Helian and the Cunning Countess (5)

The previous evening’s discussion left me with a tangle of racing thoughts, so after concluding breakfast with Lady Solana the next morning, I excused myself and took some time to wander the estate. 

The countess had given me free rein of the property so long as either Rosa or Dame Selene accompanied me. “We can’t have you straying too far from my side, after all” she had explained while caressing my cheek.

Why is the countess so different from my expectations? Was the novel written to be misleading? Or did something cause her to change?

And what had caused the plot itself to change? The identity of Arsen’s murderer remained a mystery and it was unclear how they had made their way up to the balcony undetected. No matter how many times I asked, the countess refused to divulge the identity of her informant. The fondness with which she referred to them made me anxious enough that I eventually gave up on the topic entirely.

My walk led me to the stables next to the knights’ training field. A pair of young squires leaned up against the neighboring wall chatting, while a stable boy stood near the entrance tending to one of the horses. Rosa recognized the squires immediately, and after getting my consent she scurried over to speak to them. The tall squire’s eyes glazed over as the maid unleashed a fusillade of words, and then the smaller squire gripped Rosa’s hands tightly as she began a monologue of her own. As I entered the stables, I chose to let their conversation pass in one ear and out the other.

The spacious building was dimly lit and filled with the familiar scent of fresh hay. I glanced at the troughs and saw that they were filled with fresh water. Good. The way a person treated their horses reflected their virtues, so it was reassuring to see that the countess and her staff understood that. Most of the berths were occupied by young war horses, with a few exotic breeds near the front – likely the personal property of the countess or ranking knights.

The horse being attended to by the stable boy caught my attention. As I approached, she raised her head to greet me and nudged my hand with her nose. 

Suddenly, it became very hard to breathe.

How did you get here, Rime? Why are you here?

“Excuse me, stablehand. Whose horse is this?”

The young man thought for a moment, then shrugged. “I’m sorry, madam, but I don’t know. I only started here last week.” It seemed I had a knack for only encountering new hires, and I began to wonder if that was truly a coincidence.

 Overhearing us, the two squires stepped into the stables, followed by Rosa.

“I happened to overhear your conversation, my lady – were you asking about that horse?” the handsome squire asked.

“Yes, I was hoping to learn who she belonged to… I’ve met this horse before, in my hometown.”

She shouldn’t be here. 

The energetic squire walked up to Rime and patted her on the head. “She’s an affectionate old girl, isn’t she? She belongs to one of the applicants from the order’s tryouts during the spring.”

I frowned. “A squire brought his own horse?”

The elegant squire paused for a moment, then shook her head. “The horse doesn’t belong to a squire – her owner wasn’t selected.”

This made no sense. Ignoring the question of how XXXXX could have ended up here in the first place, why would she leave her horse behind?

“Then why is this horse still here?”

“Oh, I can answer that!” replied the other trainee. “Her owner failed to become a squire, that’s true, but it’s because the lady caught the countess’s eye! I see her around the estate from time to time, coming in and out of the servants’ entrance and the administrative building. I haven’t had a chance to speak with her about it, though…”

I struggled to focus on the conversation. My mind filled with white noise. What the hell was going on?

Rosa grew excited upon hearing this. “Oh! She must be the lady guest from the second floor! Just the other day, Julia told me – Julia works in the laundry room, you see – that the guest’s clothing always comes back covered in dirt and bloodstains! She has a dress uniform, as well, so perhaps the rumors were right and she’s a dashing swordmaster? Could she be one of Dame Selene’s secret agents, or even the Lady Solana’s personal-”

The tall squire shushed Rosa before she could finish. “My lady, how about you join us for tea? Ruby and I share a room in a quiet corner of the annex where we’re not likely to be overheard. We could continue our conversation there.”

How could XXXXX possibly have ended up working for the countess? Did I slip up and tell her too much about Solana? Why hadn’t I seen her around the estate even once? 

The vivacious squire nodded in agreement. “That’s a fantastic idea! She’s Sapphire, by the way.” She grabbed her companion by the shoulder as she said this.

Rosa clapped her hands. “Okay! Why don’t you follow them to the annex, Lady Saintess? I’ll prepare tea and bring it to their room in no time. And snacks! We’ve got to have snacks to replenish our energy. Do you have your own cups, Ruby? If not, I’ll bring some, and I should prepare a blanket for Lady Helian in case the room is too drafty…”

Does she know I’m here? If so, why didn’t she come to me immediately? Is she in trouble somehow? Is she… angry with me?

Sapphire smiled and patted Rosa on the shoulder before pushing her towards the main building. “Okay, dear. I’ll leave you to it. Please bring four teacups.”

Ruby’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Did she call you Lady Saintess? You’re the woman who exposed the evil baron! I’ve been dying to meet you!”

How a Little Bird Hid in the Boughs (3)

My concerns had suddenly multiplied. 

After reviewing a stack of invoices, I stretched and idly gazed out my room’s window, only to see Ruby dragging Helian to the annex, with Sapphire trailing behind her. Was this a coincidence? 

Then, I realized: they were leaving the stables.

Rime. 

I should have moved her off the estate. That was foolish of me. 

I needed to notify Selene about this immediately, and the countess would surely mock me for this slip-up. If we hurried, I could potentially relocate to an inn near the estate to avoid encountering Helian for the time being. It would interfere with my training and worsen Selene’s workload, but it could be the right choice… 

I couldn’t believe I’d made such an obvious mistake. Everything was at risk now.

A knock came at the door, just in time. "XXXXX.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Dame Selene. Come in.”

She frowned as she closed the door behind her. “What’ve you done now?”

“I’ve stepped in it. I think Helian recognized my horse… she’s talking with two of the squires right now.”

“The childhood sweethearts, I assume?”

“Guessed it in one.” I sighed. “This is a disaster.” I paused before continuing. “I should have been more careful… I’m not sure what to do now. Now that she knows I’m here, she’ll probably figure everything out. The rest of the plan is a wreck. Should I leave the estate?”

Selene shook her head. “I don’t think so. Even if you leave, the little chatterbox will tell her all about you. We have no choice but to come up with new plans and pass this all off as a coincidence.”

“I’m not sure she’ll believe it. I’m rather bad at lying… what should I do if she asks about the barony?”

“Leave it to me. I interact with her on a regular basis, so it won’t be strange if I take the lead on this matter. I’ll introduce you as one of my aides who works here in the county. It’s not false, not technically, so you can see it as being honest… what’s more, an administrative aide would have no reason to attend a nobles’ gathering in the barony.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, I think that’s a good idea. I’m truly sorry to trouble you with this… I’ll need to be far more cautious going forward. I think I got too comfortable here.”

Or maybe some part of me had made this mistake on purpose. I couldn’t deny I wanted to see her again, speak to her again, hear her voice again — no matter the consequences.

“More time to yourself, you say? I must not be assigning you enough work.” The dame smiled. “You’d best prepare your dress uniform. I’ll be inviting you and the saintess to dinner in the first-floor dining hall tonight, so be on your best behavior and try not to look like a convicted criminal facing the guillotine.”

The countess’s previous words about my neck rose unbidden from my memory. I hoped she wouldn’t count this as poor behavior… Perhaps she would let me off with a couple evenings of strict instruction and then return to flirting with Helian.

Selene excused herself. After replacing the cap on my fountain pen, I made sure both of my desk drawers were securely locked before getting my dress uniform out of the closet. 

After some thought, I returned to the desk and retrieved my earrings. The ones Helian had given me. Wearing personal jewelry on duty was frowned upon in the order, but I couldn’t have Helian think I had forgotten her just because we parted ways.