Heartless

“Here,” she said, pressing it into his hand. “It was my mother’s. I don’t know how much it is worth, but something close to a king’s ransom, I should think. Use it for your journey and . . . and come back soon.”


He looked at the ring, turning it to see how the light caught and burned deep inside the iridescent stones. Then he raised his gaze to Una again. Gently, he reached out and touched her cheek with a finger. “Trust me, Una,” he whispered once more.

Then he left, and she did not see him again for a long time.

–––––––

There is nothing like a secret to create mystery in a girl, and Una was nothing if not a mystery to all around her in the following days.

“Dear child!” Nurse cried when Una burst into tears for no apparent reason three mornings after the jester left. “Dear child, what troubles you?”

“Nothing,” Una said, wiping her eyes and sighing. “Nothing. Isn’t this a beautiful world, Nurse? I mean in general, you know?”

Nurse closed one eye and looked at her sidelong. “Is it?”

Una thought about it. “No. Not really.” She burst into tears again, digging for a handkerchief between hiccups. Monster, sitting at her feet, meowed and touched her knee with a paw. She nudged him away. “No, it’s a cruel world.”

Nurse thought it expedient to bring news of this conversation to King Fidel.

“Are you certain?” Fidel asked.

“I know what I heard. I know what I saw,” Nurse said.

“But what does it mean?”

“I’ll tell you what it means, sire,” Nurse said. “She’s in love, that’s what it means, and not like she was with Prince Gervais either! No, this is a more serious kind. She goes about sighing with a look of noble suffering on her face. So either it’s unrequited or he is far away at present. Either way, I know the symptoms.”

“In love?” Fidel wiped his brow. “If you are right, I do hope it’s the latter, Nurse. If he’s far away, that rules out the duke.”

“The duke? Gracious, no!” Nurse said.

At that timely moment the duke himself made an appearance.

“Majesty!”

His voice boomed through Fidel’s head, and the king’s knees trembled a little as vivid memories of smotherment sprang to mind. But he pulled himself together and said, “My good duke, is something troubling – ”

“Is something troubling me?” the duke cried, and the windows shook. “Is something troubling me, you ask? Majesty, I don’t mind saying that something is troubling me right enough!” He swore roundly, and Nurse pursed her lips and folded her hands.

“I am sorry to hear it.” Fidel prided himself that his voice remained calm. “Whatever your grievance may be, I hope – ”

“That daughter of yours!”

“Una?”

“Whatever her name is! Why didn’t you tell me she was betrothed?”

“Betrothed?” the king and Nurse cried.

The duke swore again. “You could have spared my pride by a word, Majesty. But no, just let me walk into the lion’s den, my eyes wide shut, spoutin’ professions of love and wedding plans and asking about the dowry – ”

“Una is hardly a lion.”

The duke raised a hand. “Don’t try pulling that gibberish about innocent, guileless maidens with me! You set her up to this, didn’t you? Wanted to get back at me for a few childish pranks, huh? Well, I’ll tell you what I think!”

And he did for the next quarter of an hour, until King Fidel at last summoned his guard to escort the irate duke elsewhere.

“There goes our alliance with Shippening.” Fidel sank into the thick-padded chair behind his desk, sighing. “Oh, Una. Betrothed in secret? And to whom?”

“Who could it be but Prince Aethelbald?” Nurse said.

“Aethelbald?”

“Of course. And now she’s pining for him; he’s been gone for weeks.

Poor little dear must have been afraid to tell me for pride, she was that set against him for so long. . . .”

“Wait,” Fidel said. “That does not sound like Una – and it certainly does not sound like Prince Aethelbald. He would not contract a betrothal with her without informing me. Besides, he was none too happy when he left Oriana – hardly had the look of a man newly betrothed.”

“Why would he seem happy?” Nurse asked. “He was leaving his lady behind for who’s to say how long? And I told you, she’s got all the signs of long-suffering love about her. Perhaps she denied him, then thought better of it after he’d gone? Who else but Prince Aethelbald has been trying to woo her, I’d like to know?”

“Yes,” King Fidel murmured, “so would I.” He rose, his face dark with thought. “Thank you, Nurse, for your insights. Now, where is my daughter?”

Fidel found Una wandering in the gardens, dreamily gazing off into the clouds. She smiled when she saw her father. “Good afternoon, Father,” she said. “Isn’t it a beautiful world?”

“What’s this I hear about your betrothal?” Fidel demanded, preferring not to beat about the bush.

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