She Will Be Your Undoing

The mile-long procession celebrating King Cyrus’ marriage to Caterina Povich of Alsace marches toward his castle amid the cheers of thousands of well-wishing subjects.

Cyrus feels blessed. Their marriage marks the end of three generations of warfare between the Houses of Makedon and the House of Povich.

Twenty-two-year-old Caterina Povich is a mesmerizing beauty with dark Mediterranean features. A reluctant bride, Caterina was enticed into this union by King Cyrus’ charm and wealth.

Handsome, with a Van Dyke beard, twenty-seven-year-old Cyrus ascended to the throne of Lorriane two years ago, when a lance pierced his father’s eye during a joust, killing him. When he is calm, Cyrus is considered a just and kind ruler, but when his eyes glaze over and his nerves fray, his cruelty knows no bounds.

Over 1,000 knights and noblemen follow the royal couple’s golden carriage. The noblewomen wear lavish costumes with gold embroidery and ride in litters carried by burly peasants in silks and turbans.

The procession crosses the bridge, decorated in blue taffeta with golden fleurs-de-lis, leading into the capital city. It is greeted by children dressed as angels who sing Lorraine’s national anthem.

The procession halts when the road to the palace is blocked by the Earl of Clendenon and his family.

Dressed in gleaming silver armor, the Earl raises his sword, declaring, “Go no further. This marriage is a travesty, Your Majesty, one that will make you Povich’s puppet.”

King Cyrus’ eyes glaze over. “You dare cast a black cloud over the brightest day of my life?”

“Our protest is not meant as an act of disrespect toward our King. We do this in the hope that you will open your eyes and realize you are making a monumental mistake. Did you ask the Poviches about their daughter’s disposition before agreeing to marry her? I did. Even the Poviches agree that Caterina is a power-hungry spendthrift. She has had many lovers, none of whom are alive to attest to her treachery.”

“Look at her. She has the face of an angel and the disposition of a nun. Do you think lying will curry my favor, Clendenon? I can have you and your entire house wiped clean from the face of the earth with the wave of my hand. In fact, that is what I am going to do.”

***

The following morning, Queen Caterina and her handmaidens are summoned to a field near the castle. The tall golden rod sways in the soft breeze, carrying the scent of smoke.

The King, Rainen, Cyrus’ wizard, his apprentice, Sebastian, and the King’s guard are gathered near a long trench. Twenty-six members of the Clendenon family, securely bound and gagged, line the trench.

The King and his Wizard trade contented smiles.

Born in Bavaria seventy years ago, the bent, bearded, wizened magician is the son of a healer. As a child, he witnessed his beloved mother, accused of witchcraft, crushed beneath heavy slabs of stone. Taken under the wing of Orton, Lorriane’s most renowned wizard, Rainen vowed vengeance on his accusers, who over the course of five years met horrific fates. He has a fearsome reputation as a man who walks the boundary between the physical and the supernatural. More importantly, he has King Cyrus’ patronage.

Sebastian’s sharply defined face, arched brows, large eyes, long nose, and dark curls give him a cagy look. A product of Lorriane’s dangerous slums, twenty-year-old Sebastian caught Rainen’s eye when the wizard saw him running a crooked shell game, duping a crowd of wealthy merchants.

Rainen bows to the Queen. “The Clendenons have slandered your reputation. The King wants to show you the love and respect he holds for you.”

A King’s guard sounds a trumpet. Each guard takes a position behind one of the Clendenons.

Laughing, King Cyrus waves his hand.

Wielding their swords, the guards lop off the Clendenons’ heads. Their bodies fall into the trench.

“One last gift for you, my dear,” King Cyrus says, pointing to a spot on a nearby hill. “No one insults my Queen!”

The Earl of Clendenon is tied to a stake. A pile of wood and brush lies at his feet.

The Earl shouts, “Mark my words, Your Majesty, that beautiful she-devil at your side will be your undoing.”

***

Cyrus lavishes gifts on Caterina, including a chest of rubies, embroidered saddles for her horses, rings, necklaces, and a live-in tailor who creates one-of-a-kind gowns.

To fund the Queen’s extravagant lifestyle, he raises taxes.

Several weeks into their marriage, Caterina finds Cyrus sitting on his throne, hitting himself in the head with his scepter. Blood drips from his nose and ears, and he is mumbling to himself.

It takes several hours for the court physicians to snap Cyrus out of his trance, and that is only after a brave physician reluctantly slaps Cyrus so many times that the physician breaks into a sweat.

Cyrus’ behavior darkens. He often disguises himself as a peasant and wanders the streets asking people what they think of the King. Any peasant who criticizes the King is mercilessly executed, and their corpse is thrown to the pigs.

He develops headaches so severe that he can hardly move his limbs, stand, or collect his thoughts. He suffers from insomnia, sleeping no more than three hours a night. It is not unusual for Caterina to find Cyrus standing over her, muttering, “Please help me.”

As a result, Caterina moves into her own quarters and bars Cyrus from entering them. But she is not without company. Sebastian observes that Tommy Colby, her carriage driver, often leaves her bedroom after midnight.

Cyrus wanders the halls, a ghost in his own castle, as the Earl of Clendenon’s words echo in his head: “Mark my words, Your Majesty, that beautiful she-devil at your side will be your undoing.”

***

Caterina becomes pregnant three months after the wedding. Sebastian notes that Tommy Colby vanishes after the announcement.

Cyrus departs for a military campaign against the Germanic barbarians. To protect his beloved Queen and help her rule in his absence, he summons his cousin, Grayson, the Duke of Strasburg.

Thirty-two-year-old Grayson is tall and strapping with fair hair, piercing blue eyes, and a reputation for conquering his foes, as well as the ladies in court.

When Grayson locks eyes with Caterina, he imagines her naked, then next to him on the throne. To his delight, he soon discovers that Caterina feels the same way.

In a moment of guilt, Caterina says, “This is a mistake. I love my husband.”

“Is there not enough love in your heart for two?” Grayson replies.

Lurking in the shadows of the throne room, Sebastian overhears many of Caterina and Grayson’s intimate conversations and reports them to Rainen.

Rainen responds, “I warned the King not to bring his cousin to court because I feared for the Queen’s handmaidens and servants, not for the Queen herself.”

“He is dallying with a woman who is with child. That alone is heinous, but that woman is our Queen!” Sebastian says. “This could be an embarrassing scandal that could destroy the monarchy. It is our duty to inform the King.”

“No. Blood is thicker than water, and I have precious little to spill. Grayson is an overconfident, rutting fop, and Caterina is a political neophyte.”

“Are you suggesting we do nothing?”

“Yes. There is another expression that suits the situation: “Love makes fools die.’”

***

Caterina gives birth to a son, Geoffrey, during Cyrus’ absence.

The war against the barbarians goes poorly. Nearly an entire generation of Lorraine’s able-bodied men is wiped out. King’s subjects quickly grow tired of watching their sons sacrificed. Cyrus sends for Grayson, who rallies the troops with two victories. But when Cyrus and his knights are surrounded in a crucial battle, he throws down his sword and begs for peace.

News of Cyrus’ cowardice spreads, prompting some peasants to whisper that the kingdom would be in better hands under Grayson.

The day after his return, Cyrus accompanies Caterina to an equestrian competition that the Queen wins. As Cyrus and Caterina enter their carriage, a man runs past the King’s guard and stabs him with a penknife. The King’s thick velvet clothing protects him from a fatal injury.

A trio of guards immediately runs through the assassin.

While the King is being attended to by Rainen and his court physicians at the palace, Caterina slips away to meet Grayson.

Caterina’s wide-eyed expression tells Grayson everything he needs to know.

“He lives. Your hand-picked assailant missed the mark.”

“He paid for his incompetence with his life,” Grayson replies.

“So shall we if the King discovers who was behind this attempt on his life.”

***

Cyrus is slow to recover, constantly complaining that the wound in his side is still bleeding long after it has healed. Two months after the attack, he is sitting on his throne, listening to Grayson propose a new round of taxes, when he suddenly has a seizure.

Rainen and several guards rush to his aid.

Cyrus’ troubled mind is thrust back to the battlefield.

“I AM NOT A COWARD!”

Frothing at the mouth, Cyrus attacks Rainen, slicing Rainen's face with the knife he secretly keeps up his sleeve. It takes four guards to restrain him, and he soon slips into a coma.

Cyrus is spirited away, leaving Caterina and Grayson in the throne room, staring at Rainen and Sebastian.

“And so, the battle lines have crystallized,” Rainen tells Sebastian.

***

Anticipating Cyrus’ death, Caterina and Grayson make little effort to hide their affair. They attend events together, often walking arm in arm, and Caterina spends several weeks at Grayson’s castle, twenty miles from her own.

Another month passes before the King’s court learns that although he is physically recovering, his mind is gone.

When Caterina finally visits her bedridden husband, she is surprised to find another woman at his bedside, holding his hand. Celestria Noble, the daughter of a horse-dealer, resembles Caterina so closely that members of his court have begun calling her “the Queen’s mirror.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Caterina asks Rainen.

“The King is starved for affection, Your Majesty. The court concluded that since you are cuckolding the Duke, he deserves a mistress.”

“One who takes orders from you,” Caterina replies brusquely.

“She has done wonders for the King’s health and disposition,” Sebastian adds. “Many had given him up for dead.”

“Wipe that smirk from your face when you say that, boy, or I will wipe it away for you,” Grayson counters.

Cyrus looks at Caterina, glassy-eyed. He grabs Celestria’s arm, tugging at it frantically.

“Who is that woman? And why does she disturb me? Please, send her away. I think she means me harm!”

***

Caterina gazes at the members of the Royal Advisory Council, realizing that during her absence from court, Rainen has replaced her loyalists with his handpicked lackeys.

“These are serious charges Rainen has brought against the Duke, Your Grace,” says Pormo, the head of the council. “He believes the Duke of Strasburg has bewitched you, and the evidence supports that belief.”

Caterina glares at Rainen, who smiles triumphantly.

“What evidence? The words of an ancient, jealous charlatan? The Duke is many things, but he is not a warlock or a lecher.”

“We have scores of statements from scullery maids who say otherwise,” Pormo replies. “As for the charge that he attempted to assassinate the King… Rainen discovered that the family of the man who stabbed the King received a considerable sum of money before the attack. So, not only is he practicing sorcery to bedevil you, but he also plotted to kill King Cyrus. Therefore, he must be executed.”

“No! Spare him. He has defended the monarchy. He was the hero at the battles of Conifer and Verplanck, the only battles we won against the barbarians. He raised large sums of money to keep the monarchy solvent after the war nearly left us penniless. News of his death will spark riots among the people.”

“Yes, among the handmaidens and scullery maids!” Rainen shouts.

“He should be exiled, not killed,” Caterina says. “The King and I have the power to commute a sentence of treason. If you think otherwise, defy me. I hope you kissed your wives, children, and grandchildren goodbye this morning. In this time of crisis, who knows what else could happen to them?”

The council weighs Caterina’s recommendation and decides that, for the moment, it is more prudent to obey the Queen than a wizard.

Rainen nods at Caterina as if to say, “Well played.”

***

Sebastian leads the detail that escorts Grayson out of the capital.

Grayson rattles his chains at Sebastian. “What do you stand to gain from this deceit, boy?”

“Thousands in coin and jewels. And I will get to enjoy the company of the Queen’s maids, just as you did. Rainen has seen to it that they pass by my door like a river swollen by a rainstorm.”

Sebastian leans out of the carriage, checking the road.

He taps on the side of the carriage, shouting, “This will do!”

Sebastian exits the coach. Three guards enter, pulling Grayson out.

The first blow from a guard’s sword nearly decapitates him. The second does.

The men take turns hacking at Grayson’s body until it is unrecognizable.

They leave it on the road and head to the nearest tavern to celebrate.

***

Caterina enters the King’s bedroom, sneering at Celestria, who stands, bowing reverently.

Cyrus stirs nervously in his bed.

“That woman! She means me harm!”

“Calm yourself, Your Majesty,” Celestria says. “This is your wife, the Queen.”

Cyrus glances at Celestria, reaching for her hand. “No! You… You are the woman I love…”

“I see he’s still out of his head,” Caterina says. “I have some new medicine for him. It will help with his nervousness.”

Caterina hands Celestria a small bottle.

“A sip will make him feel better.”

Celestria administers the medicine.

The two women stare each other down for several minutes, the sound of a clock ticking in the background. It sounds, ringing out two bells. A wooden bird shoots out of the clock, blaring, “Cuckoo! Cuckoo!” as if giving its opinion of the situation.

Cyrus gets drowsy. “…My head is floating… My heart pounds….”

Cyrus coughs violently, spitting up blood.

He reaches for his throat. Gasping hoarsely, he points at Caterina. “…That woman… I told you… I told you!”

Seconds later, King Cyrus lets out a final weak breath, closing his eyes forever.

Caterina rushes to the door.

“Guards! Take this woman to the cells! She has murdered the King!”

***

Celestria is stretched out between two horses, her head slumped against her chest.

Caterina holds a whip, laughing to herself.

“…Usurper… Murderess…”

“If one of us had been there, or if one of our guards had been there, he would still be alive,” Sebastian says to Rainen.

“Caterina replaced our guards with her own.”

“This is such a horrible fate for the woman who truly loved the King,” Sebastian says.

“Fear not. I had Celestria take some of the same poison Caterina used to kill the King. She may already be dead. At the very least, she will not feel herself being rent asunder.”

Caterina whips her prized white stallion. It jumps and runs ahead. The brown stallion responds in kind.

Celestria’s limbs do not separate easily, so Caterina whips the brown stallion.

Caterina picks up one of Celestria’s arms, tossing it at Rainen’s feet.

“A present to remember your imposter.”

***

The members of the Royal Advisory Council trade concerned looks, mumbling to each other.

“I called you here to inform you that all of you old sticks are going to be replaced, and not in a manner you will like,” Caterina says.

Pormo stands in protest. “The Queen does not have the authority to replace the members of the Council!”

“As you know, an act of treason allows me to do just that.”

“Treason?”

“All you old men conspired to kill King Cyrus. He was poisoned. Rainen gave the order, but you colluded with him.”

The half dozen council members sway like willow trees in a stiff breeze, muttering.

“No! This is not true!” Pormo insists.

“This accusation is outrageous!” Rainen shouts.

“I think not. Sebastian, your apprentice, gave me the bottle of poison you and that peasant girl fed him. You all have until tomorrow morning to settle your affairs. Then you will meet the hangman. Your bodies will be on display until they rot and fall from the rope.”

Caterina smiles victoriously at Rainen. Sebastian looks at Rainen and shrugs, dutifully following behind his queen.

Caterina turns to Sebastian. “Your first duty as my new advisor is to bring Grayson back to me. Do not fail me.”