VeraWolfeFantasyWebNovels

♝♝♝♝♝♝♝♝♝♝

[Rough Draft] Chapter 60: The Grip of Malice

 

Thanks to the ever-watching gaze of his crows, Percy knew to expect a turbulent passage at the permitter road of Bastiallano’s southern border. The irksome lurch of the carriage back and forward as the driver was forced to stop and wait out another passage of refugees either blocking or attempting to cross the road in front of them left Percy’s rather empty stomach feeling nauseous.

“How long can the Duchess sustain such a burden,” Percy murmured as he eyed the open field of tents lit by torches and campfires, where those waiting to be transported across the border to either hospital camps or secure lodgings huddled together for warmth.

The picturesque scene of firelit faces, gaunt with illness, fear, and glimmers of hope was yet another reminder of Duchess Kirsi’s—as much as he disliked her new name—bothersome attachment to such fragile mortals.

‘From what my spies have told me, this plague is far from natural. The fact no witches have yet to contract it is a relief, but I’ve yet to discover its origins.’

The Earl gripped his cane tightly as the carriage lurched forward again, only to cut to an abrupt stop as the driver cursed, and Captain Flit’s voice broke out in a wave of abusive reproach.

Percy closed the curtain and braced his legs against the carriage floor as he waited impatiently for them to move yet again. His winter grey eyes traveled to the signet ring on his right hand, the onyx crystal shimmered gray as scenes of distant rooms, manors, and even the palace flickered into focus through the ring’s connection to his crows.

For now, Percy could only maintain x connections at a time. The first watcher was stationed inside the Bastiallano’s borders, keeping two eyes on the Duchy’s fortress entrance. The second crow circled above the Earl, revealing a long line of refugees which blocked their way forward. The third bird’s vision was blurred by a glass window but showed Nicholas bowed over his desk with the ever-present giant knight close by.

The fourth and fifth watchers were harder to connect. The crow in Ventrayna was currently struggling to stay alive inside the harsh climate of the desert, while the other crow’s connection flickered intermittently from the rafters of a meeting hall where several heads of the Pope’s Witch Hunter Order were expected to arrive.

The painful pounding behind Percy’s eyes forced him to relinquish his grip on the fourth and fifth connection.

‘Territories controlled by other gods are far too taxing, even with Viktor’s blessing.’

“My Lord,” Captain Flit’s voice proceeded a cautionary tap on the carriage’s window.

A glance at his signet ring told Percy that the group of knights he had spotted earlier were headed directly towards them. He frowned as he noted two water witches mingled in with their group.

‘Just how was Price Llyr able to win her trust so easily?’

“Hold!” A male knight’s voice boomed out authoritatively. “What business do you have with the Duchy of Bastiallano?”

Captain Flint straightened in his saddle beside the carriage window. “We are escorting the Earl of Hawthorne who wishes to speak to the Duchess.”

“Then you had best turn round. The Duchess is not at home, nor is she accepting further visitors today.”

‘Not at home?’ Percy’s gaze snapped back to his ring. The crow on the other end of his connection fluttered its wings with apparent frustration. Through it, Percy had seen the Duchess return from the funeral. While Viscountess Hana had left for a short time in the afternoon, she had later turned, and since then, no other carriage had passed through the Duchy’s fortress gate. ‘So then—how?’

The Earl gritted his teeth as his grip on his father’s cane tightened. The only possible explanation had to be Prince Llyr. Water witches were able to transverse distance through portals of water. Percy had seen Prince Llyr use such a trick when he appeared in Viscount Gilwren’s water fountain.

‘But what could Kirsi be up to that she would go out of her way to make sure my birds could not follow her?’

Letting out a drawn-out sigh, Percy pulled the curtain back from the carriage window and tapped his ring again the glass pane. Captain Flint hastily moved his horse closer and leaned in as the Earl slid the window down and whispered into his mercenary’s ear.

A moment later, Captain Flit straightened and relayed the Earl’s words. “Has the Duchess gone to the royal palace by any chance?”

“I have no reason to report the movements of our Duchess to anyone, even the Earl of Hawthorne,” was the harsh and immediate answer.

Percy clenched his jaw but then smiled. ‘Well, it’s clear that Kirsi has won over the loyalty of her knights. Better that they fall in line behind her than behind the Dowager.’ He tapped the window and signaled Flint once more.

“Then,” Flint cleared his throat and relayed the message with forced neutrality, “Would you relay a message to your Duchess? The Earl of Hawthorne wishes to meet with her urgently regarding matters related to the Noble’s Faction. If she would send word as to the soonest hour that she will be available to meet with him?”

“I will inform the Duchess of your visit and the Earl’s message,” the knight replied with a bit less hostility. “If his Lordship would turn his carriage around with care. The people on this road are guests of the Duchess who have been promised safe travels. We have been given clear instructions to clear out any outsiders who cause them grief or injury.”

Percy’s lips twisted into a cynical smile. ‘The Knights of Bastiallano are bold indeed if they would threaten even me.’ He glanced over as Captain Flint’s hand dropped subtlety towards the hilt of his blade. With an impatient sight, Percy tapped his ring against the window ledge again and shook his head firmly.

Flint bowed his head in acknowledgment as his sword hand returned to the pommel of his saddle. “We will bear the Duchess’s wishes in mind. Thank you for relaying the Earl’s words.”

Percy ignored the sound of Flint’s mercenaries moving around the carriage, attempting to clear enough space for the team of horses to turn around safely. The Duchy’s knight looked on in silence until the carriage bumped back onto the road again, heading away from Bastiallano’s borders.

‘Where oh where could you have gone, Kirsi,’ Percy mused as his focus shifted to the cluster of crows that lingered in the nearby trees. The Earl leaned towards his signet ring, which flashed red below his lips as he issued a command. “Find the Duchess.”

The batter of wings and squawks of birds flew overhead as the murder of crows dispersed in different directions. It was a last-minute warning from the single crow who remained to circle above that prepared the Earl for the raven which crashed through the carriage’s open window.

Percy blinked in surprise as the feathered creature’s sharp beak narrowly avoided his face. The blackbird veered and plummeted into the empty carriage with a weak cry of protest. Once it had dislodged its beak from the cushions feathers, the raven sagged tiredly down on its side where the exhausted bird panted and extended one trembling leg towards the Earl.

“My Lord?” Flint called out worriedly from outside.

“Eyes on the road,” Percy snapped. “Keep the horses at a safe pace until we’ve cleared our way through these refugees.” He narrowed his eyes at the raven’s leg where a small leather pouch had been secured.

‘A message from the Twilight Coven?’ With a warning look at the loudly breathing bird, Percy tugged the pouch open, pulled out the small scroll, and unfurled the parchment which bore the symbol of the royal family at the bottom of the torn page.

A malignant spirit is threatening my daughter’s life. Please come to the palace at once.

                                Lord Alastair Kensington.

‘A ghost?’ Percy’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. The Raven moved sluggishly to its feet and watched him as the Earl leaned back against his carriage seat. ‘Still, it’s not like Lord Alastair to overreact.’ He ran a hand through his mahogany-brown hair and let out a tired sigh. ‘I had better deal with this before another unexpected problem arises.’

Waving the raven aside, Percy leaned across the carriage to rap his cane on the driver’s window door. “Take me to the Palace at once!”

“Yes, my Lord!”

***

Passage through the Royal Palace’s fortress gate had become more stringent since Marquess Borghese’s rebellion. Nevertheless, Percy was extended every courtesy as the knights halted his carriage. Captain Flint was asked to relinquish his weapons while the rest of the mercenary unit moved to wait outside the fortress wall for his return. Once the knights had confirmed that the Earl was the only passenger inside the carriage, he was quickly waved through.

Once through the dark tunnel of the thick fortress wall, Percy checked in on the watcher crow that tailed behind the Crown Prince. At this hour, Nicholas had finally retired to his rooms, apparently unaware of Eleanora’s situation.

‘Well, that is to be expected. They’ve only grown further apart since Maura left Eleanora’s service and became Duchess Kirsi.’ Percy adjusted his jacket and cloak as the carriage continued forward at a steady pace, only stopping once they had arrived at the Crown Princess’s residence. The knights on guard hastily opened the gate once they caught sight of the Hawthorne crest. The Earl alighted his carriage and motioned for Captain Flint to follow along. While the mercenary’s protection wasn’t strictly necessary, having a trusted man on hand to send a message back to Serilda might be useful.

There were many eyes on Percy already, among them the Dowagers. His late arrival to Eleanora’s palace would not have gone unnoticed.

The first person to meet the Earl as he entered Rose Palace was none other than Lady Evelynn. She greeted him subduedly, careful to maintain a distance as she took his cloak and cane.

“Where is my cousin?” Percy asked as he took in the somber entryway, lit by flickering candles and filled with an almost oppressive silence.

“Her Highness and Lord Alastair are upstairs,” Evelynn answered as she passed the Earl’s cloak and cane to a maid. “I will escort you up—”

“I know the way,” Percy replied briskly as he waved her aside and mounted the stairs with swift strides. His sensitive ears picked up the sound of whispers and muffled tears from just as his sense of smell prickled beneath the scent of blood.

Major Garrett stood on guard outside the Crown Princess’s room. The highly decorated soldier narrowed his eyes at Percy’s approach but turned to knock and announce the Earl’s arrival without comment.

“Send him in,” Alastair’s voice replied with notable tension.

“Wait out here,” Percy said with a single look at Captain Flint. The mercenary nodded and moved to stand at a discreet distance from the door and Major Garrett.

Percy gritted his teeth as the scent of blood mingled with the aroma of wine filled his senses the moment he crossed the threshold. His winter-gray eyes locked upon the remarkably pale Eleanora, who lay weakly against her pillows beneath her father’s pensive gaze.

“Lord Alastair,” the Earl greeted softly as he moved to the other side of the large bed. “I received your message, but—perhaps you could explain in more detail?”

Alastair’s worried cerulean-blue eyes moved restlessly from Eleanora’s closed eyelids down her arms to the hand he grasped. “She has been suffering from waking nightmares,” the nobleman explained in a raspy voice. “I thought she was simply worn down given recent events, but—then this happened.”

Percy watched as the elder pureblood moved aside a golden silk handkerchief to reveal Eleanora’s bandaged wrist. The Earl’s eyes twitched with annoyance as he realized why the room smelled of blood. ‘Since when had the proud Eleanora become so weak?’

“She did this to herself?” Percy asked cautiously as his winter-gray eyes scanned the room around them. Everything appeared tidy and organized, but the unmistakable smell of blood and wine was tinted with fresh soap. He focused his magic, and a weak but still discernable trail of the coppery scent led the Earl’s gaze to the large bedroom window and its reading nook that was missing several cushions and pillows.

“I do not think so,” Alastair replied with a sharp glance in Percy’s direction. He covered Eleanora’s bandaged arm carefully and rose sluggishly to his feet.

“You mentioned a malignant spirit,” Percy pressed, doing his best to mask any cynicism.

“It would be best if you spoke to the lady-in-waiting who found her,” Alastair replied as he moved around the bed and Percy to speak with Major Garrett through the door.

A moment later, a young noblewoman Percy recognized as a distant relative of the Kensington family appeared through the door and bowed before them both. “My Lords.”

“This is Lady Aelin, a distant cousin of Serilda’s. I asked her to join Eleanora as a lady-in-waiting when I caught wind of Eleanora’s change in behavior,” Alastair explained and then nodded to Aelin. “Tell the Earl what you remember.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Aelin replied hesitantly as she glanced with evident curiosity in Percy’s direction. “Since I moved to the palace, the crown princess has been sleepwalking almost nightly. The other ladies and I take turns keeping an eye on her and try to restrict her movements to the second floor where the other servants won’t see. Most nights, her Highness goes to Lady Hana’s old room—which has been kept empty.”

Percy repressed a sigh and nodded for her to continue.

“It was strange at first, but—” Aelin folded her hands together as her face took on a worried expression, “—when assisting her Highness with a bath, I would find scratches on her arms and neck. When I asked about them—Eleanora said they were from a dream.”

The Earl arched a brow as he glanced over at Alastair. The elder air witch remained silent as he waited for Aelin to continue.

“Then her Highness fell down the stairs. Luckily Major Garrett was close by and managed to catch her, so there was no serious injury. But—then it happened again immediately the next day while we were distracted with a visit from the Dowager. We couldn’t hide the incident, so we sent for a royal physician. While he was examining Eleanora, I saw the same fresh scratches on her ankle. The same ankle which her Highness claimed gave way as she was going down the stairs.”

Percy narrowed his gaze at the young noblewoman, who blushed as she focused on the carpet below their feet. “And today?”

“Her Highness drinks late at night to help herself sleep,” Aelin explained. “It has reduced the episodes of sleepwalking, so we only kept an eye on the amount she drank. But tonight—” the young woman shuddered as she nervously grasped her left wrist. “When I found her, she had already lost a fair amount of blood. Her Highness—was shaking, crying, saying that she was going to die anyway, so she might as well leave on her own terms.”

‘What?’ Percy shifted his gaze back to Alastair, whose clenched fists trembled visibly beneath the young woman’s account.

“I asked her Highness why she would believe such a horrible thing,” Aelin continued, her voice dropping lower as if she sensed the Viscount’s pent-up fury. “That’s when—her Highness said that the Duchess of Bastiallano had promised that she would not live long after becoming queen.”

Percy’s gaze snapped back to the noblewoman as a cynical smile spread across his lips. “Duchess Kirsi?”

“I—believe so—although Eleanora referred to her as Maura,” Aelin answered weakly, trembling as her cheeks lost their color beneath his piercing gaze.

“And does the Viscount believe this?” Percy asked as his attention returned to the Viscount.

“There must be a reason Eleanora believes it—enough for her to take such drastic measures,” Alastair replied coldly. “She would never—,” the nobleman broke off abruptly as he fought to subdue the rage and fear in his words. “That is why I sent for your help.”

“And your message about a harmful spirit?”

“Eleanora’s waking nightmares concerned me, given the palace’s history,” Alastair replied as he moved stiffly to the dresser beside the crown princess’s bed. “So I placed some wards around her room.” The Viscount reached into the top drawer to pull out a small jade bird which he offered to the Earl.

Percy took the enchanted statute and noted the cracked inscriptions along the figure’s base. “It appears something activated them.”

“If it was a spirit, it’s a powerful one,” Alastair affirmed grimly. “I have yet to sense it myself.”

Percy tilted his head as he recalled Viktor’s warning about a spirit that had followed Maura since childhood. The same warning that had led the Earl to gift Maura with a precious family heirloom enchanted to protect against ghosts. ‘Perhaps this is connected to the Duchess after all.’ He passed the statue back to Alastair and glanced over at Eleanora’s pale face. ‘I did promise Lady Lavinia that I would keep you alive, and I need the Kensington’s continued loyalty even if I must inevitably dethrone you one day.’

“Removing a malignant spirit is difficult,” Percy murmured thoughtfully. “Especially once they have latched onto a victim.”

“Not if we know who set them upon their victim,” Alastair barked as he gripped the jade fox tightly.

Percy frowned at the pointed accusation and waved a hand at Aelin dismissively. “You may go. Say nothing of what you have heard and told us to anyone else.”

“Yes, your Grace,” Aelin murmured demurely and swiftly left them in silence.

“I will speak to the Duchess as soon as possible, but I do not believe she would subject Eleanora to such torment.”

“I know how important Duchess Kirsi is for the covens and Lafeara’s future,” Alastair replied grimly. “So believe me when I say that I hope you are right. But make no mistake, oath or not, there is nothing more important than my daughter’s life.”

“I understand completely,” Percy replied, gripping his wrist tightly behind his back. “Rest assured that I will use my power and influence to get to the bottom of this and return Eleanora to full health.”

Alastair nodded stiffly, some sense of relief visible as his shoulders sagged tiredly. “Thank you, your Grace. I will—stay with her until morning.”

“It would be best if she were inspected by a royal physician we trusted. It would not do for Nicholas or the Royal Faction to learn the Crown Princess has attempted to take her own life.”

The tired father nodded in silent agreement as he gently brushed Eleanora’s dark hair from her pale cheeks.

“I will send over someone I trust as soon as I return to Hawthorne,” Percy added as he stepped back and moved to leave. “Send word when she wakes up. I would like to speak to her personally regarding these dreams.”

With reluctance, Percy removed the watcher perched outside Nicholas’s window and sent the crow to Rose Palace to keep an eye on the household staff. If even one of them attempted to leak information about the crown princess’s condition to the Dowager or even the new Royal Consort, Lady Priscilla, Percy would ensure that they met a swift and miserable end.