Friend or Foe 3/3
Meta info in Part 1:
Friend or Foe:
Part 1
Part 2
When Elizabeth was still sixteen, she had successfully argued until the college of lords granted her permission to attend their sessions and observe, in deference to the fact that when she reached the throne, she would need to be familiar with the business before the college and the realm in order to rule. Most of the college had grown accustomed to seeing her sitting silently off to the side of the room during their meetings.
Daniel stood before his seat, watching as Elizabeth stepped gracefully onto the dais and stood before the simple wooden chair that had waited empty for a decade, until she could claim her rightful place. However, on this day, she did not sit immediately. She nodded at them all to be seated, but she remained on her feet, her hands clasped loosely before her. When the college had settled, she began to speak.
“My lords, you are all aware of the vicious and extensive attack on our lands that took place not four days ago. An entire settlement has been decimated by the Wraith. Not content with simply raiding the village of Hoff, the Wraith burned everything, leaving few survivors and nothing of value behind. Hoff, for all purposes, no longer exists.
“It is impossible for us not to understand the message. This was not an attack on a lone village or a single people. It was an attack on us, on our rule and our ability to protect the people of Atalan.”
The young queen's gaze swept the room slowly. Her voice rang to every corner of the hall.
“Our answer to this attack will be to wipe the scourge of the Wraith from the waters of Atalan entirely.”
Murmuring broke out at this bold declaration. Daniel detected a strong sense of approval in the people around him.
Elizabeth drew a breath. “To that end, we hereby commission Master Rodney McKay, subject of our friend and ally Iolan, to pursue the rebuilding of our navy with all speed. Master McKay is given charge of this project, and shall not be impeded by anyone in any way that might materially delay the completion of no fewer than four vessels by the end of winter.”
Elizabeth’s lofty goal brought another round of gasping and whispers. In the small knot of people standing near the doorway where Elizabeth had entered, Daniel saw McKay looking slightly nervous but also determined.
The queen lowered her voice slightly. “Our honored father, King Edmund, often spoke of the importance of sacrifice. He believed that none of us was without responsibility for our country, from the lowest peasant to himself. Our safety, and our honor as a nation, is not solely our own burden, or even the burden of this assembly, but of every citizen of the realm.
“So today, we ask of you a sacrifice. There is much work to be done to rebuild our country, to make her strong again, to preserve the safety of every man, woman and child in Atalan. It will require all of us, working together, to accomplish. It is a task of many years, and we fear great hardships yet await us before the goal is reached.”
The entire hall was still.
“But our faith rests, as always, on our people. We have within us the capacity to restore Atalan beyond all former glory. We have the capability to ensure that all our people sleep soundly at night without fear of any enemy. It will require hard work. It will require that we each surrender some luxuries and some resources that we might hold dear. Most of all, it requires that we have faith in each other, and that we bind our faith together for the common good.
“We ask today that all the citizens of the realm prepare themselves to work for this goal, for the benefit of our whole nation, and join us in beginning the new era of Atalan’s history.”
She finished and there was a momentary silence before fervent applause began from some quarter and quickly engulfed the room as the entire college rose to their feet. The clapping and cheers rolled through the hall and echoed off the stone for some minutes before the queen nodded once and then seated herself, gesturing to Lord George to stand and begin addressing the specifics.
A month ago, Elizabeth had been crowned queen of Atalan, but Daniel thought to himself that her reign truly began today.
But she was also about to face her first test.
Lord George called for order and almost immediately, Lord Bertram Samuels, Kinsey’s closest ally, rose to his feet. “Majesty, my lords, I submit to you that in order to pursue her Majesty’s most noble goal, it would be prudent to install the person with the most experience to oversee the project. I humbly suggest that Lord Robert consider accepting the task and bringing his knowledge of our defenses to bear on this immense undertaking.”
Due to Daniel’s earlier warning, neither Elizabeth nor Lord George showed any great surprise. The rest of the college was not so sanguine. It was difficult to judge from the mutterings, but Daniel suspected that Elizabeth’s stirring speech had not inclined many of the men and women in the room to welcome a step backwards in time. It was hardly a secret to any of them that the current state of the navy was Kinsey's fault.
Some brief discussion ensued, but then Elizabeth raised a hand. It took a moment for silence to fall, as the college was still unused to the monarch being present among them. Her voice and face remained utterly composed. “I acknowledge the sentiment, Lord Bertram, and while I mean no disrespect to Lord Robert, it appears to my admittedly young understanding that this is a task requiring a great deal of specialized skill. Lord Robert, for all his many talents, is neither a shipwright nor a sailor.”
Daniel smiled inwardly at the perfectly respectful tone Elizabeth kept as she spoke. Recognizing his cue, Jack stood. “Majesty, my lords, I have given this matter some thought since the queen first approached me and I have taken the liberty of contacting Captain Lionel Pendergast.” From the shadows behind where McKay was lurking, Pendergast appeared, flanked by Lady Samantha. He bowed to the room as many of the younger nobles stared at the man's wooden leg.
Jack's voice grew slightly rough. “The captain, as you can see, has known service in combat. He served honorably in the navy under the queen’s late father, and knows how to manage men and materials to provide Master McKay with precisely what is needed for this project. He has told me that he considers himself recalled to service to the sovereign of Atalan for as long as he is needed.”
Daniel stood up in his turn before Kinsey or Samuels could speak, keeping his voice as bland as he could. “It appears to me, Majesty, that with the Hoffan refugees now in need of our support, we can ill afford to waste even the smallest stick of wood. We will need someone like Captain Pendergast to ensure that we do not err in our preparation of materials for the navy and the shipyards.”
A low rumble of chatter broke out as he sat down. Daniel noticed that while Samuels and Kinsey were whispering furiously, Lord Woolsey, beside them, was looking at Daniel as if in agreement.
“My lords, it is my feeling that Lord Jonathan, as head of our armies, can be trusted on this matter as a reference, and that Captain Pendergast, along with Master McKay, should manage our great undertaking,” Elizabeth asked benignly. “What say you?”
Samuels rose to his feet, “Majesty-” but a chorus of agreement with Elizabeth stifled him and Kinsey tugged the other man back down angrily.
The queen nodded graciously as the college sided with her, not even the slightest hint of satisfaction that she had thwarted Kinsey apparent on her pretty face.
Which was just as well, for Jack was dangerously close to sticking his tongue out at the man.
John did not attend Queen Elizabeth's speech to the college of lords, for he would not have been able to concentrate on what she was saying. He was too busy mulling over Lady Katherine's warning, and wondering how the young lady had discovered the truth and from what source. He knew Kate was right, that he had to tell Elizabeth himself, but he wished desperately that it had not come to this.
He knew it had been foolish to conceal his identity from the queen for all this time, but it had been so long since he had been able to stand on his own actions rather than his father’s name. He had not been able to resist the temptation. Now, he had a horrible feeling his deception was going to cost him dearly, and worse, cost the queen.
She was smiling, cheeks flushed, when she came around the corridor where he waited. When she saw him, she stopped short. “Sir John,” she said, “would you join us? I have business to attend over luncheon, but I would be glad of your company.”
John looked about nervously before catching Kate’s eye. Her expression was almost dangerously expectant. He turned his attention back to Elizabeth. “Majesty,” he said, “I need to speak with you. Alone.”
His request surprised her, but after looking at him for a few moments she frowned. “Kate, Laura, tell Lord George and the others that I will be delayed a few moments,” she said.
The ladies departed with all haste, but Lorne and the other two guards remained. “Is something amiss, sir?” Elizabeth asked. “Are the Hoffans all right?”
“We left them with the Athosians in good spirits, my lady,” John replied, his nervousness increasing. “What I have to tell you. . . Madam, this would be easier in private.”
She looked at Lorne, who nodded and walked away to open a door for them. John followed the queen inside the room, which appeared to be an audience chamber of some sort. It was small, with fine tapestries on the walls, but had only a single chair on a low dais. Elizabeth did not take her seat, however, but stood before John as Lorne closed the door, leaving them alone. “What is it?” she asked.
He could not look at her. He could not look her in the eye and tell her that he had willfully kept this from her. “You have been kind,” he began. “When I came here, you instilled your trust in me though you knew little about me.”
The queen’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”
“I would not have you hear this from someone else,” he replied. Lifting his gaze to hers, he said, “My lady, by birth I. . . I am Caldoran.”
John winced at the cold mask that settled over her face immediately. “What?” she asked, her voice dangerously low.
“I am Caldoran,” he repeated, “or was. But I have pledged my allegiance to you, Majesty, and I feel that is the more important matter.”
“You are not that simple,” she snapped. John did not feel comfortable with the tone of her voice. “You are not so simple as to believe that your birth is a matter of no importance. You know our history! What made you think that no one would care?”
“That is not what I-”
“Of course they will care!” John took an involuntary step backward. He had seen her temper flare before, but not with such strength and not directed at him. She turned away from him as she continued to rant. “My first act as queen was before the entire college of lords and countless foreign dignitaries, and it was knighting you,” she said. “Did you honestly think this would remain a secret?”
“That is why I am telling you now,” John replied, starting to feel a little irritated by her reaction. Was she not the one who had spoken of reforging ties with Caldora? “I thought it best that you hear it from me.”
Elizabeth stepped up on the dais and sat on her throne. John stood before her and they stared at each other. The anger radiating off her had turned her beauty into something fierce. “Are you a spy?” she asked coldly.
“What?” John demanded, gaping at her. “Majesty, I pledged my life to you-”
“You lied to me!” she burst out. “I trusted you, and you lied to me!”
“And what option did I have but to keep my tongue?” he retorted, his temper snapping. “Always you are surrounded by armed men who could cut me down in an instant if I did not suit your whims at that moment!”
John wished the words unsaid the moment they left his mouth, knowing that she was not so petty or capricious. Through the anger on her face he could see hurt, and he had to look away. The silence between them was terribly awkward, and though he regretted his words, his pride was sufficiently injured to keep him from apologizing.
“Sir John,” she said, her voice tight and even, and she waited to continue until he had looked up at her. “You are to return to Athos this afternoon. You will see to it that the Hoffans are settled there, and you will assist Lady Teyla in whatever she needs.”
John nodded, looking at the hem of her dress. “That is an excellent idea.”
Elizabeth waited another moment, until he met her eyes again. Her expression struck him like a blow. Then, in a low, bitter voice she said, “Get out of my sight.”
His jaw clenched. John stared at her defiantly before storming out, wondering if he would ever return.
Elizabeth stood on the small parapet outside one of the rooms between the family suites and the more public areas of the palace, watching the sunlight fade. Her whole afternoon she had struggled to focus on the meetings that had been demanded by various nobles regarding her speech. Most of the college of lords appeared excited and energized by the prospect of rebuilding the navy and eliminating the Wraith threat.
Yet the entire day, her mind had been distracted by her confrontation with Sir John. Before supper, when she had finally snatched a moment of privacy, Kate had confessed her part in John’s admission, which only served to heighten Elizabeth’s agitation. Though her own temper wished to vent itself at Kate, Elizabeth acknowledged that her old friend had taken the most reasonable course of action open to her, under the circumstances. Without Kate's intervention, who knew how much longer John would have concealed this from her?
Now that the first flush of anger had cooled, she realized she had made yet another mistake in sending him to Athos so quickly. There were questions still unanswered. John had told her he was born Caldoran, but he also indicated he no longer considered himself loyal to King Henry. She did not know why, or what had driven him to such a state.
Her first reaction to his news had been to lash out, furious that she had been so reckless with her own trust even when all about her had counseled restraint. Underneath the instant surge of old prejudice, she had felt a deep hurt that he had concealed this information from her.
And now, having seen the turning of sentiment within the nobles of Atalan in her favor, she was terribly afraid. She had just started to win the confidence of the college. When this information came out - as it inevitably would - her plans for the navy, indeed her very reign could falter.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. She could not prepare for the consequences until she had all the facts.
On cue, there was a soft knock on one of the doors. Captain Lorne stood in the open doorway, looking faintly puzzled. “There is a Jonas Quinn to see you, Majesty.”
“Send him in, Captain.” She glanced about the room. The other set of double doors looked to be shut already. “Please close the door behind you.”
She had not spoken to Master Quinn directly since he had performed at supper last night at her request. Lorne retreated as the musician bowed, “Majesty.”
She folded her hands before her. “Master Quinn. I understand it was you who alerted my lady-in-waiting about Sir John’s origins.”
His forehead furrowed and he looked vaguely nervous. “Yes, Majesty. I recognized Sir John’s face when I first saw him in Hoff. Over the course of the past two days, I finally recalled where I had seen him before.”
Gritting her teeth, Elizabeth pressed him. “And where precisely was that?”
He swallowed. “The royal court of Caldora, my lady.”
Elizabeth could not contain her gasp of horror. It took a moment to find her voice. “Sir John is noble-born?” she blurted out.
Master Quinn frowned. “He did not tell you?” At her silence, he grew even more uncomfortable. “My lady, he is the son of the Marquis of Sheppard. He was the heir to his father’s title, being the only surviving child.”
Elizabeth’s head was spinning unpleasantly. Sensing he was still withholding something from her, she summoned the full force of her glare. “Tell me the rest at once.”
He spoke slowly. “He was exiled, your Majesty. I do not know the precise reason.”
Elizabeth had not thought the situation could get worse, but the universe had proved her wrong. Not only was John nobility, he was in exile from his own country. She was shrewd enough to read between the lines of Master Quinn’s tale. For a country like Caldora, which had lost most of its young men to the Ori war, to exile the only direct male heir of a marquis, especially of a province as powerful and important as Sheppard... what in the world could John have done to merit such treatment?
What sort of man had she taken into her service?
Realizing he was still standing before her, Elizabeth gathered her wits. “Master Quinn, I would gently suggest that you remove yourself from the vicinity of those who would wish to obtain this information from you,” she said carefully.
She was relieved when he nodded in understanding. “Yes, my lady. I believe you are correct.”
“I will not ask where you intend to go, nor do I think you should divulge that information to anyone here,” Elizabeth said. She hesitated briefly before continuing. “I must also ask you a personal favor. That you not speak to anyone else in Atalan about this matter.”
He bowed and one worry on her heart eased. “You may rely on my discretion, Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
He left her then, and Elizabeth resolved to go to bed early, the better to avoid questions from others and give herself some time to think. In the morning, perhaps, she might see a way clear of the mess she had found herself in.
Lord Richard Woolsey was fairly new to the Atalan court, having just inherited the family title when a fire took the life of his cousin, as well as the man’s wife and two children, leaving Richard as the sole heir. He had been fairly content to run his own modest holdings, but now he found himself thrust into the chaos and intrigues of the court, something for which he was ill-prepared.
Lord Bertram Samuels had been a useful, if slightly unctuous, companion in Richard’s months in Atlantis. He was at the least a source of information on the other nobility who were milling about the capital. Samuels had warned him about the Duke of Langford, a tall, handsome man who was second in rank only to the queen. Supposedly Lord Daniel was known to have consorted with the Goa’uld and the Ori and had no loyalty but his own ambitions. Samuels stopped short of saying that the Duke had warped the young queen, but the implication was clear.
Richard, who was somewhat acquainted with Lord George of Hammond, was doubtful that the formidable man would have allowed even the queen’s cousin to harm the girl. Lord George was not someone to be trifled with.
His friendship with Samuels had not endeared Richard to Lord George, primarily because Samuels was extremely close with Lord Robert Kinsey. Richard found the former regent knowledgeable and fairly personable. His rhetoric rang slightly hollow at times, but it seemed strange to Richard that the new monarch and her advisors had so thoroughly cut the man who had run the country for a decade out of their deliberations. If anyone should have been serving as an advisor to the queen, it was Lord Robert.
The queen’s small temper tantrum the other morning had not soothed him. The girl was clearly young, but youth and inexperience could be forgiven certain things. However, her outright hostility suggested that some, if not all, of Samuels’ whispers were true.
It was to Samuels he turned now. The previous night, seeking to put his own mind at ease, Richard had made his way towards the royal chambers, hoping to beg a minute to speak with her. He had caught sight of the black-clad knights of the queen’s personal guard and realized she was in one of the more public rooms. The door he approached had been slightly ajar, and he had heard with his own ears the report of the traveler, that Sir John was born Caldoran nobility.
The queen had ordered the man to keep silent, suggesting that she was intending to conceal this information from the college of lords. Alarmed, Richard had withdrawn unseen.
It was this tale he imparted to Samuels when they met in the man’s small chamber in one of the outlying areas of the great city. The morning light was muted by heavy clouds outside the small window. For reasons Richard could not explain fully even to himself, he told Samuels only that Sir John was Caldoran. Something within him held him back from disclosing the rest, so he only explained that the young queen appeared to be attempting to keep Sir John's birth a secret.
“Her Majesty was alone at the time,” he concluded. “It seems to me that we should approach Lord George or even Lord Daniel and inform them of this. They can counsel her on how to announce to the college-”
Samuels waved a hand, jumping up from behind his desk eagerly. “No, we must take this information to the regent.”
Richard stifled his usual urge to point out that Lord Robert was no longer the regent. “You believe this information would be best coming from him?”
Something about the light in Samuels eyes made him uncomfortable. “Something like that.”
Laura was growing angry.
Last night, when she had expected the queen to be giddy over the success of her speech and the masterful way in which Kinsey’s attempt to gain influence and control over the navy had been blunted, Elizabeth had abruptly announced she was going to bed just after supper. There had been no talking or communication of almost any kind. Elizabeth had been pale and withdrawn.
Laura's confused looks at Kate had yielded at first only blank expressions, but as the day wore on, Laura caught her friend watching Elizabeth anxiously. Whenever Laura attempted to broach the subject, Kate grew more and more distant, until she finally snapped at Laura that they were too busy and should mind their duties.
It was quite clear that whatever was bothering Elizabeth, Kate knew something about it, but neither of them would tell Laura. There had never been a secret between the three of them that Laura could remember, and this strange exclusion hurt more than she could comprehend.
After the noon meal, a heavy rain set in, shrouding the island in a gray fog. Elizabeth was called to more meetings. Laura and Kate settled in to work on some of the sewing which was in danger of falling behind with the recent uproars in the palace.
The silence between them felt laden with tension as they worked. Laura kept making errors in her stitching that she then had to take out, increasing her frustration. Kate sewed mechanically, her eyes not truly focused on her work.
At her seventh mistake, Laura’s patience collapsed. She threw the garment across the room and jumped to her feet.
“Why will you not tell me what is going on?” she demanded.
Kate startled. “Laura-” she began.
“Do not give me excuses,” she interrupted. “What have I done to suddenly cause you to distrust me?”
“It is not that!”
“Well, then?” Laura asked, belligerently.
“You have been much occupied with preparations for the wedding,” Kate began slowly.
“As if any of that matters to me?” Laura burst out. “You know perfectly well that I would cast aside such paltry concerns if the queen needed me. Or you should,” she snapped, glaring at Kate. “No more evasions. Tell me what has happened.”
Kate seemed to gather into herself, growing smaller. “Elizabeth has not discussed it with me, so I am unsure what to say.”
“You could start with what this mysterious ‘it’ might be,” Laura said coolly.
Kate shook her head. “I do not know. That is the truth, Laura,” she added, seeing her friend’s face. “It concerns Sir John and something Master Quinn knew about him that I believe he withheld from the queen.”
Laura paled. “Something bad?”
“I fear it,” Kate said quietly.
Laura sat back down, subdued. “She cares for him. If she finds out he has played her false...”
“It explains why she is so quiet today,” Kate nodded.
“I have not seen Sir John since yesterday,” Laura realized suddenly.
“Nor I. And Master Quinn left at the earliest light. No one knows where he went. But he was called to the queen's audience chamber last night.”
Laura did not need to ask how Kate had come by that information. Marcus Lorne had developed a habit of passing along such details to Kate. Laura had her own suspicions as to his motives, but this was not the time for such subjects.
She could not keep the plaintiveness from her own voice. “Why has she not told us?”
Laura saw her own hurt mirrored in Kate’s face. “I do not know. But if it is as bad as we fear, the last thing her majesty will need from either of us is more grief.”
Laura sighed. After a moment, she crossed the room and retrieved her mending. She sat back down next to Kate and they resumed their work in silence.
“You’re certain of what you heard?” Lord Robert demanded of Richard as soon as the word “Caldoran” had left his mouth.
“Yes, my lord.” He took a breath to continue his story, but Lord Robert leapt to his feet first.
“Who else knows of this?”
Richard blinked. “Outside of this room, only the queen and this Master Quinn, my lord, as far as I know.”
Lord Robert all but rubbed his hands together in glee. “Excellent. This is most excellent news.” He paced his spacious room for a moment. “The college will reconvene tomorrow afternoon? Excellent,” he repeated.
Richard gaped. “My lord,” he began hesitatingly. “You cannot mean to announce this to the college? In public?”
“Why not?” he asked. “The queen is concealing a vital and potentially dangerous piece of information from the college, and apparently from her own advisors, as you said yourself. It is our duty to report this.”
“Should we not speak to Lord George first?” When Samuels glared, Richard added, “Perhaps the queen is only investigating the situation before making an announcement. She was speaking to the musician, a vagrant who is perhaps not the most reliable source...”
He trailed off. The avarice in the eyes of the two men who were looking at him struck him hard.
“You saw her temper tantrum, Woolsey,” Samuels said to him. “You know how unstable she is. Now we find she has knighted a Caldoran, the historical enemy of Atalan.”
“Atalan and Caldora have never actually been to war,” Lord Richard said tiredly.
“No,” Lord Robert snapped. “But Caldora has never been much of an ally, have they? Rolling over for the Ori, killing their own children. They are weak, untrustworthy, and now one of them is in personal service to the queen of Atalan? Who knows what his real motives might be?”
Samuels was nodding as Lord Robert ranted on. And Lord Richard began to fear he had been mistaken about many things.
Daniel was looking over a scrawled list from Master McKay, attempting to decipher the man's handwriting. McKay might be brilliant - Captain Pendergast clearly felt so and he was an old, trusted friend of Jack’s - but a great calligrapher he was not. Not looking up, he nearly leapt from his skin when he heard someone speak just behind him. “Daniel.”
He gasped, forgetting protocol momentarily, “Elizabeth! You startled me.”
Her smile was faint. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately. He had noticed she had been quiet during the morning, but he had ascribed it to being perhaps tired after the previous day’s excitement. Then again, it occurred to him, she had retired quite early last night.
Elizabeth bit her lip, looking like nothing more than a child afraid to confess to a fault. She glanced around, as if looking for eavesdroppers, and Daniel's stomach tightened. He put an arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders and steered them both into his own rooms. Captain Lorne, who had been behind Elizabeth by several steps, closed the doors behind them, leaving Daniel alone with his cousin.
“Elizabeth, what is it?” he asked again.
As he watched, she appeared to steel herself. “Daniel, I fear I have made a terrible mistake.”
It had taken some time to remove himself from Lord Robert’s presence, but Richard wasted no time making his way through the palace to the royal chambers. He had no way of stopping the plans Lord Robert was spinning, but his own sense of honor demanded that he not leave a young, vulnerable woman to deal with this blind.
He went to seek Lord Daniel, the queen’s cousin, rather than approaching the queen. He did not know whether she would speak to him, and if the rumors were true, Lord Daniel might be more open to believing the worst of Lord Robert. The duke appeared in the hallway as Richard neared his rooms. Daniel turned to Captain Lorne, “Find Lord George and bring him here, quietly.” One of the guards walked away as Richard came up to the door.
“Lord Daniel?” he said nervously.
The wary expression on the duke’s face told Richard his associations with Lord Robert had definitely not gone unnoticed. “Lord Richard.”
“I had hoped to speak to you for a moment. It concerns Lord Robert.”
A small frown appeared on Daniel’s forehead as he stared at Richard. At length, he nodded and went back inside.
Following, Richard paused when he found the queen standing near the window, her fingers running absently over the sill. “Majesty,” Daniel said lowly. She turned and he saw a brief flicker of surprise go over her pretty face before it settled into a polite, formal expression. “Lord Richard.”
“Lord Richard has something to tell us of Lord Robert,” Daniel said, his voice neutral.
He saw the crease of her brow and decided it was perhaps best to tell them both at once. “Majesty, I fear I have compromised you.”
He saw the alarm in her and in the duke. “How is that, my lord?”
“I overheard your conversation with Master Quinn last night,” he said simply. The queen’s mouth tightened and he felt a new wave of guilt. It was apparent from Lord Daniel’s reaction that he knew the significance of the statement, meaning the queen had in fact told her advisors. “It was not my intention to violate your privacy. I overheard accidentally. But in trying to resolve what to do with the information, I’m afraid I spoke to another.”
“Kinsey?” Daniel’s lips twisted over the word.
“Samuels,” he corrected. “But he went directly to Lord Robert, who intends to announce this to the college of lords tomorrow.”
The queen closed her eyes for a moment. Richard imagined that Daniel was swearing heartily in his own head.
“You are certain?” the queen asked.
“Yes, my lady. I had no idea that Lord Robert would use this information in this way, or that he would attempt to expose you in such a situation with no reason,” he said awkwardly, trying to convey his regret.
She waved a hand. “You are hardly the first person to misunderstand Lord Robert.”
He nodded, feeling uncomfortable. “There is one small piece of good news, Majesty.”
Her eyebrows went up. “What is that?”
“Lord Robert and Lord Bertram know only that Sir John is Caldoran, but nothing else.”
“How is that?” Daniel asked, curious.
“Lord Robert did not wait for me to finish speaking long enough for me to tell him the rest.”
The queen and Daniel smiled at each other a little wryly. “Well, we must count our blessings, then, my lord.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“I trust,” Daniel said, placing a hand on his arm, guiding him towards the door, “that you will not speak of this to anyone else for the time being, Lord Richard?”
“No, my lord. I will be silent.”
Daniel nodded. Over her shoulder, the queen glanced at him. “Lord Richard?”
“Yes, Majesty?”
“I shall not forget this,” she promised.
He gave her one swift, grateful look before going into the hallway. He expected Daniel to return to the queen but the young man walked with him several paces, until they were away from the earshot of the guards.
“I feel somewhat embarrassed about my error of judgment, my lord,” Richard began. “I intend to discontinue Lord Robert’s company as soon as possible.”
They stopped walking and Daniel nodded. “I supposed as much. But I also wish to ask a favor of you.”
Puzzled, Richard waited.
“Do not isolate yourself from Lord Robert yet.”
It took a moment for Richard to parse the meaning behind this request. “You wish me to act as a spy, my lord?” he asked in surprise.
”I wish to reserve the possibility of collecting information such as what you have told us this evening," Daniel said glibly. "Your actions tonight suggest to me as well as to her majesty that you are a man who values honor and responsibility. I do not ask you to intentionally ingratiate yourself with Lord Robert or to take any special actions. Simply do nothing for the time being.”
Richard felt that there was more at work here than he could hope to fathom. Given the shifting ground under his feet this day, it seemed most prudent to nod in agreement. “I understand, my lord.”
Early the next morning, George appeared at the entrance to the queen’s private chambers, ready to escort her to attend the gathering of the college. There were dark circles around Captain Lorne’s eyes, and George was willing to admit, albeit ruefully, that he probably looked much the same.
After hearing Elizabeth’s tale of Sir John’s true origins, as well as hearing of how Kinsey was in possession of that same information and was intending to disclose it, he had stayed up late into the night with the queen, Jack, and Daniel. They were desperate to find a solution that would not completely humiliate Elizabeth before the entire college, nor damage her authority.
Admittedly, the solution they had was perhaps not the best one, but it was all they could do. Kinsey would not reveal the information until the college had been formally called to session, as he was no doubt eager to let the full disclosure be as public as possible. George, Daniel, and the queen had all come to the agreement that the only way to stop Kinsey was to reveal everything themselves before he could, which was what Elizabeth would do the moment the college had settled in for the meeting. The queen held the right to bring up any subject before hearing any petitions or requests to speak before the assembly by the other lords. This would be their only window of opportunity. She would explain Sir John’s Caldoran background and announce that she was in the process of investigating the situation, in order to cut off accusations of deception before Kinsey could make them.
Jack’s suggestion had been more direct, if more violent.
“My lord,” Lorne said, breaking into his thoughts, “the queen asked to see you privately.” Without waiting for an answer, the captain of the guard turned and knocked softly on the door leading to Elizabeth’s public sitting room.
For several moments, nothing happened, until the door opened to reveal Lady Laura, who quickly stepped into the antechamber and gestured for them to enter. Lorne, however, stood aside with Laura.
Elizabeth stood at near the mantle of the large fireplace, gazing up at the portrait that hung above it. It was not a portrait of her parents, as one might have expected, but a portrait of Queen Helena, the last ruling Queen of Atalan, who had governed the country nearly two hundred years before. Elizabeth had discovered the portrait in storage and had immediately ordered that it be cleaned and brought to her chambers. Helena had been a woman of great beauty and strength, and was remembered by all traditions to have ruled Atalan very well. Her example, George knew, was one Elizabeth had long since devoted herself to, hoping to emulate the other woman as best she could.
Lady Kate, who was also present, curtsied to both him and the queen before stepping outside to join Lorne and Laura, leaving him alone with Elizabeth. George bowed and murmured softly, “Good morning, your Majesty.”
She turned to look at him and nodded. “Good morning,” she replied. “Is it time?”
“The college will not convene without you,” he assured her, “but we should arrive in a timely manner, lest Kinsey have yet another plan on his mind.”
It was a poor attempt at humor, and it did not bring a smile to her young face. George sighed inwardly. Making Elizabeth laugh and smile had always been under Jack’s purview. The man had a way with children, perhaps because he was often so childlike himself.
“You warned me,” she said suddenly and he focused more fully on her. The desolation in her voice and expression tore at his heart. “You, Daniel, Jack, Captain Sumner... You all warned me that he was hiding something. I...” she hesitated. “I truly thought...”
“Majesty,” George began, and then shook his head slightly. Queen she might be, but she was still in so many ways a child, a child he had stood as father to for these many years. “Elizabeth,” he amended softly, “what is done is done. Laying blame upon yourself will not help you.” He stepped closer to her and reached out, lifting her chin up so her eyes would meet his own. “We can only deal with what comes before us. This situation is still salvageable if we can reveal the information before Lord Kinsey.”
Elizabeth stared up at him, her own hand coming up to grasp his hand tightly. George mustered up what he hoped was a reassuring smile and said, “Now, I believe we should be on our way, Majesty.”
She returned his smile with a small one of her own and nodded wordlessly. He brought her hand to rest on his arm and led her from the room. As they started down the hall, Laura and Kate slipped into their wake while Lorne and his guards formed up around them.
As they passed by a balcony overlooking the waters surrounding the island, George noted the chilly breeze that unexpectedly blew in, in spite of the appearance of warm morning sunshine. Appearances that morning were quite deceiving.
Friend or Foe:
Part 1
Part 2
When Elizabeth was still sixteen, she had successfully argued until the college of lords granted her permission to attend their sessions and observe, in deference to the fact that when she reached the throne, she would need to be familiar with the business before the college and the realm in order to rule. Most of the college had grown accustomed to seeing her sitting silently off to the side of the room during their meetings.
Daniel stood before his seat, watching as Elizabeth stepped gracefully onto the dais and stood before the simple wooden chair that had waited empty for a decade, until she could claim her rightful place. However, on this day, she did not sit immediately. She nodded at them all to be seated, but she remained on her feet, her hands clasped loosely before her. When the college had settled, she began to speak.
“My lords, you are all aware of the vicious and extensive attack on our lands that took place not four days ago. An entire settlement has been decimated by the Wraith. Not content with simply raiding the village of Hoff, the Wraith burned everything, leaving few survivors and nothing of value behind. Hoff, for all purposes, no longer exists.
“It is impossible for us not to understand the message. This was not an attack on a lone village or a single people. It was an attack on us, on our rule and our ability to protect the people of Atalan.”
The young queen's gaze swept the room slowly. Her voice rang to every corner of the hall.
“Our answer to this attack will be to wipe the scourge of the Wraith from the waters of Atalan entirely.”
Murmuring broke out at this bold declaration. Daniel detected a strong sense of approval in the people around him.
Elizabeth drew a breath. “To that end, we hereby commission Master Rodney McKay, subject of our friend and ally Iolan, to pursue the rebuilding of our navy with all speed. Master McKay is given charge of this project, and shall not be impeded by anyone in any way that might materially delay the completion of no fewer than four vessels by the end of winter.”
Elizabeth’s lofty goal brought another round of gasping and whispers. In the small knot of people standing near the doorway where Elizabeth had entered, Daniel saw McKay looking slightly nervous but also determined.
The queen lowered her voice slightly. “Our honored father, King Edmund, often spoke of the importance of sacrifice. He believed that none of us was without responsibility for our country, from the lowest peasant to himself. Our safety, and our honor as a nation, is not solely our own burden, or even the burden of this assembly, but of every citizen of the realm.
“So today, we ask of you a sacrifice. There is much work to be done to rebuild our country, to make her strong again, to preserve the safety of every man, woman and child in Atalan. It will require all of us, working together, to accomplish. It is a task of many years, and we fear great hardships yet await us before the goal is reached.”
The entire hall was still.
“But our faith rests, as always, on our people. We have within us the capacity to restore Atalan beyond all former glory. We have the capability to ensure that all our people sleep soundly at night without fear of any enemy. It will require hard work. It will require that we each surrender some luxuries and some resources that we might hold dear. Most of all, it requires that we have faith in each other, and that we bind our faith together for the common good.
“We ask today that all the citizens of the realm prepare themselves to work for this goal, for the benefit of our whole nation, and join us in beginning the new era of Atalan’s history.”
She finished and there was a momentary silence before fervent applause began from some quarter and quickly engulfed the room as the entire college rose to their feet. The clapping and cheers rolled through the hall and echoed off the stone for some minutes before the queen nodded once and then seated herself, gesturing to Lord George to stand and begin addressing the specifics.
A month ago, Elizabeth had been crowned queen of Atalan, but Daniel thought to himself that her reign truly began today.
But she was also about to face her first test.
Lord George called for order and almost immediately, Lord Bertram Samuels, Kinsey’s closest ally, rose to his feet. “Majesty, my lords, I submit to you that in order to pursue her Majesty’s most noble goal, it would be prudent to install the person with the most experience to oversee the project. I humbly suggest that Lord Robert consider accepting the task and bringing his knowledge of our defenses to bear on this immense undertaking.”
Due to Daniel’s earlier warning, neither Elizabeth nor Lord George showed any great surprise. The rest of the college was not so sanguine. It was difficult to judge from the mutterings, but Daniel suspected that Elizabeth’s stirring speech had not inclined many of the men and women in the room to welcome a step backwards in time. It was hardly a secret to any of them that the current state of the navy was Kinsey's fault.
Some brief discussion ensued, but then Elizabeth raised a hand. It took a moment for silence to fall, as the college was still unused to the monarch being present among them. Her voice and face remained utterly composed. “I acknowledge the sentiment, Lord Bertram, and while I mean no disrespect to Lord Robert, it appears to my admittedly young understanding that this is a task requiring a great deal of specialized skill. Lord Robert, for all his many talents, is neither a shipwright nor a sailor.”
Daniel smiled inwardly at the perfectly respectful tone Elizabeth kept as she spoke. Recognizing his cue, Jack stood. “Majesty, my lords, I have given this matter some thought since the queen first approached me and I have taken the liberty of contacting Captain Lionel Pendergast.” From the shadows behind where McKay was lurking, Pendergast appeared, flanked by Lady Samantha. He bowed to the room as many of the younger nobles stared at the man's wooden leg.
Jack's voice grew slightly rough. “The captain, as you can see, has known service in combat. He served honorably in the navy under the queen’s late father, and knows how to manage men and materials to provide Master McKay with precisely what is needed for this project. He has told me that he considers himself recalled to service to the sovereign of Atalan for as long as he is needed.”
Daniel stood up in his turn before Kinsey or Samuels could speak, keeping his voice as bland as he could. “It appears to me, Majesty, that with the Hoffan refugees now in need of our support, we can ill afford to waste even the smallest stick of wood. We will need someone like Captain Pendergast to ensure that we do not err in our preparation of materials for the navy and the shipyards.”
A low rumble of chatter broke out as he sat down. Daniel noticed that while Samuels and Kinsey were whispering furiously, Lord Woolsey, beside them, was looking at Daniel as if in agreement.
“My lords, it is my feeling that Lord Jonathan, as head of our armies, can be trusted on this matter as a reference, and that Captain Pendergast, along with Master McKay, should manage our great undertaking,” Elizabeth asked benignly. “What say you?”
Samuels rose to his feet, “Majesty-” but a chorus of agreement with Elizabeth stifled him and Kinsey tugged the other man back down angrily.
The queen nodded graciously as the college sided with her, not even the slightest hint of satisfaction that she had thwarted Kinsey apparent on her pretty face.
Which was just as well, for Jack was dangerously close to sticking his tongue out at the man.
John did not attend Queen Elizabeth's speech to the college of lords, for he would not have been able to concentrate on what she was saying. He was too busy mulling over Lady Katherine's warning, and wondering how the young lady had discovered the truth and from what source. He knew Kate was right, that he had to tell Elizabeth himself, but he wished desperately that it had not come to this.
He knew it had been foolish to conceal his identity from the queen for all this time, but it had been so long since he had been able to stand on his own actions rather than his father’s name. He had not been able to resist the temptation. Now, he had a horrible feeling his deception was going to cost him dearly, and worse, cost the queen.
She was smiling, cheeks flushed, when she came around the corridor where he waited. When she saw him, she stopped short. “Sir John,” she said, “would you join us? I have business to attend over luncheon, but I would be glad of your company.”
John looked about nervously before catching Kate’s eye. Her expression was almost dangerously expectant. He turned his attention back to Elizabeth. “Majesty,” he said, “I need to speak with you. Alone.”
His request surprised her, but after looking at him for a few moments she frowned. “Kate, Laura, tell Lord George and the others that I will be delayed a few moments,” she said.
The ladies departed with all haste, but Lorne and the other two guards remained. “Is something amiss, sir?” Elizabeth asked. “Are the Hoffans all right?”
“We left them with the Athosians in good spirits, my lady,” John replied, his nervousness increasing. “What I have to tell you. . . Madam, this would be easier in private.”
She looked at Lorne, who nodded and walked away to open a door for them. John followed the queen inside the room, which appeared to be an audience chamber of some sort. It was small, with fine tapestries on the walls, but had only a single chair on a low dais. Elizabeth did not take her seat, however, but stood before John as Lorne closed the door, leaving them alone. “What is it?” she asked.
He could not look at her. He could not look her in the eye and tell her that he had willfully kept this from her. “You have been kind,” he began. “When I came here, you instilled your trust in me though you knew little about me.”
The queen’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”
“I would not have you hear this from someone else,” he replied. Lifting his gaze to hers, he said, “My lady, by birth I. . . I am Caldoran.”
John winced at the cold mask that settled over her face immediately. “What?” she asked, her voice dangerously low.
“I am Caldoran,” he repeated, “or was. But I have pledged my allegiance to you, Majesty, and I feel that is the more important matter.”
“You are not that simple,” she snapped. John did not feel comfortable with the tone of her voice. “You are not so simple as to believe that your birth is a matter of no importance. You know our history! What made you think that no one would care?”
“That is not what I-”
“Of course they will care!” John took an involuntary step backward. He had seen her temper flare before, but not with such strength and not directed at him. She turned away from him as she continued to rant. “My first act as queen was before the entire college of lords and countless foreign dignitaries, and it was knighting you,” she said. “Did you honestly think this would remain a secret?”
“That is why I am telling you now,” John replied, starting to feel a little irritated by her reaction. Was she not the one who had spoken of reforging ties with Caldora? “I thought it best that you hear it from me.”
Elizabeth stepped up on the dais and sat on her throne. John stood before her and they stared at each other. The anger radiating off her had turned her beauty into something fierce. “Are you a spy?” she asked coldly.
“What?” John demanded, gaping at her. “Majesty, I pledged my life to you-”
“You lied to me!” she burst out. “I trusted you, and you lied to me!”
“And what option did I have but to keep my tongue?” he retorted, his temper snapping. “Always you are surrounded by armed men who could cut me down in an instant if I did not suit your whims at that moment!”
John wished the words unsaid the moment they left his mouth, knowing that she was not so petty or capricious. Through the anger on her face he could see hurt, and he had to look away. The silence between them was terribly awkward, and though he regretted his words, his pride was sufficiently injured to keep him from apologizing.
“Sir John,” she said, her voice tight and even, and she waited to continue until he had looked up at her. “You are to return to Athos this afternoon. You will see to it that the Hoffans are settled there, and you will assist Lady Teyla in whatever she needs.”
John nodded, looking at the hem of her dress. “That is an excellent idea.”
Elizabeth waited another moment, until he met her eyes again. Her expression struck him like a blow. Then, in a low, bitter voice she said, “Get out of my sight.”
His jaw clenched. John stared at her defiantly before storming out, wondering if he would ever return.
Elizabeth stood on the small parapet outside one of the rooms between the family suites and the more public areas of the palace, watching the sunlight fade. Her whole afternoon she had struggled to focus on the meetings that had been demanded by various nobles regarding her speech. Most of the college of lords appeared excited and energized by the prospect of rebuilding the navy and eliminating the Wraith threat.
Yet the entire day, her mind had been distracted by her confrontation with Sir John. Before supper, when she had finally snatched a moment of privacy, Kate had confessed her part in John’s admission, which only served to heighten Elizabeth’s agitation. Though her own temper wished to vent itself at Kate, Elizabeth acknowledged that her old friend had taken the most reasonable course of action open to her, under the circumstances. Without Kate's intervention, who knew how much longer John would have concealed this from her?
Now that the first flush of anger had cooled, she realized she had made yet another mistake in sending him to Athos so quickly. There were questions still unanswered. John had told her he was born Caldoran, but he also indicated he no longer considered himself loyal to King Henry. She did not know why, or what had driven him to such a state.
Her first reaction to his news had been to lash out, furious that she had been so reckless with her own trust even when all about her had counseled restraint. Underneath the instant surge of old prejudice, she had felt a deep hurt that he had concealed this information from her.
And now, having seen the turning of sentiment within the nobles of Atalan in her favor, she was terribly afraid. She had just started to win the confidence of the college. When this information came out - as it inevitably would - her plans for the navy, indeed her very reign could falter.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. She could not prepare for the consequences until she had all the facts.
On cue, there was a soft knock on one of the doors. Captain Lorne stood in the open doorway, looking faintly puzzled. “There is a Jonas Quinn to see you, Majesty.”
“Send him in, Captain.” She glanced about the room. The other set of double doors looked to be shut already. “Please close the door behind you.”
She had not spoken to Master Quinn directly since he had performed at supper last night at her request. Lorne retreated as the musician bowed, “Majesty.”
She folded her hands before her. “Master Quinn. I understand it was you who alerted my lady-in-waiting about Sir John’s origins.”
His forehead furrowed and he looked vaguely nervous. “Yes, Majesty. I recognized Sir John’s face when I first saw him in Hoff. Over the course of the past two days, I finally recalled where I had seen him before.”
Gritting her teeth, Elizabeth pressed him. “And where precisely was that?”
He swallowed. “The royal court of Caldora, my lady.”
Elizabeth could not contain her gasp of horror. It took a moment to find her voice. “Sir John is noble-born?” she blurted out.
Master Quinn frowned. “He did not tell you?” At her silence, he grew even more uncomfortable. “My lady, he is the son of the Marquis of Sheppard. He was the heir to his father’s title, being the only surviving child.”
Elizabeth’s head was spinning unpleasantly. Sensing he was still withholding something from her, she summoned the full force of her glare. “Tell me the rest at once.”
He spoke slowly. “He was exiled, your Majesty. I do not know the precise reason.”
Elizabeth had not thought the situation could get worse, but the universe had proved her wrong. Not only was John nobility, he was in exile from his own country. She was shrewd enough to read between the lines of Master Quinn’s tale. For a country like Caldora, which had lost most of its young men to the Ori war, to exile the only direct male heir of a marquis, especially of a province as powerful and important as Sheppard... what in the world could John have done to merit such treatment?
What sort of man had she taken into her service?
Realizing he was still standing before her, Elizabeth gathered her wits. “Master Quinn, I would gently suggest that you remove yourself from the vicinity of those who would wish to obtain this information from you,” she said carefully.
She was relieved when he nodded in understanding. “Yes, my lady. I believe you are correct.”
“I will not ask where you intend to go, nor do I think you should divulge that information to anyone here,” Elizabeth said. She hesitated briefly before continuing. “I must also ask you a personal favor. That you not speak to anyone else in Atalan about this matter.”
He bowed and one worry on her heart eased. “You may rely on my discretion, Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
He left her then, and Elizabeth resolved to go to bed early, the better to avoid questions from others and give herself some time to think. In the morning, perhaps, she might see a way clear of the mess she had found herself in.
Lord Richard Woolsey was fairly new to the Atalan court, having just inherited the family title when a fire took the life of his cousin, as well as the man’s wife and two children, leaving Richard as the sole heir. He had been fairly content to run his own modest holdings, but now he found himself thrust into the chaos and intrigues of the court, something for which he was ill-prepared.
Lord Bertram Samuels had been a useful, if slightly unctuous, companion in Richard’s months in Atlantis. He was at the least a source of information on the other nobility who were milling about the capital. Samuels had warned him about the Duke of Langford, a tall, handsome man who was second in rank only to the queen. Supposedly Lord Daniel was known to have consorted with the Goa’uld and the Ori and had no loyalty but his own ambitions. Samuels stopped short of saying that the Duke had warped the young queen, but the implication was clear.
Richard, who was somewhat acquainted with Lord George of Hammond, was doubtful that the formidable man would have allowed even the queen’s cousin to harm the girl. Lord George was not someone to be trifled with.
His friendship with Samuels had not endeared Richard to Lord George, primarily because Samuels was extremely close with Lord Robert Kinsey. Richard found the former regent knowledgeable and fairly personable. His rhetoric rang slightly hollow at times, but it seemed strange to Richard that the new monarch and her advisors had so thoroughly cut the man who had run the country for a decade out of their deliberations. If anyone should have been serving as an advisor to the queen, it was Lord Robert.
The queen’s small temper tantrum the other morning had not soothed him. The girl was clearly young, but youth and inexperience could be forgiven certain things. However, her outright hostility suggested that some, if not all, of Samuels’ whispers were true.
It was to Samuels he turned now. The previous night, seeking to put his own mind at ease, Richard had made his way towards the royal chambers, hoping to beg a minute to speak with her. He had caught sight of the black-clad knights of the queen’s personal guard and realized she was in one of the more public rooms. The door he approached had been slightly ajar, and he had heard with his own ears the report of the traveler, that Sir John was born Caldoran nobility.
The queen had ordered the man to keep silent, suggesting that she was intending to conceal this information from the college of lords. Alarmed, Richard had withdrawn unseen.
It was this tale he imparted to Samuels when they met in the man’s small chamber in one of the outlying areas of the great city. The morning light was muted by heavy clouds outside the small window. For reasons Richard could not explain fully even to himself, he told Samuels only that Sir John was Caldoran. Something within him held him back from disclosing the rest, so he only explained that the young queen appeared to be attempting to keep Sir John's birth a secret.
“Her Majesty was alone at the time,” he concluded. “It seems to me that we should approach Lord George or even Lord Daniel and inform them of this. They can counsel her on how to announce to the college-”
Samuels waved a hand, jumping up from behind his desk eagerly. “No, we must take this information to the regent.”
Richard stifled his usual urge to point out that Lord Robert was no longer the regent. “You believe this information would be best coming from him?”
Something about the light in Samuels eyes made him uncomfortable. “Something like that.”
Laura was growing angry.
Last night, when she had expected the queen to be giddy over the success of her speech and the masterful way in which Kinsey’s attempt to gain influence and control over the navy had been blunted, Elizabeth had abruptly announced she was going to bed just after supper. There had been no talking or communication of almost any kind. Elizabeth had been pale and withdrawn.
Laura's confused looks at Kate had yielded at first only blank expressions, but as the day wore on, Laura caught her friend watching Elizabeth anxiously. Whenever Laura attempted to broach the subject, Kate grew more and more distant, until she finally snapped at Laura that they were too busy and should mind their duties.
It was quite clear that whatever was bothering Elizabeth, Kate knew something about it, but neither of them would tell Laura. There had never been a secret between the three of them that Laura could remember, and this strange exclusion hurt more than she could comprehend.
After the noon meal, a heavy rain set in, shrouding the island in a gray fog. Elizabeth was called to more meetings. Laura and Kate settled in to work on some of the sewing which was in danger of falling behind with the recent uproars in the palace.
The silence between them felt laden with tension as they worked. Laura kept making errors in her stitching that she then had to take out, increasing her frustration. Kate sewed mechanically, her eyes not truly focused on her work.
At her seventh mistake, Laura’s patience collapsed. She threw the garment across the room and jumped to her feet.
“Why will you not tell me what is going on?” she demanded.
Kate startled. “Laura-” she began.
“Do not give me excuses,” she interrupted. “What have I done to suddenly cause you to distrust me?”
“It is not that!”
“Well, then?” Laura asked, belligerently.
“You have been much occupied with preparations for the wedding,” Kate began slowly.
“As if any of that matters to me?” Laura burst out. “You know perfectly well that I would cast aside such paltry concerns if the queen needed me. Or you should,” she snapped, glaring at Kate. “No more evasions. Tell me what has happened.”
Kate seemed to gather into herself, growing smaller. “Elizabeth has not discussed it with me, so I am unsure what to say.”
“You could start with what this mysterious ‘it’ might be,” Laura said coolly.
Kate shook her head. “I do not know. That is the truth, Laura,” she added, seeing her friend’s face. “It concerns Sir John and something Master Quinn knew about him that I believe he withheld from the queen.”
Laura paled. “Something bad?”
“I fear it,” Kate said quietly.
Laura sat back down, subdued. “She cares for him. If she finds out he has played her false...”
“It explains why she is so quiet today,” Kate nodded.
“I have not seen Sir John since yesterday,” Laura realized suddenly.
“Nor I. And Master Quinn left at the earliest light. No one knows where he went. But he was called to the queen's audience chamber last night.”
Laura did not need to ask how Kate had come by that information. Marcus Lorne had developed a habit of passing along such details to Kate. Laura had her own suspicions as to his motives, but this was not the time for such subjects.
She could not keep the plaintiveness from her own voice. “Why has she not told us?”
Laura saw her own hurt mirrored in Kate’s face. “I do not know. But if it is as bad as we fear, the last thing her majesty will need from either of us is more grief.”
Laura sighed. After a moment, she crossed the room and retrieved her mending. She sat back down next to Kate and they resumed their work in silence.
“You’re certain of what you heard?” Lord Robert demanded of Richard as soon as the word “Caldoran” had left his mouth.
“Yes, my lord.” He took a breath to continue his story, but Lord Robert leapt to his feet first.
“Who else knows of this?”
Richard blinked. “Outside of this room, only the queen and this Master Quinn, my lord, as far as I know.”
Lord Robert all but rubbed his hands together in glee. “Excellent. This is most excellent news.” He paced his spacious room for a moment. “The college will reconvene tomorrow afternoon? Excellent,” he repeated.
Richard gaped. “My lord,” he began hesitatingly. “You cannot mean to announce this to the college? In public?”
“Why not?” he asked. “The queen is concealing a vital and potentially dangerous piece of information from the college, and apparently from her own advisors, as you said yourself. It is our duty to report this.”
“Should we not speak to Lord George first?” When Samuels glared, Richard added, “Perhaps the queen is only investigating the situation before making an announcement. She was speaking to the musician, a vagrant who is perhaps not the most reliable source...”
He trailed off. The avarice in the eyes of the two men who were looking at him struck him hard.
“You saw her temper tantrum, Woolsey,” Samuels said to him. “You know how unstable she is. Now we find she has knighted a Caldoran, the historical enemy of Atalan.”
“Atalan and Caldora have never actually been to war,” Lord Richard said tiredly.
“No,” Lord Robert snapped. “But Caldora has never been much of an ally, have they? Rolling over for the Ori, killing their own children. They are weak, untrustworthy, and now one of them is in personal service to the queen of Atalan? Who knows what his real motives might be?”
Samuels was nodding as Lord Robert ranted on. And Lord Richard began to fear he had been mistaken about many things.
Daniel was looking over a scrawled list from Master McKay, attempting to decipher the man's handwriting. McKay might be brilliant - Captain Pendergast clearly felt so and he was an old, trusted friend of Jack’s - but a great calligrapher he was not. Not looking up, he nearly leapt from his skin when he heard someone speak just behind him. “Daniel.”
He gasped, forgetting protocol momentarily, “Elizabeth! You startled me.”
Her smile was faint. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately. He had noticed she had been quiet during the morning, but he had ascribed it to being perhaps tired after the previous day’s excitement. Then again, it occurred to him, she had retired quite early last night.
Elizabeth bit her lip, looking like nothing more than a child afraid to confess to a fault. She glanced around, as if looking for eavesdroppers, and Daniel's stomach tightened. He put an arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders and steered them both into his own rooms. Captain Lorne, who had been behind Elizabeth by several steps, closed the doors behind them, leaving Daniel alone with his cousin.
“Elizabeth, what is it?” he asked again.
As he watched, she appeared to steel herself. “Daniel, I fear I have made a terrible mistake.”
It had taken some time to remove himself from Lord Robert’s presence, but Richard wasted no time making his way through the palace to the royal chambers. He had no way of stopping the plans Lord Robert was spinning, but his own sense of honor demanded that he not leave a young, vulnerable woman to deal with this blind.
He went to seek Lord Daniel, the queen’s cousin, rather than approaching the queen. He did not know whether she would speak to him, and if the rumors were true, Lord Daniel might be more open to believing the worst of Lord Robert. The duke appeared in the hallway as Richard neared his rooms. Daniel turned to Captain Lorne, “Find Lord George and bring him here, quietly.” One of the guards walked away as Richard came up to the door.
“Lord Daniel?” he said nervously.
The wary expression on the duke’s face told Richard his associations with Lord Robert had definitely not gone unnoticed. “Lord Richard.”
“I had hoped to speak to you for a moment. It concerns Lord Robert.”
A small frown appeared on Daniel’s forehead as he stared at Richard. At length, he nodded and went back inside.
Following, Richard paused when he found the queen standing near the window, her fingers running absently over the sill. “Majesty,” Daniel said lowly. She turned and he saw a brief flicker of surprise go over her pretty face before it settled into a polite, formal expression. “Lord Richard.”
“Lord Richard has something to tell us of Lord Robert,” Daniel said, his voice neutral.
He saw the crease of her brow and decided it was perhaps best to tell them both at once. “Majesty, I fear I have compromised you.”
He saw the alarm in her and in the duke. “How is that, my lord?”
“I overheard your conversation with Master Quinn last night,” he said simply. The queen’s mouth tightened and he felt a new wave of guilt. It was apparent from Lord Daniel’s reaction that he knew the significance of the statement, meaning the queen had in fact told her advisors. “It was not my intention to violate your privacy. I overheard accidentally. But in trying to resolve what to do with the information, I’m afraid I spoke to another.”
“Kinsey?” Daniel’s lips twisted over the word.
“Samuels,” he corrected. “But he went directly to Lord Robert, who intends to announce this to the college of lords tomorrow.”
The queen closed her eyes for a moment. Richard imagined that Daniel was swearing heartily in his own head.
“You are certain?” the queen asked.
“Yes, my lady. I had no idea that Lord Robert would use this information in this way, or that he would attempt to expose you in such a situation with no reason,” he said awkwardly, trying to convey his regret.
She waved a hand. “You are hardly the first person to misunderstand Lord Robert.”
He nodded, feeling uncomfortable. “There is one small piece of good news, Majesty.”
Her eyebrows went up. “What is that?”
“Lord Robert and Lord Bertram know only that Sir John is Caldoran, but nothing else.”
“How is that?” Daniel asked, curious.
“Lord Robert did not wait for me to finish speaking long enough for me to tell him the rest.”
The queen and Daniel smiled at each other a little wryly. “Well, we must count our blessings, then, my lord.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“I trust,” Daniel said, placing a hand on his arm, guiding him towards the door, “that you will not speak of this to anyone else for the time being, Lord Richard?”
“No, my lord. I will be silent.”
Daniel nodded. Over her shoulder, the queen glanced at him. “Lord Richard?”
“Yes, Majesty?”
“I shall not forget this,” she promised.
He gave her one swift, grateful look before going into the hallway. He expected Daniel to return to the queen but the young man walked with him several paces, until they were away from the earshot of the guards.
“I feel somewhat embarrassed about my error of judgment, my lord,” Richard began. “I intend to discontinue Lord Robert’s company as soon as possible.”
They stopped walking and Daniel nodded. “I supposed as much. But I also wish to ask a favor of you.”
Puzzled, Richard waited.
“Do not isolate yourself from Lord Robert yet.”
It took a moment for Richard to parse the meaning behind this request. “You wish me to act as a spy, my lord?” he asked in surprise.
”I wish to reserve the possibility of collecting information such as what you have told us this evening," Daniel said glibly. "Your actions tonight suggest to me as well as to her majesty that you are a man who values honor and responsibility. I do not ask you to intentionally ingratiate yourself with Lord Robert or to take any special actions. Simply do nothing for the time being.”
Richard felt that there was more at work here than he could hope to fathom. Given the shifting ground under his feet this day, it seemed most prudent to nod in agreement. “I understand, my lord.”
Early the next morning, George appeared at the entrance to the queen’s private chambers, ready to escort her to attend the gathering of the college. There were dark circles around Captain Lorne’s eyes, and George was willing to admit, albeit ruefully, that he probably looked much the same.
After hearing Elizabeth’s tale of Sir John’s true origins, as well as hearing of how Kinsey was in possession of that same information and was intending to disclose it, he had stayed up late into the night with the queen, Jack, and Daniel. They were desperate to find a solution that would not completely humiliate Elizabeth before the entire college, nor damage her authority.
Admittedly, the solution they had was perhaps not the best one, but it was all they could do. Kinsey would not reveal the information until the college had been formally called to session, as he was no doubt eager to let the full disclosure be as public as possible. George, Daniel, and the queen had all come to the agreement that the only way to stop Kinsey was to reveal everything themselves before he could, which was what Elizabeth would do the moment the college had settled in for the meeting. The queen held the right to bring up any subject before hearing any petitions or requests to speak before the assembly by the other lords. This would be their only window of opportunity. She would explain Sir John’s Caldoran background and announce that she was in the process of investigating the situation, in order to cut off accusations of deception before Kinsey could make them.
Jack’s suggestion had been more direct, if more violent.
“My lord,” Lorne said, breaking into his thoughts, “the queen asked to see you privately.” Without waiting for an answer, the captain of the guard turned and knocked softly on the door leading to Elizabeth’s public sitting room.
For several moments, nothing happened, until the door opened to reveal Lady Laura, who quickly stepped into the antechamber and gestured for them to enter. Lorne, however, stood aside with Laura.
Elizabeth stood at near the mantle of the large fireplace, gazing up at the portrait that hung above it. It was not a portrait of her parents, as one might have expected, but a portrait of Queen Helena, the last ruling Queen of Atalan, who had governed the country nearly two hundred years before. Elizabeth had discovered the portrait in storage and had immediately ordered that it be cleaned and brought to her chambers. Helena had been a woman of great beauty and strength, and was remembered by all traditions to have ruled Atalan very well. Her example, George knew, was one Elizabeth had long since devoted herself to, hoping to emulate the other woman as best she could.
Lady Kate, who was also present, curtsied to both him and the queen before stepping outside to join Lorne and Laura, leaving him alone with Elizabeth. George bowed and murmured softly, “Good morning, your Majesty.”
She turned to look at him and nodded. “Good morning,” she replied. “Is it time?”
“The college will not convene without you,” he assured her, “but we should arrive in a timely manner, lest Kinsey have yet another plan on his mind.”
It was a poor attempt at humor, and it did not bring a smile to her young face. George sighed inwardly. Making Elizabeth laugh and smile had always been under Jack’s purview. The man had a way with children, perhaps because he was often so childlike himself.
“You warned me,” she said suddenly and he focused more fully on her. The desolation in her voice and expression tore at his heart. “You, Daniel, Jack, Captain Sumner... You all warned me that he was hiding something. I...” she hesitated. “I truly thought...”
“Majesty,” George began, and then shook his head slightly. Queen she might be, but she was still in so many ways a child, a child he had stood as father to for these many years. “Elizabeth,” he amended softly, “what is done is done. Laying blame upon yourself will not help you.” He stepped closer to her and reached out, lifting her chin up so her eyes would meet his own. “We can only deal with what comes before us. This situation is still salvageable if we can reveal the information before Lord Kinsey.”
Elizabeth stared up at him, her own hand coming up to grasp his hand tightly. George mustered up what he hoped was a reassuring smile and said, “Now, I believe we should be on our way, Majesty.”
She returned his smile with a small one of her own and nodded wordlessly. He brought her hand to rest on his arm and led her from the room. As they started down the hall, Laura and Kate slipped into their wake while Lorne and his guards formed up around them.
As they passed by a balcony overlooking the waters surrounding the island, George noted the chilly breeze that unexpectedly blew in, in spite of the appearance of warm morning sunshine. Appearances that morning were quite deceiving.