Wedding Hells (Schooled in Magic Book 8) (41 page)

“Not formally, at any rate,” Alassa said. “Did you happen to note the sex?”

Emily shook her head. “It could be anything,” she said. There was even a vague chance that Alassa had damaged the foetus when she’d turned Alicia into a rat. “But your claim to the throne won’t be challenged.”

“Unless the baby turns into a thriving young man,” Alassa said. “I won’t stand for that, Emily.”

“I know,” Emily said.

“He even asked me if I’d be willing to kill the brat,” Alassa added, after a moment. “I had to choose my words very carefully for
that
one.”

“I don’t think I want to know,” Emily said. “All that matters, right now, is that Alicia is no longer a danger to you.”

“I hope so,” Alassa said. She glanced at the bedroom door. “Do you mind if I use your washroom? I don’t really want to go back to my rooms right now.”

“Not at all,” Emily said.

She watched Alassa step into the next room and then turned to look out of the window, thinking hard. Randor knowing the truth...what did
that
do? Nothing in the short term, perhaps, but in the long term...?

I should tell Imaiqah and the others myself
, she thought, as she heard the sound of splashing from the washroom.
Before the king can use the knowledge against me
.

She looked up as Alassa walked back into the living room. Her friend had washed her face and used magic to adjust her dress, making it impossible to see that she’d been crying only a few minutes ago. Emily wondered, mordantly, just how long Alassa had been upset before she’d come to Emily, but dismissed the thought. She probably didn’t want to know or she’d just get madder at the king.

“I will be there when they get married,” Alassa announced. She sounded murderous, as if Alicia was her worst enemy. “And then I will watch as they leave the castle. She won’t be there for
my
wedding.”

“I don’t know how much choice your father gave her,” Emily told her.

“Alicia would have done anything to get her rights,” Alassa hissed. “And...”

She broke off as someone tapped on the door. Emily walked over, opened it and took a parchment scroll from a messenger. It invited her to attend the wedding of Lord Barrows and Lady Alicia, to be held in two hours in one of the king’s chambers. Emily passed the note to Alassa, who read it and snorted rudely.

“Lord Barrows would do anything to please my father,” she sneered. “Even marrying a
girl
.”

“I’m sure the power and position makes up for it,” Emily said, dryly. “And he will have his own affairs on the side.”

“Yeah,” Alassa said. She grinned, suddenly. “Do you want to spend the next two hours just talking? We haven’t done that for far too long.”

Emily nodded. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to just relax and talk, even if the subjects ranged from Earth to Caleb and her possible marriage. Alassa offered a handful of droll observations, but ended with the suggestion that she tell Caleb the truth.

“He’ll be shocked when it gets out, because he’ll see it as a sign you don’t trust him,” she said. “And if you don’t trust him, why are you starting a relationship with him?”

“It was hard to tell
you
,” Emily said. “Earth seems like a dream these days.”

Nightingale arrived, ten minutes later, to escort them both to the king’s chambers. Emily couldn’t help feeling nervous - she had no idea how the king would treat her - but he showed no reaction as she was ushered into the room. Alicia stood at one end, next to a tall man wearing a dark outfit and carrying a sword on his belt. He didn’t look particularly effeminate, Emily noted; indeed, his shirt was so tight, revealing his muscles, that she had a feeling he was overcompensating for something. But she wasn’t sure if someone who didn’t know his sexuality would guess the truth...

Alassa stood next to Emily, her eyes on her father. Emily glanced at her and saw she’d schooled her face into a perfect mask, keeping her feelings hidden. It was clear, however, that she was far from happy. Alicia looked at Alassa and paled, making her skin even more translucent than normal. Emily gave her a reassuring look - or as close to it as she could - and forced herself to relax. Whatever King Randor intended to do with the information he’d extracted from his daughter, she’d deal with it.

“Lady Alicia, Mistress of Winter Flower, Lady of Pine Croft, Guardian of Night’s Ease and Heir to the Barony of Gold,” Randor said. There was a long pause as he allowed the titles to sink in. “Kneel before me.”

Alicia went down on her knees. “You wish to be confirmed in your titles,” Randor said, calmly. “Do you understand the rights, duties and obligations you owe your subjects and your liege lord?”

“I do,” Alicia said, her voice shaking.

Randor nodded. “Do you swear to uphold the laws of your kingdom, to serve your master and to rule your people with compassion, justice, and firmness?”

“I do,” Alicia said, again.

I didn’t have to do that
, Emily thought.
He just gave me the barony
.

She pushed the thought aside as Nightingale stepped forward, carrying a small cushion. A simple golden tiara rested on it, surrounded by a long golden cord. King Randor took the tiara, held it up so it sparkled in the light, and lowered it gently onto Alicia’s bowed head.

“I hereby proclaim you Baroness of Gold,” Randor said, calmly. “And I confirm you in your lands, titles, and possessions.”

“I thank you, Your Majesty,” Alicia said.

Emily felt Alassa tense beside her and winced. No matter what happened, the child would still be a prospective threat, particularly if she
did
fall out with her father. Lady Alicia wasn’t a serious problem, but Baroness Alicia would have the resources and manpower to be a significant threat. If, of course, Alicia didn’t decide to make sure the child never learned of his heritage.

King Randor turned to Lord Barrows. “You seek the hand of this maiden in marriage?”

“I do, Your Majesty,” Lord Barrows said. His voice was calm and composed. Emily couldn’t help wondering if he saw the advantages of the match or if he was simply helping his master out of a tight spot. Lord Hans and his fellows would probably have crawled naked across broken glass for the honor of marrying Alicia. “I humbly beg your leave to marry her.”

There was a long pause as Lord Barrows slowly knelt before the king. Emily remembered what she’d learned and smiled, inwardly. Randor might have given Alicia her rights - and was about to marry her - but he’d asserted his superiority over them by reminding her of her obligations to him. And, without his blessing, the marriage couldn’t take place.

And if he hadn’t wanted her to marry
, Emily thought,
she couldn’t
.

“Lord Barrows,” King Randor said. He didn’t bother with a list of titles. Emily suspected that meant Lord Barrows was a landless younger son. “Do you understand the obligations of a Baron Consort?”

“I do,” Lord Barrows said.

“Do you pledge to support her in all her endeavours, to advise her and guide her, to defend her right to her title and protect the claims of her children, should she die before her time?”

“I do,” Lord Barrows said, again.

“Baroness Alicia,” King Randor said. “Do you accept the suit brought by Lord Barrows?”

“I do,” Alicia said.

“Do you understand the rights and duties you will have towards him, as well as the rights and duties he will have towards you?”

“I do,” Alicia said.

Caleb is going to hate going through this
, Emily thought. King Randor would be furious if she had a quick wedding in Whitehall, but she found it hard to care what the king thought any longer.
Hell, Jade is going to hate going through the private ceremony tomorrow
.

“Join hands,” Randor ordered.

He waited for them to link hands, then turned to Nightingale and took the golden cord from the cushion. Alicia shivered, very slightly, as he knelt down and wrapped the cord around their wrists, binding them together. Emily watched as Randor stepped back and rose to his feet.

“Arise, husband and wife,” he ordered.

Alicia and Lord Barrows, still tied together, rose to their feet. Emily shook her head tiredly as they kissed once, a bare peck that had all the emotion of a tap on the forehead. Maybe it was a good solution, but she couldn’t see either of them being very happy in the future, even if there were advantages to the match. And yet, if nothing else, Alicia was confirmed in her lands and titles. She would have that to console her as she gave birth to a bastard child.

And the king may hope to keep visiting her
, Emily thought, darkly.
Or will he simply move on to someone else?

“Lady Emily,” the king said. “Do you bear witness to this match?”

“I do,” Emily said.

King Randor stepped back, then waved to a waiter. The man advanced, carrying a tray loaded with wine glasses. Emily took one and worked a quick spell to remove the alcohol before the king called for a toast. Beside her, Alassa held her glass, but refused to drink. If the king noticed the unsubtle insult, he gave no sign.

“I congratulate you on your wedding,” he said, addressing the couple. Listening to him, Emily would never have known he’d just married his lover off to another man. “I would merely offer one piece of advice to two youngsters who have yet to discover the joys of married life. Your partner is your equal, at least in private. Treat one another with respect; try to
learn
from one another. You will not have a more trusted advisor than your partner.”

And how often
, Emily asked silently,
do you consult Queen Marlena?

She looked around. There was no sign of the queen, even though Marlena had to be just as relieved as Alassa that Alicia was getting married off, rather than trying to marry the king herself. Emily hoped - prayed - that Marlena would get well soon, now the affair was over and the bastard child safely passed to another father. She would have liked a chance to talk to the older woman in private before she had to go back to Whitehall.

“Your coach has already been prepared,” King Randor added, after a moment. “You will be free to depart for your castle at any moment. My daughter has already formally excused you from attending her wedding.”

Emily kept her face impassive as she sensed a flicker of angry magic boiling around Alassa, although her friend kept it under tight control. She would have bet her entire barony that Alassa hadn’t been consulted before her father had made that declaration. But then, Alassa would probably be glad to see Alicia safely away from the castle. Excusing her from the wedding, thus ensuring there was no insult, was a small price to pay.

“And good riddance,” Alassa muttered, as Alicia and Lord Barrows made their way from the room, their wrists still bound together. By tradition, they were meant to stay tied up until the wedding night. “May she stay well away from court.”

King Randor threw her a sharp look, but said nothing.

“I’m sure she will,” Emily reassured her friend. She leaned closer to whisper in Alassa’s ear. “She’ll start showing signs of pregnancy soon.”

She sensed someone looking at her and glanced up. King Randor was studying her, an amused smile playing around his lips. Emily felt a hot flash of anger she rapidly suppressed; Randor had seduced a young girl, married her off to a stranger when the affair had become politically dangerous and then forced answers out of his daughter, answers that threatened everything Emily had worked for over the years. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to leave the castle after the wedding. She was
tired
of the king’s meddling.

Frieda would understand if we left as soon as the wedding was over
, she thought, as she looked back at Alassa.
And Alassa will be busy starting a new life with Jade...

“Come on,” she said, quietly. “Let’s go find Imaiqah.”

“She’ll be busy making the final preparations for the ceremony tomorrow,” Alassa said, crossly. She didn’t seem to be aware of her father’s watchful eye, but Emily knew better than to take that for granted. “Do you have your dress yet?”

“I do,” Emily said, hastily. The last thing she wanted was more fittings, let alone more dresses. “What are you planning for the afternoon?”

“Nothing,” Alassa said. She sighed, dramatically. “I wasn’t planning anything after a night of fun and...well, you know.”

Emily considered it for a long moment, weighing their options. “We go find Frieda, and Caleb, and go play a game in the spellchamber,” she said. She would have preferred to go out of the castle, but Alassa would never be allowed to accompany her without a proper bodyguard. “We could certainly play a round of Freeze Tag.”

“Jade would be mad if we accidentally broke his wards,” Alassa said. She smiled, brightly, as a thought struck her. “He could come play too, of course. No one would care as long as you were there to chaperone...”

“Come on,” Emily said. She looked up. King Randor was speaking to Nightingale in a low voice. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what they were talking about. “Let’s go.”

“Before my father has another bright idea,” Alassa finished. “And the next one will probably be
bad
.”

“Y
OU LOOK LOVELY, MY LADY,” THE
maid said.

“Thank you,” Emily replied. It wasn’t enough to overcome the dull sense of foreboding that had been hanging over her since breakfast, since the realization that today was Alassa’s wedding day. “It’s all due to you.”

The maid looked flustered. Emily smiled, and looked into the mirror. She’d been in the maid’s tender clutches for hours, ever since breakfast, but even
she
had to admit it was worthwhile. She wore a long white dress that flattered her curves without revealing too much, a golden necklace that stood out against her pale skin and - thankfully - a pair of normal shoes. They’d washed her hair, and bunched it up against her ears in a manner that struck her as oddly familiar.