Chapter 22

The assignment in Verignes was beginning to feel a bit like a puzzle; they kept picking up on a bunch of pieces, but Lyla had no earthly idea how they fit together.

"Do you remember, a few weeks ago, when we visited that old man from the village?" Eli said in greeting when he walked into the palace one day. Lyla was in the Great Hall, poring over a map of the "afflicted" houses in the village with Jamie, trying to look for patterns. So far, they hadn't had much luck.

"It's not exactly something we could forget." Jamie swept back a curtain of sienna hair. "Why?"

"He died this morning."

Jamie cursed. Lyla's heart sank; they were too late. Again. Poor Peter, she thought. And Edith— his wife would doubtless be devastated.

"Any word?" said Jamie.

"Nothing. He stopped speaking altogether a few days ago."

"Shit."

"Right." Eli plopped down on the cushion beside her, resting his legs on the coffee table in front of them. "Please tell me you two have had luck with the map."

"None." Lyla picked up her quill pen, biting her lip as she drew a large X on the brown house in the square. "Another death. They're all completely random. We already knew, but this just confirms it; there are no identifiable patterns."

"I expected as much. None of us were having much success before you came, either." He exhaled, his gaze traveling confusedly around the room. "Where are Ari and Aveline?"

"Investigating," came Aveline's weary voice, on cue as she strolled in with Ari. "We spoke with the physician who finally finished examining the Verignes recently deceased. He told us Peter died."

"And?" Lyla demanded.

"You know what he said?" Ari agitatedly rolled up his sleeves. "'Nothing out of the ordinary, sir.' He found nothing that seemed strange about their bodies, the fluids in their system... all normal."

Jamie sat up. "How is that possible?"

"It's not," said Ari. "Which is why we're sending the crew to retrieve Peter's body and take them to the witch coven for examination. Eli, do you suppose you could be sure that happens? I don't want your guards getting in the way."

Eli made a face. "Alright."

None of this made sense to Lyla. "I don't understand. Do you suppose the physician was lying?"

"He's either lying, or he's incompetent," Aveline explained. "If Peter was poisoned, it'd be fairly easy to find out. We'll have to see the coven tonight to ask for their help. Inez wants to come with us."

"Only because she thinks Dahlia's pretty," said Ari. "Let's keep out of the palace; we can finish this conversation on the ship."

Lyla thought on the matter more as they made their way over to The Merchant. It was difficult to find a quiet place without people lurking around in the Verignes castle, and Ari was still paranoid from their last anonymous message. (Lyla still had no earthly idea who could have been sending the notes. Most likely, it was the same party behind the village plague, but they hadn't any leads on that either; they were stuck.) He and Aveline spent most nights on the ship, taking care of the boys.

They saw Camille occasionally. Lyla took comfort in the fact that, for all her pomp and grandeur, she'd had the same reaction to the pirates that anyone else did. Strange, prettier than they had perhaps anticipated, and just generally unexpected.
She'd noticed them, Lyla was sure; she even occasionally scanned Lyla like she was staring down a cockroach.
Not that that mattered. Since when did Lyla care about what snotty princesses thought, anyway?

Still, Camille was little help. And they hadn't seen Lady Belthrop in weeks, either; so their main source of information was missing.

One of the servants stopped them as they were leaving, sweeping a deep bow. "Is one of you Jamie?"

Jamie stepped forward with hesitance. "I am."

He held out a crisp envelope. "A letter came for you, Miss."

Jamie tore it from his hands in her excitement. "It's from Ben!" She exclaimed, scanning the ink on the parchment. "It took him bloody long enough."

Jamie read Ben's letter aloud as they walked back to the ship.

"Palace life is an interesting adjustment. I feel awkward when the servants curtsy, but they're so fixed on propriety here that they won't listen when I tell them it isn't necessary," she recited. "I miss you. I hope you are having luck with the Verignes royals, and that you are staying safe. Everyone here is well, though Tristran says some of the nobles are more annoying than he remembers."

"He's talking about Guernot," Ari interjected, popping a grape into his mouth. "If he's not, I'll eat Camille's lapdog."

Lyla glanced at him. "Camille has a lapdog?"

"You haven't seen it? I almost stepped on it yesterday." He scoffed, a curl falling into his eyes as he sifted the fruit in his hands. "Ridiculous, if you ask me. No one needs an animal that small."

"I don't know..." Lyla was tentative. "The princess isn't as bad as I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it was rather kind of her to invite us the other day." She tried not to look at them, knowing that her friends must had different perspectives on the royals than she had. But Lyla couldn't bring herself to hate Camille. The princess was elegant, fashionable, well-spoken... everything Lyla was supposed to be.

"You must admit; Princess Camille is something to be envied. She's surrounded by admirers wherever she goes, and she spends most of her time travelling to exotic places and meeting important people. She's not perfect, but wouldn't it nice to know you have everything you've ever wanted?" Lyla felt her cheeks heat up as she spoke, but at least she was being honest. There were some things about Camille that Lyla hoped to learn from. Or perhaps you just envy her, she thought to herself, but that wasn't quite it, either. For the first time, the life of a royal, which she had only before seen as restricting and cold, seemed exciting and beautiful. Something, Lyla realized in surprise, that she might want.

Ari looked like he was about to say something, but thought better of it.

"Yes, well, many lives appear flawless only to those not in them," said Aveline. "I'm quite certain that even Camille has problems."

"If her servant accidentally spills tea on her dress, for example," Jamie quipped. "That sounds like the sort of problem the princess would concern herself with."

"What does the rest of the letter say, Jamie?" Aveline prompted.

"Oh, nothing of importance. Just inquiring after everyone."

"You'll have to give him our regards." Eli stopped in front of the ship, a smile hovering around the ends of his mouth. "It's been a while since I've been here."

Lyla hopped onto the ramp, waving at Inez on deck. "Newly renovated, thanks to Queen Rowena." She let a bit of pride sneak into her voice and wondered when she had started to think of The Merchant as home.

The boys that Ari and Aveline had agreed to watch were above deck this morning, wrestling with each other on the floor. Lyla felt a tinge of regret that she hadn't been able to spend much time with them. Why Ari and Aveline tended to keep mysterious children on their ship, Lyla had no idea, but they added a sort of youthful charm that tended to often cheer her up.

"Can they not leave the ship?" She inquired to Aveline as everyone else scattered off in different directions.

"It's not safe." Aveline peered out to the open sea, as if she could see past the misty fog that coated the waves like icing. "This kingdom makes me a bit uneasy."

"We could always leave the palace and start sleeping here," Lyla proposed. "Ir's what Ari would likely rather do."

"But then I wouldn't see you as often," Eli pouted.

Aveline glanced at him sideways. "You could come with us."

"As much as I'd like to, I'm on the job, sweet."

Lyla never knew when the two of them were being serious, or just banter-y flirting in their way. "Yes, well, it was just a suggestion." She sighed. "Jamie and Ari disagree on this point, as usual."

Eli waved it off. "I don't take their arguing too seriously anymore. We all know they're just going to be kissing in the garden later."

Lyla excused herself to her room to do some reading while they waited until night fell so they could visit the witch coven. Unfortunately, the floorboards were thin, and she could still hear Eli and Aveline's continued conversation as she made her way down the stairs.

"That could have been us, you know," Eli was joking to her.

"Kissing in the garden?" Aveline snickered. "Yes, what a shame."

Eli cleared his throat. "I've been meaning to speak to you about that."

I shouldn't eavesdrop, Lyla thought, but somehow she couldn't make herself move. God, did she have to thrive off of everyone else's drama?

"About what?"

"You know what."

Aveline hesitated. "There's nothing to say."

"Do you truly believe that? Because it's been different between us ever since I saw you in the palace."

She gave a muffled laugh. "Don't pretend you don't know why."

"I do know why, I just wish it wouldn't have to be this way."

"Horse shit, Eli. I'm tired of you playing a martyr when you're the one who broke it off."

His voice rose. "I didn't break it off-"

"You lost your temper, and then you left and I never heard from you. What sort of message were you trying to convey there?"

"I know, I was an ass, and I'm sorry. I was just...  I was hurt, alright? You surprised me."

"Because I wasn't the sweet, innocent princess you thought I was-"

"No, because you killed someone, Aveline. Right in front of me."

"I had to."

"Did you?"

There was a sullen pause in which Lyla could her her own breathing.

"I understand why you did it now," Eli said finally. "I've grown up a bit since then, I just... I'm a palace guard. There are laws that I'm expected to uphold. You couldn't blame me for being upset-"

"Lyla?" Lyla jumped at her name; Henry stood in front of the stairs, gaping at her. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, hello, Henry." She pushed herself off the wall. The boy had grown taller in the recent months, more gangly. "I was just..."

"Spying?"

"Well... yes." She was never brilliant at lying on the spot. "How have you been?"

"Stuck on the ship," he grumbled. "I wanted to visit the witches, too. Inez is coming, then why can't I?"

"Ari and Aveline are just being protective," she said automatically. "I could try to convince them if you'd like."

Hery brightened. "Really?"

"No promises."

"Thank you miss!" He grabbed her hand and pumped it up and down with great enthusiasm before rushing up the stairs, and Lyla smothered a giggle.

She had to agree with Henry; though, Lyla was looking forward to getting some answers. The clock unfortunately, was ticking, and if they didn't figure this mess out soon, Lyla had no idea what would happen.

She didn't want to find out.

**sorry for mistakes!! See you on Tuesday!**