Papa shook his head. “It seems so improbable! Why be there at all? And if he was, why not simply stab with a real blade?”
“I was not aware that stabbing a doll made the wound show,” Mama said slowly.
Matt sat still again. Then he said, “You’re right—it doesn’t. That would have taken an extra spell.”
“Which your sorcerer might have cast, if he wished to place the blame on a man of Merovence,” Papa pointed out.
“I suppose so,” Matt said, “so it cancels out.”
Alisande nodded. “The point was not the simple murdering of the prince—it was the provoking of war.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Matt said slowly. “Why not accomplish two objectives with one murder? As you pointed out yourself, dear, nothing says the sorcerer was working for himself.”
Papa frowned. “Do you mean that someone else would have wished to kill Gaheris, and waited until his death could be useful?”
“Yes, and with impending war to distract people from looking for the murderer, there’d be less chance of either boss or hit man being found out!” Matt said. “Let’s think, now— who wanted Gaheris dead?”
The room was silent a moment. Then Mama said, “Who did not?”
“That was unkind!” Alisande cried.
“Quite unkind,” Mama agreed, “but probably true. Be honest, my dear—he was a very disagreeable young man. If you wish, you may count his friends instead of his enemies.”
Alisande was silent for a moment, then admitted, “I cannot think of any—but I do not know them well.” She looked up. “Sir Orizhan! There is one!”
“Sir Orizhan was assigned to be the princes’ companion and watchdog,” Matt said. “That doesn’t say he liked them.”
“But if he has known them for ten years…”
“He could learn to really despise them,” Matt finished for her. “But he’s a very chivalrous knight. I don’t think he’d let his feelings show.”
“Can you not read him at all?” Alisande challenged.
“Well, I do get the impression that he didn’t approve of Gaheris’ taste in entertainments.” Matt frowned, mulling it over. “In fact, I don’t think he approved of Gaheris at all—but especially not as a fit husband for the princess Sir Orizhan had sworn to protect.”
“Ye—ssss!” Alisande lifted her head. “A true knight would make the welfare of his ward his first duty, would he not?”
“Especially,” Matt said, “if he liked her.”
“Why would he?” Papa asked. “She seemed little more pleasant than her future family.”
“How can you say that?” Mama challenged. “The poor thing spoke scarcely at all while we dined!”
“When she did, though, she spoke rather sharply,” Papa pointed out.
“Only to Brion, and she is obviously in love with him,” Mama said.
“She is?” Matt looked up in surprise.
“Aye, my husband.” Alisande smiled. “She may not know it herself, but it is there in her eye, in the tilt of her head, but most especially in the sharpness of her tongue as she addresses a man she desires but knows she cannot have.”
“She can now,” Matt said softly.
The room was quiet as Mama and Alisande digested his comment, eyes widening in horror. Then both spoke at once.
“You cannot think she ordered him slain!”
“That sweet little thing couldn’t have—have—”
“Oh, yes she could,” Matt said in answer to both. “Stop and think, ladies—would you want to marry Gaheris?”
“Well, of course not!” Alisande said indignantly.
“But that does not mean I would slay him,” Mama maintained.
“You’re not a medieval princess being set up as an international sacrifice.” Matt knew the Prince of Toulenge had died, and that Rosamund was officially the province’s ruling princess, though her mother ruled as her regent. Apparently, though, the dead father’s bargain with Drustan couldn’t be broken—as long as Gaheris was alive. “I’d say it’s quite possible that Rosamund hired the footpad to kill Gaheris so she wouldn’t have to marry him. In fact, considering Gaheris’ idea of fun, you might even call it self-defense ahead of time.”
There was another short silence. Then Alisande admitted, “I could not truly blame her.”
Matt had another thought. “Is Brion in love with her?”
“That is harder to say,” Mama said. “He is so easily baited, at least by her—” She broke off, looking thoughtful.
“You spoke truly, my love,” Papa said quietly. “To his brothers, he gave jibe for jibe, but to her, he could only protest, and that with some sign of hurt.”
“His defenses aren’t up to their usual standard with Rosamund,” Matt agreed.
“Yes, I would say there is some sign that he is in love with her, then,” Mama said, “though like her, he denies it.”
“But he might be able to find an excuse to defend her,” Matt said, “by killing his brother.”
“The murder does make him heir apparent,” Alisande agreed.
There was another silence as the next thought occurred to them all. Matt finally voiced it. “Does Rosamund go with the crown?”
“In law, the betrothal was only with Gaheris,” Alisande said, “but it was made because he was the heir apparent.”
“So it would have to be renegotiated with Brion, but probably will be?”
“It would,” Alisande said, “but with a war, such negotiation will be impossible.”
“Which means Brion gets to keep her.”
“Or,” said Mama, “that Drustan does—for if she is betrothed to no one, he can keep her near with none to bar him.”
Papa turned to her. “Then you think Petronille’s jealousy has some basis?”
“Oh, yes,” Mama said quietly. “Did you not see the gleam in Drustan’s eye when he looked at Rosamund?”
“Yes, I did,” Alisande said darkly. “If this war serves no other purpose, perhaps it will allow us to rescue my cousin.”
“Maybe Sir Orizhan thought the same way,” Matt said.
Papa smiled. “We have come full circle, my son. The only two we have not suspected are Queen Petronille and young John.”
Matt shrugged. “I don’t see what John would gain by killing Gaheris.”
“Might he be striking back at a bully?” Mama suggested.
“Might,” Matt agreed, “and there’s always sibling rivalry. But since John seems to have established himself as Papa’s pet, he has all the protection against Gaheris that he needs, and probably revenge, too.”
“I cannot see that Petronille has anything to gain,” Alisande said, “other than the beginning of war, which may gain her birthright, her quarter of Merovence, for her favorite Brion…” Then her eyes widened.
So did Mart’s. He finished the sentence for her. “… or even the whole kingdom!”
“Yes,” Alisande whispered. “If Brion is her favorite, she would wish to see him as King of Bretanglia—but surely she would not kill her firstborn to gain the crown for her second!”
“Brion becoming heir might not be motive enough in itself,” Matt said slowly, “but if Drustan really does desire Rosamund as much as the queen seems to think he does, jealousy is all the reason Petronille needs.”
“To slay Rosamund, perhaps.” Alisande turned to him with a troubled frown. “Why would she thereby have Gaheris slain?”
“Who did Rosamund live with as long as she was engaged to Gaheris?” Matt asked.
“Why, with the king and his family.”
“But what if the king and queen separated? Who would Gaheris live with then?”
“With his father.” Alisande frowned. “He resents his mother, as you may have seen.”
“Oedipus complex, no doubt,” Papa mused.
“Who would she live with now that Gaheris is dead?” Matt asked. “If they separated, that is.”
“Brion is his mother’s darling, and would no doubt live with her,” Alisande said slowly, “and if Petronille can bring about his betrothal to Rosamund …” She shook her head violently. “No! It is not possible that Petronille would have ordered her own son slain only so that she might take Rosamund away from Drustan!”