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Chapter 2: A Garden of Stratagem
It was the first time that Carina had personally visited the garden of Lily Palace. She admired the variety of lilies in full display along the neat pathways of granite stone carefully lined with peach-colored pebbles. The garden beds of flowers were arranged like an artist’s palette, ranging from yellow to blue.
It was the pale blue lilies that caught the Duchess’s attention. When fully bloomed, the rare lily flower resembled a star-like snowflake. These pale, swaying lilies adorned a small corner of the garden, which spread around a marble stone pavilion. Beneath the small structure’s stained-glass roof waited Dowager Octavia.
Lady Delphine set down a porcelain teapot and moved swiftly around the Dowager to greet Carina and Hana with a polite curtsy. “Welcome, your Grace.”
Carina nodded to the senior attendant as she moved towards the Dowager to offer the customary and respectful greeting due to Lafeara’s current Queen Regent. Hana quickly mimicked the Duchess’s curtsy, and they waited between the path of flowers for permission to stand.
Octavia smiled and leaned against the table as she rose from her seat to welcome them. “Please, my dear Kirsi. Rise. You are my granddaughter now and a Duchess. There is no need for such formalities.”
Carina met the Dowager’s ice-blue eyes as she stood and offered an apologetic smile. “Thank you, Queen Regent. I must apologize for my late arrival.”
“Hmm,” Octavia’s eyes narrowed as she brushed her cold fingers against the Duchess’s pale cheek. “I heard rumors that you had shut yourself up inside the Bastiallano’s fortress. I hope that you are not unwell?”
Carina’s smile thinned beneath the Dowager's probing gaze. “I am perfectly healthy, your Majesty. I just took some time to rest after undertaking the many responsibilities of a dukedom.”
“If you will not call me Grandmother, then do try calling me Octavia.”
Carina blinked, unable to think of any scenario in which she would be comfortable addressing the Dowager so informally. There was still too much about Octavia’s involvement in both past and future events of Lafeara that remained unclear. For now, the Dowager and new Duchess appeared to have joined sides purely for Kirsi’s sake.
‘No relationship lasts forever. Not even that between an immortal monarch and a family of loyal vassals.’
“Please, Viscountess, rise,” Octavia murmured, finally sparing Hana a glance. “Now that you are both here, I have some delightful tea which you should both try. It does work wonders against fatigue and old age.”
The Dowager motioned to Lady Delphine, who picked up the pea-green porcelain teapot painted with white and yellow lilies. The senior attendant carefully filled two matching teacups before placing them in front of the Duchess and Viscountess.
Carina raised her glass to inhale the pleasing aroma, which filled her chest with a tingle of warmth. “This is—Cinnamon and Licorice root?”
“You know your herbs well,” Octavia replied with a nod of confirmation.
Carina smiled as she lowered her drink and then reached over to place a hand on top of Hana’s raised cup. “I’m afraid the Viscountess will be sensitive to this kind of tea. Do you have something less potent, Lady Delphine?”
The senior attendant blinked and shifted her startled gaze towards the Dowager. Hana quietly lowered the teacup and pushed it aside with a polite smile that did not mask the tremble of her hand.
“Oh, I do apologize, Viscountess,” Octavia murmured as she set down her drink. “Lady Delphine, make a fresh pot of whatever the Duchess recommends for Lady Hana.”
“There’s no need to go out of your way,” Hana protested hastily. “Some lemon water with honey will suffice.”
“Very well, as the Viscountess wishes,” Octavia replied with a bemused smile. The Dowager motioned her attendant away and resumed drinking her tea with the air of one savoring a delicious secret that she kept to herself.
The Duchess frowned as she studied the oddly pleased monarch and noted the hint of dark circles beneath the older woman’s makeup. When the Dowager raised an inquiring brow, Carina quickly averted her gaze and cleared her throat. “The blue and white lilies are quite a beautiful sight. Your Majesty has a talent for raising rare flowers.”
“Ah yes, the Star Lilies,” Octavia replied with a pleased smile. “They’re quite temperamental and only bloom once every other year, generally before a long winter.”
The Duchess nodded with polite interest and, observing the Viscountess’s continued discomfort, slid a hand under the table to grasp Hana’s reassuringly. While Carina did not believe the Dowager would intentionally harm the Viscountess—certainly not directly in front of her—it was difficult to imagine that Octavia could be unaware of Hana’s illness given the number of spies the Queen Regent had placed inside Rose Palace.
Licorice Root Tea was harmless enough to most. However, in high enough doses, it could trigger high blood pressure and headaches, both of which could easily lead to seizures.
“And how are you getting along with the vassals of your new Duchy?” Octavia asked, raising a new topic of conversation as if to ward off even the hint of accusation from her guests.
“Colonel Isaac has familiarized me with the necessary upkeep and training of Bastiallano’s Regiment. He has also introduced me to several of the Captains and Lieutenants,” Carina replied as she slid her hand away from Hana’s lap. “And I met with both Viscount Belfort and Viscount Adair regarding the collection, storage, and shipment of wheat.” That meeting had been particularly enlightening, given how bountiful Bastiallano’s territories were. The dukedom was so self-sufficient in both power and resources that Carina couldn’t help but wonder why none of the previous Dukes or Duchesses had attempted to secede from Lafeara’s rule.
‘Then again, if they had, they would have come under immediate threat from Ventrayna, which is directly above Bastiallano.’
“But I’m afraid I haven’t seen much of the Dukedom yet outside of Bastiallano’s Fortress,” Carina continued, once again lamenting the work that had gone unfinished due to her three-day slumber.
“You needn’t worry too much. The Duchy’s vassals are competent enough to carry on with their tasks while you get a firm grasp of your responsibilities,” Octavia murmured with an almost endearing smile. “Right now, your attention should be focused on the Royal Hunt.”
Carina tapped the porcelain saucer beneath her teacup as she struggled to remember any critical events related to the Royal Hunt from Maura’s timeline. ‘There was something specific that had caused a stir in Rose Palace upon Eleanora’s return—’
“This will be your first public event since becoming Duchess. In many ways, it will be your official debut as Bastiallano’s new figurehead of both military power and political influence,” Octavia continued grimly, pulling Carina’s focus back to the conversation. “Most of Lafeara’s older noble families are already biased towards you simply because of your background, but even more of them resent your sudden rise to power. They will test you—judge you by your appearance, speech, and manner of conduct. You must not allow them to ridicule the Bastiallano name!”
“Of course,” Carina replied, feeling less and less like participating in what was essentially a sport of vanity. She already had plenty of work to do with Viktor—assuming that the immortal dragon would let her resume her training any time soon. There was also the plague to worry about. From what Carina could remember, the first cases of illness had surfaced shortly after the Royal Hunt, prior to the arrival of Pope Jericho.
‘I missed my meeting with Cerberus while I was incapacitated. I should reach out to Sir Everly quickly and reschedule it.’
“Perhaps,” Carina began hesitantly as the backlog of unfinished responsibilities built up behind her eyes. “I should forgo the hunt this year? I do have rather a great deal of important obligations to keep—”
“I’m afraid that will be impossible,” Octavia interrupted curtly. The Dowager set down her teacup as she fixed Carina with the same intimidating gaze the half-blood remembered from her days in the Selection. “The Crown Prince has already announced that you and your knights will be in charge of his protection during the Royal Hunt.”
Carina stared blankly at the Dowager before unclenching her jaw. “What? Me!? Why?”
“It was Nicholas’s idea,” Octavia answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I merely approved of his suggestion. It will be a good opportunity to demonstrate your power as Duchess and show that you are not to be trifled with. The sooner you present yourself as an unshakeable source of power, the easier it will be for you to command the soldiers and vassals of Bastiallano’s dukedom.”
‘Haa….’
“But—What about Duke Stryker?” Carina protested. “Doesn’t he normally take charge of the royal family's security outside the palace?”
“The Lord Commander will still assign a unit of knights to serve under Captain Beaumont as Nicholas’s special bodyguards. But with the pagans testing our borders and the growing tension and muddled relationship between Ventrayna and Zarus—Duke Stryker will have more than enough demands on his time.”
“Still, I don’t imagine that he will be very pleased to have someone like me take over.”
“No indeed. The Duke and Duchess of Hargreve were among the loudest to protest your promotion to Duchess,” Octavia commented with a cynical smile. “But Lord Stryker can hardly oppose you directly when his own situation requires bending the rules of noble succession.”
“You’re referring to the Duchess’s inability to provide the Duke with a legitimate heir,” Carina replied in answer to Hana’s quizzical look.
“Indeed,” Octavia said with another polite smile in the Viscountess’s direction. “Since the Duchess, Lady Verity has no living children of her own, the Duke will have to choose a successor from among his bastards. I believe he has six or seven of them floating about. However, aside from Lieutenant Leo and Captain Beaumont, the rest are either sickly or of the wrong sex.”
“I’m surprised the Duke did not simply remarry,” Carina observed cynically. “Given how important the right of inheritance is to a family as powerful as the Hargreves.”
“The Duke still has his younger brother and nephew,” Octavia explained with a shrug. “As for divorce, Lady Verity is the younger sister of Marquess Borghese. And the two families have far too much respect for each other to consider humiliating the Duchess like that. As it happens, Marquess’s late wife was the Duke's sister and a dear friend of mine—while she lived. Hence my position as Lady Priscilla’s godmother, which the Marquess has relied upon heavily to strengthen his family name.”
‘Lady Priscilla has certainly taken advantage of her relationship to you to bully those she considers beneath her.’
Octavia stirred her tea slowly, looking suddenly tired as she gazed down into the shallow herbal mixture. “I am aware that you and Priscilla have already met under less-than-desirable circumstances. While I realize such a request might overstep, I hope that you will let bygones be bygones, Kirsi. While I am not a woman given to sentiment, I did promise that child’s mother that I would look after Priscilla.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“I understand,” Carina answered stiffly before shifting her gaze from the Dowager’s expectant look to study the beautiful garden around them. ‘I have no intention of letting Marquess Borghese continue to monopolize and corrupt children for his own benefit, but I’m not so petty as to hold a grudge over the petty words of an obviously spoiled child.’
“As long as Lady Priscilla can control her tongue, behavior, and maintain her distance, I see no reason why I should concern myself with her,” Carina answered as she returned her gaze to the waiting Queen Regent.
“I will be sure to advise Priscilla accordingly as her godmother,” Octavia replied with a contented nod. “In any case, Lady Verity reached out to me recently to gauge my reactions to a proposed engagement between Leo and Priscilla.”
Carina raised both brows in surprise. “But, surely they would be considered cousins. In any case, Captain Leo is already engaged to Lady Tiffany Cleamont.”
Octavia shrugged and sipped her tea. “I certainly presented that problem to her, but Lady Verity was rather insistent. After all, if Leo becomes the next Duke, marriage to the daughter of such a new Baron family would only further muddle the nobility of the Hargreve family line.”
“And what if the Crown Prince were to choose Captain Beaumont to be the next Duke?” Hana questioned skeptically.
“It is not customary for a King to insert himself into the affairs of noble families, at least, not while the patriarch of that family yet lives,” Octavia explained patiently. “However, if the Duke were to die without naming an heir, then his brother, Attwood Hargreve, would inherit the dukedom and pass it on to Acheron."
“Is the Duke unwell?” Carina couldn’t help but ask. As far as she knew, the Duke was still very much alive up until the time of Maura’s death.
“Lord Stryker is certainly not getting any younger,” Octavia replied evasively with a nod to Lady Delphine. The senior attendant had returned with the requested glass of lemon water, decorated with a sprig of mint. There was an awkward moment of silence as Hana accepted the drink and then took a cautious sip. “Is it to your taste, Viscountess?”
“It is most refreshing, your Majesty. Thank you.”
Octavia nodded and offered the Duchess another curious smile when Carina finally lifted her untouched glass to drink.
“Still,” the Dowager continued as Lady Delphine removed her empty cup. “There are many who expect Beaumont to succeed the Dukedom. After all, Nicholas clearly favors his Captain. As far as notable accomplishments, Beaumont has achieved plenty of merit in battle during his early years as a Lieutenant. His reputation only makes him far better suited to be the next Lord Commanding General.”
‘And yet he remains tied to Nicholas’s side.’
“But I have strayed from the far more important discussion of your debut as Duchess,” Octavia said suddenly, adeptly shifting the direction of the conversation as a light breeze filled the pavilion with the refreshing scent of flowers. “Since you will be in charge of protecting the royal family, you will be responsible for securing the noble’s encampment as well, along with the boundaries of Gilwren Forest.”
“Gilwren?”
“Yes, this year’s hunt will be held at your grandfather’s residence. Yet another reason you should present yourself there.”
“Why?” Carina returned bluntly. “It’s not as if I need anything from Helena’s paternal family.”
“For a Viscount, Lord Rykard is very well respected,” Octavia advised calmly. “He was a close friend to King Henri before the late king went mad with grief over the death of his Mistress’s unborn child.”
‘You mean Serilda’s unborn child?’ Carina pondered with a frown. ‘I can’t help but wonder how much influence you had in her downfall.’
“While your grandfather can no longer choose you to succeed the Gilwren family estate, as Duchess, you hold much more influence now that you are directly tied to the royal family.”
The Duchess sighed and returned to the unwelcome task of the Royal Hunt’s security. “How many soldiers and knights should I bring?”
“Colonel Isaac will certainly be able to advise you in that regard. I recall that Duke Stryker placed anywhere from one hundred to three hundred soldiers around the forest perimeter. My recommendation would be for you to double that number to ensure not so much as a mouse enters Gilwren Forest during the hunt.”
“That many soldiers would likely chase away most of the deer,” Carina replied hesitantly. “Why do I need to bring so many?”
“Because some fool will likely view this as an opportunity to target Lafeara’s next king,” Octavia replied with a cynical smile. The Dowager’s ice-blue eyes leveled with the sapphire broach pinned to the bodice of Carina’s dress. “And also, there are a great number of dangerous individuals who will come after you for what you possess.”
‘She’s referring to Viktor’s heart,’ Carina realized with a sudden chill. She set down her empty glass and resisted the urge to reach out to Viktor for answers. ‘Just who will come looking for me once they learn my identity?’
“Ahh,” Octavia smiled as she nodded past Carina to the path behind them. “It would seem my grandson has heard of your visit and come to say hello.”
Carina glanced over her shoulder to confirm the arrival of Crown Prince Nicholas, shadowed as ever by Captain Beaumont and another knight she recognized as Lieutenant Olund.
“Good afternoon, Grandmother,” Nicholas called out as the Duchess and Viscountess rose from their seats to greet him. “I hope you won’t mind if I steal your guests away. I have been most impatient for our new Duchess to pay me a visit.”
Carina raised her gaze curiously and straightened as Nicholas motioned for both of them to rise.
“Very well,” Octavia responded with a permissive wave. “It wouldn’t do for an old woman like me to get in the way of two young people so eager to plan the future of our kingdom.” Once more, the Queen Regent appeared to falter as she rose from her chair. Lady Delphine stepped in gracefully to take the Dowager’s arm and then guided Octavia around her chair. “Kirsi, I trust you will heed my advice and keep Colonel Isaac beside you at all times for your protection.”
“Of course—G-grandmother,” Carina replied, fumbling over the last word, which felt foreign in her mouth.
Octavia appeared pleased nonetheless as she moved around them to return to her palace.
‘How strange,’ Carina mused as she watched the old monarch’s slow departure. ‘It’s only been a few days—yet somehow Octavia appears remarkably older.’ The Duchess shifted her gaze as Nicholas stepped forward to extend his arm formally.
“Would you mind joining me for a stroll through the Royal Garden?” Nicholas asked, offering her a warm smile as Carina hesitated. “I’ve been trapped indoors all day and would enjoy the opportunity to stretch my legs for a bit.”
“Of course, your Majesty.”
Carina glanced over her shoulder just once, but the Dowager had already disappeared beyond the hedges of her garden.
‘Perhaps it’s simply my imagination.’
❆❆❆❆❆
“I’ve been digging into the information you provided me with about Marquess Borghese,” Nicholas said as they walked along the familiar paths which led toward the Royal Garden’s water fountain.
Carina nodded stiffly as she nervously scanned the gravel paths around them for other nobles. “Your Majesty, perhaps we should wait to discuss this after your walk? It would not do for unfriendly ears to overhear this topic.”
“Put your mind at ease, Lady Kirsi.” Nicholas chuckled as he nodded toward the royal knights visible at each of the garden’s entrances. “I made preparations before paying a visit to Lily Palace. The garden is ours alone—aside from present company.” He motioned to where Beaumont and Olund trailed behind them, closely followed by Hana and Isaac. “And I presume they will keep our secrets?”
‘I still have my doubts about Isaac’s allegiance,’ Carina mused worriedly as they reached the fountain. ‘Still, I have no reason to believe the Colonel is affiliated with the Marquess.’
Although she did not glance in its direction, the Duchess was still very much aware of the Forbidden Garden and the Dowager's morbidly fertilized Aconitum flowers.
“Lady Kirsi?”
Carina blinked and then turned to meet the Crown Prince’s inquisitive gaze with an apologetic smile. “Yes?”
“It seems you’re still adjusting to your new name,” Nicholas observed with a sympathetic smile. “Do you miss being called Maura?”
‘Not particularly.’
“Was your Majesty able to uncover anything about the Marquess?” Carina asked, shifting the conversation to a more pertinent topic.
“So far, nothing that links Borghese to any illegal slave trade,” Nicholas replied somberly. “However, the size and number of militia spread out across the Marquess’s estates far exceeds the number of personal guards permitted by noble law. Aside from the fifty soldiers registered as such, our spies were able to track down at least four military training camps containing at least two hundred soldiers apiece.”
“At least we've confirmed the rumors of the Marquess raising a private army are more than just idle talk,” Carina murmured tensely. “So where would Borghese acquire the extra funds necessary to outfit, train, and maintain such an army?”
“Money is a lot harder to track than large shipments of food, weapons, and other military supplies,” Nicholas returned with a shake of his head. “As far as we can tell, the Marquess hasn’t sold off any personal property nor received any loans from his associates. Instead, the man has done his best to take over the Berxely territories through bribes and extortion.”
The Berxely estate, which King Henri gave to his last Mistress, was just outside the capital. ‘If Borghese were to position his army there, he’d be in a better position to launch an attack on the palace,’ Carina observed as she noted the quiet anger in the Crown Prince’s voice.
“I can’t believe the Kensington family would allow him to get away with such crimes simply because Marchioness Serilda was sent into exile,” Nicholas continued with a resigned sigh. “Fortunately, Lord Percy stepped in and returned those territories to their rightful owner.”
‘Percy did seem awfully close to Marchioness Serilda. No doubt he wanted to undo some of the damage that Countess Constance inflicted on her.’
“So, you believe that Marquess Borghese has been funding this army through some sort of illegal underground child sex slave ring?”
“As you already pointed out, your Majesty?” Carina paused in place, forcing the Crown Prince to turn and face her directly. “He didn’t obtain it through any legitimate means you can trace. And as widespread as this underground slave trade appears to go, who else would have that kind of influence and ambition to control it?”
Nicholas smiled and tilted his head to study her with an assessing look. “I see your point, Lady Kirsi, but we’ve overlooked the most important question here. Why is Marquess Borghese raising an army?”
“Surely, given the personal risk he’s already undertaken, there can only be one reason to do so,” Carina countered sharply. “He’s already committed treason.”
“The Duchess appears to believe that the Marquess is conspiring to rebel?” Nicholas arched a brow but appeared neither surprised nor alarmed by the idea. “It’s certainly possible. Borghese was none too pleased when Eleanora replaced Priscilla as my wife and future queen.”
“So then, why not arrest him?” Carina demanded, lowering her voice as she glanced towards the escort of knights behind them. “Borghese has already broken the law and committed treason by raising a private army without your consent.”
Nicholas patted Carina's hand as he continued forward down the garden path, forcing the Duchess to follow along. “Because if Marquess Borghese were planning to revolt, he would not do so alone. The troops of either Dukedom would be more than enough to overpower him. So, while I agree that we must act to take the traitor down, it would be in my best interest to determine the names of any supporters or sympathizers who might rise up to defend the Marquess after his arrest.”
The Crown Prince turned and smiled at the apparent frustration written upon Carina’s face. “To most of Borghese’s supporters, I am still only a Crown Prince who inherited the throne thanks to the death of my father and brother. If I want to eradicate one of Lafeara’s leading noble families, I must do so in a manner that would forever discourage the nobles from rising up to defy me again.”
“Alright,” Carina relented. “Then—how should we proceed?”
“By uncovering Borghese’s supporters at the Royal Hunt.”
Carina studied the confident look on his face worriedly. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
“To be frank, if Borghese and his supporters wanted to eliminate me, there would be no better time for them to strike than during the Royal Hunt,” Nicholas explained somberly. “If he waits until after my coronation, it will be harder to win over the people and earn their sympathy after killing a king blessed by the Pope.”
“Haa.” Carina shook her head as the weight upon her shoulders intensified. “Why does it sound as if your Majesty intends to use yourself as bait?”
“I don’t really have a choice,” Nicholas replied with a helpless shrug. “Borghese has already become aware of the fact that we are investigating him. The spies that Prime Minister Attwood sent to uncover what information we have are now missing and are presumed dead.”
“And by putting me in charge of your protection at the Royal Hunt, you’ve created an exploitable weakness in your otherwise stringent security.” Carina scowled and shook her head. “I don’t like it.”
“Then you had better do your best to keep me in one piece, Duchess Kirsi,” Nicholas replied with a disarming smile.
Carina arched a brow. “You’re not at all worried?”
“Well,” the Crown Prince gave a faint shrug. “The Knights of Bastiallano have their reputation, and so does my Captain.”
Carina couldn’t help but glance towards the knight in question, only to find Beaumont’s violet eyes focused on her intently. She quickly faced forward. “Then what makes your Majesty so certain that Marquess Borghese will give himself away by making such a dangerous move?”
“Because I know just how desperate he will feel when the time comes.” There was something unnerving about the calm certainty that glimmered behind the Crown Prince’s hazel-blue eyes.
‘Nicholas must truly believe that he’s untouchable as long as Beaumont remains beside him.’ Carina shook her head and let out a frustrated sigh. ‘I suppose all I can do now is ensure that the Crown Prince returns home unharmed at the end of the hunt.’
It was only then that Carina recalled Maura’s account of the Royal Hunt, which had ended with the tragic death of a young noble close to the royal family.
The unexpected loss of Acheron Hargreve had come as a painful blow to both the Crown Prince and his Prime Minister. Only a few short months after Acheron’s public funeral, Lady Lucie succumbed to the plague, and Prime Minister Attwood, crippled by grief, resigned himself from public office and left the capital, never to be heard or seen again.
The vacant seat that controlled the House of Lords led to an internal battle between the Noble and Royal Faction just as the plague's death toll reached its height.
‘Now that I think about it, I do recall Acheron’s death being ruled a hunting accident. And there was some detail about the nobleman responsible being a foreigner. Could that have been Eleanora’s cousin, Lord Marco? But didn’t he return to Ventrayna with Ambassador Haemish?’
Carina shook her head as she attempted to clear the blurring lines of Maura’s past and her present future. The Duchess’s restless, ice-blue eyes drifted up towards the bare branches of the cherry trees that had long since lost their resplendent blooms. As her tired eyes trailed down the path of similar skeletal limbs, Carina stiffened. The shadow, which stirred against the lower branch of a dogwood tree, blinked back at her. Then the crow launched itself towards the ground, where it spread its wings and climbed up above the garden trees to circle off into the distance.
Somehow, Carina knew that this winged observer was headed in the direction of Hawthorne Manor.