Chapter 494: The Warning and the Whisper

Chapter 493: The Warning and the Whisper

Lyria’s POV

Daniel stammered.

"I am on..."

I did not permit him to finish.

"I a-asked you a s-straightforward q-question," I said. "And I m-must confess I expected a straightforward answer in return. I d-do not understand why you should now f-falter."

Daniel only stared at me.

"P-perhaps," I continued, "if you w-wish to s-sabotage a thing, y-you ought first to p-possess more i-information, and some manner of c-claim upon which to r-rest it, before you a-actually attempt it."

"What do you mean by that?" he demanded, his eyes wide. "What sabotage?"

"I th-thought you had been obstructing all our w-work since the very beginning," I said, "Was that not s-sabotage? After all, if your office was to s-supervise, as you c-claim, then you ought to s-supervise, and lend your hand to the t-townspeople, rather than s-sit and complain."

I closed the distance between us then, and lowered my voice to a whisper.

"This is the l-last occasion upon which I shall p-permit you to undermine my authority and my p-position. And I m-must tell you, if you have any q-quarrel with me, or if there is something you wish to c-contest, you shall meet with me d-directly. For I am n-not above unleashing my g-guards upon you."

Daniel swallowed nervously.

"Are you threatening me?" he asked. "That is hardly a becoming thing for one in your position."

"I c-cannot so much as spell the word," I said, with a smile. "I know n-not what it is. But it seems y-you do. And you a-also seem to know precisely what one in my p-position is supposed to do. P-perhaps you ought to t-take my place, t-then."

Daniel stared at me, his mouth opening and closing like that of a fish drawn from the water.

"I am n-not making threats," I said calmly. "But there is only so m-much I can p-pretend not to n-notice."

Then I turned from him, and walked back towards Duke Thorncrest and Marquess Silverwyn, my skirts whispering over the damp ground.

"Now," I announced, in a voice pitched to carry, "where w-were we, b-before our supervisor requested an e-education regarding what we a-are to do in this t-town?"

Duke Thorncrest laughed aloud at that, while Marquess Silverwyn only regarded me, and I made a careful show of not remarking upon the look upon his countenance. I had not yet determined what that gentleman made of me, and I did not choose to enquire in so public a place.

We resumed our discussion of the division of labourers between the two undertakings. Duke Thorncrest was of the opinion that his men might spare a few for the fields, now that the first walls of the new dwellings had been raised, and Marquess Silverwyn agreed, though he wished to retain the more skilled workmen for the building. It was settled between them with a minimum of fuss, and I was most grateful for it, for I had learnt that a quarrel avoided is worth a day’s labour gained.

After that, I made my way to the fields.

Lucian was there, his sleeves rolled to the elbow, his hands dark with soil. He was speaking with several of the townspeople, demonstrating something concerning the planting, of which I understood nothing, though the townspeople listened with great attention. They had grown quite fond of him, I perceived, in a very short while. Margery laboured among them too. He glanced up upon my arrival, and I gave him a smile, and passed on.

I moved from one point to another, observing the work as it progressed. Everywhere I went I was met with nods and murmurs of acknowledgment, and though some of the townspeople still regarded me with suspicion, there were others who offered small smiles, or paused in their labours to bid me good day. It was no great thing, perhaps, but I had learnt to prize small things, having so long been denied larger.

At length, I found myself in the kitchens.

Pippa and Elara were there, assisting the women of the town as they prepared food for all. The air was warm and fragrant with herbs, and the sound of chatter filled the room. Several children were helping as well, running to and fro with baskets and small parcels, and the moment they espied me, they abandoned their tasks entirely and ran to me.

"Yer ’Ighness! Yer ’Ighness!"

I laughed as they clustered about me. One small girl showed me a basket of herbs she had gathered, and I praised her for it, which made her beam with pride. Another child, a boy of perhaps six, presented me with a flower he had picked from somewhere, and I thanked him gravely and tucked it into my hair, which sent them all into fits of giggling.

Some of the grown townspeople greeted me also, and I returned their greetings with a smile.

Elara came towards me.

"Your Highness," she said, "what are you doing here?"

"I o-only came to v-visit," I said.

"You ought not to strain yourself," she said, with a shake of her head. "You ought to take matters easily."

"You a-always tell me that," I said. "And b-besides, there is n-no way I could strain myself here."

Just then, the door to the kitchens opened, and Duke Valenridge walked in.

The children abandoned me at once and ran towards him, and he scooped up two of them in his arms, laughing as they clung to him. He set them down, ruffled the hair of another, and made his way towards me.

Elara regarded him with a frown, and I wondered whether it was on account of the dark circles beneath the Duke’s eyes, though His Grace affected not to notice her stare.

"Might I have a word, Your Highness?" he asked softly. "Outside, if you will."

I nodded, and together we walked out of the kitchens.

The moment we were alone, he sighed and passed a hand down his face.

"I must ask something of you," he said, his voice a whisper.

"What i-is it?"

"Might you make yourself available at midnight? There is something I must tell you. Privately."

"At m-midnight?" I asked him, with a frown.

He glanced about us, as though to assure himself we were not overheard.

"I cannot tell you here," he whispered. "And besides, as I said, I am not the only one with information."