Shadow Dagger Ch. 15

Raynolt glanced up and saw the confusion on Sophina's face. "What are talking about?"

Raynolt cocked his head. "Surely, you've heard the news by now? It's all over the city."

Sophina shook her head slowly, her face betraying the first hint of fear. The man next to her grunted. "Spit it out already."

Raynolt chuckled. "It seems I finally know something you don't. Well, far be it for me to keep you in the dark. Our good King Reynar is to wed your beloved Evelyn Ventus at noon tomorrow."

Sophina's eyes opened wide in shock. "You lie!"

Raynolt stared at her curiously.Why the overreaction? There's something there... "I assure you, I'm not lying. Go ask the first person you see in the street."

Sophina stood up suddenly, her chair crashing against the floor. "I...this meeting is over. Do we have a deal or not?"

Raynolt stood and smiled. "Not quite yet. What assurances will I have that Jon Laurent will consent to teach me? What's to stop him from simply killing me?"

Sophina clicked her tongue with impatience. "He won't teach you personally. He will write down everything he knows in a book. You can learn from that as well as you could straight from him. Now do we have a deal?"

Raynolt spread out his hands and nodded. "We do."

Sophina nodded. She was clearly in a hurry. "We will meet here tomorrow. After...after the wedding."

And with that, Sophina and her companions swept from the tavern.

***

Evelyn stood by the railing and let the sun warm her face. Her room overlooked the palace gardens and she could smell the intoxicating mixture of flowers and earth. For the moment, she was at peace.

"My lady?"

Evelyn sighed and turned around. The moment was gone but she tucked it away in her memory.

"Yes?"

Evelyn, or Eve as Evelyn called her, walked hesitantly onto the balcony. The woman had become her own personal servant. "The seamstress needs to take your measurements."

Evelyn nodded. She followed Eve into her spacious sitting room where an old, wrinkly woman was waiting for her. The woman curtsied and for a moment Evelyn thought she was about to tip over.

"Please, you don't have to do that," Evelyn said, embarrassed.

"Sorry, my lady, but that's how I was raised," the old woman replied, in a wavery voice. "My name is Oberta and I have had the pleasure of making the wedding gowns for the past three queens."

Evelyn bowed her head. "It would be an honor if you would make my gown."

Oberta wasted no time in taking her measurements. For a woman at such an advanced age, she moved surprisingly fast. Eve wrote down the measurements Oberta called out as her deft hands stretched out the measuring tape.

Evelyn grimaced as Oberta paused as she took the measurement around her stomach. The old woman looked up at her and blinked slowly. Evelyn stared calmly back at her, though her heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings.

Finally, the old woman smiled uncertainly. "I see someone has had too many lemon cakes, if you don't mind me saying."

Evelyn let out a nervous laugh. "You caught me."

Oberta patted her stomach gently. "Don't you worry, I've seen worse. I must say, you are possibly the most beautiful of the queens I have had the pleasure of sewing for."

Evelyn took her hand and squeezed it. "Thank you," she said.

The old woman nodded. Her eyes strayed back toward Evelyn's stomach but she looked up and smiled. "I think it will be a beautiful wedding. Come along, Evelyn, the dress won't make itself."

Eve nodded at Evelyn and departed. Once they were gone, Evelyn collapsed on a nearby seat. As much as she dreaded the upcoming wedding, she would be glad once everyone knew she was pregnant.

***

"My liege, the seamstress Oberta wishes to speak with you."

Reynar glanced up at his servant Sereph and frowned. He set down his quill. "Show her in."

Sereph led the old seamstress into the room and guided her to the chair in front of Reynar's desk. Oberta nodded her thanks and turned to face Reynar nervously.

Reynar smiled reassuringly at her. "My dear, what can I help you with? How goes the fitting?"

"Well enough, my liege," she replied, her voice wavering so much that Reynar had to strain to hear her. "My apprentices are working hard on her dress as we speak."

"Good. I am most anxious to see the fruits of your labor. Many people still talk about how beautiful my mother looked on her wedding day."

Oberta smiled. Her nerves seemed to leave her as she sat forward eagerly in her chair. "You are most kind, my liege. I remember every stitch on that dress. Your mother was a delight to sew for. Her foreign ideas of dress were most refreshing."

Reynar smiled as warm memories of his mother swam through his vision. "Was there something in particular you wished to discuss, my dear?"

Oberta hesitated and fiddled with her hands for several moments. "My liege...I don't know how to say this..."

"Please, speak plainly. I will not react angrily to anything you say."

She nodded and took a deep breath. Her hands quivered on his desk. "I believe your bride is pregnant, my liege. I felt a slight bump when I measured her. I know the feel of a pregnancy. I have felt it many times."

Reynar's hands twitched. He glanced up at Sereph. His servant nodded his head. Reynar shook his.No...

"My dear, are you sure?" His voice was calm. It was important to remain calm.

"I'm positive," she replied. She seemed to draw strength from Reynar's placid reaction.

"Have you told anyone of this?"

"Of course not, my liege. I came straight away after giving instructions to my apprentices. I figured you would need to know this before you went through with the wedding."

Reynar glanced at the plain wooden box on his desk. It was a symbol of all he would have to sacrifice to save the world. The child needed a secure throne. That was Reynar's only concern. It had to be.

Again, Sereph nodded at him. Reynar glanced back at the box and sighed. He felt another piece of his soul get chipped away. He nodded back at Sereph.

"My dear Oberta, thank you for coming to me with this information. As a show of gratitude, would you please join me in having a glass of wine?"

"Of course, my liege!" She beamed back at him. Some energy seemed to give her old body new life.

Sereph returned with two glasses of wine. Reynar raised his glass in a toast. "To your great accomplishments. May they be remembered for all time."

She beamed at him and took a sip of wine. Reynar set his glass down on the table. "I'm sorry," he told her sadly.

She cocked her head at him. "Why, my liege? I don't know whaaa...whaa..."

Her eyes opened and closed rapidly. Her mouth twisted and her chest moved up and down rapidly. The wine glass fell from her grasp and splattered wine on the floor. She slumped sideways and fell out of the chair.

Sereph caught her and gently lowered her to the floor. He held his hand on her chest for a long minute before closing her eyes.

"It's done," he said quietly.

Reynar stood up and stared down at the body. Dark red wine dripped off the chair like blood. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. "No...it's far from done."

***

Note: When I originally wrote this chapter, I had little build up to the wedding. Rather, I focused on the events of the wedding and all involved. However, I noticed a big hole in my story that needed to be filled. So all the great events of the wedding have been pushed back to the upcoming chapter.

Also, please check my bio page for the reason why this chapter was so delayed.