CHAPTER SIX
“Morning Nathan,” Wendy said as she walked into Nathan’s office. “I see being queen suits you.”
“Because I don’t address you by your title?” she gave him a cool smile. “I’m not here as a power play.”
“Then why are you here?” Wendy didn’t answer immediately. She took the time to look around the office. This was the very first time she had stepped foot into his office. “You just said this wasn’t a power play. I get the impression that it is.”
“I’m just looking around. This was not what I expected your office to look like. I expected something not…nice.” She said as she looked at the paintings on the wall. The office was less cluttered than Gorham’s much less hers.
“I’m nice to my friends.”
“I’m not interested in being you friend. I do respect the fact that you are good at your job.”
“Should I be fluttered with the compliment?”
Wendy turned back to him with a smile on her face, “I should imagine so. I don’t compliment easily especially to people I don’t like.”
“What I’m reading from all this is that you want something from me.”
“No. You want something from me. You wanted to know my reaction back at the council meeting when you were talking about our neighbors breaking the treaties they signed. What did you want from me?”
It was Nathan’s turn to keep quiet as he studied Wendy. He admitted that he was too quick to support Alice’s claim. All things considered, he liked this kingdom. This was home and he would protect it first. He might have lost sight of that for a while but he would never have thrust them into war. “First tell me what you intend to do with Alice when she comes back.”
“Who says she’s coming back?”
“I know she will. She’s not strong enough to stay away and not clever enough to predict the outcome of her running away. She will come back and she will intend to take back her throne.”
“You think there will be people who support her even after she abandoned them at this time of war?” Wendy asked in disbelief.
“Her father has a lot of influence in the council. Admittedly Amon runs the council now, he has no real allies at this time. It would serve you well if you started to make allies within the council for yourself and future.”
“Let me guess, you want to be my first ally?”
“We would work well together,” Nathan said as he got up and approached her. He stopped directly in front of her. “I know you have a thing for Gorham but let’s be honest, if it comes to choosing you or Alice, he will choose Alice. I stand by my choices even if I’m faced down with the whole council and I have allies of my own who would back you up. Be my ally.”
“Tempting,” she said as her eyes locked with Nathan.
He gave her a charming smile, “Then say yes. There’s nothing sweeter than doing so.”
“How many temptations have you given into?”
“Have they always been sweet?”
“For the time. The consequences not so much.” He gave a short laugh, “I’m not telling you there will be consequences if you align with me.”
“That is like telling a chicken to venture into the wolves’ den because there is plenty of corn in there.”
“My dear, you should not consider yourself a chicken. Personally I would call you a vixen. Curious enough to look in but sly enough to avoid whatever comes towards her.”
“Are you flirting with me?”
“That’s how I do half of my job,” he said as he tucked her hair behind her ear. That was when the door opened and they both turned toward it. A middle aged woman stopped short before walking in with the tray she was carrying. She put the tray on the table then turned and curtsied to them. She started to walk away but Nathan called her back. “Felicia, I would like you to meet Queen Wendy. Wendy, this is my wife.”
“Your wife?” she asked as if trying to grasp the concept. “You knew I was married, right?”
“You don’t talk about her.”
“I don’t talk about a lot of things. It doesn’t mean I don’t have them.”
Wendy shrugged slightly then turned to Felicia. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” “Same to you.”
“I suppose you are the one who decorated this room?” Wendy gesture to the room.
“I thought so.” At the puzzled look on Felicia’s face she clarified. “Nathan is not nice enough to have done most of it himself.”
“This is my wife you are talking to!” Nathan feigned surprise at such talk.
“He only does what is necessary for this kingdom,” Felicia supported her husband. At that Wendy smiled at her, “I believe so and that is why I am here.”
Nathan dismissed Felicia shortly after then directed Wendy to have a seat. “I feel I should tell you that I have three children.” Wendy rolled her eyes. “And I have a wolf hound for a pet.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” “Because I am serious about this alliance.”
“We are not getting married Nathan. I don’t need to know everything about you.”
“If we were getting married,” he started as he poured tea into both cups on the tray. “I would inform you that I am a reincarnation of someone who is in love with another woman.”
“Yes Cognoscenti.” Nathan stopped pouring the tea in surprise. “I thought you knew we knew.”
“The wizards know?”
“Yes.” She accepted the tea cup.
“What do they plan to do with the information?”
Wendy considered holding out the information but thought better on it. “Nothing. As far as I heard, this is your last reincarnation.”
“The last?”
“Gorham knows and Sidney’s feelings are unstated. This is the last reincarnation.” Nathan sighed despondently. “Okay, back to business. You want to know why I wanted a reaction from you.”
“I know why you wanted me to react. I’m actually here to tell you that you do whatever you must to ensure that trade between us and the other kingdoms.”
“You mean threaten them with war if they break the treaties?”
“Something subtler will do. I don’t need them to reconsider joining the Astrakhan. Besides, I’m sure we will win this war.”
Nathan smiled, “You really are your mother’s daughter. I mean that as a compliment.”
*
“Come in,” Nathan called out after the knock at the door. Felicia came in and stopped timidly before him.
“I should have knocked earlier, I’m sorry I just budged in.”
“There was nothing going on.” At Felicia’s unbelieving nod he continued, “Wendy likes you.”
“Did she tell you that?”
“No. I can tell, which means that she would be more open to you,” Nathan put away the document he was reading. “It turns out you are finally going to be useful to me.”
“What do you want me to do?” she asked suspiciously. “I want you to be her friend. Her confidant.”
“I have nothing in common with her. How can we be friends in that case?”
“Find out what she likes. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. I also want you to organize a party to welcome her. That should be an opening enough.”
“Supposing I do this and we become friends, what exactly will you need me to find out?”
Nathan smiled appreciatively as if this was the first time his wife had ever said something that made sense. “I want to know everything. I want to know the type of food she likes, her favorite color, what she dislikes. What she is drawn to in men? If she is sleeping with Max. What she thinks about her father? His plans. Simply everything.”
“I won’t do this just so that you can have an easier time bedding her.”
Nathan narrowed his eyes at her. “If I wanted to bed her I would not need your help. I want to know her weaknesses and that happens only when people’s guards are down. Unfortunately, she will never lower her guards down enough around me. She hates me.”
“If she hates you then she won’t be comfortable around me.”
“No, she won’t.” he stood up and walked towards her. “But with time she will come to appreciate having you in her life. That is when she will open herself up to you. I don’t expect it to be easy on your part either.”
“What do I get in return for doing this?”
“What is it that you want?” Nathan watched as her eyes avoided his. He knew what she wanted. He only asked because he could. He turned started to undo the ribbon on her front. When they were undone, he pulled down and the sleeves fell from her shoulders. She was left exposed to him.
She looked up at him, whatever shyness she had had disappeared. “Like you actually care.”
“Very well,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her passionately before he pulled back. “How long?”
“As long as you can keep pretending.” She tilted her head to the side as Nathan’s lips feathered light kisses on her neck.
“You have a year from now.” Felicia turned sharply to look at him. “With the occasional benefits here and there.”
“This is really important to you?”
“Yes.” He took her lips back with his. Her hands went round his neck as she melted against him. She held him close relishing the beginning of the best year in a long while.
*
Wendy stared at the professor as he connected the wires to her temple and her chest. Some others were connected to the stone that was next to her. When he was done he went to his machine and took some reading all the time harrumphing at himself. After a long while she had to ask. “What is it?”
“Oh yes, yes,” he started as he checked the readings again. He looked up just as she was about to say something else. “The readings are a bit different from the blood samples I was given.”
“You were given my blood samples? When?”
“When is beside the point…” he paused for a moment as he considered. “Maybe it has everything to do with the point.” He looked at her. “The blood sample was taken shortly after you came through to our world. What has changed since then?”
“Maybe it’s because I’m in this universe.”
“No. It’s something else. Your blood sample still has the same vibrations as it had before crossing over. I checked it yesterday.”
“Has the vibrations of the stone changed?” Wendy asked trying to make sense of what the professor was saying.
“It is stronger but still it has the same frequency.”
“I really don’t understand what you are talking about. Please explain it in a way someone who has never had the educational system of your world would understand it.”
The professor pulled up a chair and sat before Wendy. There were servants walking about watching them with interest. “Science is the basis of most things in the world. If you take the religious point of view, it’s completely different, up can be down and down can be up and no one will object to it. Your faith is the only thing that matters in religion whereas science is based on the proven theories over quite some time. How do we tell whether an object is hot or is cold? What happens when you heat something up and it becomes hot or melts or evaporates in some cases?”
“So the basis of vibrations is from there?”
“Exactly. You can keep dividing something up and divide it even further until you know exactly what it is made of. These very small parts are called atoms which combine to form molecules and so forth. These small parts are always vibrating or moving. So, when you add heat, you add energy and thus in fact increase the vibrations.”
“You point is all objects including people vibrate?”
“Yes,” he smiled proudly at her. “You are a quick learner.”
“It’s actually common sense considering you are measuring my vibration and the stone’s.”
He shrugged “Depends on how you look at it. Anyway, it turns out that objects from this world have a different pitch compared to those from my world. And specific object are especially attuned to people like necklaces and things people wear or carry with them a lot. In which case I could say that it would be possible to figure out what belongs to whom. But for the Mantegna stone, the theory leaves a lot of holes for the unexplainable.”
“Like what?”
“For one thing, it is attuned to you and as I am told, to the one called Julius without ever being in your possessions. It has stayed far longer in our world than anything else from this universe and yet it hasn’t attuned itself. In fact, from the tests I have performed, I believe it has been affecting things around it instead.”
“So what would make me change my vibration?” “I don’t know.”
“Take a shot in the dark, professor.”
“Well,” he started as he scratched his chin. “Something changed within you. It is not the fact that you have crossed over however in the general sense that may be it.”
“In humans and animals our energy levels are portrayed with our emotions or even the activity we are in the process of doing. Since your return to this world, you have been a lot more active than in the other.”
“Yes, there has been a lot going on.”
“To prove that, we would have to put you in a state of utter rest and compare it with when you are busy training.”
“You want to perform tests on me while sleeping?”
“Not sleeping. We are rarely in utter rest when asleep though it comes close.” The professor gave her a look that she immediately started to become wary of. “Can you do that trance thing that Henry can do?”
“What thing?”
“He can put himself in a state where his heart beat can barely be felt.” “I don’t…”
“It’s basically the same as a trance but when you are in touch of your spirits, you go further and deeper into the trance.” Max interrupted as he walked into the room. “We call it a temporary death.”
“I guess I could try that.”
“There’s a reason no one has ever mentioned it to you before now.” he took a seat nearby. The professor’s attention and Wendy’s attention were completely fixed on him. “Not everyone can do it.”
“Why?”
“Some people claim it shows the level of mastering power beyond anything else.” “Can you do it?”
“I’ve never tried it. Usually you try it only as a last resort when you are almost dying. You have to evaluate whether taking the risk is better than actually staying awake and dying faster.” Wendy raised her eyebrow in confusion. “Wizards heal faster than normal people but we can still have mortal wounds. When we are close to death, our spirits detaches themselves from the body and that is what actually kills us. So we strive to hold on to them as our body heals. People call it the will to live.”
“There’s a risk?”
“Like everything else, yes. In this case, there are two known risks. One is that you manage to reach the temporary death state but you die anyway. It is said that your spirits become lost and you wander the world without a body and without knowing who you are.”
“You become a ghost?” the professor asked.
“Yes. The second risk is that you are not strong enough and die trying.”
“When you try this you were already dying so that shouldn’t be a risk.” Wendy stated.
“We believe it is the final death. Your spirits shatter and you will never be reincarnated.”
“Reincarnation?” the professor asked while disbelieving.
“Yes, reincarnation is real. You just don’t see it because you have such a short lifespan compared to wizards and if humans are reincarnated, they rarely see it themselves. Usually it takes something major to make you realize that you have been reincarnated and that just doesn’t happen much in your short lifespan. Currently, the known reincarnates are Sidney, Gorham and Nathan. It’s said that Diane’s death was what triggered Nathan’s awareness.”
“How would Diane’s death have triggered him?” Wendy asked curiously.
“She died by the weapon you call, uncreatively, as the ‘weapon’. It used to be known as Izanami’s death blow, which sounded much better in the original language. Anyway, Diane died in a similar manner as Jansenist, a woman he loved with all his heart.”
“Why didn’t it trigger Gorham memory?”
“Who knows?” Max shrugged. “Point is, it is dangerous and only do it as a last resort.” He turned curiously to the professor. “How many times has he done this?”
The professor blinked once then answered, “He wanted to find out what exactly happens to his body when he is in that state. So he cut his arm and I had to monitor how fast he healed.”
“How fast was it?” Max asked.
The professor narrowed his eyes at him. He appreciated curiosity but when it came to Henry, anyone who was curious was a potential threat and so he took it to be like that. “It healed instantly.” He sighed and stood up feigning boredom at the current topic of discussion. “If you don’t mind leaving us to it.”
“Of course.” Max stood up. He was about to leave when he turned to Wendy. “Don’t try it.”
After some time of silence as the professor reset his equipment Wendy spoke. “He’s gone now. I know you lied to him.”
“How?” he didn’t seem shocked by the revelation.
“I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t really watching you. You blinked before you answered. That prompted me to look deeper within you and knew you were lying.”
He sighed, “He was asking about Henry. I have specific instructions when it comes to Henry.”
“You lie for him?”
“Wouldn’t you lie for your friend?”
Wendy smiled, “You two are really friends?” “On occasion.”
“You did it again. They are so good that they even tricked Max and he prides himself to be able to tell if someone is lying even with his eyes closed.”
“Henry trained me in it. He also said that being normal makes wizards underestimate me. Don’t lie to wizards. Think the truth always and say only what is needed.”
“This isn’t the first time you have lied to a wizard.” “No, like I said, Henry’s family is strange.”
“How strange?” she saw the professor thinking. “I’m his daughter and eventually I’m going to meet them. It would help if I knew more about them.”
“Okay. Henry’s mother is a wizard who dabbles in witchy-woo. According to them, that is frowned upon. Fortunately she hides it from the public society. It helps that her son is so powerful and she once had an affair with the Lord of the council.”
“So it’s true that Henry’s father is the Lord of the council.”
“It is never spoken of. I think it is a law or something but they look so much alike no one could question it.”
“You’ve met him?” she asked with interest.
“Yes. He came by my house looking for Henry. He could tell I was lying but he didn’t press. Henry says he just wanted to meet me, but he didn’t ask me any questions about myself. I didn’t believe that but Henry assured me that if he wanted him, he would have just summoned him.”
“The summoning that is illegal. The one that was to lead Sidney to part with her son?”
“He’s the Lord of the wizard council. As I understand it, he is above the law. Besides, he has perfected it in a way that there is no flashes of lightning. There is simply some static energy in the air for a few moments.” He gave her an amused smile. “Apparently when you don’t draw attention to the wizards anything is acceptable.”
“Oh. So he was not weird in any way?”
“He is just as strange as Henry is but not overtly so. Carries himself like he owns the world, but he hides the fact that he cares for Henry. He’s proud of him and I know he wants to meet you.”
“Then why have I ever never met him?” “I don’t know. Henry has his reasons.” “Any other relatives?”
“He had two brother. He killed one. The other still lives.” “Henry killed his own brother?”
“At his father’s order. It turns out the brother was trying to organize some sort of coup. Henry caught him and brought him to the council thinking that his father will minimize the punishment. His father ordered him dead on the spot. It was to send a message that even his own blood cannot change their most fundamental laws of order. Personally I think the message was for Henry.”
“Why?”
“Because his was a son who was acknowledged and yet he executed him, what would happen to the one who was unclaimed? Then the fact that he had Henry himself do it. It was a classic move. Yes they would not like that Henry’s father was the one who ordered it but they would hate Henry for doing the deed. It was a way to alienate him from the rest of his family.”
“I thought you said he wasn’t strange.”
“I don’t think he’s any different from Henry. From everything I’ve heard Henry say about him, I don’t think he likes his family much. Henry is his favorite child but Henry doesn’t see it. He treats Henry the way Henry treats you.”
“Henry has never had me kill any of my siblings…”
“Yet, but if he thinks it’s the best thing for you, you will do it because deep down you’ll know it is the best thing to do.”
“I would never do that.”
“It’s not for me to argue. The point I want to make is this. Henry’s father was grooming him to take over. He shows him that to take over you will need power. He puts him in a position to garner that power. He gives him tasks that any other person would not do just to prove to others that his son is strong enough to do what needs to be done. He shows Henry that to take the power and respect of the council, you need to do it the right way and at the right time. The council needs to see that he is the best choice and for that, his father has cleared a path for him.”
“I don’t see why he can’t just name Henry his successor.”
“Because he can’t. If the council members believe that the lordship is going to become hereditary, they would never give it to Henry. Besides he doesn’t just want a successor, he wants someone worthy of the position. It is the same way Henry treats you. He sees you capable of doing so much in your life. He leaves the path open but places pitfalls here and there so that you may grow stronger as you struggle through them. He wants the best for you but needs you to want the same for yourself.” He rolled his eyes as he said, “Of course in their convoluted minds they see it differently.”
“Perhaps.”
“He’s never forced you to do anything and he never will. Neither has his father and he wasn’t happy when he learned about you but Henry kept you from the council because he saw it as a way to protect you. He doesn’t press the fact that he wants to meet you. He’s waiting for when Henry is ready and assured that your life will not be in danger when the two of you meet.”
“Okay, what about the other brother?”
“Some other time,” he yawned. “I need my nap now.”
*
Wendy looked up from the papers she was going through as her door opened. Hudson walked in. “I knocked but you didn’t answer.” He bowed.
“What is it?” she asked trying not to rub her eyes. She was too tired but still she had a lot of things to do. She took a book and put it over the papers hoping that if she didn’t look at them for a few minutes she would have fresh eyes to look at them and hopefully come up with a solution.
“You have a guest, your highness.”
“Who is it?” she frowned as she considered who it could be. “It’s not one of the parents, is it?” she was being petition with the parents of the young thieves whom she had recruited into her army. They weren’t really children. She had ensured that they were above sixteen and if they were any younger than that then they were recruited simply as squires to the more experienced fighters. They would clean their armor and cloths and ensure that they were brought for food. Fighting had to be done with those who knew what they were doing and not children who could not even carry a sword up for more than a minute. The parents didn’t understand that and they have been coming daily to petition for their children’s release.
“No, it’s not one of the parents. It is Felicia, King Nathan’s wife.”
“Oh! Let her in.” Wendy stood up and attempted to straighten her desk and gave up. She slumped back into the chair and rested her head against her arms. The door opened and she looked up at Felicia’s smiling face.
“I can tell you need a break,” she said and a moment later curtsied, “Majesty.” “Hi, Felicia,” she smiled.
“I came by hoping that you were ready to take a break. Not immediately but in a day or two.”
“Why?”
She moved forward and reached a chair and pulled it out. She waited for the okay to sit down and got it. She slid into the chair and looked at Wendy with eyes that deciphered everything. “You are tired.”
“Is it so obvious?”
“I can see the bags under your eyes and your skin is a bit pale.”
“At this rate, you will pass out from exhaustion.”
“Hopefully not,” she forced a smile, “You were looking for me.”
“Yes,” Felicia brightened up. “Nathan wanted to hold a party at our castle in your honor.”
“I don’t think this is the time to hold a party.”
“On the contrary, I think this is the perfect time to hold a party in your honor. Now and the time you are to be crowned. People need their morale to be raised and the ambassadors need to meet you. The council needs to mingle with you away from the council chambers.”
“Felicia…”
“I know what you are going to say but this is what Nathan does. This is how he does his job. He told me that you need allies. People get allies mostly because they are liked. The council members need to know that you are good at other things other than just throwing yourself at an oncoming arrow or sword. They need to know that you can encourage peace as much as you can prepare for war.” She paused and looked at Wendy and saw the flicker in her eyes. Felicia smiled in victory, “Come on. It’s going to be only one night.”
“As much as I appreciate this, we need the funds to finance the army.”
“You have the funds from our castle. We are funding this party from our own money.”
“Why would you do that?”
Felicia was quiet for a while, “Nathan really wants to show you that he wants to be your ally. If choose not to have him then the least he can do is give you a way to make the allies you choose on your own. I think that he feels guilty for having backed Alice when you were the rightful heiress to Diane’s throne.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“I’ve already started the planning.” “I suppose I can’t say no to that.”
“Good,” Felicia stood up. “The invitations are going to go out today. The party is tomorrow evening. Get some rest. Tomorrow you’ll be up all night.” She walked out the door.
Wendy sighed. “Another all-nighter!” she murmured to herself. She opened the papers and started to go through them. No time like the present to go through them.
*
Wendy alighted from the carriage holding on to Martin’s hand. She looked up and was pleasantly surprised by what she saw. The castle may have not been overtly decorated but the subtle touch was there. There were guards aligned all around dressed in their best. There were lights everywhere and in the distance, instruments could be heard being played. It wasn’t going to be a flashy event but good enough to impress some.
Martin led her up the well-lit path where the guards bowed as she passed them one by one. They got to the main ballroom where they were expected. They were announced as they walked in. This was the first event like this she had ever attended and she had needed a bit of coaching from Martin before she felt she was ready enough. She was led to the main table where both kings were seated with their spouses. Nathan stood up and welcomed her by pulling her chair out for her. As subtle as it was, it was acknowledged that he was Wendy’s ally.
Gorham frowned at this but didn’t say a thing. He watched as Wendy sat down followed by Nathan and them Martin. The evening’s festivities continued as they were meant to with the dinner brought out. Pretty soon it was time to mingle and dance with Nathan taking the honor for himself as he asked Wendy to dance. After they left the table Gorham turned to Felicia. “What’s going on?”
“Nathan is trying to convince Wendy to be his ally.” “Why?”
“Why not?”
“I mean why is he trying to do so now?”
“Nathan knows he made a mistake and that Wendy should be crowned queen. He may have convinced everyone else to back Alice up then but he intends to show them that Wendy has his full support even if she doesn’t have yours.”
“What?” Gorham asked in shock. “I am on Wendy’s side.”
Felicia only shook her head in sadness. “You never have been on her side.” “I was the one who told the council that she should been queen in the first place…”
“Of course you were. You were the one to read Diane’s diary. It was your duty to state this fact but you have never been on her side. You have left her to stumble along on her own, to struggle through without your help.”
“She knows …”
“Knows what she’s doing?” Felicia turned to look at Wendy. “Look at her.