Fic: Outlaws and Thieves (1/4)

[melyanna]

Title: Outlaws and Thieves
Authors: angelqueen04, melyanna, and miera_c
Rating: R
Summary: During her visit to Langford, Elizabeth faces the first consequences of Kinsey's treason, while Daniel and Laura deal with problems of a different sort.
Notes: The rating of this story is a bit higher than previously. We'll have a note on the section that isn't work-safe.

For sache8, whose ideas and enthusiasm are always invaluable.


All her life, Elizabeth had heard about the duchy of Langford, the largest province in her realm and the birthplace of her mother. Even though she had never been able to visit the place before, as she traveled into the heart of the province, she felt that she knew it already from her cousin Daniel's tales and, earlier, her mother's.

She had thought that when she and her party finally arrived here, she would feel something akin to relief, a sense of returning home. But as the royal procession crossed the border into Atalan, Elizabeth felt only weariness mingled with anxiety from her visit to Iolan.

The days of traveling through the countryside should have given her time to compose herself. Refusing Prince Radek's proposal had been the final, bitter note of a visit which had seen more than its share of complications. Her personal romantic distresses paled in comparison to the discovery in Iolan of Lord Simmons, along with proof that he had conspired with the Goa'uld to try to murder her, and had also aided their invasion of Caldora.

But the journey to Langford had not been particularly restful. Elizabeth was anxious for news, feeling isolated from the world. At last they had proof that Kinsey had also conspired to kill her, yet she had heard nothing of the reaction in Atalan, even though Lord George, returning to the capital by the sea, would have reached home days ago.

Now, as they approached the village of Annendale, the seat of Langford province, Elizabeth found herself almost dreading their arrival, a cruel irony after having longed to see the place all her life. What would become of Kinsey? Had Daniel and Lord George been able to find further proof against him? Were there more men in her court who wished her harm? Now that her initial rage against Simmons and Kinsey had passed, how would she dispense justice against those who had sought to end her life?

One further point of dread remained, less important than the Kinsey matter and immensely more personal. During the journey from Iolan, she had concluded that she had been right to refuse Radek. It would have been wrong to marry him when she could not love Radek as he loved her, as he deserved to be loved by his wife. For all the political considerations hanging over her head in marriage, Elizabeth refused to accept that honesty did not trump everything else. But there was no chance that Daniel would be sanguine about the matter and agree with her immediately.

Laura was looking out the curtains of the carriage. She drew Kate's attention to something outside, and Elizabeth peeked out the window too. They were passing larger houses and smaller farms, drawing closer to the village.

Elizabeth wrung her hands restlessly. She and her cousin had been planning this visit for years, whiling away long hours of tedious work and study by talking of the places that had marked her mother's childhood, places Elizabeth longed to see for herself. But now that longing for some piece of her mother's past was shadowed by the anticipation of having disappointed Daniel. She dreaded seeing the look on his face when he realized she had refused Radek's offer of marriage, and she was not looking forward to the lecture she was sure to receive.

"They dress so colorfully," Laura commented from her place across from Elizabeth. "Even in Atlantis we do not wear so many colors."

As they entered the town, the streets were filled with people, all staring eagerly in their direction. Elizabeth pushed the curtains on the windows aside, permitting those they passed to catch a glimpse of her. She ignored Marcus Lorne, who kept his horse close to the carriage, and the way he frowned at her action. The captain of the guard had been understandably scared when Kate had been hurt by Lord Simmons the night of his capture, but Marcus had been reminding all three of them of an overprotective bear the entire journey home.

"Lord Daniel once told me that Queen Margaret brought many fashions from Langford when she married King Edmund," Kate said to Laura as she looked out the window next to her.

Elizabeth nodded. "Indeed. Those styles have not completely faded from court, but they do not seem to compare to this place." She waved to her people, and smiled when their cheers grew louder, feeling the tightness in her beginning to ease just a bit. These were her people. No longer was she a guest in a foreign land. There was that comfort, at least.

The carriage progressed through the main street of Annendale, allowing the queen to be seen by the people, before winding down a guarded lane toward the family seat. Though Elizabeth had seen drawings of the manor before, when they rounded a curve her breath was taken away.

The manor stretched across the width of the River Ligeia. Daniel had told her that it was built on the pylons of a huge, ancient mill that had once spanned the river. The architecture bore only the faintest resemblance to Atlantis, but at the same time it had a lightness and grace utterly unlike the massive stone structures in places like Neill and Hammond. The winding path up to the outer tower gave them all a clear view of the turrets fronting the building and also the extended manor behind. Another fortification ran alongside the back of the structure, beyond which was the far side of the river and the shimmering green forest. On either side of the path were extensive gardens. Even moving so swiftly, Elizabeth could see they were fastidiously tended.

The carriage drew up in the courtyard and Elizabeth momentarily forgot her myriad concerns in curiosity as Marcus aided her in leaving the coach. A bridge connected the main building with the land and the outer tower and stables, providing extra defense in case of an attack. Now, though, the afternoon sun reflected off the river's surface, illuminating the guard tower and the queen's banner, which flapped in the breeze almost lazily.

A large party was waiting near the narrow entrance to the bridge. Daniel was at the front and he stepped forward to welcome her with a warm smile. "Your Majesty," he greeted. In spite of the smile, his face looked somewhat haggard and he eyed her with mingled concern and relief. "Welcome to Langford."

She took his hand as he bowed and squeezed it tightly for a moment. She said formally, "Thank you, my lord. We are pleased to be here, to see our mother's home at last."

Daniel led her toward the group of people waiting and Elizabeth was pleased to see Catherine Littlefield standing next to a stern-looking, older man with little hair remaining on his head, but a gentle smile nonetheless. She concluded that he must be Catherine's husband, Sir Ernest Littlefield, the steward of Langford province. Though Catherine had frequently come to court and had even played chaperone for Elizabeth on occasion, her husband had always been too busy. Having seen the scope of just the manor's lands, Elizabeth could well understand why.

Elizabeth was in the process of greeting everyone when the proper and polite atmosphere was broken by loud barking. A white ball of fur suddenly barreled across the bridge and straight toward her. She could not help but laugh when she recognized the animal that began to run circles around her, yapping and wagging its tail happily.

"Sedge!" Elizabeth cried, delighted to see her beloved pet. The puppy had grown a great deal since she'd left Atlantis. She knelt and scratched her ears while the dog preened under the attention. "This is a surprise."

"Yes," Daniel replied, his voice sour though his mouth twitched in amusement. "She would not stand to be left behind. She made a complete nuisance of herself, so I made room for her to travel with me. I knew she would not behave until she saw you again."

Elizabeth giggled quietly, and then straightened up again. Daniel took the time to introduce everyone to her, from Sir Ernest to the head of the stables, Master O'Brien, who assured her that her horses would be well-kept during their stay. She was also relieved to see Peter Grodin, her personal secretary. Peter had remained in Atalan to assist Daniel in her absence, and Elizabeth had found herself missing his calm manner and competence during the trip.

Daniel led the queen's party across the bridge into a positive labyrinth of rooms. No doubt the layout of the building had been affected by the arrangement of the main areas of the manor on the river pylons. Elizabeth had found the palace in Iolan difficult to navigate. She knew she would be lost instantly here.

After Daniel ordered the servants to take her trunks to the suite of rooms that had been prepared for her, he said quietly, "I have urgent news that requires your attention, cousin."

The seriousness of his tone brought back all her feelings of apprehension, but Elizabeth steadied herself. "Of course." She turned to Kate and Laura and ordered, "Go and see our things unpacked and aired out. I will join you shortly."

The two women eyed her in concern, but only curtsied and murmured, "Yes, Majesty."

Daniel escorted her, Peter and Marcus to his study, further within the maze of corridors. The halls were decorated with beautiful tapestries, depicting scenes from stories and historical events alike.

Once everyone was inside Daniel's study, he said, "We received word of what happened in Iolan, Elizabeth, but by the time your official orders arrived, it was too late."

Elizabeth tensed further, her eyes going to Marcus, who looked wary, and then back to Daniel. "What do you mean?"

In spite of the unhappiness in his expression, her cousin did not mince words. "Kinsey escaped. We heard rumors that a Lord Simmons had been arrested and was being questioned. Kinsey left Atlantis soon after, claiming he had received word that his wife was ill. When Lord George returned with your order to arrest him, I sent out riders, but no one could find any trace of him."

Elizabeth's heart sank. It was not possible, not possible that after everything, that now when they finally had the proof of his treachery, this could happen.

Daniel's face twisted into an unconscious snarl that mirrored her own feelings. "He has vanished."

Daniel had been dreading the queen's reaction to the news of Kinsey's escape for days, bracing himself for anything from grave disappointment to an explosion of temper. But as he prepared for supper on the night of Elizabeth's arrival in Langford, he thought he would have preferred her to glower, or rant and rail at him for his incompetence - anything other than the dull misery that had greeted his most unpleasant news.

Instead of anger and blame, she had looked stricken for a moment. Then she sat down, staring at her lap for a long while as he stammered out the details. At length, she sighed and gazed at him with a tiredness that wrung his heart. She then told him it was not his fault.

Lord George had been saying as much since their first inkling that Kinsey had bolted. Rationally, Daniel knew that there had been no way for him to foresee that the vague rumors coming from Iolan meant anything regarding Kinsey. That had not stopped several members of the college of lords from implying that Kinsey's escape was Daniel's fault. Of course, in the weeks of Elizabeth's absence, everything down to the amount of rainfall in Atalan had been, according to some, Daniel's fault. That he was still on speaking terms with anyone in Atlantis was part miracle and part the handiwork of Peter Grodin.

And Daniel was still half-expecting Jack to appear at any moment to deliver a tirade on the subject of Kinsey's escape, the fury of which mere words in a letter would not have adequately conveyed.

But Elizabeth, who by Lord George's account had been in a towering rage at Simmons, had said almost nothing. She waved off his guilt and sat listlessly. He was almost hurt at the way she retreated into herself, irrationally disappointed that she was not more upset.

Daniel had immediately seen the strain the trip to Iolan had put on Elizabeth. The stress of such a long journey coupled with what must have been an impossible social schedule had clearly wearied her. The discovery of Simmons would have staggered a weaker person. And Lord George reported that to his knowledge no formal engagement existed between Elizabeth and Prince Radek. Daniel could not imagine that his cousin would have accepted Radek but said nothing to Lord George about the matter. It seemed quite possible that her pallor and fatigue might be related to Radek as much as Simmons and Kinsey.

Daniel made his way to the hall for supper, thinking of his past conversations with Elizabeth about the prince. Lord George could not ask Elizabeth about what had passed between herself and Radek, but he could. Between Kinsey and Elizabeth's tiredness, though, Daniel resolved to put the question aside, at least for tonight.

At supper, Laura chattered on about the trip to Iolan and even managed to draw Elizabeth into discussing some of the lighter points of the visit with Catherine. Daniel noticed Kate talked even less than usual. Lord George had informed him of the attack upon her, of course, and Daniel could see a faint bruise upon her pale skin. All through the meal she kept looking at Captain Lorne. Kate's recklessness had uncovered two traitors in the end, but in observing the way Lorne watched Kate, Daniel suspected that the young captain thought the cost had been too great.

The meal was progressing as pleasantly as could be expected until a servant appeared with a message for Ernest. He listened for a moment and then looked at Daniel in embarrassment. "My lord, I apologize, but it appears there has been another incident."

"Incident?" Elizabeth repeated in surprise. Lorne looked ready to leap up from his chair.

Daniel had been fervently hoping this particular situation would be resolved before Elizabeth arrived, but luck had not been on his side. He gave Ernest a small nod. His cousin would learn about this anyway. "Majesty, there has been a series of thefts in the village in the last week. The culprit or culprits are as yet unknown." Ernest turned to Daniel. "Lady Agnes returned from visiting her sister this evening to discover that a number of items were missing from her bedchamber."

"What has been taken?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Jewels, mostly," Catherine responded. "Some food and clothing have also gone missing, but it is unclear whether the two are connected."

"Is there usually a problem with thievery in Annendale?" Lorne asked, trying and failing to sound casual.

Ernest's eyes flashed despite his age. "No, there is not, sir."

"It is most unusual," Daniel put in before the tension could escalate. "And the timing most unfortunate. It was not enough that my people had to prepare for the arrival of both the queen and myself here at the manor. Now there is a thief preying upon the nobility of the area," he groused.

As he hoped, Elizabeth looked faintly amused. "Perhaps the thief thought you needed to spend more time with your nobles, my lord."

Daniel made a face at Elizabeth, who chuckled.

Ernest, apparently feeling his honor was still in question, leaned forward. "I assure you, Majesty, we will find this villain and deal with him in short order. We will station extra guards within the village immediately."

"I have no doubt of that, Sir Ernest," Elizabeth said graciously. She turned to Lorne, "Captain, if you or your men can be of any assistance to the steward, please grant it."

Lorne nodded dutifully. "Yes, my lady."

News of the thief seemed to rouse everyone, and as the dessert course was brought to the table, the conversation resumed in a more lively fashion than before.

Entering the manor proved simpler than most would think. The large building rested on sturdy pylons in the middle of the river, so its only large scale entrance was at the front, accessible by drawbridge. However, there was another, smaller entrance between two of the pylons themselves, where supplies were unloaded from boats. It was not all that difficult to stow away on one of those boats and assist in unloading those contents, especially with the extra supplies and people being brought in for the queen's visit. A few little white lies about her status, and Vala Mal Doran gained entrance into the manor.

One of the housekeepers pointed toward a closed door a few feet away. "You'll find proper attire in there," she said, eyeing Vala's faded, careworn clothing disapprovingly. "Lord Daniel's servants must be a credit to him."

Vala bowed her head. "Of course, ma'am," she said, the picture of submission.

She entered the small room and found racks of clothes. The Duke of Langford, it appeared, provided uniforms for those who served him. Vala glanced through the dresses and grabbed one that would be long enough to fit her tall frame.

Wearing the apparel of a maid, she went virtually unnoticed, carefully blending into the routine of the manor. She was able to walk with a fair amount of freedom, even into the private rooms of the nobles. Still, with Queen Elizabeth in residence, the number of guards was far higher than what would normally be present in a manor house of this size.

But still, the location was sufficient for now. She would wait until the time was right to move.

Kate felt slightly guilty when Laura insisted on attending Elizabeth until the queen was in bed. She tried, once, to suggest that Laura had business of her own to attend to, and Elizabeth had agreed, but Laura flashed a dangerous look at them both. Kate said nothing more regarding Laura's husband, who was no doubt waiting for Laura in their room down the hall.

She and Laura had little trouble coaxing Elizabeth to rest. The queen was more tired than either of them. "Perhaps she will finally sleep better, now that she is back on her own soil and near family," Laura said lowly as they exited the room and closed the door. Marcus Lorne was in the antechamber and he nodded to them both, though he eyed Kate with a familiar frown.

"I think we all have been waiting to breathe again," Kate observed. Marcus shot her a look at that.

Laura glanced between them in silence for a moment. "Well, I suppose I should retire," she said wryly and headed for the door.

Kate moved to stand near the window. The evening breeze was soft and warm and she could see the torch-lit drive that led to the manor, stretching out into the dark forest like some enchanted path in a fairy tale. Marcus stood beside her, and Kate felt him looking at her more than the view before them. The quiet between them was not entirely comfortable, but Kate nonetheless was glad to have some time alone with him. There had been precious little privacy during the journey from Iolan.

"It is beautiful here," Marcus said, drawing Kate from her thoughts.

“Yes,” she replied. "I have to wonder how King Edmund ever convinced Queen Margaret to leave it."

Marcus smiled. "Lord Daniel has always said she cared for the king greatly." He reached out and laid his hand on her smaller one, squeezing it gently.

Kate's own smile tugged at her lips. She looked from their hands to his eyes. "Would you leave Atlantis for someone?" she asked.

Marcus' gaze rested on her face as he closed the space between them. He reached up with his other hand, his fingertips caressing her cheek lightly before pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Perhaps," he replied, leaning closer. "If it was the right person."

"Marcus..." Her voice was faint as he kissed her just below her ear. "Someone might come in."

He shook his head. "Everyone's turning in for the night," he murmured just before their lips met. Kate had little desire to argue with him, and was content to wind her arms around his neck. She shivered when his hands swept up and down her back, pulling her flush against him.

Ever since Frank Simmons' violent attack on her, Marcus had rarely let her out of his sight, or the sight of one of his men. She was aware that two guards now regularly trailed her and Laura, even when they were not with Elizabeth. But it was not just the close brush with danger. Their fierce arguments over her behavior with the Marquis of Kensmere still lingered between them like a shadow. There had been no opportunity to talk about it, and if she was honest, Kate did not wish to hurry that conversation. She was aware that she bore part of the responsibility for their disagreement, but she was skeptical of whether her gallant captain would be as willing to acknowledge his own guilt as he was to draw his sword to protect her.

Marcus pulled away first but kept his arms around her loosely for a moment. Given the contentment on his face, Kate did not believe that he noticed the sudden solemn turn of her thoughts. That look made her heart soften and yearn to just forget everything.

A low noise in the hallway broke the illusion of privacy and his arms fell away. Unable to resist, she caught one of his hands and interlaced their fingers.

"Lord Daniel looked positively worn out this afternoon," she commented quietly as they let the night air flow between them. "I don't think he fully understood, before now, the stress Elizabeth deals with every day."

Marcus nodded. "It seems the pressure has not lightened since he came to Langford. I met with the captain of the village guard just now, and he told me more about the thefts in Annendale. This thief has left them very little in the way of clues to his identity, if indeed it is one person alone."

"And with the news of Kinsey coming from us in Iolan, only to have him elude capture," she murmured. "The poor man seems to be at his wits' end."

"Did you get any sense of the queen's reaction to that news?" he asked.

"Not really." Her forehead creased as she thought back on Elizabeth's behavior earlier in the evening. "I cannot say if she is truly at peace about it or if the tiredness from the journey was affecting her."

Marcus leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "Speaking of tiredness, it was a long day, and you need rest yourself." His eyes darted to the bruises on her throat. They had faded almost entirely now, but Kate suspected the memory of them would never completely fade for either of them.

She was not inordinately tired, but not wanting to fight with him, she yielded. "Then I bid you good night, sir," she said with a playful curtsey.

Marcus smiled at her. "Good night, Kate," he whispered, bringing her hand up to his lips.

Kate felt a pleasant shiver go through her body and she smiled. She stretched up to kiss him lightly, and against his lips she replied, “Good night, Marcus.”

When Laura woke up the next morning, it took her a long moment to recall where she was. She had not had time to fully get used to her new chambers in the palace in Atlantis before the queen's party had set forth for Iolan. Now she stared up at yet another set of unfamiliar bed curtains in confusion before remembering her location.

She listened carefully for a moment. There were no sounds from the hallway to indicate that the queen was already up, and outside the bed curtains the light seemed dim enough to be early in the morning. She could remain in bed for a little while longer.

She stretched her body carefully. Even that small movement caused Carson to shift, tightening the arm he had about her waist. She smiled a little at the move, but it faded quickly.

Marriage was not precisely what she had expected. Of course, that was probably true of everyone, but Laura was a little worried.

Not a day seemed to go by that either Kate or the queen did not suggest that Laura should be doing something other than her work. Simple tasks which she had always undertaken on the queen's behalf suddenly were being taken away from her. It was only in the aftermath of her injuries that Laura was able to convince Kate to allow her to help with duties which had once been shared between them.

Elizabeth had spoken before the wedding of how the three of them would find a balance with Laura's duties and her married life. Laura had foolishly thought that meant an actual balance rather than this incomprehensible and frustrating tendency to treat her as if she should spend all her days chasing after her husband to wait on his every whim.

In fairness, none of that was her husband's doing. He seemed to have no qualms with her being away from his side for hours a day attending the queen. Indeed, much of his time in Iolan had been spent conversing with other physicians and scholars in the country. More than once, when ejected from the queen's chambers, Laura had found herself alone, waiting for Carson to return.

He was always back by nightfall, of course. Though Laura had noticed they tended to undress for bed with their backs to one another still, like courteous strangers. At least while they were not under the blankets.

Her wedding night had been... strange. It had been more painful than she had anticipated, though she knew Carson would never hurt her intentionally. Laura was starting to understand what some of the women in the court in Atalan had meant when they spoke of the marriage bed being part of a wife's duties. There seemed to be very little about being taken to bed by a man that was in any way romantic.

Oh, it no longer hurt, and most of the time it was even pleasurable. But Laura felt a furtive sense of disappointment. The fevered promise she had always felt in Carson's caresses hadn't been fulfilled.

Her husband shifted again, and she felt a tell-tale pressure against her backside. The previous night had been a rare one since their wedding where Carson had been tired enough to simply fall asleep. Laura had lain awake until she heard him snore softly and was able to relax. She was not eager for him to wake in this condition.

Fortunately for her, she heard the door open and Kate's voice giving direction to someone. Turning, she brushed a perfunctory kiss against Carson's lips before slipping out of the bed and beginning to get dressed.

Morning brought no news in the search for the thief in the village. Daniel went himself to speak to Lady Agnes and the magistrate in Annendale about the matter. The robberies had been going on for nearly three weeks now, and the thief, whoever he was, was no common pickpocket. On his way back to the manor, Daniel ordered that the gates at the end of the lane be shut at all times as a precaution, though he doubted even this clever villain would attempt anything so foolish as to try to rob the most fortified and heavily-guarded building in the province. Had he not been in residence, the story perhaps would have been different.

Elizabeth spent the morning with Peter Grodin, going over correspondence and other business that had been kept for her. After luncheon, Daniel took Elizabeth, Kate, Laura, and Carson on a tour through the manor and out into the extensive gardens, where Sedge took great delight in running about and barking at imaginary foes. In truth, he ended up walking and listening while Catherine conducted the tour and managed to embarrass him several times over.

Elizabeth was less lively than Daniel had hoped to see her after a night's sleep. He thought she would have been eager to tell him of all the things she'd seen in Iolan regardless of the outcome of the trip, but instead she avoided eye contact with him. There were clearly a great many things on her mind, and there was a hint of dread in her posture as well.

When they were finished with afternoon tea and the dishes were cleared away, Daniel decided not to delay the inevitable any longer. "My lady, will you join me in my study?" he asked. "We have a great many things to discuss."

Elizabeth looked resigned. "Certainly, cousin," she said. She bade Laura look after Sedge as they departed.

They walked back to his study silently, arm in arm. Daniel could tell Elizabeth was steeling herself, which didn't make him feel any better about the conversation they were about to have.

Lorne followed them, but stood outside the study and closed the door. Elizabeth sat down at a table wearily. "Daniel, tell me everything we know about Caldora's situation," she said quietly.

"Sir Jacob sent word that the Tok'ra are sending a force to aid the Caldorans," Daniel replied, leaning against his desk. "He did not know when, however."

"Good," she replied, sighing in obvious relief. "What else?"

"There is not much more news," Daniel said. "Our messengers have brought back word that there is a refugee crisis in Madrona."

Elizabeth frowned. "Madrona?"

"A city just across our border, in the province of Sheppard," he explained. "My understanding is that the late marquis ordered the evacuation of the rural population into the more fortified cities, and it was at Madrona that he died."

Daniel watched half a dozen emotions flash across Elizabeth's face at the mention of John of Sheppard's province, and of his father's recent death. She looked down for a moment. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

She knew the answer to that, of course. He crossed the room then to stand before her and take her hand, the hand on which Radek's betrothal ring should have been. "Elizabeth," he began, a little exasperated, "why did you reject him?"

Elizabeth stood, abruptly pulling her hand out of his as she walked away. She did not attempt to deny that Radek had proposed, or that she had refused him. "Cousin," Daniel said tiredly, "you must explain yourself eventually."

She looked at him darkly. "Must I?"

"Yes, Elizabeth, you must," he answered, his voice hardening. "The college will want answers when you return to Atlantis, and I cannot help you if I do not know what your reasons were. Radek of Iolan was the best candidate to be your husband and you know it. I thought we talked about this!" His voice was climbing with his anger.

"I sought your opinion, not a mandate," Elizabeth fired back, somewhat petulantly. "I'm a grown woman, Daniel. I rule a country. Can I not choose for myself?"

"And what has this choice gained you?" Daniel asked. "You've returned without a husband, having refused the suit of an old and trusted friend who genuinely cares for you, the one man we know we can trust, and who knows if you have offended one of Atalan's oldest allies by refusing his suit?"

"I have hardly damaged relations with Iolan," she retorted in irritation, pacing the length of the room. "If anything, they are the ones who have damaged relations with us, having harbored a man who had tried to kill me twice."

"That is not the point, Elizabeth," he pressed, refusing to let her sidetrack their argument.

"And this is not your life, Daniel!" she bellowed, her temper finally breaking free. "You already forced one husband upon me, and you saw how that ended!"

He clenched his fists. "We let you decide-"

"And what a decision that was," Elizabeth interrupted, her tone laced with sarcasm. "I could read between the lines. You wanted Kinsey gone, and you all thought he was a threat to me."

"He was!"

"So I had no choice. I could marry a man who was old enough to be my father, or disregard you all and place myself in danger. What choice was that?"

Daniel swallowed hard. He and Elizabeth had never spoken of this, not since Simon's death. His own reservations about the arrangement surged in his memory, along with his cousin's young and frightened face on the day of her wedding. "Elizabeth, I never wanted you to feel forced into that marriage," he said slowly.

"Then why did you not tell me that then?" she demanded. Her voice dropped, and she sounded near to tears. "Do you have any idea how frightened I was the night before the wedding? The idea of being bedded by a total stranger, a man older than you or even Jack... You have no idea what that was like, Daniel."

A long silence fell between them as Elizabeth turned away, struggling to master herself. Guilt gnawed at Daniel, but he turned back to the subject at hand. "Elizabeth, what does this have to do with Radek?" he asked, careful to keep his voice low. "Surely you would not harbor such fears about him?" The prince's behavior towards her had always been so careful and correct.

She shook her head but did not meet his eyes. "I could not feel anything more than friendship for him, Daniel," she said, her voice cracking. "I could not marry him on so little."

"That is no little thing," he snapped, thinking of the conversation they had had six months ago, before winter set in. For a queen, friendship with her future consort was an immense advantage. He had thought she understood that fact. He never thought she would behave like a silly, lovesick schoolgirl with romantic notions about true love in her head. "Tell me, Elizabeth, did you even try?"

"I did!" she cried, whipping around, her face full of anger and hurt. "I tried, Daniel. But you have no idea what it is like to accept the courtship of one man while-"

She stopped abruptly, and Daniel staggered with a realization. She had cast Radek aside because of John of Sheppard.

How could she have been so impulsive? How could she have turned away the best prospect of marriage for a man whose future was so unsure? A man she probably would never lay eyes on again? What in the name of hell had John of Sheppard done to her?

"He is not coming back, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth recoiled. "You don't know that."

"He's not coming back," he repeated forcefully. "He's in the middle of a war. I don't know what promises he whispered to you while our backs were all turned, but you don't even know if he is still alive!"

Elizabeth paled in anger and Daniel felt a prick of guilt. She turned as if to quit the room but the door opened before she could reach it and Ernest entered. The older man bowed hastily. "Forgive me, Majesty, my lord, for disturbing you. A party has arrived at the gates, requesting entrance."

"Did they give a name?" he asked, struggling to appear calm.

Ernest nodded, his eyes darting to Elizabeth briefly. "Yes, my lord. It is Lady Georgiana, the Countess of Kinsey, who begs an audience with her Majesty as soon as possible."

Daniel's jaw dropped. Kinsey's wife was here? What was this? Perhaps some trickery, one final attempt on Kinsey's part to end Elizabeth's life even though he himself was now a known traitor?

Their argument temporarily forgotten, Elizabeth looked at Daniel in mute shock. He hardly knew what to think, but curiosity won out, and he saw his cousin's silent agreement.

"Permit them entrance," he ordered, "but the entire party will be kept under close guard. The men are to turn over all their weapons before entering the grounds. Only the lady herself will be permitted to the queen's presence."

For the curious, sache8 was recently in Europe, and while touring various castles, she decided to assign some of them to characters from this AU. Selected for Daniel's estate in Langford was the stunning Château de Chenonceau, in central France. A selection of her photographs is available here, posted with her permission.