The Lady's Choice (19 page)

Benae drew in a long, ragged breath once the cloth was removed and her gaze found the body of her husband. The startled expression on his face would have been funny if she had not been so afraid for herself, her unborn babe and now Ramón. He had the leather cuffs untied in mere moments and stood massaging the blood back into her lifeless extremities. He did not speak. The stormy look on his face made Benae hold her tongue.
What now?

‘Say something, Ramón,' she said. But he gave her ankles another brisk rub and pulled her to a seated position on the bed before retrieving her gown and pulling it around her shoulders. He scooped her up against him and carried her from the room, back down the hall to her chambers. Ramón sat her gently in the chair in her sitting room where there was still some heat from the fire and stalked back out.

Benae did not know how to feel. She could not rejoice in the death of another being but it was an enormous relief to be free of his torment, to know she did not have to endure even one more night of Jiseve's attentions. Her breasts throbbed with the injuries he had inflicted just moments ago and she knew she would carry the scars for weeks. She tried to slow her breathing, using the flames in the hearth to distract her from the image of her husband lying stiff upon her. She heard a noise and when she looked up, Ramón stood in the doorway.

‘I have called the guard and the physician. I laid the prince out and covered him with a sheet and disposed of the leather cuffs. There is no need for others to know what torture you have suffered.' Ramón looked as if he had been tortured as well. He had a wild look in his eyes that Benae had never seen before.

‘Are you well?' She loved him even more for protecting her in this moment but her insides buckled when she thought of how he had found her.

‘I should be asking you that, Benae,' he snapped. ‘How could you allow him to treat you like that? You should have told me sooner.' He pushed his hand through his blond locks. ‘Weeks and weeks of torture and I never knew. Why?' He stood before her, his fists bunched and his eyes desperate.

‘Let us not talk of it now. It is over.'

‘We must talk. There will be questions. What happened?'

‘Jiseve collapsed while in the act. It must have been too much for his heart to bear.'

Ramón walked away, seeming to struggle with her words. When he faced her again, his gaze was even more troubled. ‘Tell me exactly what happened.'

Benae shrank inside. ‘Must I?'

‘Benae!'

She shook her head. ‘Not now, I can't do this now, Ramón.'

He looked as if he would argue further and then his face softened and he nodded. ‘I am sorry. You have had an ordeal this night. I will meet the guard and the physician and speak on your behalf and then in the morning perhaps you will feel more able to endure these questions.' He bent and kissed her cheek, then pulled her up, lifted her and walked into the bedchamber. He laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her. ‘Rest now. I will visit you later.'

Ramón's mind boiled with questions that had no immediate answers. The prince was dead.
Dead.
The word left a flat, empty feeling inside him. It might be his fault. What had Hetty done to that ring? Or was it coincidence? Should he tell Benae what he and Hetty had cooked up between them?
No!
Better to see what she had to say first and talk to the physician.

He paused outside the prince's chambers and drew in several slow, deep breaths. His racing heart calmed a little. Ramón squared his shoulders and knocked on the door. It opened and Ramón stepped aside for two soldiers, who carried the burnt carpet past. Lieutenant Vorasava stood, hands on hips, in the middle of the sitting room.

‘Ah, Zorba, I believe you found the prince,' he said, his dark eyes narrowing. ‘Come in.'

Ramón stepped over the threshold. ‘Strictly speaking, Princess Benae found him but I arrived soon after.'

Vorasava frowned. ‘Where is she now? I will need to speak with her.'

‘I have escorted her to her chambers. She was distraught. I think you should wait until morning.'

‘Perhaps. The Goddess knows there will be enough here to keep me busy all night. This is an appalling mess.'

Ramón held his tongue.

‘How did you happen to be near the prince's chambers?' Vorasava asked. He was no common soldier. Ramón knew he would have to be careful or he would dump himself in the swill.

‘I usually do one last walk along the hallways before turning in. I smelt smoke and decided to investigate. I found the prince slumped upon his wife and flames licking at the bed covers. His Highness was already dead.'

‘What I don't understand is how the fire started.'

‘That happened in the lady's struggle to get out from under the body of her husband, I think,' Ramón said.

Vorasava winced. ‘A grisly business.'

The physician appeared in the doorway to the bedchamber. ‘You can remove the body to the cellar now, lieutenant.'

‘What is the cause of death, doctor?' Vorasava asked.

‘It is too early to say. I have taken some samples that may tell me more. It could be a weak heart. I will let you know when I have completed my investigations.' The doctor nodded to them both and left.

Vorasava shuddered again. ‘Physicians set my teeth on edge; poking about in other people's corporeal fluids and digging amongst dead bodies. Are you listening, Zorba?'

Ramón was jerked back to the present by Vorasava's sharp tone. ‘What? Oh yes, not a job for everyone I expect. If you will excuse me, lieutenant, I will take some rest while I can.' Ramón nodded and left before Vorasava could object.

Benae pushed herself from her bed, finally giving in to the realisation that she would not sleep. She hardly recognised the face she saw in the mirror. Haggard was the only word that fitted. Her mind shied away from the reason for her appearance. Her mind shied away from everything since her wedding to the prince. It had been a nightmare, only worsened by last night. If she dwelt on it now, she would become unhinged. Better to keep looking forward, to concentrate on what might be. She no longer need fear her nights with Jiseve and her babe would be safe in her womb.

There was a quiet knock at the door and Joletta arrived. Seeing Benae, she paused inside the door and curtseyed. Her gaze held uncertainty and fear.

‘Come in, Joletta,' Benae said. She hurried on before the maid could speak. ‘Let us not speak of the events of last night.' Joletta was sure to have heard of Jiseve's death. ‘Instead, please do your best to make me presentable for the day ahead.'

‘Of course, Your Highness.' Joletta's eyes travelled over Benae and she immediately called for the bath to be filled. While they waited for the water, Joletta sat Benae in a chair and massaged her shoulders and temples, her skilled fingers easing away some of the tension that had Benae's head throbbing.
Perhaps she will make a suitable ladies' maid after all?

The bath prepared, Joletta washed Benae's hair. For precious moments, Benae relaxed as the maid's fingers massaged her scalp, but all too soon, the pampering was over and the soap washed from her hair. Still, Joletta's attentions had worked their magic and the woman who emerged looked almost her normal self. Benae was even able to raise a smile in thanks as Joletta left.

Clothed in her only black dress, a gown that fitted to just below her breasts then fell into a full skirt with a short train at the back, Benae made her way to the breakfast room.

Ramón was already there, looking just as tired as she felt. Oh, how she longed to run into his arms so that he could make her forget the events of the night.

He turned as she entered and it was as if she were seeing him for the first time: his golden locks tied back from his face, his favourite blue shirt tucked into dark grey breeches, his feet encased in soft black leather boots. But his eyes had changed since their first meeting. They were no longer the eyes of a young man but of a man who had experienced life; weary eyes.

‘You never cease to amaze me, lady,' he said. ‘Even after the horror of last night, you are beautiful.'

‘And you, Ramón, are kind.' She smiled and the effort lifted her heart. All would be well— somehow. She and Ramón would be together— somehow. She placed her hand on her abdomen and the movement attracted his attention.

‘Are you well?' he asked, anxiety flaring in his gaze.

She nodded and crossed to the table to pour herself a cup of steaming tea. Ramón drew a chair from the table and she sat. He piled fresh rolls onto a plate and began breaking them into pieces and spreading them with butter and honey.

‘You spoil me.'

‘You need protecting, looking after. I have failed you and so has your husband.'

Benae frowned. ‘You have no cause to blame yourself for my predicament. You have done everything in your power to protect me. Is there any news of what killed Jiseve?'

Ramon shook his head. ‘None.'

A spike of pain and nerves stabbed her stomach as she contemplated the changes her husband's death might bring. The death of a prince of the realm would not go without consequences. The king would want to find a reason for the death of his brother, someone to blame. The power vacuum in Brightcastle would concern him as well. Benae did not know how much responsibility, if any, would now fall upon her shoulders as Jiseve's widow. Would Jiseve's cousin move into the castle and if he did, where would that leave her?

Where did it leave her unborn child? When her pregnancy was revealed, she would be the mother of the heir to the throne unless she told the truth. Would Ramón keep her secret or would his need to be acknowledged as the father interfere with her plans? Could she lie about her baby's parentage? And when the child was old enough to be told the truth, what then?

‘Ramón, we need to talk about the future.'

He stood and moved to pour himself another cup of tea as the door opened to admit Vorasava.

The lieutenant's eyes flicked from her to Ramón and back. ‘Princess, I must talk with you.'

Ramón stepped forward. ‘Have a care, man,' he hissed. ‘Princess Benae has had a harrowing night and is breaking her fast.'

Vorasava frowned and cleared his throat. ‘Yes, a most difficult night. How do you fare this morning, Your Highness?'

‘That is a difficult question to answer, lieutenant. I find I cannot accept what has occurred and yet I must.' Benae's voice broke as a sob escaped her.

‘Quite so,' Vorasava cleared his throat. ‘I would like to ask you some questions if I may?'

‘Have you come to tell me the cause of death, lieutenant?'

He frowned again. ‘It is much too early for that. I am but a humble soldier and the physician must examine the body. It appears on the surface to be a failure of the heart.'

Benae's thoughts fluttered in her head like moths around a flame. How could Jiseve's heart have failed? He was a vital and energetic man. She felt her face heat. Lately he had been too energetic. She raised her gaze to Vorasava and found him watching her, his eyes intense.

‘Can you tell me anything that might explain your husband's death, princess? Had he complained of any ill health?'

‘I cannot think of anything that would point to a health problem, lieutenant. His death has shocked me.'

‘The squire tells me that the prince died in the act of coupling with you. Is that correct?'

Benae drew in a deep breath. Images of the night before flashed through her head and her chest constricted.
Oh Goddess, let this day be over!

‘Yes, lieutenant, that is the truth of the matter. I do not wish to discuss it further.'

‘But we must, Your Highness. The prince is dead and you were the last person to see him alive. Perhaps I should be more direct. Did you contribute in any way to your husband's untimely demise?'

‘Lieutenant, you are out of order!' Ramón leapt to his feet, his face in Vorasava's.

‘I think you are rather too quick to come to the lady's defence, Zorba.'

The two men glared at each other. Benae felt the need to escape from both of them.

‘Ramón, I thank you but there is no need to defend me.' She turned to Vorasava. ‘Lieutenant, I know no way in which I contributed to my husband's death. Now please leave me, both of you.'

Benae could see neither man wanted to depart but in the end both of them did, giving her short bows and leaving her blessedly alone. She sank into a chair and wondered how she would survive the day.

Guilt gnawed at Ramón's gut. What had he done? What had Hetty done? That signet ring he had given the prince was only supposed to cause impotence, not kill the man. Should he see Hetty and ask her? Would she tell him the truth? She was hardly going to come out and say she had cursed the man who had once tried to kill her. At least Benae was now spared her nightly torture and the babe might be safe, but what if the physician or Vorasava or the king decided Benae was responsible? King Beniel had been summoned. In the end, it would be his decision. Perhaps it had been a natural death as it seemed, but the coincidence of the ring was not to be overlooked. How could he tell Benae that he might be responsible? The thought of keeping another secret from a woman he cared about tied his stomach in knots.
Enough secrets!
He had to tell her and face the consequences.

Benae sat before her fire, the flames crackling and popping in the hearth, drawing her favourite brush through her hair. It was barely a full day since Jiseve's death but it felt like a week already. She should have been in bed long since but feared nightmares. If she did not sleep until she was exhausted, perhaps she would not dream of dead limbs suffocating her.

A grinding noise signalled the opening of the secret passage in her wall and she turned to find Ramón there. She looked at him for long moments, the fire making his blond hair bronze, his blue shirt matching his eyes perfectly, his black tunic accentuating the breadth of his chest and shoulders. She so wanted him and now perhaps she would never have him. Everything depended on the physician's verdict and the king's decree. She was an outsider and if the king wanted to blame someone for his brother's death, he hardly needed to look further than her.