A Spool of Gold
"Jenny? Is something wrong?" Rosie asked me from behind.
"I have to leave." I said, grabbing my cloak. "Thank you for everything and take care. I'll keep in touch and tell Lady Katharine you're ready to see her." I kissed Rosie on the cheek and fled back to the palace.
It was growing late. The sun was going down, painting the lands in a faint gold and pink glow. My heart sank when I saw the grand clock tower in the city center toll five. Dinner would be served shortly and the palace was on the other side of the city. As I had given the money I had with me to Rosie, I had no other option but to start running.
All the while, I was scolding myself for not being more careful. Why didn't I keep a closer eye on the time? Why didn't I think that Gray would be watching? Why didn't I take more than enough money with me?
"Jenny!" Christopher called out from a nearby carriage. I stopped running, my feet hurting. "Get in, it's a very long walk back." He said, opening the door.
"Thank you." I said, sighing in gratitude and getting in. "I was afraid I'd be late!"
"May I ask what you're doing out here?" Christopher asked. "Mind you, I'm just curious."
"Oh, uh…" I thought for a second. "I was just delivering the commission to my friend, Rosie. Remember? Lady Katharine asked me to ask her to make a dress? I wanted to deliver it personally."
Christopher looked at me, an amused look on his face. "Don't worry, your little secret is safe with me." He said, the smile replaced with a grim warning.
My stomach dropped, thinking of whoever it was Rosie saw spying on us. I had a frightening image in my mind of a King's Assassin kneeling before Gray and telling him everything I had told Rosie. She could now in danger as was my family. All because I was too careless…
Christopher's glance changed. "Is something wrong, Jenny?" He asked, concerned. "I hope I didn't scare you."
"No, well…" I felt frightened enough to confide in him. "While I was talking with Rosie and catching up, we had the oddest sensation that we were being watched. She saw somebody at the window but they fled when I turned to see who it was."
Christopher nodded. "I'm going to warn you right now, Jenny. Times are getting dangerous."
"Dangerous?" I asked, confused.
"Yes. Dangerous. Every King has had resistance to his rule. Gray is no exception. Our ally and neighbor, Dragoon, has been acting bolder against him."
I understood what he was talking about. Dragoon and Cygmus hadn't gotten along for several centuries. There was a peace treaty in place and war hadn't erupted between us for nearly two hundred years. We had been lulled into a false sense of security…
"Be careful from now on." Christopher said as we pulled into the courtyard. "Don't leave the palace without some sort of protection. So far they've done nothing but that could change at any time."
I took Christopher's warning to heart and was careful. I never left the palace without my trusty letter opener hidden in my pocket. Remembering a childhood game, Rosie and I sent letters to each other writing messages in onion ink between the lines of normal sounding letters. Running a hot iron over the letter revealed the hidden messages.
There was an element of danger in it…but I was excited about it. I had read stories when I was small of daring escapades.
Rosie, true to her word, kept up the charade, meeting up with Lady Katharine and getting the measurements. I had even produced a couple of drawing with some fabric swaths for her to decide what would go best.
It took me a week to actually sew the gown. Rosie spent that time with me, insisting that she help. For this, I was grateful because I had somebody to talk to and Rosie was actually much better at sewing than she claimed to be. These two things combined made the commission get completed much faster than expected.
Lady Katharine was impressed with the gown. As were other ladies of the court. Soon Rosie and I were inundated with orders for new dresses, wardrobes and trousseaus. Eventually, she had to recruit other women from her church and wives from her husband's army circle. Unfortunately, not all orders didn't offer in advance. But our business was small and we needed every lead we could get.
"Tell me, Jenny, have you ever considered getting one of those newfangled sewing machines?" Rosie asked me one afternoon as we worked on yet another order. "I heard that they can get dresses made much faster than the old fashioned way of sewing everything by hand."
"I'd love to and when my share gets large enough then I will." I said.
"Why can't you get one now? You're the queen now, you can have anything you desire." Rosie asked.
"Well, think about it…queens aren't supposed to make their own dresses, let alone possess a dressmaking business." I said, stretching out my aching back. Now I was really beginning to show. The King had made the announcement at the coronation itself. Just as well too, I thought as I rubbed my belly. It was getting harder to hide the fact I was pregnant. People were already talking. "Besides, I can earn the money just as well. Makes it more worth it." I said.
"All right, if you insist then." Rosie said as she threaded a needle with scarlet thread. "How are you doing with the little one coming?"
"Fine. Just fine." I said, returning to my sewing. "At least the little one has settled down. I haven't felt him moving yet."
"What makes you so sure that it's a boy?" Rosie asked.
"Because I have to hope that he is." I said. "Gray believes that it's a boy. He wants a male heir. You know girls can't inherit the throne. I don't contradict him because I can't antagonize him further. If I tell him it might be a girl, then he'll lose his temper and we don't want that. It's a complicated relationship."
"You don't love him then?" Rosie asked me in a low voice.
"Of course not. When is marriage ever about love?" I said, feeling embittered. Gray and I were very healthy so we could expect a long life together. We were never going to love each other. I certainly wasn't nor did I believe he was capable of such.
If I had my way, I never would've married. Or if I had to pick someone to marry…it would've been somebody just like Christopher. Kind and considerate. But what was the point of daydreaming of something that would never happen? I scolded myself and allowed the dream to dissipate.
Rosie, understanding my bitterness, wisely said no more and changed the subject to the dress I was going to wear to the Summer Gala at the end of the week.
But I couldn't help but think of the life I should've had.
A few days later was the Summer Gala. The day progressed as expected. That was until that afternoon. I went to my quarters to get dressed. Sitting in my bedroom, complete with my sewing basket was a brand new sewing machine. I gasped and ran my hand over the black metal, bobbin and smoothly cut work table.
Attached was a note. ~Something to aid your enterprise. Your humble servant, C. ~
"A sewing machine?" Lady Gosling, one of my ladies-in-waiting, asked as she pulled out the red and gold trimmed gown I would wear to the gala. "What's all this for?"
"Ah yes, a gift for Rosie." I said, not wanting to draw suspicion to my dressmaking business. "I'd forgotten about it." Now I'd have to get one for Rosie as well and hide this somewhere that ladies wouldn't find it. Neither would be a problem. It helped to be the Queen after all and as I hadn't made any major purchases in the few months since I got married.
Why would somebody wish to give me a sewing machine? Rosie, perhaps? No…I decided as my ladies undid the buttons on the back of my dress and helped me step out. She knew I wanted to earn it. Nobody else knew that I had the dressmaking business. The ladies I had were more interested in juicy gossip and rumormongering than helping a woman with means to support her family. Josephine had the upkeep of the palace to look after. Gray was never interested in what I had to do.
Then it finally struck me who did. Christopher. He was the one, just had to be. But how did he know?
We went to the Summer Gala which was an opera presented at the Opera House. As tradition dictated, I was seated next to Gray in the Royal Box. Behind us were Christopher and Josephine. Christopher gave me a smile, a silent acknowledgement that he had bought me the sewing machine. I nodded, determined to properly thank him once we were alone.
Things were progressing well. Normally, I liked opera and I should've been enjoying the performance of Mozart's The Magic Flute. But I had the sense that something was wrong. I looked around, watching for trouble.
"Is something the matter, my sweet?" Gray asked, gripping my hand as the evil Queen of the Night swept on to present her ultimatum to her daughter; kill her sweetheart's mentor or be abandoned by her own mother. "You seem more like a rabbit than usual."
"No. It's just getting somewhat stuffy in here." I said, fluttering my fan rapidly to cool myself. It wasn't a complete lie as it was very warm in the packed auditorium.
"Sire?" A soldier whispered as he slipped into the box. Gray looked up. "A note from the Dragoon and Cygmus border."
"Yes." Gray said, taking the telegram. He opened it and began to read it. Christopher was studying the young man with a critical eye.
Was he suspicious of the messenger? But why? "Look out, Your Majesty!" Christopher finally shouted, pushing down the King and myself.
BANG! A gunshot ripped through the air. The soprano stopped singing and people began screaming. What was going on?! I wondered as I looked up. The messenger was squirming to get out from under Christopher's grip, his hands were around a pistol. Oh my Lord, he had tried to shoot us. The man grunted something. "Never anger Dragoon…" That was the motto of Dragoon…Christopher's fears were coming true then…
"Mother!" Gray shouted. "Get the Queen out of here."
"Let's go, Jenny…" Josephine said, grabbing me by my arm and dragging me out the door.
Yet I was worried about Christopher as we were rushed back to the palace.
Word had spread quickly. Once we got back to the palace, the guards were on high alert. I saw some members of the King's Assassins walking past in their black military uniforms.
Josephine walked me into my quarters. By then, I was shaking badly. "My dear, you're freezing like it's January outside." She said, getting out my robe and giving it to me. "That's better. Do you want something?" she asked. I shook my head, still too frightened. "Don't worry, my dear, they're fine." Josephine tried to reassure me and left, her black mourning dress swishing.
I sat down in a nearby chair, shuddering despite the heat and my thick robe. It seemed that war was inevitable now…where on Earth was my family? Were they near the Cygmus-Dragoon border? I hadn't heard from them since that brief message they sent nearly two months ago nor from the priest who was helping us…the priestly monk…he could help me…but first I had to get the money so
Lifting my mattress, I took the golden coins I had made from my commission and put them in a leather pouch. Hiding it in my robe pocket, I left to attend the chapel, hoping he would arrive.
Once inside the empty chapel, I knelt at a pew, crossed myself and began to pray. My prayers for keeping my family safe turned to agitated wishes for the monk to hurry up.
Just when I was about to give up hope, I felt his presence behind me. Turning around, I saw him. Hooded in a black winter cloak, black gloves, and a large crucifix around his neck. The monk gestured with his head to the confessionals. Hopeful, I followed him. The panel slid open.
"You heard what happened at the Gala?" I asked after a moment.
"Yes. It is done, the king has sent the declaration of war on Dragoon." The priestly monk said in a low voice. I sighed and bowed my head. "Your family is safe at the moment, but I'm afraid they're too close to the Cygmus-Dragoon border."
Now was my chance. "Here," I said as I took out the pouch filled with money. "It's not much but hopefully it'll make it easier for them to get somewhere safe."
"They won't take any aid from me or the church, I'm afraid. Your father is a very proud man…" The monk said.
There was one way to convince them it was from me…I took off Mama's necklace and wrapped it around the neck of the bag. My heart hurt to give it up, despite all of my attempts to reassure myself it was to convince my family. I would see it again. "When they see the necklace then they will. Tell them that they're good as gold…they'll understand what that means." I said, slipping it into the short well between us.
"Understood, Your Majesty. May God's blessing go with you." The monk said, making the sign of the cross and beginning the benediction.
I slid out, feeling better. However, I wasn't prepared to see Gray standing there, still dressed in his military uniform, and surrounded by some of his generals. Christopher wasn't among them. I was concerned…where was he?!"Virginia, what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice worried but I saw an angry look in his gray eyes.
"Praying for you and Cygmus." I said, unsure of where this was going. "Where's Chris…I mean, Captain Davis?"
"He should be at the barracks, interrogating our would-be assassin. That's very sweet of you to be concerned about the prince, my darling wife." He said, draping one arm over my shoulder and kissing me on the forehead. I wanted to slink away from his overbearing arm. "If you gentlemen don't mind, I'm going to make sure she gets to bed." He grabbed my elbow and led me out of the chapel. "Why were you asking about him?!" He hissed at me once we got into my quarters.
"Shouldn't I be concerned about the man who saved our lives?!" I said back, timidly. But my anger was brewing…how dare he treat Christopher like that!
"Do you have feelings for him?" Gray asked, grabbing me by the neck. "So help you, if you carry his son…"
I was now really upset that he was accusing me of infidelity. "You may not hold the same feelings, my lord, but everyone knows that I take our wedding vows seriously." I said, my voice taking on venom.
Gray's face turned a very violent shade of red. I was afraid he'd lash out but I held down my ground. We were silent for a moment, then he let me go and left.
I watched him go, shaking and confused.
Why did I stand up for Christopher like that? Was it possible that I had deeper feelings for my brother-in-law?
A/N: Sorry folks that this chapter took so long to update. Can anyone guess who our mysterious helper is?