The Poisoned Throne

Chapter 27

Joshua

 “It is madness out there,” Alfred said as he entered the door, slightly out of breath.

Joshua had been attending to Cecily. They just finished their morning prayer, something they did every morning as the sun rose. It was a rather standardized process. Every day, at sunrise and sundown, they prayed for the health of the people they loved. Of course, it was always different whom you prayed for the most. In the last few days, Alfred and Mary had both been the ones to receive the  most attention.

“I worry about him,” Cecily said the night before, after they finished their evening prayer. “He’s not sleeping anymore, and I’m afraid what’ll happen if…”

He knew the end of that sentence without asking. It was the same question that the entire court was asking itself. What will happen if the wrong person wins?

This was only a little more complicated for Alfred and his household. As the Ambassador of Tibera, he did not have to fight in the war for Queen Elizabeth - his loyalties were to King Raynor, after all - which made it all the harder to answer who the wrong person even was. This made it all the more strange that Alfred had chosen to stay in Westhall. The Ambassador of Noweria had done the more sensible thing and gone back to his kingdom, while the Ambassador of the Yaguars had done the most sensible thing and left all four kingdoms altogether.

But Alfred, for some reason that no one knew, had chosen to stay in Westhall, manipulating the court in his usual charming way.

“And now that Lady Mary has been cast down into the dungeons…” Cecily continued, sighing and looking down at her hands.

No one seemed to finish their sentences these days. With a sigh heavy of premature grief, they let their thoughts float into the air, soon filling every room with tangible, shivering fear for the future.

So when Alfred came running through the door, declaring madness, both Joshua and Cecily stood up instantly, holding their silence so that he might speak.

“The people will not have this,” he assured them, striding towards them with quick, long steps before turning in the last minute to pace the room. “They are already striking. The few men left no longer work, and the women who are trying to take over for their husbands, they’re all striking. Soon, there’ll be no food to be had, and I don’t doubt that the second the rumor reaches the camps, the soldiers will put down their swords as well.”

Cecily went to her brother, stopped his pacing with an arm around his shoulder and led him to sit down. “There,” she said. “Joshua, will you fetch some wine?”

Wine. Another thing the war had resulted in. Wine flowed into every glass, which was emptied with vigorous hope of forgetting.

“Thank you,” Alfred said. He held Joshua’s gaze for a moment as he took the cup, with a mix of his natural warm fascination that drew so many in and a different kind of warmth.

Joshua drew in a deep breath and went to sit down at the opposite end of the table, ignoring Alfred’s lingering gaze. It would have been a lie if he said he was above getting drawn in by Alfred; he was human, and whatever magnetic force Alfred had within him was not a force Joshua was immune to. However, he was above letting himself admire or like or even help the man unless he proved himself worthy of it. So far, Joshua saw no reason to respect Alfred. All he had, he got from good looks and charm.

“It would help if we could get to talk to Mary,” he said, finally looking away. “But of course, the Queen won’t allow for that to happen. She knows of our friendship.”

Cecily nodded. “We’ll just have to help her from out here.”

Joshua noticed Alfred’s eyes on him again and stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, my lady, I’ll give you some privacy.”