Chapter 5: "Exposed"

The Queen sat alone in the throne room. They were well into the evening and she had decided to retire from the after-tournament celebrations, as brief as they were. Something about her new Duellist Royal bothered her. She did not want to speak of her suspicions, for fear of being wrong, but there was definitely something. As she pondered the situation, Walsingham entered the room and approached her.

"Your Majesty," he reported, "I've spoken to everyone in the court, none of them know who this 'Douglas MacWood,' is or where he comes from, and my agents have found nothing pertaining to his origins."

"I see," the Queen sighed. "Very well, Walsy, I appreciate your efforts. You are excused."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Walsingham bowed and left. The Queen twirled a lock of her red hair around one slender finger and considered the available options.

XXX

The next morning, Gwendolyn arrived at the palace kitchens. Most of the kitchen staff were out on various duties, leaving Molly to clean up her utensils from preparing breakfast and begin the work for the rest of the day.

"Yer late," the old cook said without looking up.

"Good morning to you, too," Gwendolyn yawned and stretched her arms up above her head. The double party to celebrate her male alter-ego's simultaneous ascension to knighthood and the esteemed rank of Duellist Royal had gone on quite late, even after the monarch had disappeared. To be honest, she felt hung over and drowsy. If only the sickly sensations could be hidden away along with her clothes. She wished MacWood really was a separate person, then she could give him a good kicking for making her feel so foul.

"I think you learnt something last night," Molly observed. "Moderation's a virtue. Anyway, messenger was down here earlier, th' Queen wants ye on bedroom duty."

"Oh God…" Gwendolyn groaned. It was not the bedroom work itself she minded, it was the fact she would get bossed about by the ever-stuffy ladies-in-waiting. Worst of all, she had a nagging feeling that the Queen suspected something about her and that meant the longer they were together, the more at risk her secret grew.

"Coorie up, lass," said Molly, swishing a wooden spoon in the air for emphasis.

XXX

Liza Townsend was not a very patient woman. She stood outside the door of the quarters saved for the ladies, remaining stoic and still on the outside but growing agitated within. The Queen had told her of her suspicions regarding the relationship between the new Duellist Royal and that maid, and had been charged with discovering the truth (with the promise of a bonus should she succeed in this endeavour). When she saw a thin slip of a girl with chestnut hair – several strands of which bobbed in front of her eyes – coming up the hallway towards her, she could not stop both eyebrows from rising as high as they were able. This was the one that had Her Majesty so worked up? Ridiculous. Undisciplined. Unladylike. Destined to return to the poorhouse from whence she came.

"You, girl," she said in a stern fashion. "I do not appreciate my time being wasted. Tell me your name, I want to know who I'm going to punish." The girl gave her an absolutely filthy look.

"My name's Gwendolyn," she growled. "Gwendolyn Blackwood." Liza was surprised. The late former patriarch of that family had been a highly respected entrepreneur, and his son had carried on in his footsteps, yet this impertinent stalk who lacked proper respect carried his name? Liza shook her head.

"Wilful child," she sighed. "Come, we'll get you started. You can clean and make the chambers." Gwendolyn puffed out her cheeks and followed the older girl into the room. Thankfully the ladies were tidy individuals, so it was only the cleaning she had to worry about. She was sure it had been left so on purpose. It was too deliberate, too…too neat. Perfectly square patches of dust and evenly overturned corners of the carpet. She shot a quick glare over her shoulder at Liza, who shoved a feather duster into her hand.

"Get to it, child," said Liza, smiling a little. "After this you can change all the sheets and beat the dust out of the rugs…"

"Ma'am, with all due respect," said Gwendolyn, "but are there not any other maids? This is a lot of work for one."

"There were," Liza smirked, "but they have the day off." Gwendolyn narrowed her eyes. That did not sound at all deliberate. Soon she was hard at work. Whenever it seemed she had finished dusting down a spot to perfection, Liza would sprinkle more grit down and then deny it of course, instead blaming it on the younger girl's sloppy work. When she finally ran out of spare dirt and the maid was able to finish fixing the corners of the carpet, poor Gwendolyn was dragged back up to her feet and set to strip the beds. After a long, tiring silence, the lady-in-waiting spoke up.

"Interesting tournament, don't you think?" she remarked.

"I would have thought Mr Underhill would last longer. I'm told it was a relief that he surrendered when he did, his choice in cards was, ah, quite unnerving."

"Wouldn't know, ma'am," said Gwendolyn. "I wasn't there."

"Ever duel yourself?" asked Liza.

"Occasionally," said Gwendolyn, "but I'm not very good."

"Pity," Liza shrugged. "I hear your brother, Sebastian – he is your brother right? – duelled magnificently against that MacWood person…until for some odd reason he lost his edge and started playing like a withered little chicken-hearted shrimp. Of course I'd already heard he was little more than Mr Cecil's lapdog anyway."

Gwendolyn slammed her fist down on the floor and stood up.

"Ma'am!" she snapped. "I'm not sure why you feel the need to try and provoke a reaction from me, but kindly leave my brother out of this. It's obvious from what I've heard that MacWood was simply luckier in his draws."

"Or in that he was born with a backbone," Liza scoffed, "or perhaps he sought to stir feelings of guilt in your brother and resorted to psychological warfare." She saw Gwendolyn's fist clenching. "Raise your hand to me and you will sorely regret it, child." The girl backed down, but Liza could see the anger in her eyes. This one was going to be hard to crack. She clapped her hands together twice and said, "Hurry up now, the rugs are waiting outside. I'll be down to inspect your progress in five minutes. Go." As the maid hurried away, Liza decided to investigate a little deeper. The maid's quarters were not far from the palace kitchens, and that was where she would start. It would surely be empty by now.

Ascending to the ground floor, she quickly made her way to the right room and pushed open the door. No sign of anybody. Moving between the beds until she found the one marked with the girl's name, she knelt down by the wooden strongbox at the foot of the bed. Taking another peek around to ensure she would not be caught, Liza took out a hairpin and slipped it into the lock, but just as she lifted the lid…

"Ma'am?"

Liza slammed the lid down and stared wide-eyed at the door of the room. That damned girl was standing right there!

"I…uh," she cleared her throat. "I saw a spider. It's gone now."

"You saw a spider in my strongbox?" the girl questioned.

"…Yes!" Liza squeaked and dashed out. Gwendolyn smirked knowingly. Nice try, she thought. Catching that witch in the act would deter her, she was certain, and for a time she was correct. Liza was so embarrassed and unready to try again she kept her distance for the rest of the morning. No more chores, no more snipes or commands, or at least until she found herself in the Queen's chambers in time for the monarch's nap…

XXX

As Gwendolyn turned down the bed and made certain all was ready, Queen Elizabeth sat at her dressing table, sorting through her own collection of cards.

"But what if the other player does this…" she was thinking aloud, "…perhaps I should put in more Traps…oh my, now there's too many in my deck…" Gwendolyn could not help but edge closer as she listened to this dilemma. The sleeping, orange afternoon sun shone through the window and cast a beautiful fiery blaze across the two women, as if to illustrate the burning souls deep within them and the destiny they would share. The same ethereal light also coated the cards on the table, and Gwendolyn could see the sparkle of life in their painted eyes. Her train of thought was broken when the Queen asked, "What do you think, Ms Blackwood? I'm afraid I'm still a beginner."

"Well, I…" Gwendolyn paused to scratch the side of her nose thoughtfully. "If you're past the 40 card limit, the best idea would be to work out the right balance and-" The Queen leapt to her feet and twirled about like a whirling dervish, pointing one long finger at the astonished maid.

"I KNEW IT!" she cried both joyfully and accusingly. Gwendolyn gulped. Well done, Blackwood, she thought, you get the prize for biggest idiot of the year. She giggled very nervously.

When Liza came to the Queen's chamber to ensure the monarch was well-rested, she was quite surprised by what she found. She was not asleep, in fact she was quite awake, and sitting with her legs tucked under her on the bed. Sitting opposite her in the same position was the maid, though she had since removed her uniform bonnet and her shoes were neatly placed on the floor. Between the two was a veritable treasure trove of Duel Monster cards and they seemed to be sorting through them.

"…But I would rather be able to summon strong monsters like you," the Queen finished whatever she had been saying when the lady-in-waiting arrived.

"That's not the only way to gain an advantage," Gwendolyn explained. "Your deck's built differently to mine. It's most suited strategy is to swarm and control the field."

"I would prefer not to just use the cards Sir Maxwell gave to me," the Queen protested.

"If you'll pardon me, Your Majesty," said Gwendolyn, "I believe they were given to you like that for a reason. This is a very advanced deck and if you are able to wield its power effectively, even Sir Maxwell himself would have difficulty facing you."

"You…you believe that?" the Queen felt her face growing hot at such flattery.

"Of course," Gwendolyn nodded, "and if you need a partner to practise with, I'd be more than happy to oblige."

"My Queen," Liza croaked after regaining her voice. The two women looked at her, caught off-guard by the intrusion. "Ah…I'm g-glad you could confirm your suspicions…but, ah, what are you planning to do about it?"

"What else?" Elizabeth grinned.

XXX

Sebastian, Donovan and Arthur were all pleasantly surprised to be invited to dine at the palace. As it turned out, the meal was set up so that Her Majesty could personally congratulate the finalists. The celebration of the night before was entirely social in nature, involving the duellists and their supporters, along with plentiful drink and, according to the distinguished Mr Smyth, matters of the flesh. The initial excitement had dulled, so they could enjoy a more peaceful gathering. As the three friends took their seats, they noticed that Lord Whitehawk sat opposite them (he gave them a weak smile and wave then went back to staring into the depths of his goblet) but Mr Underhill was absent.

"What do you reckon?" muttered Arthur. "Scared? Ashamed?"

"Still unconscious," replied Donovan, "that's my guess."

"And MacWood?" asked Arthur. Sebastian said nothing. He could see his sister right there at the Queen's right-hand. He had thought it strange when he saw six ladies-in-waiting rather than the usual five, but there she was. It was beginning to make sense to him. She had been found out and the Queen was going to keep a much closer eye on her as a result.

"Where have I seen that new girl before?" Donovan pondered aloud.

"I'm surprised you recognise me at all, Mr Smyth," said Gwendolyn, having overheard the boys' conversation, "the last time we met, I was only four years old." Donovan paused to think, then his eyes widened.

"Well I'll be dipped in treacle!" he exclaimed with his big wolfish smile. "Little Gwen! Sebby, why didn't you tell me your sister was one of the Queen's ladies?"

"I'm sure Mr Blackwood is just as in the dark as yourself," said the Queen slyly, though her expression was one of relaxed joviality, "since I promoted young Gwendolyn to her position only this evening."

"You know, I remember when I saw you last," said Arthur, stroking his chin between finger and thumb contemplatively. "Summer, I believe. Yes, that's right. Every time the three of us tried to go off somewhere, you were never more than five paces behind us. Incredible tenacity for someone so small."

"The word is 'petite'," Gwendolyn huffed.

"Uh…begging pardon for my inappropriateness," said Sebastian, "but may I speak to Gwendolyn in the hallway for a moment?"

"You may," said the Queen, "but do be quick. The starters will be here soon." Sebastian nodded and got to his feet, took his sister by the wrist and led her out of the dining hall. They went a little way down the hallway until they were out of earshot, then Sebastian rested his back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What happened?"

"All right, I slipped," sighed Gwendolyn. "Is that what you want to hear? That I ruined my own disguise?"

"That would be a start, but alas, that's not it and you know it," Sebastian shook his head. "I have my own suspicions, but what I want you to tell me is why you're still here. You know how bad the consequences would have been if the Queen decided to call it treason to duel in her presence under a false identity?"

"She's not as bad as you seem to believe," Gwendolyn glowered. "Yes, she was mad at first, but we got to talking and she saw things from my perspective. Besides, if she did bump me off and word got out, there'd be a scandal, and that German prince would take it as either an insult of a sign of surrender."

"But why did she make you one of her ladies?"

"…So she can keep an eye on me," Gwendolyn admitted.

"That sounds fair…mind if I make one suggestion?"

"What?"

"If you're going to maintain this MacWood identity, learn to walk properly. No man I know swings his hips or sits or almost curtsies like that, and we wouldn't want people thinking he's, ah, questionable now, would we?" He started laughing and Gwendolyn swatted him angrily with her bonnet.

Neither of them noticed two beady eyes watching them - though not quite hearing their words - from the far end of the hall. Robert Cecil hmm'd under his breath and slunk back into the darkness like a serpent. The Queen had never cleared this sixth lady with him, and he disliked being left out of the loop. That frothy frump Walsingham may have been the official court spymaster, but it was he who knew everything that happened within the palace walls. The very idea of the unknown disgusted him and because with ignorance there was always the risk of being unaware, and when one was unaware, one would inevitably fall. He would get his answers from the boy soon. No truth could evade his sight forever. With truth he would prevail.

XXX

It was close to midnight. When the dinner was finished and the guests had been excused, Sebastian and his friends had headed directly for the Pink Pony. Ms Crowler was busy using her broom to sweep a quivering lout from her doorstep while the three conversed. Arthur was expressing a certain interest in Gwendolyn, evidenced by remarks that Sebastian did not greatly appreciate.

"What does she like in a man?" he asked.

"Oh, shut your biscuit-hole!" Sebastian snorted, banging his stein on the table. After a minute of tense silence passed, he said, "I'm sorry, but I've got a lot on my mind. I need your help, boys."

"What's the problem?" queried Donovan.

"You, uh…remember that 'MacWood,' fellow?"

"I'd hardly forget him after our last meeting."

"Well…he's uh…he and Gwen are, um…" Sebastian crossed his index fingers, a sign that his companions utterly failed to recognise.

"A couple?" asked Arthur with a hint of disappointment.

"How does that even work?" Donovan blinked. "They look so…oh, wait…no!" The realisation made his eyes bulge in their sockets. "Please, don't…tell…me…"

"Yes," Sebastian mumbled, "they're the same person."

"WHAT?!" Donovan's bellow echoed throughout the entire pub and drew the eyes of all present. He sprung completely upright, jogging the table and spilling ale all over the floor. Arthur fell from his chair in a fit of laughter and Sebastian grabbed the screeching blonde by the shoulders, forcing him to sit back down.

"Hell's teeth," he hissed. "Keep your voice down, man."

"By God, Donny," Arthur struggled as he pulled himself up onto his knees using the table for support, "the most humiliating defeat of your career, and it comes not only from a woman, but one four years your junior!" Donovan shoved him to the floor then grabbed Sebastian by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close so he could smell the anger and brimstone on his breath.

"This might just be the booze talking," he growled dangerously, "but I have the inexplicable urge to start taking heads. I'll probably start with that snickering hyena on the floor, then you, then that gender-bending strumpet. Then I'll wipe out everyone in the world followed by committing suicide so nobody will ever know."

"Bit elaborate, don't you think?" Sebastian squeaked.

XXX

The moon over Waltham Forest was fat and pale, like an alabaster eye in the face of God. A black carriage - gold-trimmed and horse-drawn – trundled down a dirt path. The horse was a silky black creature of great size and many years of service left under her, but she was nervous and twitching her head from side to side. Every so often she would hesitate before taking her next step.

"Easy, Oyster," the driver comforted her. "I don't much like this place meself."

"Is dhere a problem, driver?" asked the passenger.

"Oyster's a bit nervous is all, guv'nor," replied the driver. "They say this place is 'aunted. People 'ave been known to disappear 'round 'ere."

"I assure you," the passenger released a titter that stabbed icicles through the poor little man and his horse, "I am much scarier dhen anyzink you vould ever find in dhis forest." He took an ornate box from beneath his cape and stroked it gently. "Soon, my darlings, you vill have fresh blood."

Authors Note(Hikari): Yes no duelling in the chapter but it will be back in the next one.