Page 96 of Fortress of Snow

“The king is not accustomed to speaking with daughters of barons whom he has not summoned.”

“I am sure that is true, but I think he will want to hear what I know of the knight and lady in question.”

Truly, she did not know anything that Sir Berenger had not already told the king. But if she could corroborate Sir Berenger’s story, he might listen. At least, she hoped he would.

After staring at her for a few moments, the chancellor sniffed and said, “If His Majesty is in good humor, I will ask him if he would wish to speak with you. Wait here.”

“Thank you, sir.” Mazy bowed as the guards opened the door for the man. He quickly disappeared behind the closing doors.

She turned and saw her brother John coming toward her.

John had a cold but concerned look as he broke away from agroup of guards and approached her. Without any sort of greeting upon reaching her, he said in a low voice, “You need to distance yourself from Sir Berenger. Lady Bristow plans to take the child away from him. She’s sent men to get her, bad men.”

Mazy immediately grabbed Giles and whispered in his ear, “Go to the Swan and protect Juliana. Hurry.”

He nodded and left.

She turned back to John. “How do you know Lady Bristow? What do you know?”

“I knew her when I was training with her uncle’s men. Even then she was someone who got whatever she wanted. You need to stay away from her, Mazy.” He turned and went past the group of guards, disappearing down a long corridor.

Twenty-Seven

Mazy stood waiting outside the king’s apartment doors. At least the chancellor had not outright rejected her request to see the king.

Mazy tried to pray silently that she would remember everything she had hoped to say, and for Juliana’s safety, but it was useless. Her mind was a jumble. She would simply be honest and tell the king in a straightforward manner what she knew of Sir Berenger and what she had seen of Lady Bristow.

No one spoke, and time seemed to drag on and on. Mazy began to think of all the terrible things that might happen if the king refused to speak to her, or worse, refused to believe her. Might she make things worse for Sir Berenger?

Just when her heart was in her throat at the imagined consequences of talking with the king, a servant opened the doors from inside the king’s apartments.

“The king will see Mazelina of Wexcombe now.”

Mazy stepped forward, a burst of energy flowing through her limbs. She followed the servant, hiding her hands in the fabric of her skirt by her sides to keep them from shaking.

They walked down a long corridor, the floor made of pale marble, but Mazy couldn’t take note of her surroundings because her thoughts were racing around in her head even as she tried to calm them and bring them into order.I just have to be honest. I will tell him the truth.But even if she said the wrong things and the king hated her, rejecting her as Warin had done, God was in control. If God wanted her to have favor with the king, then she would.

All too soon, the servant stopped in front of a door, then opened it, letting her pass through ahead of him.

A young man sat on a high throne at the other end of the room. She did not look at anything else but fixed her eyes on the king.

“Mazelina of Wexcombe,” the servant boomed from behind her.

Mazy sank into a deep bow.

“Come forward,” the king said. Was he annoyed that she was taking too long? She hurried toward him, her breathing fast and shallow.

“Your Majesty, forgive me for imposing on you, but I wished to tell you what I am sure Your Majesty would want to know about the Lady Bristow and Sir Berenger, who is your loyal knight and captain of your guard, as you know. You see—” She had to pause to swallow, pressing her hand to her chest. Why was it so hard to breathe? Try as she might, she could not seem to squeeze a deep breath into her chest.

“You may speak.”

But the king’s words made her even more nervous. She paused to try to calm her breathing. It didn’t help. Finally she continued, speaking haltingly.

“Sir Berenger and I have known each other for years. His sister, the Duchess of Strachleigh, is my friend, and we correspond with each other. Sir Berenger became my friend when I was just a girl and living at Strachleigh temporarily after my father died. He is the kindest and best man I know. He is honest and loyal—very loyal to you, our king—and he would never harm a child.

“But I shall come to the purpose of my... Forgive me.” She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the sweat under her arms. “I went to Bristow to warn Sir Berenger that the lady, Lady Bristow, had poisoned her first husband, the Earl of Bristow, and that the orphan child, her ward, whom she claimed was her cousin, was actually the earl’s brother’s daughter and therefore the heir. So when—”

“Who told you this?” The king looked as though this was the first time he was hearing this. Had Berenger not told him?