The Troll's Trove Ch. 05

Chapter 5 - Instructing a Prince

K

ing Magnar lifted a curtain and peered from his carriage.

Serfs. They were just standing there. If they weren't going to cheer they should be working. That was the problem with Whitewall. Freedom. Whitewall's kings had been too soft for too long.

He let the curtain fall. Magnar pounded on the wall.

"Sire?" his coachman called through the small portal that let them communicate.

"If they don't get out of the way, trample them."

"Yes, Sire." The carriage marginally increased its pace. A sharp jolt bounced Magnar's seat. The carriage tilted, righted itself and jolted again as the rear wheel fell in the same pot-hole.

Magnar swayed with it. His son, Prince Eluf, banged his head on the wall-twice. Eluf rubbed the new knot.

"You were daydreaming about that whore in Bleakly again? I told you to let her go."

Eluf's blue eyes iced over. "Lady Isolde is not a whore."

"Baroness is little better than common rabble. And the title won't pass to Lady Isolde. She'll be lucky to rut a pig farmer into bondage. The trollop is grasping beyond her station. Let her go."

"She loves me." Unlike you.

"Like Lady Thera? At least she was second to Countess. How about Ljosa? And that maid?"

"You whipped Audra--"

"Audri."

"--within a finger-width of her life!"

"We've been through this. You forget Isolde and all the rest. You will marry the Princess of Whitewall."

"I'll keep Lady Isolde as a mistress."

"No, you won't! Not until Wilhelm's darling daughter is completely, firmly yours. That means you are not to touch, see, speak to or even write your filthy whore or any other trollop not until you've sired at least one brat upon the Princess and a second one is on the way.

"And mark my words, Lady Isold won't wait for you that long, if she waits at all."

"She'll wait."

"Then have at her, after you've done your duty. Until then keep your attentions on the Princess!"

"Fine!"

"Good. Now I expect you to propose to Princess Adalayd tonight. If--"

"Tonight!"

"Yes, tonight. That's what I said. It'll catch her off guard but it will make our intentions clear. Meadows will be ours."

"Are you serious? One night to propose. What if she refuses? What will we gain? She's going to refuse. I'd refuse, you know that, right?"

That's the plan, fool boy. But you don't need to know that. You're too soft. If I'd had another-I'm going to have to have Lady Isolde executed. Treason? Consorting with the enemy? "Be bold. Make your claim. Everything else will fall in place."

There was a knock at the carriage door.

"What is it, Eero?"

"Lord Turls has arrived." There was a sarcastic note in Eero's voice. The men didn't like Turls or his false title.

It wouldn't be false long. If things went as planned Blackrock would need several new Lords. He'd make Turls a Duke. Perhaps he'd give him Lord Eero's lands as part of Turls' estate.

"Grant him audience."

Turls clambered into the still moving carriage. He was muddied and breathing hard.

"You're late."

"I was delayed." Turls broken face told Magnar nothing.

"Did it go as planned?"

"What plan?" Eluf interrupted. He paled as Turls's mangled eye turned upon him.

"The troll rutting Queen recognized me."

"That's not enough to cause suspicion."

Turls changed into the clothes Magnar had brought for him. They couldn't hide his face. Nothing could disguise that face. But they didn't need to. The new outfit announced to all that Turls was a member of Magnar's court and thus, for now, untouchable.

"I also ran into the Princess on my way to the Royal Library."

"You smell like smoke."

"I think they suspect. The guards are asking after me."

Eluf looked from his Sire to Turls to his Sire again. "Expect what?"

"So what did you make of the future Duchess Haakon of Meadows, Princess of my Realm?"

"Boney. Splotchy face. Red hair," Turls said, "Never did like red-heads."

Turls's face was impassive but his words were false and Magnar knew it. Audhild had had fire-hair. Odds were Adalayd looked a good bit like her mother.

"You know, she'll still be Princess of Whitewall too, Father?"

"Yes. And so long as that's to our advantage and she's making brats, she'll live."

Eluf jerked. "You're going to kill her?"

"Why do you care? Then you can take your trollop, Isolde, openly."

"Is that what happened to Mother?"

"Watch your tongue, boy. Prince or not I'm still your King."

"But why? Why have her killed? She's done nothing."

"Can't have Whitewall raising our heir."

"He'll be my son, Father."

Magnar cocked a brow.