Enid looked down at her dress. It was beautiful by all accounts. If a bit out of its time. She had pulled out one of Saint Sarah’s dresses from her pack along with some of her jewelry. She had to look the part. She pieced her ears for the thousandth time. It did not hurt any less then it did the first. But if there was one thing she was used to, it was pain. Hazel pushed her door open and glared at her. Erma seeing the angry girl show up performed a hasty retreat. She’d learned long ago do not get between nobles in their arguments she closed the door behind her.
“Mom! Are you fucking serious right now?”
Enid turned to look at her daughter.
“Language.”
“Oh, if that’s not the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.”
Enid shifted around the stool she was sitting on while getting ready to greet the arriving guests as the future lady of the household. She folded her hands in her lap and looked up at her daughter.
“What has gotten you upset today, Hazel?”
“You!”
“Very eloquent of you.”
“You are playing dumb you old hag!”
“Perhaps it is my old age catching up with me, but I cannot for the life of me imagine what would cause you to be so angry at this moment.”
“You’re getting married!”
“Oh that.”
Enid turned back to the mirror and went back to adjusting her hair.
“That’s it? Oh that? You have to be kidding me. Amee’s body is barely cold, do you even have a heart in there anymore or has that amulet crushed it to dust?”
Enid took a deep breath stood up and walked towards her daughter. Before Hazel knew what happened she was squirming with Enid’s fingers pinching her ear in the most painful way possible.
“I will explain in full when the time is right. But now is not the time for this argument. Guests will be arriving soon. Do you understand?”
Enid flicked her eyes to the door and to a seemingly non-descript wall. She released her daughter’s ear. Hazel blinked at her mother and rubbed her ear. Hazel looked ready to brawl. Enid frowned.
“I know you’re upset with the loss of Amee. I am upset too, but we need to look after ourselves now.”
Enid raised a finger and pointed at her daughter.
“Before you throw that first punch remember who taught you how to fight. I don’t want either of us looking like we went six rounds with each other when the guests arrive. It will make a bad first impression on Empress Matilda.”
Hazel swung at her mother who simply wasn’t there. Her gift already told her what was coming. She weaved under Hazel’s arm and moved to the wall she had glanced at. Hazel lunged at her and Enid weaved around her and before Hazel realized it her tiny mother had her pinned, face pressed against the wall and her arm flexed to a position she risked it breaking. Then she felt it. The twisting in her gut a demon was nearby.
“If I let you go, are you going to try and punch me again?”
Hazel managed to say no with her face distorted by the pressure her mother was exerting. She realized her mother was wearing her armor under her dress.
“Do you understand now, hon?”
Hazel nodded. Enid released her. She’d come to realize over the course of the last few days that the keep was home to two demon possessed humans. So far Enid had been trying to figure out how to free them. One had always been nearby the two noblewomen once it became widely known Enid was betrothed to Sir Arl. Enid had taken to just pretending she was a noblewoman for all intents and purposes. She thanked their luck that the two demons hadn’t been interested on the first day. Hazel rubbed her wrist and glanced at her mother.
“You should have told me about the marriage mom.”
“Why did you think we were traveling here with a chest of gold? You should have known it was a dowry.”
“It was just so soon after… after.”
Enid reached her hand out and rubbed her daughter’s upper arm.
“Our position in Scotland was tenuous. I could not say no to the offer. You understand why I didn’t tell you sooner?”
Hazel glanced towards the wall.
“I do mom. Sorry.”
Enid’s eyes flicked to the non-descript wall again.
“Your behavior was abhorrent today, swearing, trying to strike your mother. You should go to the cathedral and confess. I’m not sure what has gotten into you, maybe the father has some ideas on how to get it out hmm?”
Hazel blinked at her mother for a few seconds as if she couldn’t believe the audacity, then realization dawned on her.
“Sorry mother. I will go right away.”
Enid hugged Hazel. It was a genuine hug and not one for show. She pulled her daughter down and kissed her on the cheek.
“Thank you dear. I should go myself but how would it look? There are a lot of eyes on me.”
Hazel nodded.
“Perhaps a prayer for the angels to intercede may be helpful as well. Sariel and her brother. Yes?”
Hazel nodded again.
“You are right mother. I’ll go right away and pray. Then I will see the father.”
“I always finding praying in the great outdoors to be for the best.”
Hazel nodded.
“Yes mother. The fresh air will do my good.”
“I will see you after I help your future step-father greet our guests.”
Hazel turned to leave. Enid grabbed her wrist gently.
“Be careful of Deacon Thatcher. He’s quite…handsy.”
Hazel blinked at her mother.
“Don’t make waves just extricate yourself hmm?”
Hazel blinked at her mother again. She eventually nodded. She left the room and Enid went back to preparing herself. Erma hurried in after Hazel left.
“I heard a scuffle milady are you alright?”
“I’m fine. She was upset, she is still rather attached to our previous family.”
Erma went about arranging Enid’s hair. Enid had struggled to keep her at bay, but Erma seemed to want to focus on work rather then herself. She couldn’t blame the woman, what else did she have? She had no money, she’d abused her daughter so much Helen, now that she had a lady to wait on was always finding ways to be busy. Enid shooed her away and stood up.
“Thank you, Erma. You should rest.”
Erma curtsied and walked out. Enid shook her head. She didn’t like having servants. She sighed and slapped a holo-web on her pack to make it invisible and went to meet Sir Arl. He was dressed in his finest clothes. His eyes didn’t leave her as she walked down the stairs.
“You are beautiful.”
“I am average at best but thank you for your compliment. Now stand up straight and smile, even after only three days I know how much you despise this sort of thing. Every time mention of the tournament came up your brow furrowed, and you frowned ever so slightly. Today is about first impressions and if you want your mother to take you seriously, then you need make good ones.”
He smoothed his tunic after looking Enid up and down.
“Of course, milady.”
Enid plastered on her best Lady Sarah of Savia smile and turned to the first nobles to enter. They approached the hosts after being announced. The line went on and on. Eventually the person Sir Arl had been dreading arriving was announced. He stiffened up as her name was announced.
“The Holy Roman Empress, Matilda.”
Enid noted that Matilda was not unattractive, even in her fifties. She had greying black hair and hazel eyes. She looked stern, Enid was familiar with the body language and facial expressions. She often wore them. For the majority of her life women were treated with overlooked and they had to be what most would called bitchy to get anything done. Matilda approached the couple and looked Sir Arl up and down.
“Passable for once.”
“Welcome to my home mother. This is my fiancée Lady Sarah.”
The elder woman’s eyes drifted to Enid and looked her up and down.
“So, this is the fiancée I have heard nothing about.”
Enid curtsied.
“It is an honor to meet you, Empress.”
Matilda pursed her lips. She looked Enid up and down one more time.
“Come, show me to my rooms, Lady Sarah.”
Sir Arl raised his hand in protest.
“But mother, the guests, Henry hasn’t even arrived yet.”
“They can meet her at the banquet, I am not getting any younger and I would know who my son is marrying into my family sooner than later.”
Sir Arl looked like he was going to protest again Enid put a hand on his forearm, she looked up to Matilda.
“I will be happy to show you to the rooms we’ve prepared for you, Empress.”
Enid motioned towards the rooms which were on the main floor. Once inside the well appointed sitting room Empress Matilda waved her servant away and sat down on one of the lounges without much pomp or circumstance. She motioned to the lounge across from her.
“Sit.”
Enid sat down and crossed her legs. It had been quite a long time but she was well verse in dealing with to medieval royalty. It had taken the younger vampire her quite a bit of pride swallowing to at least treat them with a modicum of respect, this older more mature version of her didn’t care about pride anymore in most circumstances. The Empress glanced around the room. Enid had done her best to make it inviting to her important future mother-in-law. By the same token she wasn’t easily intimidated so wasn’t the least bit nervous about this meeting as a woman of her apparent age meeting the future mother-in-law might be. Matilda focused on Enid and looked her up and down.
“You seem very calm for a woman in your position.”
“What position is that?”
“Meeting your future mother-in-law.”
“I had no idea I had anything to be nervous about, Empress.”
Matilda straightened up and leaned forward.
“You are not easily intimidated are you girl?”
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“No, your highness I am not.”
Matilda hmphed.
“I see my son has found a match with backbone to match mine. How old are you?”
“Thirty-two this last July, Empress.”
“You don’t look a day over sixteen.”
“Healthy living.”
“Thirty-two and just being wed, what is wrong with you?”
“I am a widow. My husband died under… difficult circumstances leaving my daughter and I in a bit of a predicament. Our situation in Scotland was tenuous. A marriage to you son seemed the ideal way to resolve the complications.”
“Are you aware he impregnated his own sister?”
Enid frowned.
“Rumors and lies, your majesty. I’m surprised you would repeat such misinformation. May the people who spread such filth find themselves tongue tied in front of St. Peter. If I find out who started it, I’ll whip them myself.”
Matilda’s slips twitched ever so slightly upwards. She relaxed into the lounge’s back.
“Let us talk plainly, Lady Sarah. It is insulting to both of us to do otherwise. I recognize a fellow wolf in sheep’s clothing. You are no shrinking violet. You are more then you appear. You have the hands of a serving girl but the noble bearing of a queen. You pretend to be demure and respectful of me but everything about you says that you know you are better than me. But it is not from belief it is from knowing. You appear young but your eyes are old. At some point in the past and even still now, you are accustomed to speaking and people listening as if their lives depended on it. I feel like I’m talking to my grandmother and I’m six years old again. So, who are you really?”
“I am many things your majesty but hunting for riches or a noble title are not among them. I have both in excess.”
Matilda leaned forward again hands on her knees all pretense of prim and proper lady evaporating showing the old battle axe of a woman for who she truly was. A force to be reckoned with.
“Then why are you marrying my loser of a son who by all accounts is such a disappointment he could only get his sister to touch his little Arl?”
Enid went to protest but Matilda held up her hand.
“Don’t. While I appreciate you limiting the damage, we both know its true. So why are you willing to marry such a pathetic man?”
Enid nodded.
“It is a marriage of necessity I can say no more at this moment, with respect, Empress.”
Her eyes flicked to one of the many listening rooms that littered the keep built to spy on guests. Matilda glanced towards the nondescript bit of wall and her lips curved into a larger smile.
“Of course, Lady Sarah. You will be marrying during the tournament no doubt?”
Enid blinked at her.
“Given the circumstances, if they are dire as you say, perhaps a quick wedding would be in everyone’s interest. Besides I’m and old woman I do not want to be back down here next month to attend a November wedding. All the nobles are here now. Its perfect. Don’t you worry about the preparations, we’ll get it all in order. It will be the celebration at the end of the tournament.”
Enid swallowed hard. She wanted to this done quickly but she hadn’t really wanted it that quick. If Sir Arl’s blessing was riding on it, then it was likely best she just get on with it then. Out of all her marriages she had never once had to deal with a mother-in-law. She decided she’d better prepare herself for a wild ride.
“As you say majesty.”
“I knew as soon as I saw you that we were built from the same stuff. Hopefully your children will favor your side of this union and not my loser son’s.”
She leaned back and fanned herself.
“If he can even get his prick up for anyone but his sister. Poor girl. She was always so gentle.”
“I am sorry for your loss ma’am.”
Enid stood and walked towards the spies post. She felt the twisting in her gut and grimaced. Matilda followed her with her eyes and frowned when she saw Enid holding her abdomen. Enid spoke loudly.
“It is terrible to outlive a child. I’ve lost one myself. It puts a shade over everything it touches. To that end I’ve asked one of the Father’s to bless the entire keep. Every nook and cranny, even the ones unseen.”
Matilda looked at Enid with a raised eyebrow.
“Are you feeling alright Lady Sarah?”
“Oh, I am fine, I am just advising you as I assume they are working near here, wouldn’t want them to overhear anything untoward.”
She felt the twisting in her gut retreat and vanish along with their demonic spy. She spoke quickly.
“I must speak quickly. There are spies in the keep. Two of them I’ve identified. They are…not normal people. Be careful what you say to whom and where. Empress. Your daughter died in childbirth this is true, but your grandson was murdered by the midwife. How I know this I cannot say, but know that I know it with every fiber of my being. I have my daughter trying to figure out how to rid us of them.”
Matilda looked at Enid her eyes not blinking.
“You are indeed more then you seem. Why tell me this?”
“Because you asked me to speak plainly. We do not have long. It will figure out the priest is not here today, and you need to know to trust no one by myself or my daughter. Even your own guard and servants could end up on their side.”
“You sound paranoid.”
Enid reached out her hand and summoned the energy staff again. Matilda’s eyes went wide.
“They are the enemy of Heaven and all things good.”
Enid waved her hand and the staff vanished. Enid’s face twisted in discomfort as the cramps in the abdomen returned. She moved away from the wall swiftly and breathed a sigh of relief when she’d reached the point where it was a mild annoyance as opposed to outright pain. Matilda went to say something, and Enid shook her head.
“Of course, Empress, you are going to be family soon, you can do whatever you wish for the wedding. My only care is for the happiness of my husband to be.”
Matilda smirked at Enid’s words.
“Perhaps you should tend to him then and leave me to my thoughts.”
Enid stood up and curtsied.
“As you say Empress, should I send my lady in waiting to attend you?”
Matilda nodded.
“Yes, my servants are tired from our long journey.”
“I will send her presently. I’ll check in on your servants and guard and make sure that all is well before the banquet.”
“Please do. If you notice anything amiss, notify me immediately.”
“Of course, Empress.”
Enid made her way out of the room and back to Arl who was hugging a man who was older than himself and pounding him on the back. He noticed Enid approach.
“Henry, this is my betrothed, Lady Sarah.”
The older version of Arl released his brother and looked Enid up and down finally he smiled.
“I believe you are too good for my brother.”
Enid curtsied.
“Your majesty I would say he is too good for me.”
King Henry the Second’s eyes widened.
“A Scottish lass.”
He looked at Arl.
“You’re in for its brother. They say Scottish women are as strong as the winds across their highlands and have a temperament to match!”
“The words are not untrue, your majesty.”
Behind him a beautiful woman was wrangling two young boys with servants and holding a baby girl, she smiled at Enid with a small nod when Enid acknowledged her presence. Being related to this by marriage once over Enid could identify most of the family. The woman would be Eleanor, Queen of England. The eldest boy she couldn’t recall the name but knew he died young and Henry who would rebel against his father and die for his troubles. She did not see the next boy who would be King Richard the Lion Heart, crusader. The girl would be her grandmother’s namesake. Enid approached the Queen and spoke in French and as usual with her new language gift which seemed to be unrelated to her vampirism she sounded like a natural born speaker if she didn’t try to do it on her own.
“Majesty could I be of assistance?”
The queen looked surprised, she nodded and offered Matilda to Enid who took her and cradled her in her arms.
“You speak beautiful French. I wouldn’t have guessed you weren’t native.”
Enid rocked Matilda gently and with the practiced ease of a mother almost thirty times over.
“I love learning new languages, majesty. It is nice to make use of my hard work.”
Henry looked between the two then glanced at Arl.
“What do you think those two are plotting?”
Eleanor scoffed at her husband.
“You would know if you bothered to learn my native language.”
Henry waved his hand dismissively and went back to talking to Arl. Enid had discerned from the brief time she’d been near the two that they were close. She’d not pictured that. Usually when royal titles were on the line things took a turn for the dark, but it would seem Arl had no aspirations of more than he had. Enid looked to the Queen still speaking in French.
“Majesty, we have your rooms prepared, perhaps you’d like to get off your feet and relax.”
“That would be most appreciated. I did not catch your name.”
“Lady Sarah, Majesty.”
Enid led the Queen and her children who were being corralled together to their chambers and passed Matilda to the Queen. The Queen looked at her.
“When I have settled and my children are being less of a bother, I would like very much to speak with you again.”
“Of course, majesty.”
Enid left her to the children and made her way around the keep. She’d managed to check most of the nobles who had arrived for demon’s riding piggyback but there were a few she missed when dragged away by Matilda. Obviously, they had a keen interest in the keep, so coming in on a servant or noble wouldn’t be surprising. She felt one as she wandered but the keep and castle were so full of people she couldn’t identify the demon possessed human before it got out of the area she could detect it in. She gave up. She came to the realization identifying them would do little good unless she could get rid of them. She would prefer leaving the hosts alive rather then going on an apparent random murder spree. She found Sir Arl entertaining some guests she approached him and he excused himself.
He spoke quietly his fingers touching her hand and intertwining with hers, he had taken to the idea of marrying her with some vigor in the last day or so. At first he had been cold to the idea. Enid was still hesitant even though she knew what she had to do. Her fingers intertwined with his and he looked surprised.
“I am so glad you survived my mother.”
“Yes, and I have brilliant news. She says we’re getting married on the last day of the tournament.”
He went pale.
“Did you say the last day of the tournament?”
“Yes. So, I am going to the cathedral to warn the bishop, I hope you don’t mind?”
“No, no of course, if mother wishes it done then it should be. Of course, we should warn the bishop. Are you taking the carriage?”
“No, I will walk. It is a short way.”
She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.
“Good luck.”
Enid released his hand and made her way to the cathedral. It was quite impressive by twelfth century standards. The whole way she felt eyes on her. Her gift was screaming danger, but nothing came. She was near the stairs up to the main door of the cathedral and glanced around and spotted one of the servants she’d only ever seen at a distance in the keep. He started to casually inspect a merchant’s wares when he saw her looking in her direction. With her gift screaming at her about the demon nearby and focusing on her she was slow to react to a more imminent threat. Deacon Thatcher pushed her between two stone buttresses on lower part of the church. His hands finding her right breast.
“Milady, you honor us with your presence.”
Enid could still sense the demon watching. If she responded with her usual vigor to such unwanted attention, it would definitely spook it. When his hand found its way up her dress and between her legs, he found she was in a very hard suit of armor. Also, a very strong one. She squeezed her legs together with enough force to injure his hand. He almost cried out but held it back realizing how compromising of a position he was in. She smiled sweetly at him and spoke very quietly.
“You will remove your hands, Deacon. I am giving you one more pass, but if you try to do this again, I will gut you and leave you alive so you can feel the crows feasting on your entrails.”
He looked down when he felt the cold metal of a blade pressed against his manhood.
“Do we understand each other, Deacon Thatcher?”
He nodded and his hand released her breast. He stumbled when he heard Hazel’s voice.
“Mother is everything all right?”
Enid smiled to her daughter who had her fists closed. Enid could just picture what was running through her daughter’s head at the moment and it ended with the deacon’s head being bashed against the wall over again until it was a bloody pulp. She gave the small’s shake of her head while meeting Hazel’s gaze.
“No dear, the deacon was just assisting me with my dress. But he’s going back to his duties now which will involve telling the Bishop that Lady Sarah would very much like an audience. My daughter and I will be enjoying the fresh air while we wait.”
Deacon Thatcher’s face was red, even his balding head was red. He nodded repeatedly and rushed away. Enid hooked her arm into Hazels.
“Come let us go look at the stained glass.”
Enid led Hazel away from the road and out of earshot of the demonic spy who didn’t seem to keen on walking onto holy ground.
“Why are you here mother?”
“To check up on your progress and to tell the Bishop to prepare for a wedding.”
Hazel looked down at her mother.
“Mom! So soon?”
“Not my choice, literally. Matilda gets what Matilda wants. We’re kind of the same that way. I figure we have some time to talk away from the demons. How did it go?”
Hazel rubbed the back of her neck.
“While he couldn’t figure out why we couldn’t do it ourselves, being angels and all.”
“What did you say?”
“I said that we don’t want to reveal ourselves too soon, I also mentioned that our methods end up with the possessed person dead. That seemed to motivate him.”
“And?”
“He’s getting permission from the bishop to perform the exorcisms. We’re probably going to need to subdue them though.”
Enid shrugged.
“Shouldn’t be so hard. I already identified one, he… it? Seems to like spying on me in particular. So, you should be able to take him down while he’s in the spy hidey hole near my room.”
“Works for me. Now are you going to tell me what the fuck this wedding is all about?”
Enid rubbed the top of her nose with two fingers.
“So, very short version. Sir Arl’s son with his sister was my husband’s great grandfather. Demon’s murdered him. So no great grandfather, no Eyre, no me killing the black son.”
“How do we stop it?”
“We can’t, its already done. We’re here now. The only way to fix it is to have a replacement.”
“You’re not thinking of… oh, mom that’s insane.”
“Do you want to do it? Him being wolf born might really screw things up.”
“You know I can’t have kids.”
“Yet.”
“Hazel, even Sir Arl’s mother thinks he’s a lost cause. Now he might be a terrible noble, awkward with women, but he turns his son into a force to be reckoned with. I don’t see women lining up for him and this has to happen now to minimize divergence.”
“Divergence. Who are you? What are you talking about?”
“Look I saw it when I memory walked the bloody rag. I saw his entire life the connections to the future like… this line. I don’t know how I know, but I know this is what we need to do to make things right. Fill in the hole.”
“Okay how did the demons know to kill the baby?”
“I literally do not know. This is the perfect target. Why though? That is piece I’m missing. What do they get by ripping the future apart? Even ignoring the impact Eyre had on me, with no Eyre who is in charge of Aurelius corp? Who helps Amee save the world? Does Amee go through with the ice age? Does humanity get wiped out by the Silwrath? Eyre is so pivotal to the 29th century…everything will have derailed completely. Amee and Maria are the only other two who could possibly cause this much harm. Maria doesn’t appear for centuries and father probably has some non-detection thing on her and then there is Samael the angel of death who guards her. I doubt demons want to cross something they can’t hurt. No this was the perfect target. The rest of the births have a priest present. This one was secret. This was calculated and planned out. And they left behind some watchers to make sure it stuck. This smells of something very well organized.”
“How do you know this will fix it? Hmm?”
“I just know. Like I know the sky is blue, like the sun will rise in the morning. It just an irrefutable fact in my brain. Like I’m looking at a patient with a stab wound. That if I stitch it up in the right way everything is going to be alright. Only it feels like I’m the patient and the surgeon at the same time.”
Enid rubbed her temples. Hazel opened her mouth to say something but then closed it. The two were as much best friends as mother and daughter at this point. Looks could hold the same meaning as entire paragraphs of text. Enid nodded.
“I understand. If I had a way around it…”
Hazel nodded.
“I should go speak to the bishop. Tell Sir Arl that you thought you saw a couple of his servants stealing. Use your demon sense to figure out which ones are the bad ones. Tell Sir Arl you were mistaken you don’t see the ones responsible. Then capture them and let the priest push the demons out. If they fight back put them down. Keep an eye out for any nobles or newly arrived guests for the tournament. I caught the scent of one but they got away before I could figure out who it was. I need to focus on fixing the mess they made by killing the baby. Matilda is a force to be reckoned with, I gave a her a hint of the truth but if she stops this wedding the future of creation is fucked.”
“I’m on it mom. Take care of your side of things, I’ll take care of mine.”
Enid straightened out her dress and headed towards the Cathedral proper. Hazel walked towards the castle.