Page 59 of The Final Battle

“Sit, sit,“ Queen Catharine urged, taking her own seat. “We like to do things backwards when we have our ladies only dinners. Dessert first, then work our way to the soup, which none of us enjoy all that much as it is.“

Smiling, I reached out for a chocolate covered strawberry and popped it into my mouth. “That is a brilliant idea.“

Then they were off telling me everything I could possibly need to know about what was happening in the small town of Cliffshire. It was the largest town in the southern half of Creisal and where these ladies lived.

“You’ll never guess what happened, Cathy,“ Edith announced. “There is a young man who came to town, took up residence in the old Neely Estate near the church. No one has been there for years, but over the last few months there have been crews of people working on it fixing the place up. He must be the one to have inherited it.“

“The man is so handsome he’d make an angel weep,“ Tilda, Edith’s daughter gushed, fanning her face. “Those piercing blue eyes, almost like they see right into your soul.“

That had my attention.

“I’m sorry, the Neely Estate?“ I questioned trying not to seem too interested. “Why would someone take the effort to restore something that’s been empty for so long?“

Lillian cleared her throat as she prepared to tell the story. “The last family to live there went mad, killed his whole family, even the children not yet able to walk. Since no one was left alive, it fell to the church since that was in the man’s will, if you believe that. The church didn’t need the estate so they’ve had it up for sale for some time now. It got bought, oh, about three years ago. They’ve been fixing it up ever since and the young man must have been the one to buy it. Cathy, isn’t one or two of your husband’s relatives buried there?“

Queen Catharine nodded, her cheeks glowing pink with how much wine she’d had. “Yes, that bastard of a grandfather. He had to be one of the worst men I’ve ever known, staying alive on spite alone. They didn’t want him in the normal family plot so they banished him out here. This castle used to be his full-time residence. Then when he passed, I took it over for a reprieve, we all know what it’s like to be married to a man who actually doesn’t want you. Rather have the stable boy in his bed, but they can’t give you a child now, can they?“

The old women all nodded in understanding, lamenting over their own marriage problems with their husbands. Some preferred not to engage in sex at all, saying they just didn’t see the need. Glass after glass, pitcher after pitcher, these ladies drank most men under the table. I abstained, gleaning more from their stories then they realized.

“You know what the crazy thing is?“ Queen Catharine asked, followed by a hiccup. “I have these odd dreams, dreams that I’ve lived a life that doesn’t make any sense. In these dreams, I’d go to the cemetery to visit that old bastard, but you know what… he wasn’t there any longer. Nope, instead there was a box, one that glowed a sickly yellow color like it was oozing filth. What does that say about me? Am I oozing filth? Did you know someone told me I’ve been seeing another man for the past few years? The same man my husband was boinking!“

The women gasped and covered their mouths with their hands in horror.

Queen Catharine waved her goblet around, the wine sloshing over the sides. “Why would I do that? I got my two children out of that man so Harriet and I could be in love without him bothering me.“ The queen’s shoulders sagged. “She left me you know… after fifteen years together she left me, believing the lies that I took up with another man.“

“I wondered why she didn’t come with you, this was your home together,“ Edith tutted dabbing a napkin at her eyes. “Poor Harriet, I hope you can get her to see reason, you both were so in love.“

Clearing my throat loudly, I drew their attention. “Forgive me for not understanding things here in Creisal, but is it now allowed for you to love someone of the same sex? I know you have the whole open marriage agreement but why wouldn’t that apply to that type of relationship?“

“While it isn’t forbidden, it’s also not welcome. The family name, fortune, and property all go to the male child of a union. For the union to count you have to be married, so they created the law of an open marriage. That still doesn’t mean the other person you’re with can be your wife or husband. You have to be tied to a loveless marriage while you find your joy with someone else you can never love publicly,“ Lillian explained. “From what I hear, you people in Sheca have the right idea.“

“I am incredibly fortunate to be with every person I love,“ I agreed. “Speaking of them, this is the longest I’ve been out of their sight since we’ve found each other. I bid you ladies a goodnight and I hope you’re all remaining here for the night to sober up before returning to your homes. We wouldn’t want the men to know what you really think, now would we.“ I teased.

The raucous laughter that burst forth from that comment had me smiling as I left the dining hall. May and Becka were grinning when they joined me, nudging me in comradery laughing at my joke.

“I have to admit that was actually a lot of fun, and helpful,“ I shared when Izel and Pax walked up. “It would seem Henry has already arrived.“

“What!“ Pax demanded. “This isn’t good, it means he could take what we need and leave.“

“I’m not so sure about that,“ I mused. “The item was brought here and hasn’t moved, he bought a home near the item and has been restoring it for the past three years. Now, of course that could be a cover to conceal that he was keeping an eye on it, but there could be something more.“

“Spitfire, you know this changes the game no matter what, right?“ Pax questioned. “If he’s here then we are out of time.“

Nodding, we fell silent as a servant arrived to lead us back to our wing. A wave of tiredness fell over me and I wrapped my arm around Izel’s and leaned into him. “Are you alright?“ he inquired.

“Just tired, seems the day has finally caught up to me. I didn’t even have any wine, but it just feels like my body is so heavy,“ I answered.

Izel paused, before I could protest, he scooped me up and continued on his way.

“I can walk perfectly fine,“ I grumbled.

Pressing a kiss to my temple he chuckled. “I’m fully aware of that, but can you blame a man for wanting to hold his woman? Make the most out of opportunities, isn’t that what you once told us?“

I scowled at him but gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Of course, you’d be the one to remember what I say even when I don’t.“

Relaxing into his arms, I wrapped my arms around his neck and soaked in the contact, knowing I was well and truly loved. Of course, when the others saw me being carried they converged convinced that something was wrong. Jade pulled me from Izel’s arms to stand me up and look me over.

“Nothing looks wrong, but she could have eaten or drunk something that might have upset her stomach. Wait, you didn’t have wine did you? Are you drunk?“ He asked shooting question after question at me, not allowing me to answer.