Chapter 30
Noel didn't think he'd stopped being on edge yet. He certainly wasn't relaxed enough to sleep, even though it was fast approaching midnight, and he'd barely eaten anything at all at dinner. Margaret had suggested more than once that he make a hot drink and try to get some rest, but he'd gently refused each time.
It didn't feel fair to leave just her and one of the servants, to watch Laurens. The man hadn't woken up again as of yet, but what if he did? What if they needed more than one helping hand while someone ran to fetch the doctor? The man was treading a fine line between life and death – they needed all the eyes on him that they could get!
Even a couple of their eldest children had tried to look in, before their parents had turned them away, back to their nannies. The children had, of course, complained loudly about this, but Noel and Margaret had remained firm on the matter. The man's wounds were terrible to look at – certainly nothing for children to see!
He hadn't been able to protect his wife from seeing the horrors committed at the lodge, but they had agreed to protect their family from––
Knock, knock, knock.
The blows against the front door caused everyone present to nearly jump out of their skins. It even made Laurens stir in his bed, moaning and groaning softly in a kind of half-unconscious panic, even though he didn't wake properly and had to be shushed, so they could listen to find out if anybody was speaking outside.
They looked at each other with no small amount of panic in their eyes. Who could be calling at such an hour? Thieves attempting to rob the shop didn't normally knock – and they certainly wouldn't make a noise loud enough to wake everybody in the building!
It had to be somebody who wanted their attention. Whether that was good or bad, Noel didn't know. Not that he liked the sound of it – his stomach was turning over already with a sense of dread, and his palms were starting to feel slightly clammy.
Knock, knock, knock.
The blows were harder that time, spelling out that they, whoever "they" were, meant business. And said business would probably involve staying there and knocking until they broke down the door, unless someone came...
Well, Noel knew exactly who that had to be. He wasn't going to let his wife or anybody in his employ go down there, to face any number of potential threats and dangers! It could be anybody down there, and he would rather go fight off any number of bandits, rogues or brigands, than let Margaret so much as have to talk to just one!
"Stay here," he murmured to her, getting up and kissing her on the forehead before she could protest and insist they both went down together.
He walked out quickly, preventing any arguments they didn't have time for, or stopping her insisting they called someone else to do it. The person knocking was waiting, and for the sake of his family and staff he regarded as friends, Noel wasn't going to keep them much longer...
And he immediately felt in his heart that he had made the right decision, when he had shuffled downstairs and then opened the front door to be greeted by two of the tallest, burliest guards he had ever seen in his life.
Guards. From the palace.
"Are you Noel FitzStewart?" one of them asked, voice hard and level as a stone floor. "The king demands your presence, and the presence of one George Laurens, right away."
Noel swallowed, hoping he hadn't also swallowed his own tongue in the process.
Oh, God. King Joseph had found out. Why else would the guards be there?! How else would they know that Laurens was with them?! They hadn't told anybody – God strike them down if they gave away an innocent man like that! – but somehow, the information had gotten back to the king!
They'd been betrayed, or seen, or something had happened! But what was he going to do about it now?! He couldn't fight off those guards, and what would happen if he tried? Would they drag him up to Joseph themselves? Haul him into the nearest gaol to await a terrifying trial? Kill him on the spot?! What would they do to his family, if they stepped over his body and just marched right on into their home?!
He didn't want to imagine the fear in his wife's eyes, their servant's eyes, their children's eyes, if they came up without him and demanded Laurens...
He couldn't let it happen! So, as soon as the guards tried to step forward, he took a step back, preparing to close the door in their faces and make a run for it; to bolt up the stairs and tell everyone to grab what they could, including helping with Laurens, because they were leaving...
The guard who had spoken seemed to take a dim view of his reluctance to be arrested.
"Sir, I must ask that you come with us at once–"
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Noel shouted back. "You can tell your king directly from me that he's a––"
"We have our orders, sir," the guard interrupted him again, louder, and using an arm like a tree trunk to pin the door open. "His Majesty, King Niles, made it clear that it was urgent you and George Laurens were brought to the palace immediately."
Noel was about to argue back again, when something caught his attention that also made him freeze.
He...the man hadn't said "Joseph"...
"King...King Niles...?" Noel asked weakly.
The guard's mouth formed a line, and his voice became grave, "Indeed, sir. His Majesty's lord father, King Joseph, was met by...a tragic accident, this evening. As such, we answer to a new monarch now. A new monarch, who has called for your presence."
It took every ounce of willpower Noel had not to cry out in relief, or apparent happiness, at the news of Joseph's death. But he couldn't not feel like a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders! Niles...Niles becoming king had come around so suddenly! They'd all known it would happen one day, but the abruptness was more than a little jarring!
But if Niles was king now, that also meant Laurens was safe from persecution, didn't it? They could take him safely to the palace, get Potts to look after him, and they'd be able to find C.C...
C.C...dear God, if Niles was king, that meant C.C. was queen! His little sister was queen of an entire country!
Noel thought he might faint at the idea of his baby sister ruling over an entire nation, if it weren't so important that he stayed on his feet! If Niles was king, that meant it was safe to go to the palace – both for him and for Laurens. They had to obey, and they had to do it quickly, if they had any hope of getting any more leads to finding C.C.!
"Oh, I see," the jeweller replied weakly, having to lean against the door for support – the shock probably wouldn't wear off for hours! "Well, in that case do come in, gentlemen. Mr Laurens is upstairs – I trust you know he's delicate, correct?"
"We do, sir," replied one of the guards – probably the higher ranking of them. "But rest assured, Mr Laurens will arrive safely and soundly to the palace. His Majesty has provided a carriage and a stretcher to transport Mr Laurens."
That was good enough, in Noel's mind, and so he had soon stepped out of the way and was guiding the men upstairs, towards Laurens' room. Mere hours ago, the thought of having the king's men in his home would have filled him with dread, but as it was he could only thank the heavens they were there.
Funny just how quickly things can turn around…
He only hoped it was for the best.
"This way, gentlemen," Noel said, gesturing for the guards to follow him down the hallways and into their guest room. "Mr Laurens is––"
"What is the meaning of this?!"
The blast of a shout nearly sent Noel sprawling backwards, but he just about managed to hold on and not humiliate himself by falling. He should've known that his wife wouldn't take kindly to guards in their home – she'd take same the view that he had, only moments before!
And he wasn't helping matters by leading the king's men straight to Laurens! For all Margaret knew, he was being forced at the point of a sword, at best, or giving up without a fight and surrendering the man himself, at worst!
He had to explain, and quickly, or else he thought his wife (who had jumped out of her seat upon seeing them) might try and fight both men off herself!
"Margaret! Sweetheart, please!" he actually had to step forward and take her by the arms to stop her from charging at them like a wild bull. "It's alright, they're friends! They're here to help us––"
"They're the king's men, Noel! And you brought them into our home, directly to Laurens?!" Margaret bellowed, struggling in his hold. "What is the matter with you?! Let go of me!"
"They're not from Joseph!" Noel argued back, staying as loud as he could so that she would listen and hopefully calm down. "He's...he's not here anymore, Margaret! Niles is king now!"
Upon hearing her husband's words, Margaret froze.
Niles...their prince...their brother-in-law...the day had come this early?! Joseph was gone and he was king?!
But...but how?! Joseph had been in perfect health before, hadn't he?! Margaret heard a myriad of different strains of gossip in passing as she went on her deliveries, and she had never once heard anybody mentioning the king being in ill health! Not even when she'd made deliveries to the palace, or the lodge! No one had said so much as a word!
But now...now, Niles was their king?! The man that Noel had almost castrated on their shop floor, for daring to be in love with his sister?! The man that had since proved to be a good, decent man, who wanted nothing more than to make his love happy and do right by his people?!
It seemed almost too good to be true, but the look of seriousness in Noel's eyes and the lack of any more explanation told her everything. It was true, Niles was king, and...and that meant that C.C. was queen, wherever she was!
And it meant that their only witness to her kidnap was now safe. Laurens could go with them, and recover, and then they'd learn more from him and find her!
"Oh..." it was all the dizziness in her mind would allow her to say, at first. The daze was slow to shake off, but she had to pull through it to speak. "Then we must get Laurens to His...His Majesty...at once!"
It was so odd to call Niles that, after having referred to him as "Royal Highness" for so long!
"We will, my darling, we will." Noel said, grasping Margaret's hands in his. "Now, stay with the children while I go to the palace, alright? I'll be back as soon as I can."
Margaret nodded. "Alright, then. Let me help you with Mr Laurens."
Together, the FitzStewart couple and Niles' envoys picked Lauren's battered body up and deposited it on the stretcher that had been brought from court. They tried to be as gentle as possible, but the poor butler still moaned in his sleep. His body was simply too damaged for them to touch it without causing him any discomfort.
"Wait!" Margaret cried out as the stretcher was lifted.
She quickly grabbed one of the many blankets they'd piled on Laurens and covered the man with it.
"There – nice and tight," she said, smiling at her handiwork. "We don't want our friend catching his death out there, do we?"
Noel took her hand and brought it to his chest, squeezing it tight.
"You are a paragon of virtue and charity, my dear," he said, kissing her hand before releasing it again. "I'm going to make sure that Niles – well, His Majesty – knows that it was your handiwork that has allowed Laurens to remain so comfortable."
Margaret smiled back at him adoringly; her cheeks were probably flushed even though it was too dark to tell for certain. She always blushed when he said things like that about her, no matter the fact that they were true.
"Get up to the palace," she told him. "I won't have you wasting any more time with your flattering nonsense!"
Noel pulled a face at her, blew her a kiss and climbed into the carriage alongside Laurens' stretcher. He knew she was right, really – he couldn't waste time they could be spending getting up to the palace! Niles wanted to see them right away, and he wasn't going to let their new king down by dawdling!
Besides, the sooner they got there, the sooner he could pass Laurens over to Dr Potts! And that meant they'd have a better chance of the butler getting better sooner, and telling them where C.C. was, before it was too late!
Even as the carriage moved off (steadily but at enough of a pace to get them there quickly), Noel sat back and wondered who could've taken her. He knew Niles would want their heads, but he wanted a piece of the action before all of them went to the gallows.
And they would go to the gallows, before their heads went anywhere else. As C.C. was now queen, holding her prisoner was an act of high treason. There was only one form of death sentence for high treason...
It made him shudder to think about, but anybody who'd slaughter a house full of servants before kidnapping a pregnant woman deserved everything they got. The threat of being hung, drawn and quartered was not a sentence to be taken lightly, and yet they were willing to disregard it as though they thought they weren't going to be caught!
That only proved their arrogance, as well as the evil in their hearts. The world would be better off without them, once Niles had overseen their trial.
And it wouldn't be long before that happened, once Potts had managed to help Laurens get back to full strength. He'd be able to do a better job than Noel and Margaret had – they'd done everything they could, obviously, but Potts had the means, the time, and the knowledge required to make it all work.
He'd know what to do if an infection set in, or if the wound needed stitches, or if a different treatment was needed. The butler was definitely in better hands at the palace.
And everybody would be better off for it, Noel thought, as the carriage passed through the palace gates into the courtyard.
He gave an encouraging smile to the unconscious Laurens.
"Not long now, my friend. We'll get you well, and you can tell us what you know..."
He could only hope that whatever information he had was enough to find their C.C. before her time was up.
When the carriage eventually pulled up the palace's courtyard, Noel easily spotted the new king waiting for him at the door. It was almost impossible to think that that man there, standing and looking so imposing in one moment and yet so concerned, relieved and ready to help the moment he'd spotted them, was both a king and his brother-in-law. There was something so unreal to Noel about knowing that their new monarch was utterly devoted to C.C., as well as being utterly devoted to his country.
It wasn't the same sort of devotion, of course. But despite the differences, the two aspects blended seamlessly, right at that moment.
He needed his wife back, because he was devoted to her and couldn't think of living a single second longer without her, or the family they would build. But he also needed her back because he was devoted to his country, and wanted to give it the powerful ruling monarchs that it deserved, along with a strong, healthy heir.
The king practically scaled the carriage without waiting for the footmen to open the door in the seconds after he had seen them arrive.
"Gentlemen! Thank God you are both here," he exclaimed, clearly relieved to be able to get the opportunity to see them. Even if one of the stewards behind him might have been shouting for him to come down for his own well-being. "I had feared that...well, maybe something might've happened..."
Noel frowned. The king clearly meant that he was afraid Laurens would've died before they'd gotten there. But he didn't have to worry – nothing of the sort had happened. And they both knew it wasn't going to, as long as they got him inside and put under the care of Dr Potts!
He offered his brother-in-law a friendly grin to help calm his nerves.
"Well, Margaret did threaten to beat your two messengers to a pulp in order to defend our friend here, but other than that, our way here was uneventful."
Niles laughed in spite of himself – it was like Margaret to challenge two fully-grown behemoths if it meant ensuring the safety of those she loved and held dear. The woman was a saint, in Niles' eyes, and both she and her husband deserved a reward far grander than any he could ever give them.
Still, he was going to try his best, and as a first step, he had a little something for the whole FitzStewart family.
"Your wife is a force to be reckoned with, brother," said the new king, slapping Noel's back. "But that's a good thing – she will need a strong hand to command her new household."
Noel's face screwed into a confused frown.
"New household, my lord?" he said, cocking his head sideways. "Why on Earth would we need a new household?"
"Why, because otherwise your poor staff will not be able to properly address your new needs, of course!" the king replied, starting to smile. "The Duchy of Marlborough comes with a rather spacious estate, Your Grace."
He said it with a certain amount of emphasis, but Noel blinked anyway.
"Sire?"
Niles carried on as though it was the most simple thing in the world, "Well, the seat of the duchy is Blenheim Palace, you see. The grounds are enormous, as is the palace itself. Your current staff will probably be grateful for any more people brought on, to help them look after the place!"
The king laughed then, and Noel tried to laugh along awkwardly, but trailed off. He...he wasn't quite sure that he'd understood. The way Niles had put it, implied that...well, that this apparent Duchy of Marlborough – along with its very own palace?! – now belonged to him!
But that couldn't have been what he meant, could it? Bastard sons didn't get estates – not unless they were the king's own bastards, anyway! Not that he meant his brother-in-law any disrespect, of course (he loved C.C. too much to do that to her), it was just that...well, he seemed to be suggesting something that simply wasn't done!
"You're looking rather confused there, Marlborough," Niles said with implication in his voice and a grin on his face. "At which part did I lose you?"
Noel's face fell, as full and complete understanding finally hit home.
He meant it. He really and truly meant it. Niles had made him a duke! A duke with his own title and sprawling estate, and a completely new way of life...
It was almost enough to make him faint at the king's feet, but he had to steel himself – control his emotions! He wasn't just some rich merchant anymore. He was a duke, appointed by his own brother-in-law, the king. He had to take on the role with at least a small amount of dignity!
And he had to answer Niles, before it looked like he'd died standing up!
"You did not lose me, my lord! I...I do apologise for my...momentary bewilderment. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing! It is...a greater honour than I deserve...thank you..."
Niles chuckled, and put a hand on Noel's shoulder, shaking him a little bit. He had half a mind to say that he was shaking some sense into the man, but he felt he could do that just as well with words.
"You have no need to thank me. You have more than earned your place – even for simply being C.C.'s brother, you would have received a title. For being a good one, and for being a good friend, you have gotten the best I am able to give," he said. "Once this is all over, we'll go hunting up there. Your grounds are rife with game, just as they should be, and you have a whole new kitchen, just waiting for a banquet to be prepared!"
Noel almost felt overwhelmed by the image; rolling green hills and dense forests, full of deer and wild boars, ready to bring back to a table laden with fruit and bread and bowls of thick soup and silver carafes full to the brim with wine, all being picked at and drunk from by countless ladies and gentlemen of the highest pedigree, all smiling and laughing and having the time of their lives...
He saw himself at the head of the table, his wife by his side, Niles and C.C. sat in the seats reserved for the guests of honour.
It was an image he'd never thought possible. Up until now, the nobility had been perfectly happy to come to him for jewellery, and to Margaret for clothes, but as a bastard son with no title of his own, they had been shunned in all other aspects of public and private life.
They were wanted only when they were useful: when they were trading. But it would've been seen as social suicide to associate with them at any other time.
Maybe...maybe having a completely new title, not inherited but earned, would make things different? It certainly would, for his and Margaret's children. They would grow up to being part of the most exclusive circles in English society, and would never have to worry about making a living or finding suitable partners. They'd grow up being someone and having a place in polite society, which wasn't something Noel or Margaret had had when growing up.
They'd have a better and far easier time than their parents had had, and Noel couldn't thank the Heavens enough for that.
"I…I'd be delighted to receive you, Your Majesty," he said, bowing to the king (he would have even kissed his feet, but Niles might have considered that a little bit too much). "You'll always be welcome into our home, wherever that might be."
"I'm glad to hear so, Your Grace," said the king. "Now, what do you say if you come with me to my office? The other members of the Privy Council are already gathered, and waiting for us."
Noel paused, his body jolting a little as he blinked. Wait...what? The Privy Council? What were they waiting for them for?
Well, obviously, they'd be waiting for Niles – he was their king, after all – but what would they want with him? He wasn't anybody to the most powerful men in the land – new title or not, they didn't know his name, they had no evidence of his wealth...a few of them might even know of him as the late Lord Babcock's bastard son!
There had to be some reason for his required presence, though, so as Niles ordered the guards and some stewards to help get Laurens from the carriage and up to Dr Potts' quarters (he expected it done swiftly but carefully), Noel gently probed into what that reason could be.
There was only one that he could think of, off the top of his head. It would most likely be the only thing going through Niles' head, too.
"Are we to discuss my sister's kidnapping?"
Niles' mouth formed a line as he watched the men carry Laurens into the palace, before answering Noel.
"That is to be the first and most urgent item on our agenda! But you will, of course, also be introduced to the other council members so they know who you are when you take your seat," the king turned and began to hurry inside. "But we are wasting time and my beloved is out there, still! Come on – we mustn't be late for the meeting!"
The pace at which Noel had to travel to keep up with the king barely left him room for thought to process this new information. He was going to sit on the Privy Council?! The highest of all government, the closest men to the king in the land?!
He would've tried to thank his brother-in-law for yet another tremendous honour, but he was already finding it hard enough to breathe as they practically ran through the palace towards the king's office!
The meeting room was packed when they got there. It seemed as though all the lords had made it, no matter where they had been called from, or what they had been doing.
Not that they were particularly happy about it. It was barely after midnight, and they had been dragged from their beds to their regular meeting place by the news of King Joseph's death, and the announcement of an emergency session by...well, they supposed he was King Niles now.
It was about the only thing of which they could be sure, and the only thing keeping them focused on their duty, instead of going home. The country was in turmoil due to King Joseph's chronic monetary mismanagement of the state's finances. To boot (and given that his death had come like a bolt from the blue) they had to organise both a burial and a coronation, two things that took time, money and countless hours of hard work.
They were murmuring hurriedly and worriedly amongst themselves when Niles and Noel burst in through the main doors.
The king had been thinking about how he'd enter the room for some time. He'd wanted right from the start to give off the impression that he was going to be strong with them and not take any nonsense, so he kept himself proud and upright as he marched purposefully into the room.
It was a good sign, he thought, that they all rose from their seats to greet him, despite the late-slash-early hour, and he offered them a nod and a few words in return.
"Greetings to you, my lords."
"Greetings...Your Majesty," was the most common, careful reply. They weren't used to referring to him by that title yet, and they weren't sure at all how to acknowledge the man who had come in with him – they were certain they had seen him before...selling jewellery, perhaps?
The muttering soon went about, exchanging ideas and thoughts, underneath breaths so the king couldn't hear, and the rest fell into place with at least most of them.
That was it! That man was their fellow councilman's – the late Stewart Babcock, the Duke of Belford's – bastard son! The one who worked the merchant's trade, keeping himself out of the gutter he was born into!
What could he possibly be doing there? Why was he following the king around like a lost dog?
But Niles didn't notice the looks on their faces, aimed at Noel. He was just trying to get comfortable with them calling him "Your Majesty", as they seemed to be practising it and trying it out – they were, really, all navigating this new course together. They had as much to learn as he did.
And one of the things he had to get used to was taking his father's throne, at the head of the table. But he supposed that would come, in good time.
Before anything happened whatsoever, he had to introduce the newest council member.
"This is Lord FitzStewart, the new Duke of Marlborough. He shall be joining us on the Privy Council from now on."
That (obviously, in Noel's mind, as he began to cringe with shame) led to an outcry from the other lords present, as they began to loudly complain. Shouts of "shameful!" and "unworthy!" could easily be heard, while the clear words "slut mother" got a smattering of laughter.
Noel felt his cheeks begin to burn, both with anger and humiliation. Of course they didn't want him there, and of course they'd insult his parentage along the way! Who wanted a bastard at a table full of men with noble blood, and who wasn't going to make fun of the fact that he wasn't like them?
"Your Majesty," one of them began, clearly trying not to be openly rude to his king, even as he let his colleagues abuse Noel. "Forgive my impertinence, but this is highly irregular! To allow this...man...to sit on our council––"
"Our council?" Niles barked in return, glaring at the man.
He'd heard every word they'd said, and he'd seen the face Noel had pulled as he'd been stood there, clearly wishing he could sink into the floor.
He wasn't going to have his brother-in-law, who'd been nothing but a good, noble friend, be treated like he was nothing! He had done nothing to deserve it, and everything to have earned his position!
He'd earned it more than practically anybody else there. Joseph had mostly surrounded himself with rich men who'd agree with everything he said, for the right price, and it was obvious the councillors had let it go to their heads!
But he was going to put a stop to that. This was his council now. He said who stayed and who went. And he was going to show them exactly who was in charge, because it certainly wasn't them.
The man who'd spoken tried to stutter out an excuse, "W-what I meant, my lord, was that––"
"I know exactly what you meant, councilman. You meant that Lord FitzStewart is unworthy of his place," he said, not leaving time for the other lord to answer. "But I know him better than any of you here, so as far as I'm concerned, he's already earned his place on this council while the rest of you have yet to prove yourselves. I shall not take kindly to his mistreatment. And if I hear so much as one more word against him or his parentage, the perpetrator will lose any chance he might've had at earning his seat. Are we clear?"
The muttered, embarrassed replies of obedience told him he had, and, satisfied, he gestured for Noel to take the empty seat not far from his own. He could keep an eye on him from there, and see that there were no small rebellions against his word from the others.
He had to get the meeting started, though, which happened as he seated himself, with the council members followed suit.
"I declare this Privy Council meeting to have officially begun," he declared aloud, starting to get the feeling of the power that he now held.
It was...useful. He liked it a lot, and he'd like it more if his reason for calling the meeting went through quickly. He had a wife and a child to look for, and a lengthy meeting simply didn't go well with that schedule. This was a mere formality – he would be informing his Council about the steps they were going to take, and they were to obey. They had no choice.
They were racing against time – his child would be born mere days from then! He had to get to them, and he needed all the help he could get.
"I apologise for disturbing you all on such short notice," the new King said to the members of the Council, "But I am afraid the situation we are facing is dire and requires us taking urgent action."
The councilmen shared wary looks – the king wasn't being very specific about which of the many metaphorical wildfires he was referring to. Again, the country was in turmoil, the people were on the verge of rising against their masters if their dire situation didn't see any sort of short-term betterment, they were riddled with debts and they had to somehow gather the remaining pieces of the kingdom their late king had very nearly run into the ground – there were too many loose strings that needed seeing to for the Council to know exactly which of them took precedence above all others.
"What is it that you need us to do, Your Majesty?" said one of the councilmen, whom the others had chosen as spokesman for them all.
"Find my wife," he said simply. "The Lady Babcock – now the Queen of England – and our child, whom she is currently carrying in her womb."
The confused uproar that followed from the rest of the table told Niles that that wasn't the answer they'd expected.
And indeed, it was far from what they had been imagining their new king might say! The man wasn't exactly known for keeping just one woman apart from this new, long-term mistress, and to suddenly hear, from nowhere and with no prior warning, that he had married her?! The Queen Mother's former lady-in-waiting, the disgraced, fallen daughter of the Duke of Bedford?! The apparent legitimate half-sister of the man King Niles was letting sit with them at the table (and who was now being eyed by practically everyone present)?!
He had – willingly, and before God – chosen to marry that harlot and had allowed her to carry his legitimate child, instead of a bastard he could either give a title and an education to, or simply turn out onto the streets as he wished when he was done with his little flight of fancy?!
The premise was incredible – unbelievable! It defied everything they'd known about him whilst he'd been a prince, and it roused their curiosity for the outrageous just as much as it shocked them that something so outrageous had happened in the first place!
"When did this happen, my lord?!" asked one council member from the other end of the table.
"Eight months ago; there were more than enough witnesses to make it legal, including Lord FitzStewart," Niles replied firmly, trying not to snap but failing.
He felt his patience growing even shorter than when they had been attacking Noel. All he wanted was for the lords to agree to what he was saying - he wasn't there to stand around and answer every question under the sun about his marriage that they wanted the answers to!
But the lords, as they muttered amongst themselves, each still looking at him and at Noel (who was perhaps remaining silent for his own good for now), weren't going to give up asking what they wanted to ask. King Niles' answer had just come over as defensive to more than a couple of them. Who immediately replied to a question by informing everybody how legal a wedding carried out in secret was? Especially a wedding to a little strumpet who had only come into his life to serve as a bed warmer, but hadn't yet grown cold.
That didn't sit well with them. The fact that it had been done in secret in the first place when so many knew the groom (and who knew how many had actually "known" the bride?) didn't sit well with them, either.
And they were determined to probe further.
Another council member, determined to ask but keeping it delicate (out of fear, not because he had any good opinion on the Lady Babcock), posed the question to start it all off.
"My lord...with all due respect, no one would dare to question the legal status of your...nuptials," he said. "But you must agree that this all seems rather...strange, to the previously uninformed?"
Niles stared at the man, his mouth forming a hard line, "What are you talking about?"
"Well, it is highly unusual for a distinguished person such as yourself, the noblest among nobles, to stage a wedding in secret, and to not inform even your privy council until months after the occasion!" the man explained quickly. He was feeling the heat of the stare his monarch was giving him. "It just...it seems as though there must be...well, some other reason for you not telling!"
Niles felt his skin starting to prick with the burning heat his eyes were staring into the man.
"You are taking umbrage with the way I chose to conduct my marriage?" he asked, his voice bordering on dangerous.
The man shrank visibly in his seat, "N-no, my lord! Some of us here just...believe it might be possible that you did not marry for love. After all, we are all grown men aware of the goings-on between the two of you. We...there have been whispers around that you might have gotten Lady Babcock into trouble, and you have simply had to...save face? By marrying in secret?"
The deathly silence that permeated the room after that was only broken when the building rage inside Niles had to finally burst out.
"What did you just say to me?!"
The floundering lord immediately tried to cover himself, "I-it was merely a passing thought, Sire, that some of us had expre––"
Niles cut him off by leaping up from his seat, causing all the lords to move back in their own, including Noel (though he moved in the direction of the lord who had spoken, prepared to hold him down if necessary while Niles socked him). Not that the king cared how concerned it was making them – he had just been insulted beyond all reason!
How dare some wheedling, crawling little councilman who clearly had no idea what he and C.C. had been through – were still going through, in her suffered absence! – presume to tell him why he had married his love! And for what?! To satisfy their own smug gratifications?! To relish in gossip that wasn't even true?! To smirk and have their fun at their king and queen's expense, whilst the couple in question continued to suffer because they just wouldn't obey, as they had been told to?!
"You dare to say any of that to me?!" he snarled right at the lord, slamming his closed fist against the table and his voice getting louder with every word. "You feel you have the right?! My wife – whom I married for love – is missing and you sit here and smirk at me as though the matter is of no importance, and then insult me to my face about my own choices that I made because I wanted to! I was not forced, by circumstances or otherwise! Do you think me completely stupid and incapable?!"
Of course, the simpering little nobody then tried to defend himself, as though he even had a chance of being listened to after what he'd just said, "Absolutely not, my King! I merely posed to you a concerning thought tha––"
"Your only concern now should be keeping your mouth shut, if you wish to keep your position on this council!" Niles snapped. He then glared around the rest of the gathered councillors. "And the same might be said for the rest of you, too! Especially any of those disgusting little snakes who believe that my beloved was merely my mistress, until I made her more! There was nothing untoward going on between us, and nothing in the regard you all smirk like teenage boys at happened until our wedding night! As such, I suggest that you should all keep quiet, unless you wish to find yourself a whole lot less powerful in the next sixty seconds!"
He waited in the silence that followed for somebody to make a wrong move, or say the wrong word. He wasn't about to waste his time with insolent councilmen who insulted their king's decisions, implied his wife was a whore he'd kept around like a pet, and dithered on the basis of literally nothing when they could be getting down to the business of finding his beloved wife.
But nobody said a word, even as he and Noel both swept angry gazes across the table. Several of the gathered men ducked their eyes away, not wanting to meet his own, in particular. They clearly didn't want to be involved in the king's wrath – over his new wife or otherwise. Obviously, these were more sensible men who favoured their position too much to do something as idiotic as insulting the monarch.
Or the soon-to-be co-monarch.
He might be able to work with those men. They'd certainly see the sense in his order to make finding the queen and the heir to the throne their top priority.
And if they didn't, he'd be sure to deal with them – just like he'd dealt with this fool that his father had obviously trusted enough, even if that truly meant less than nothing when it came right down to it.
When it became clear that no one was going to be so stupid as to try to challenge him again, or to insult him or his love with their degrading little ideas, he continued.
It was about time he told them all the whole truth – the part they'd have heard in good time (meaning, when Niles deemed it necessary), if one of them hadn't been so keen to jump into the fray and gotten himself into more trouble than he'd ever found himself in.
"I did not tell any of you about my marriage, gentlemen, because of your close proximity to my father," he explained loudly.
He wasn't going to quieten down when he was sure to keep them listening this way. He wasn't about to have his authority undermined by dropping his anger as soon as it became obvious no one was going to argue – that could still change at any moment.
His continuation after a short pause proved that it hadn't changed just yet.
"It was also for this very reason that my wife and I hadn't told anybody beyond family and close friends, either! How could we, when we knew that we could be betrayed at any moment, should somebody choose to speak up out of malice?! My father dealt with her presence when he'd imagined that she was my mistress, so we had accepted his slanderous words, even if only to keep him from realising there was more to our relationship than he had so disgustingly thought. We knew he thought of her as common trash that would never make for a wife! He had imagined my wife a whore, when in reality, she had remained a virgin until our wedding night! And that is the reason I will not hear, nor stand for any vicious rumours about why I choose to be with her! She was never a whore - you viciously made up and accepted these vile rumours yourselves! I am and have been in love with my wife all this time. But my father, being the...man he was when I first married, would never have listened to my wants or needs, even if it made me happy. Not now, if he were walking among us to hear it, or back then, when he was still strutting about as though he were some prized fighting cock, calling himself the king of this country! And his feelings all came about because my wife was apparently not of the correct social station, in his mind! It didn't even matter to him that we conceived as quickly as possible after marriage, in order to ensure its legitimacy!"
He stared them all down, daring them to speak. When he found no resistance, he continued.
"We are having a baby – the heir to this country and to the throne that governs it all! And my father, despite knowing this and being well aware that my wife was carrying his unborn grandchild plotted to force us apart anyway! Two days ago, my wife was snatched from my hunting lodge – the place I had deemed safe for her to inhabit until she could return to Court. He then, of course, lied through his teeth straight to my face and told me that she was dead! Told his own son that he'd had his wife killed for his own good! He'd left me to suffer! He knew I'd seen the massacre his men had carried out on my home, murdering my servants and leaving their bodies to rot! It was by the grace of God himself that one managed to survive. He told my sister-in-law and the Royal Physician that he had seen my wife being taken. He'd heard that our child was to be sold to a noble family, and that my beloved would be held captive in the meantime! The servant is...too weak from his wounds to tell us much more, currently, but he may be able to tell us who carried out the plan, once he has returned to full strength. But we must keep looking in the meantime!"
He was on the verge of losing it in a frustrated rage, but he kept holding on. He had to hold on – he had no other choice! His beloved was out there, somewhere, in a land that could take months to scour fully and not even weeks away from...from not being anywhere, while their child would be spirited away and he'd never see him!
He'd lose his family before he'd even really managed to have one. His C.C. would be buried in the ground and his child would grow up somewhere he would never find him...
He was desperate. And it came over that way to the ministers as they gasped and chattered in a panicked fashion amongst themselves, one or two occasionally shouting out in either disbelief or outrage.
They had never seen a king looking so helpless, nor so angry all at once! And not one of them had ever imagined that their current king would have ever spoken of his father in such a manner – he had once idolised that man!
But King Niles would never lie to them about such a thing – why would he? He had never been one to be secretive before, even for things that, perhaps, should have been! All of these things had clearly and obviously happened, and – whatever they themselves thought of King Joseph – King Niles now clearly hated his father for them. That was a more than reasonable stance to take, really. What had King Joseph been thinking, when he'd turned on his own people like that?! He'd had his servants killed for seeing what he'd done?! He'd ordered his own soldiers to murder, because of his pride! He'd sent his pregnant daughter-in-law, who had never been as dishonourable as everybody had been saying, away to die and his grandchild to be sold!
His Majesty's lady wife – the queen of their country...! It still seemed so odd to allow those words into their heads, when only moments ago they had imagined her as a slave to the most basic carnal desires, and a stubborn blight on the reputation of the crown! But...well, they couldn't let themselves think it again (especially not out loud). And they had to act. Her Majesty was missing and could soon be dead if they didn't find her in time! And it was all King Joseph's fault!
And, just as importantly, she was pregnant with the (actually proven and declared) legitimate heir to the throne! Having a missing queen was bad enough, but for them to also have a missing heir...! It didn't bear thinking about, the kind of chaos that could happen if they didn't find them before the last of her terms was up!
There was no time to waste. They had to get their people moving, searching and leaving no stone unturned as they went!
They'd do it in spite of their former king's obvious dislike for her, and in spite of the rumours that had poisoned their minds against her before. They weren't going to betray their country over what they had thought – not like he had, from the moment he'd decided to send Her Majesty away to the moment he'd ordered his servants to be put to the sword!
Granted, they could never say so aloud. He was still their former king and had put them all where they still were today (whether it was truly deserved or not). But it was impossible to deny in this case that his own selfishness and bad habits had gotten them where they were right then – missing a queen and an heir! He'd betrayed them, and then killed himself in a drunken stupor and gotten out of it before he could face the consequences! A country on the brink of anarchy, all because he did not like the woman that his son loved!
Not that any of them knew much about Lady Babcock – nothing beyond what her father had mentioned before. For all they knew, the king had simply taken a fancy to a woman looking to manipulate her way back into the very heart of the nobility, and who also knew how to work her feminine wiles and get what she wanted – namely, a marriage.
But they would probably not get to say that, with their king, and his brother-in-law, sat there...
At any rate, the king clearly wanted her more than anything. And no matter what, they couldn't let him go back to the anger he'd held for just one of them before – it would be all their positions on the line if they did! They couldn't afford it, and they couldn't afford to leave Her Majesty where she was!
She was running out of time, and it was time for them to clean up the messes that Joseph had left for them, and turn back everything that he had tried and ultimately failed to do, before it all came to pass simply because it was too late.
They had to find Her Majesty and her unborn child. There was no other course of action, no other options or excuses to be made, and they could very easily and happily curse the former king for it while simultaneously blessing the cup of wine that had sent him out that window.
If they were going to find their queen and the heir, they were going to do it well and wholeheartedly.
"What are you intending to do, my lord, about resources for finding Her Majesty?" one council member piped up. "If there are too few men here in numbers to search far enough, my own should be able to cover a greater surface area..."
"Mine will also be able to cover more ground if they are required, my lord," another cut in. "What else is being done in this search, that we might be able to help?"
Niles thought about it, returning to his seat and feeling...not calmer about their new behaviour, but more at ease knowing that they were now being cooperative. He wasn't going to be fully calm until C.C. was back at his side, and their baby was safely in their arms.
If all went well, that could be soon.
If it went well. It was the largest search for a needle in a haystack that had ever been carried out, though – he had no idea who it was that done this! Where in the country did these people live? Were they noble? Were they simply rich? Did they have no children of their own and were looking for babies, or did they only have daughters and were hoping on getting a son?
He just didn't know. All he knew was that they had to be wealthy enough to pay for a kidnapping. And even though he was doing all he could, it made him feel useless.
"I have already ordered more of my own men to take extra patrols and to search every wealthy household they come across. I have even asked them to stop all wealthy traders and carts they come across on the roads," he said. "However, this measure cannot be maintained for long. As much as it pains me to say this, we must encourage trade if we want to satisfy out financial needs. But I want to confirm that they are not keeping my wife on the move, and every household that appears wealthy enough to have done this is due to be searched. I will need all of your men and all the guards this country has to cover the ground we will need to be searching, as well as the help of the people. I will also post a ten thousand pound reward and a knighthood for anybody with information that leads to my wife's safe return."
"You may or may not need to do that, Sire," another councilman nodded solemnly. "We are all behind you here – our men and our supplies are at your disposal."
Niles felt gratitude growing in his heart, and it made him wonder very briefly if he'd been slightly unfair to at least some of them for suggesting that his father hadn't known what he was doing when he'd placed them on his privy council. They might have had some fools (and snobs, who had laughed at his brother-in-law), but they were trustworthy and determined to help with everything they had, now that they understood the situation.
And that was more than enough for him.
"Thank you, gentlemen. Now, we can say that we have a plan of action on this matter," he leaned back a little in his seat. "That will be implemented, no matter what takes place. And the same can be said for my next two orders of business, the first being a change to the law of succession. I am hereby declaring that the law shall be based on absolute primogeniture, so that if anything should happen to myself or my wife, our unborn child will inherit the throne with no arguments from anybody, even if it is a girl. I will not have my daughter displaced or cast aside for any man, no matter what anybody thinks or feels."
Even as he spoke, the council began to mutter amongst themselves again, getting a little loud about how "right" and "proper" that was for their liking. But a look from Niles shut them all up fairly quickly; after what had just happened, they didn't want to get back in his bad books so soon.
And especially not over something that wouldn't affect them much just yet. The heir wasn't even born – they had a king for now, and he was about to say the second order of business he had planned.
"And I intend to let my father pass into history without ceremony. There will be no state funeral or national mourning; I have selected a tomb for him in a graveyard that is barely used anymore, just a little way outside of London. It will be marked with the basics and cost us nothing. I feel it is all he deserves."
The council made less of a fuss over this. They completely agreed that what Joseph had done was cruel, unreasonable and had nearly led to a total crisis in his country. It was an act of betrayal, and traitors didn't deserve a glorified remembrance.
They were much happier with their new king, and readily agreed to the term before he spoke (satisfied with their answer to his suggestion) again.
"Before I bring this session to an end in order to implement that plan, are there any other orders of business that need to be discussed?"
One of the lords started to bring up another subject that Niles could only half pay attention to as the meeting went on. It wasn't that it was too early, or that he had exhausted himself from using so much energy in putting his council members in their places - it was the lingering thought of his wife and unborn child, out there somewhere, and he as of yet had no idea when or where they would be found.
But, with the help of his privy council and all the resources they could throw at it, he had a renewed hope that their reunion would be soon, no matter where it ended up taking place.