something bad had happened to Talac. The idea made her want to drop Evagene and run ahead to check, but she forced herself to keep trudging onwards, though picking up the pace a little.
They broke from the tree line to find the majority of onlookers and servants crowded around the perimeter of the furthest tent. Alia’s gaze zeroing in upon Talac, standing unharmed deep in the midst of the crowd. Thank the Deities above for his height, all the tension she’d been storing dissipating in a half beat of her heart.
Their little group trudged towards the crowd. Alia eager to find somewhere to put Evagene down and question someone in regards to what the hell was going on.
“Murderess!”
Alia looked behind her, nope, that gentleman was definitely pointing his finger in accusation right at her.
“He’s not dead yet, Makop.”
“As good as.” A third man butted in, as the far edges of the crowd began to all turn and face Alia and her returning party. Condemnation and anger weighing heavily upon the air.
“It’s definitely her arrow.”
Someone had gotten hurt? And for some reason they seemed to think Alia had done the hurting. But they couldn’t convict her for merely plotting and planning to kill a man.
Please be Regal. Please be Regal. But even as Alia took up her inner mantra her gaze met Regal’s glittering inscrutable gaze, the man standing off to one side, surrounded by three young ladies who appeared to be having a silent but furious discussion regarding which of them got to faint and be attended to by the delectable Baron Soutner.
