Besotted (The Fairest Maidens #3) - Jody Hedlund Page 0,81
on top. The lid was open, and inside I glimpsed a silvery-white stone no bigger than a human heart that almost seemed to glow with an otherworldly aura.
The cursed white stone.
I flailed against the guards with renewed energy and panic, but they were much stronger. Within moments, they laid me out on the table and tied my hands and legs to the table posts. Once I was secure, they stood back.
The queen finally arose. She shook back her long raven tresses and drew a fur cloak over her shoulders. “You are dismissed.” She waved her jeweled fingers toward the soldiers. “Go join the others and make sure the Scanian princes and Princess Pearl do not cross the bridge into the fortress.”
Ruby had been right. The lodge was under attack. Were they coming to my aid? If so, I feared they would be too late.
With a bow, the soldiers left the chapel, their heavy steps clanking an urgency that matched the tempo of my heartbeat. When the door closed behind them, I wanted to cry out, scream, plead, do anything to call them back. Instead, I forced myself to speak calmly. “My mother. What happened to make you hate her?”
“And who said anything about hate?” Her expression serene, the queen stepped into the chancel past the gold chest.
“What happened?” I persisted. If naught else, I would buy myself more time and pray that Pearl broke into the complex soon. “You were close growing up, were you not?”
“We were the best of friends.” The queen rounded the table.
“You must have many fond memories of your times together.”
“We were happy together . . . until she turned against me.”
“And how did she do that?”
The queen stopped beneath the jeweled cross. “She vowed we would let fate determine our inheritance, that no matter what our father decided, once he died, we would toss dice to divide up our share.”
On the altar beside me, one of the priests unrolled a bundle containing knives in all shapes and sizes. I struggled against the ropes binding me, but they bit into my flesh where I was still raw from my previous binding.
The queen drew back a strand of my hair and positioned it by my cheek. “She knew as well as I did that our father favored her. Rather than getting the best, she agreed we would divide it equally.”
“So my mother did not carry out her vow to you, and that is why you hate her—hate me?”
“She chose Father’s wishes over mine.”
The priest pulled out a long knife with a thin blade. It gleamed in the lantern light, and I shrank at the sight of it, pressing myself farther into the table.
I had to keep the queen talking. “Surely she had an explanation for why she chose to carry forth with your father’s wishes.”
“Of course, she claimed Father had divided the land and inheritance fairly and had wisely given us each what we needed. But in the end, she proved she cared more about him than me.”
“And why is Mercia better than Warwick? Are they not both rich in resources?”
“Everyone has always known that nothing good ever comes from Warwick.” The queen motioned for the priest to step forward. “I shall take Mercia and reunite the country, and in so doing, I shall prove to everyone, including my father, that I am a greater ruler than anyone who has ever come before or will come after. He will know I was the one most worthy of his love.”
“How will he know this when he is dead? Your efforts are futile. You think that in proving yourself, you will find happiness? Alas, we can never truly be happy if we seek our own pleasure.”
“I shall be happy enough.”
“When you have alienated yourself from all of your family and anyone who cares about you? How can that bring happiness?”
She laughed, but the sound was cold and bitter. “And what do you know about real happiness? You, a mere child, who have been sheltered your whole life.”
“I know enough to realize ’tis not the things we own or the places we live that give us meaning. ’Tis the things we do for God and for each other that matter most.”
“Enough!” The queen motioned toward the priest, who raised the thin knife above me. “Nothing you say will sway me against my alchemy. I have been working toward this moment my entire reign. And from here on out, the world will remember me as the one who finally learned how