Indiscretion

Her mother had been lost to her before she drew her first breath, her sire when she was too young to be made an orphan, and now her beloved brother.

“My lord there’s something afoot I think you ought to know.”

“And what might that be?” I paid scant attention to the man at my shoulder. He was prone to hysterics and I was in no mood.

“A plot to take the crown. They had your brother murdered. They thought to sway suspicion by not coming at you head on. They thought by removing your only heir since you have not yet fathered a legitimate son that they could remove you and no one would be the wiser.”

His words had the ring of truth to them, but I did not give my thoughts away. I knew since the day he died that my brother had not been so foolish as they would have me believe, but I could not see the way of it. I had thought this foolishness well behind me.

“Who?” I picked up the mug of ale at my side and took a sip as I continued to watch my sullen sister with the other young ladies of the court.

“Crompton.” I nodded my head but said no more.

***

I slipped out of the hall but of course my departure was noticed. No matter, I am the king I can do as I please. I took to the parapets outside my rooms where I was sure to be left alone.

I paced back and forth as I put it all together in my head. Lord Hershey was given to hysterics yes, but he was also known to be loyal to the Aguilon family since my grandsire had saved him from certain death as a young lad.

He had found great favor in the king’s court and had risen from the lowly state of the son of a blacksmith to one of the king’s men. A position in which, he has served both my sire and myself.

His hysterics stemmed mostly from his perceived plots against the throne. He saw shadows around every corner. But this I could not ignore seeing as how I myself had doubted the truth of lord Crompton’s words on the day my brother died. No not died, murdered.

Crompton was a distant cousin of the Whitleys. His sire had sworn fealty to me on the death of my own sire, and had kept a rather low profile in the years since I’d taken the throne.

The son had been a friend of my brother’s since they were babes in swaddling, much as Nicholas and I were. I had never had much liking for the young man. He was ever too pompous and full of his own importance.

I had once taken him to task for speaking harshly to my brother, who would never have seen the faults in his dear friend. But what was the game? Lord Crompton was far removed from the succession. Unless he was relying on that old argument that the Whitleys were more suited to rule and him being of distant blood. But that made no sense.

They were a very wealthy family to be sure, but wealth alone has no bearing on the throne. Had that been the case there were many here in my court who could claim that assumption.

Crompton was also a weak livered serpent, both the father and the son. So who was it that they had put their trust in? I had to know before I made a move.

Back in my chambers I wrote a quick missive and sealed it with my signet. I opened the door and called for one of my more reliable men.

“Take this to lord Wessex and be quick about it. Do not stop on your way on pain of death. Wait there for his answer. Go.”

He went on his way and I went back to pacing my rooms. “Guards, bring my sister to me.” I gave a momentary thought to calling for my sister in law as well but she should be safe enough. She was no danger to whatever plot was in the works.

Chapter 6

King Julian

***

For the next day and a half I pretended interest in the things around me. I shared my thoughts with no one and had sent my sister to safety under the pretense of giving her time to mourn.

No one knew where she had gone. Just her nurse’s maid whom I was sure would give her very life to save my sister’s, and six very well trained and well armed mercenaries whose only loyalty I was sure was to me.

It had been less than a week since Frederick had been buried but already the court was coming back to life. The women were once again in their finery as they sought to beguile the men, their mourning garb put away. All, except his widow and I, as was decent.