The Carnelian Legacy (32 page)

“And the only way he can regain the throne is to marry Matilda?”

Adalina shrugged. “A few months ago, my mother told him not to delay marriage any longer for our sakes. She even made him promise he’d be married by his twenty-third birthday. Just between you and me, I think she’s eager to become a grandmother,” she whispered.

Marisa’s shoulders sank. “He deserves to be happy.”

“He just turned twenty-two, so it doesn’t give him much time. It’s been a running joke in our family who will be married first—him or me,” Adalina said, giggling.

“I don’t understand. Is Prince Darian required to find you a suitable husband, or are you allowed to choose for yourself?”

“Are you asking if I must marry a Fiore prince? Well, the answer is no, but he must be of noble blood,” Adalina said, setting her teacup down gently on the saucer.

“So, basically, your options are pretty limited, then.”

Adalina nodded. “Darian has been combing the entire kingdom for an acceptable suitor. But in the end, he always says that no man is ever good enough for me. Personally, I think that’s
his
excuse for never marrying. No woman is ever good enough for Darian Fiore.”

Marisa stared at her plate. She wasn’t hungry anymore.

“Can you keep a secret?” Adalina whispered.

Marisa nodded slowly.

“I’ve had a secret love for several months—Gervasio. I can’t marry him, though. He’s a common man. I was ready to run away with him even though it would have hurt Darian and my mother.”

“What happened to him?”

“He left on a ship bound for Terracina. I received a letter from him a few days ago. He refused to see me ever again—not because he doesn’t love me but because he doesn’t want to stand in my way of finding happiness with someone worthy of me.”

“Oh, Adalina, I’m so sorry.”

“When I received his letter, it nearly broke my heart.”

“I know,” Marisa said sympathetically.

“What?”

“I mean, I know how you feel. Falling in love with a person you know you can never be with is pretty devastating.”

“Neither my mother nor my brother know, Lady Marisa.”

“I won’t say a word to anyone, I promise.”

“Thank you, Lady Marisa.”

“Please—just call me Marisa.”

“All right, Marisa.”

“Oh, uh, Princess Adalina? About the funeral—I don’t know what I’m supposed to do or where to sit or anything.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Cozimo comes to brief you before the ceremony starts,” she said, getting up to leave.

“Thank you, Adalina.”

“You’re welcome, Marisa.”

Marisa just had to get out of the palace for a little while.

She decided to go out riding on Sienna before the pomp and ceremony later that afternoon. As she hurried back to her room to change into her riding clothes, she peeked outside at the storm clouds brewing and hoped she wouldn’t get drenched.

A few minutes later, she lifted her skirts and dashed through the main corridor as quickly as possible. It wasn’t very ladylike, but Savino was expected to reach the castle at any moment and she wasn’t ready to face him yet.

Everyone in the palace seemed to be adhering strictly to the rule of wearing black out of respect for the monarch’s death, so she hoped she wouldn’t cause a stir by wearing her brown riding outfit. The palace servants all seemed too busy to notice her as she slipped down to the lowest level of the citadel.

She entered the stables and maneuvered carefully around a pile of manure toward Siena’s stall. Her feed trough was empty. Spotting a storeroom filled with burlap sacks, she slipped in to find some oats. One of the sacks was open and as she reached down to get a handful, the door of the storeroom fell shut.

Suddenly she froze.

The sounds of men’s voices and horses’ hooves on the cobblestones grew louder as she heard them entering the stables. She stepped up closer to peek through a slit in the door and saw a man removing his saddle. It was Savino plus another man she couldn’t see. She moved to the rear of the storeroom and hid behind some sacks of oats.

The other man led the horses into their stalls and secured the iron locks. He was saying something to Savino, but all she could hear was static. The earpiece was unable to translate above the clanging noise.

“Are you’re sure that no one suspects anything?” Savino asked.

“Yes, Your Grace,” the man said. “Rest assured that everything shall go according to plan.” She recognized his voice. It was Gaspar.

“Well, you must make sure that the poison does not find its way into the wrong goblet. We cannot afford any mistakes at this point. One slip-up and the entire plan falls. This is war.”

“I understand, sire.”

“When I am at last seated on the throne, you shall be elevated to knighthood, Gaspar.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

She tapped on her earpiece as the men left the stables, but there was no further translation. They must have been out of range. She waited a few minutes before she cautiously peered outside. There didn’t seem to be anyone around except the guards posted down at the main gate. Darian had to be told about Savino’s plan before it was too late.

She glanced up toward the citadel and spotted Bruno crossing the courtyard toward the Knights’ Hall. She dashed up toward him and grabbed his arm, pulling him behind a low wall. After checking to make sure they could not be seen from the castle windows, Marisa turned to him, still struggling to catch her breath.

“Milady, what is this? How may I be of service?” Bruno smiled suggestively at her.

“Go get Arrie,” she managed, heaving. He looked at her with a puzzled face but didn’t move. She rolled her eyes. “Arrigo,” she said simply and motioned toward the citadel. All at once he understood her and bowed briefly before dashing off.

She waited impatiently until Bruno returned with Arrie.

“What is this, Marisa?” Arrie asked, panting. She looked at Bruno to excuse him so they could talk in private. But like a bellhop waiting for a tip, he just stood there and stared at her, waiting patiently for some sort of thank you.

Knowing he wouldn’t leave any other way, Marisa finally gave Bruno a quick peck on the cheek and shooed him off. He laughed as he left and she smiled in spite of herself.

“Now what’s this all about?” Arrie asked.

“Come! Follow me down to the stables first,” she said.

Marisa hurried down to the stables as Arrie followed her with a puzzled face. She checked all the stalls and storeroom to make sure they were alone and then grabbed her tack.

“Savino and Gaspar arrived here just a few minutes ago. I was spying on them in the stables and overheard them discussing a plan to poison someone.” She unlatched Siena’s stall. “I think they were talking about Darian.”

“Poison?”
Arrie asked. “Are you sure you heard them correctly?”

“Oh, yeah. Savino told Gaspar to make sure the poison didn’t ‘get into the wrong goblet’ or something to that effect.” She fitted the bridle around the horse’s muzzle and looked at Arrie. “Savino also mentioned something about being at war. What are we going to do?” she asked.

“
We
are going to do nothing. I will go and alert Darian of Savino’s plan. I’m not yet certain what he’s up to, but if he’s discussing poisoning someone, that’s not good.”

Arrie stopped. “Wait—where are you going?”

“I was gonna go out for a ride, but now I’m starting to have second thoughts. Maybe I shouldn’t leave the castle.”

“Don’t worry about anything,” he said. “Go and take your ride, but be back by twelve-thirty. Cozimo will come to your chambers at one o’clock to run through the protocol before the ceremony starts. I shall go find Darian and inform him right away.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“I thought I’d ride out to Castle Beauriél,” she said, mounting Siena. “I wanted to take another look before I move in.”

“Well, please be careful. Do you remember how to get there?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

He pointed toward the edge of town. “You just keep to the main road out of the city for about three miles, and at a certain point, you’ll see the gates on the right side. Wait just a minute.”

Arrie felt around in his pockets and then finally pulled out a small brass key. Smiling, he handed it to her. “Here you go.”

“What? You just happen to have a key to Castle Beauriél in your pocket?” Marisa asked, laughing.

“It’s a skeleton key. It will open nearly all of the doors at the castle and some of the royal residences. Nobody’s supposed to know I have it, though, so whatever you do, don’t lose it!”

“I know, I know,” she said.

“Now, get going. I’m off to tell Darian.”

Marisa pulled the hood of her cape over her head and dug her heels gently into Siena’s belly. She rode through the rampart tunnel and passed under the portcullis into the main street.

After a few hundred yards, she recognized the house with a blue door and realized it was Celino’s. She quickly tied Siena’s reins off at the gate and knocked on the door. The old woman opened it and stared at her blankly.

“Master Celino is not at home. He’s gone away for a few days, and I can’t tell you when he’ll be back.” The woman shut the door.

Puzzled, Marisa walked back up the short path and loosened Siena’s reins. Celino had promised to come to the ball the next day. Why would he suddenly decide last minute to go on a trip?

She climbed back up on Siena and rode down to the outer walls of the city. After they had passed through the gates into the countryside, she was stunned by the emerald hues of the rolling hills. She thought about her trip out to Castle Beauriél with Darian just a couple of days before and it hit her how much she enjoyed his company.

Now that she had decided to marry Savino, Marisa resigned herself not to dwell on Darian any longer. But the memories of their journey together kept creeping back into her mind. She didn’t want to shut them off.

At last she reached the iron gates of Beauriél and climbed down off Siena. As she continued on foot, the wide lane flanked with mature trees seemed longer than she’d remembered. The branches above swayed in the breeze and the only sound she could hear was the wind blowing through the trees. It was peaceful stillness that refreshed her soul after the frantic, busy days of the palace.

As the façade of the castle slowly came into view, she gasped at the sheer beauty of it. The autumn leaves were piling up all around the house and they would need a gardener to trim back the trees and shrubs that had gotten too big, but basically the house was ready to move in.

She secured Siena’s reins around a large tree and ascended the steps to the front door. Thanks to the small skeleton key from Arrie, she entered the grand foyer effortlessly and admired its decorative details for the second time.

Marisa had only been inside for less than a minute when she felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The wave of nausea spread out through her entire body until she had the sensation of being squeezed by a boa constrictor. Her breathing became labored as she collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. She fought for air and a wave of panic gripped her.

What is happening to me?

She rested her chin between her knees and tried to take long, deep breaths. She concentrated on slowing her breathing down as the words from her father’s letter suddenly popped into her head:

You will be confronted with many choices in your life, but always strive for what is good and right, and never settle for less than that which is worthy and worthwhile.

Marisa began to wonder if she’d made the right decision about marrying Savino. She didn’t know him very well and she wasn’t sure she could spend the rest of her life with him. Her thoughts turned to Darian and Arrie. Being around them seemed so natural that she couldn’t imagine not having them in her life anymore.

She quietly began to pray.