Bitter Bloodlines

Chapter Six

The next two days went by in a flurry of activity as the feast in honor of my return approached. It seemed, to me, to be more of a festival - the Duke had held plenty of feasts back in Raverre, but none of those had required multiple acrobats, an acting troupe, musicians, a full tournament, and at least a dozen tents full of additional seating and lodging for overflow guests.

The Queen took personal charge of everything, from floral arrangements and seating charts to which farms should provide the pigs for roasting. Following and listening to her, I was overwhelmed by all the guest names I didn't know. On the afternoon of the second day, we had a quiet moment for tea.

"Is there a guest list written somewhere, that I could study?" I asked, as she sat back in her chair with the teacup. "I'm afraid I haven't learned enough about the noble families."

"Darling, you don't need to," she replied, waving her hand dismissively. "I will deal with them."

"Knowing them would help them to accept me as a royal, yes?"

She frowned, her lips stretching tight, and leaned forward to set her teacup on the table.

"Audrianna," she said, staring into my eyes. "They will respect you as their Princess because I tell them to, just as they will respect me as Queen because you will enforce it. That is your role. Even in Raverre, nasferata are not part of the line of succession - you do not need to know these citizens as if you were going to rule them. Leave that to me."

"Yes," I said, nodding quickly. "Of course. I'm sorry, mother."

She waved her hand again, brushing off the topic, and relaxed, leaning back in her chair again and sipping her tea. She eyed me with a small smile, her face soft.

"I heard that you went falconing with James," she remarked, after a moment.

"Yes. He invited me."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"I'm not much of a falconer."

She laughed, a sweet little sound. "I am sure you prefer other forms of hunting."

I bit my lip. I thought of Lady Carmen in the dungeon, and of Phoenix, the nasferata who had trained me back in Raverre. You are a nasferata and a princess, he had told me, the first time I fed with my own fangs. There is no need for a great show of violence and mess.

"The prisoners in the dungeon," I said. "What are their crimes?"

My mother looked up from pouring her second cup of tea, clearly surprised. For a moment she stared at me with concern, and then suddenly smiled widely, laughing again with genuine mirth.

"Oh, my dear daughter," she said. "You really are mine, aren't you? I, too, want to know where my food has been." She tittered again, catching her breath, and added, "Don't worry, dear. They are all political prisoners, from various noble families. Nothing terribly dirty."

I nodded, deciding not to ask anything further.

*****

I hesitated at my door when I went back to my room that evening, reaching for the handle and then lowering my arm. I glanced over at the door to James' quarters, deliberating. Thinking of my mother's warning not to trust anyone here at court.

I walked over to his door and knocked before I could change my mind.

The door opened halfway, and a servant looked back at me curiously. She was maybe ten years my senior, short and sturdily-built, with mousey brown hair and green eyes.

"Yes, your highness?" she asked.

"I - uh - is James here? I'd like to speak to him, please."

The servant looked back for a second into the room, and then back to me. "I'm sorry, Princess, he's in bed. Maybe - "

"It's okay, Senka," said James' voice, from somewhere further into the room. "She can come in."

The girl, Senka, bit her lip, but opened the door for me to enter, giving me a small nod and dip of respect as she did.

"Thank you," I said, walking in.

Senka closed the door behind me. James was indeed in his bed inside the room, but didn't appear to be near sleeping. He was propped upright with a host of pillows, and held a book in his lap. As I approached awkwardly, Senka swept past and sat down comfortably on the end of the bed, watching me curiously. James gestured at her, then at me.

"Senka, this as you know is Princess Audrianna, my younger sister." He turned to me. "Princess, this is is Senka. My older sister."

I blinked at him for a second, stunned. Of course, of course he had another side to his family. Why had I never considered the other side of his family?

"Apologies," I said, though I wasn't quite sure for what. I nodded to Senka. "Pleased to meet you."

"She came with me to the castle to help with my care," James explained. "She is employed as a servant, but mainly she is my caregiver. You're welcome to sit, if you want."

He gestured at the foot of the bed, where Senka was sitting, but I pulled a chair from beside the fireplace over to the bed instead. Senka watched me, still looking a bit suspicious, and James smiled warmly.

"You wanted to speak with me?" he asked.

"Yes." I ran my hands over my knees, picking at the embroidery threads on my skirt. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so well, today, but I don't mind company while stuck in bed. But you didn't come here to ask that, did you?"

"No - well, I mean, I do care to know about your health. I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling well. But I did have a question for you. Another question."

I felt shaky with nerves. I reached for a reason why, and decided that it was because I had never had a conversation in quite so casual a setting before as another person's bed. Or perhaps the ambiguity of not knowing exactly where James, or Senka for that matter, fell on the social ladder.

James ceremoniously closed the book on his lap and set it aside, looking at me intently and waiting.

"Do you know anything about the prisoners in the dungeon?" I asked.

He looked over at Senka with mild surprise, and then back at me. "Huh. An interesting question. Though I suppose you've been spending time there regularly."

"A guard would be the person to ask," said Senka. "I know a few of them."

"I know they are generally higher-profile prisoners," James continued, nodding. "People outside of noble families go to the jail in the next town."

"Why are they kept there?" I asked. "They are noble, yes. What have they done?"

James and Senka shared a look again - a familiar look, an unsaid conversation. James looked back and me and said cautiously, "That depends on the prisoner."

"For example?"

He shrugged. "People who speak out against the crown. People who are accused of being spies. People who refuse to cooperate with requests made by the Queen, or who hold dangerous information. Blackmail."

"People too important to kill, but important enough to keep an eye on," Senka concluded. "Is that what you're looking for?"

"That...helps."

James leaned forward, cocking his head to the side curiously as he met my eyes. "Are you looking for someone in particular?"

I took a breath, holding it for a second as I considered.

"I met someone interesting," I said, exhaling. "Lady Carmen."

"Hmm." James sat back against his pillows, a brief look of pain flickering across his face as he did so. "I don't think I know her. Senka?"

Senka shook her head. "I don't know her. But I can find out for you."