Defender of Hearts by Tanya Bird

Chapter 17

‘It’s been three days,’ Harlan said. ‘And still she’s not said a word to you?’

Astin shook his head. ‘Not one word.’

‘And she’s not left her bedchamber?’

‘There’s a guard posted outside her door every minute.’

They were seated at a table by the tavern window, watching the merchants come and go from the dock. The air smelled of salt, blood, and manure. While more livestock was arriving on the ships each month, at least half of it never made it out of the port borough due to disease. Sick animals were slaughtered on the beach and thrown into the water. The merchants would wait in the shallows with spears and catch the fish that arrived to eat the contaminated carcasses.

‘We can’t help her if she doesn’t tell us what’s going on,’ Harlan said, taking a swig of his ale.

Astin was technically off duty but refrained from drinking. He wanted a clear head when Lyndal finally decided to exit her room. He had thought he was doing the right thing by giving her space and time, a few hours to digest whatever it was Queen Fayre had told her. He never imagined that would turn into three days.

‘We just ignore the rumours, right?’ Harlan asked, looking down at his cup.

‘She’s not sharing the king’s bed, if that’s what you’re asking.’

Harlan nodded. ‘I think their little dance at the festival gave a different impression. The nobility are losing their mind at the mere thought of a merchant mistress.’

‘And the merchants are practically celebrating in the streets.’

Harlan emptied his drink. ‘Shame we can’t peer inside Queen Fayre’s devious mind and see what’s really at play here.’

‘We’ll find out soon enough.’

The warden appeared at the tavern window, looking between them, then down at Harlan’s empty cup. ‘Early finish?’

The men rose and stood to attention.

‘I’m off duty and about to head home,’ Harlan replied. ‘You should come for dinner.’

‘Some of us work full days,’ Shapur replied before turning his attention to Astin. ‘Any reason you are here when the woman under your protection is out on the terrace?’

‘The guard was supposed to fetch me if she emerged.’ Astin knocked his chair backwards as he jumped out the open window instead of using the door.

‘Perhaps he did not think to check the tavern,’ Shapur fired back.

Harlan spoke up at that. ‘He hasn’t been drinking.’

‘I’ll head there now, sir.’

‘Fletcher,’ the warden said, stopping him in his tracks. ‘Stay alert. Big news is about to break, and a lot of very powerful people are not going to like it.’

Astin exchanged a glance with Harlan, then saluted before jogging off in the direction of the castle.

‘I am pleased you took a few days to think things over,’ Queen Fayre said as she moved her bishop along the chessboard. ‘It is a skill to push emotions aside when making decisions.’

Lyndal moved her castle sideways on the board and leaned back in her chair. ‘I basically lay on the floor the entire time staring at the roof.’

‘It is all right for a woman to lie on the floor sometimes—as long as she does not remain there.’ Fayre looked up from the board. ‘I imagine you have lots of questions.’

Lyndal watched her make her move. ‘Questions and requests.’

‘Go on.’

She moved her pawn, considering her next words carefully. ‘Firstly, there’s the matter of the almshouse in the merchant borough.’

Queen Fayre laughed lightly. ‘Yes, I have heard all about this almshouse. If you are still here at the end of the month, I shall fund the project myself.’

And just like that, Lyndal had an almshouse. It almost seemed too easy, but then she remembered what she would be giving up to get it.

‘What else?’ the queen mother asked.

The next question had been at the front of her mind for the past few days. ‘The king… is he agreeable to all this?’

Fayre looked up. ‘He trusts me.’

‘That’s not the same thing as being agreeable.’

The queen let go of her bishop. ‘He wants to live a long life without looking over his shoulder all the time. He wants to be liked by his people.’ She placed the piece down. ‘He is agreeable.’

Lyndal chewed her lip. ‘He was rather fond of Lady Kendra.’

‘Yes he was.’

When Fayre did not expand on that, Lyndal said, ‘And you sent her away.’

‘She was a distraction.’

‘She was perfect for him.’

Fayre was silent a moment. ‘It is true, she will make a wonderful wife. But what this kingdom needs is a queen.’

‘Why not Kendra?’

Fayre reached for her cup, taking a sip of water before answering. ‘I think you know why. She can only relate to one portion of the population.’

‘That’s true of me also.’

‘Yes, but you can relate to the largest portion, and more importantly, they can relate to you.’ She tapped a finger on her cup. ‘In time, you will grow accustomed to a more privileged life. Then you will be able to relate to both.’

Queen Fayre was dangling a crown in front of her, a crown she had no business reaching for. Three weeks, the queen mother had told her. Three weeks to get to know the king. Three weeks for him to get to know her. Three weeks to see if they could learn to work together and to gauge the temperature of the kingdom. All going well, Queen Fayre would announce their betrothal to the world.

Lyndal would be Queen of Chadora.

So she had spent three days making a list of everything she could do with a title like that. The almshouse was only the beginning.

‘You have more questions?’ Fayre made her next move.

‘I can barely fathom the life you’re offering, let alone think of intelligent questions.’

The queen lifted her gaze. ‘So much of that life will depend on your resilience and commitment.’

‘Commitment to your son or to the role?’

‘They are the same thing. He is the reason the role exists at all.’

Lyndal stared at the board, contemplating her next move. ‘What of his commitment? Taking a wife because you told him to is hardly a strong basis for a happy marriage.’ She took a chance and moved her king.

‘A happy marriage? Is that what you want?’

Lyndal drew a breath. ‘That’s what every woman wants.’

Queen Fayre watched her a moment. ‘I thought you wanted meaningful change in our kingdom.’

‘I do.’

Fayre moved one of her pawns. ‘Check.’

Lyndal stared at the chessboard. ‘I’ll never be as good as you.’

‘In chess or the other game you find yourself playing?’

Lyndal looked up. ‘Both.’

Queen Fayre folded her hands in her lap. ‘Give me until the end of the month. I can teach you both. I can even teach you how to handle my son. In time, and with the right woman at his side, he may grow into the man we all need him to become.’ She gestured to the board. ‘It is your turn.’

Lyndal glanced up at the heavy clouds above, then moved her knight.

Fayre moved her queen in response. ‘Checkmate.’

‘How surprising.’ Lyndal sat back, studying the massacre before her. ‘Would we grow to like each other? Is that how it works with arranged marriages?’

Fayre pondered the question. ‘It is more important that you grow to trust one another and remember that you are playing for the same side.’

Lyndal bit the inside of her cheek to stop from speaking.

‘Go on,’ the queen mother said. ‘You want to know if my husband and I were on the same side. Is that it?’

Lyndal nodded.

‘We were for a long time.’

Lyndal bit her lip, unsure how far to probe. ‘Until the day you left?’

Fayre brushed invisible lint off her sleeve, not meeting Lyndal’s eyes for the first time. ‘Oswin was headed down a dangerous path. I could not in good conscience follow him, and I could not stop him. I thought it best to quietly remove myself.’ She finally lifted her gaze. ‘I suppose you think me a terrible mother for leaving my children behind.’

Lyndal shook her head. ‘I don’t pretend to understand the workings of a monarchy, especially one in crisis.’

‘It would have been irresponsible for me to take the princes away. They are this kingdom’s future. The people needed to see them grow up here in order to trust them.’ She paused. ‘But I see now that I stayed away for too long. While I cannot change the past, I can do my best to steer Borin in a different direction than the one his father took.’

They were both silent a moment.

‘Do you really think people will accept a merchant as their queen?’ Lyndal asked.

‘You are not only a merchant, are you? That is why this arrangement could work.’

‘But the nobility only see a merchant.’

A nod. ‘It is true that you will need to win the nobility over.’

‘I have nothing to buy them with.’

‘You can only buy their cooperation, not their loyalty.’ Fayre’s expression turned serious. ‘You will need to watch your back over these coming weeks. News will spread of the courtship. Some will be unhappy about it.’

The word ‘courtship’ burned her eardrums. She preferred ‘trial’. It sounded far less intimate.

‘It is not a bad thing,’ Queen Fayre continued. ‘It helps us know where we stand. If for some reason the arrangement does not work out, we will reduce the entire thing to rumour and part as friends.’

That was the only reason Lyndal was even considering it—because she still had an out.

Fayre studied her over the rim of her cup for a moment. ‘It was always you, you know. From that very first meeting. Lady Kendra was simply a means to you, the merchant girl with the enormous heart and impossibly high expectations.’

Lyndal fought to keep her foot still, a nervous habit. ‘There’s still the matter of meat.’

The queen mother laughed at that. ‘Let us take one thing at a time. Right now you must focus on winning over my son.’

Lyndal’s eyebrows came together. ‘I thought you said he was agreeable.’

‘He is agreeable to my plans, not yours. You have your work cut out for you, so I suggest you use the next few weeks wisely.’

The sound of approaching footsteps made Lyndal look over her shoulder. There was Astin, breathing heavy like he had come at a run. He glared in the direction of the defender standing by the wall, the one Lyndal had instructed not to fetch his superior because she feared he would talk her out of what she was about to agree to. Guilt hit her as their eyes met across the terrace. He had been there for her since the day she had arrived at Eldon Castle, despite their differences. And she had repaid him by shutting him out.

‘Good timing, Fletcher,’ Queen Fayre said, gesturing him closer as she rose from her chair.

He appeared next the table, his hard stare on Lyndal as she stood also.

‘So we are in agreement,’ Fayre said, concluding their conversation. ‘Three weeks.’

Lyndal’s mouth was dry, but she found herself nodding. ‘And if it doesn’t work out, we part as friends.’ She needed to hear that part again.

Fayre only smiled. ‘I have complete faith in you.’ She turned to Astin. ‘Now, I thought perhaps you could take Lady Lyndal down to the butts. King Borin will be heading there shortly for practice, and I thought she might like to watch.’

Astin bowed his head.

It all felt a bit rushed suddenly, but time was ticking. If the queen mother thought applauding the king while he shot a few arrows was the best way to proceed, then she could do that.

‘Lady Lyndal and the king will be spending a lot of time together over the coming weeks. I am counting on you to keep her safe during that time.’

Lyndal lifted her eyes to gauge Astin’s reaction to that and met his hurricane stare. It seemed he was filling in the blanks well enough.

‘Of course,’ he said. ‘Are you ready, Lady Lyndal?’

She fought the urge to be sick on the ground. ‘Yes.’ She curtsied before the queen mother.

‘Meet me here at the same time tomorrow,’ Fayre said. ‘One cannot improve their game without practice.’

Lyndal nodded. ‘Very well.’ She avoided eye contact with Astin as she stepped past him.

‘Fletcher,’ Queen Fayre said behind her. ‘Guard her like you would a queen.’