Daughter of Death -Chapter 21 (Patreon)

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CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

The Dowager Queen had sent a message to Errol but he could not read it. She perhaps had not considered that he was not learned. It read:Herr Klein,I request your presence at your earliest convenience. Please request an audience and I shall see that it is granted.Instead of trying to find someone learned in their letters, Errol went to the palace to seek out Her Majesty’s message from her own lips.He felt complete embarrassment when he learned that the note had requested him to do just this. Edeline looked upon it as a positive sign that luck and perhaps some other positive force was with them. God himself certainly must be on their side for the nature of their quarry was of pure evil.“I have formulated a bit of a plan but I require your input and assistance. If we are successful, we will rid the world of this evil. And, your humble home of course. You will have done such a service to your fellows and to our beloved kingdom.”“I wish not for the glory of this, Majesty, but merely the peace of mind.”She bowed her head to his declarations. ‘As do I’ Edeline thought silently.The plan was initiated in two days’ time. Errol stayed at Brickwall Cottage with Reina under the pretence of taking his turn of looking after her needs. She suspected nothing.Then came the knock on the door. Reina was both curious and confused by this occurrence. For who would be knocking on their door at this time?“Tis but a farmer’s wife,” Errol replied to the girl’s curiosity after answering the door. He invited the woman in before Reina could provide an opinion on the matter.“Are you hungry, ma’am? We were just about to take our luncheon.”Edeline did her best to mask her own accent, “Why that’s kind thank you.” Errol let her in and quickly set another place setting for her.Reina got up and gazed at the woman who wore a kerchief on her head and whose face was coloured from days of working in the sun. Truthfully, Edeline had used dirt and some other substances to make herself appear of a ruddy and somewhat un-bathed complexion. It also added to the smell she gave off and thus Reina did not suspect her in the least seeing her step-mother in this disguise. She was not used to seeing her in such different clothing and Reina deciding this woman was very common did not bother to gaze at her long.However, one thought did spring to mind but before she could mention anything, the ‘farmer’s wife’ made a comment that quashed Reina’s fears that the woman might recognize her.“Forgive me for the intrusion upon you and your...wife? Sister?”“Sister yes,” Errol answered faithfully towards Reina in order to mask her identity to the stranger.“I really am sorry to intrude on your hospitality. You see my husband normally makes the trip from our farm to the nearest village through this forest but he is ill and we need the income from our vegetables. I thought I smelt the fire and with a fool’s hope sought you out in hopes you might like to purchase some from me?”“I believe I have a couple of coins,” Errol answered. “I can purchase something from you after we eat. I hope this will not delay your journey terribly long?”“Oh no your kindness is well taken. I humbly thank you and will provide you vegetables in repayment for this.”Reina stopped listening to the drabble of the ‘commoners’ for a moment to resume her spot at the table where Errol worked quickly to serve her. The peasant woman offered her help and brought the wine to the table.Reina ate as Errol offered to sing for the ladies’ enjoyments. Edeline pretended to be so captivated by Errol’s voice that she barely consumed anything.Reina carried on with her meal without hesitation. After the second song though, she bid Errol to stop,“Your voice is unsteady. It’s grating on my nerves.”“Yes High- Yes sister,” he corrected himself.“More wine,” Reina bid, holding out her goblet. He moved and poured her some without faltering. She could tell his heart was pounding –probably because he feared that he had messed up by almost calling her by her title. Little did she know he was nervous for another reason.“Is it not dangerous to travel alone?” she asked the farmer’s wife.“As long as I keep to the path,” she indicated. “My cart and horse are outside.”“Mm,” Reina hummed, placing her head on her hand propped up against the table.Errol and their guest spoke for awhile about various things which bored Reina. She wanted to bid them to stop but found herself too weary to do so. She tried again and successfully interrupted the conversation, “Errol take me to the sitting room.”He did as he was told casting a nervous glance at the peasant woman. It was difficult being of such short stature assisting Reina but a sudden move by the farmer’s wife to help take Reina by the arm for support helped immensely.The Princess collapsed in her favourite, comfortable chair; one the dwarves had brought from town for her as her size was larger than theirs. She told the farmer’s wife rudely that she smelt dreadful before resting her head against her hand again and slowly making herself comfortable in the moment collapsed gradually to the arm of the chair using her own arm as a supportive pillow.Her companions watched her silently for a few moments before Errol spoke, “Begging your pardon mistress—”“Young lady are you alright?” the farmer asked.Reina did not stir.Errol gazed up at The Dowager in nervousness. “Is everything...alright?”“That should hold her asleep for enough time,” she responded softly in case Reina might overhear. “Can you help me with the vegetables?” she went on a bit more audibly.When they were outside, Errol helped guide the cart closer to the cottage. The plan was to get Reina into the cart and take her a ways away from Brickwall Cottage to remove her heart and destroy her once and for all.Then, there would be no mess within the cottage and The Princess’ death would appear to be an accident; mauled by some animal on her afternoon walk. Such was the hope that would also absolve Errol of guilt or involvement as well. He could remain innocent playing the concerned companion who was unable to tell what had happened as Reina had gone on her own –which she routinely did. Errol’s words would not resemble a lie. His housemates would not suspect otherwise.“What is it that put her to sleep?” Errol asked as he brought the tainted food and wine out to Edeline’s cart.“Theriac. It has various uses but for our purposes it has drugged her to sleep awhile,” Edeline explained. She’d procured a little from an apothecary and some from the royal physician to make the large dose she’d added to her stepdaughter’s repast this afternoon.As the two went back towards the cottage, they heard voices in the wood. Edeline turned to Errol for explanation.He paused and listened carefully. “Tis my companions returning home,” he suspected.“Can they be deterred away?”“I...I...” The shy Errol could not come up with something in time before they saw Gus, Hulbard and Oskar pulling up in the dwarves’ cart.“Stick to our previous story,” Edeline advised as the men looked curiously on the other cart and then their visitor beside Errol.The three were easily convinced of the story; Edeline had brought vegetables in the cart in case Reina had wished to see them.“You should join us for supper,” Oskar suggested, “Seeing as eh our beloved mistress has decided to rest this afternoon. We can prepare her a lovely meal as a surprise and you can share in it.”“Oh no I really must be going,” the ‘farmer’s wife’ responded, “I must get home before dark. I still have to go and sell the vegetables in town.”“I wish we could purchase them all from you,” Hulbard lamented, “and save you the trouble of such a lengthy travel.”“I thank you for such kindness but I could not ask for such a thing even if you had coin enough to afford them. God bless you all here and please send my regards to Herr Klein’s sister,” she expressed.The four dwarves nodded and assisted Edeline into her cart. Then she rode off.That evening when Reina woke, she felt confused and disoriented. She did not for one moment suspect she had been drugged and her companions all acted so naturally there was nothing to suspect.Errol told his companions he may be falling ill and thus excused himself to bed early. His nerves were frayed and he did not trust himself not to betray his secret by acting so on edge.Meanwhile back at her palace, Edeline too was uneasy. The plan had failed. She would need to try again. She only hoped that she could get a hold of the dwarf in a timely manner. The sooner this was done, the sooner they both could rest. The sooner the kingdom and the world would be safe from Reina’s evil and terror.She stared at herself in her mirror, now freshly bathed properly of the dirt and other things she’d put on herself to mask her true identity. She’d told her attendants that she had fallen into a muddy bog when out riding that afternoon (her pretense for being away) and the wet clothing she wore was from her attempt to clean herself off in a creek. She had of course changed back into more refined fashion before coming back to the castle and staged her lie. Looking now upon herself in her mirror she saw the lines of determination in her brow. She would stop Reina. She would. She had to.If only the mirror looking back could predict the future and say: though you may have an iron will your step-daughter shall be living still then perhaps Reina’s next victim might have lived...