That night, Ianthe shyly asked Jana to sleep in her room. Neither girl was able to get much sleep that night. Ianthe awoke in the morning, and came to kneel near the pallet of the young foreign girl, and looked solemnly down into Jana’s eyes.
“What shall we do? My heart aches for love of you!”
Jana slowly nodded, her face grave. Love was like a sweet pain inside her. “That’s because it’s still new,” she said, from some wisdom inside her.
“Let us kneel here, and pledge our love forever!” said Ianthe, urgently.
Ianthe made Jana kneel facing her, as bride and bridegroom traditionally did at a marriage among Ianthe’s people.
“I, Ianthe, pledge to thee, Jana, my love, and promise to keep thee, and all of thine, safe in my care, until my life’s end!”
Jana was speechless with shock. “You have taught me something,” Jana said, deeply moved, her eyes bright with tears.
“You need to pledge nothing,” said Ianthe, softly, “I know your heart!”
Taking a deep breath, Jana began.
“I Jana, pledge to you, my Princess Ianthe, my life, to love and protect you and yours, as long as I live.”
They kissed, long and tenderly, to seal their pledge to each other, but it was a chaste kiss, because it was not a time for lust.
“Let’s go fix breakfast,” Jana said, sounding subdued.
There was a dream-like quality to those first few days. There was much to learn: how to behave towards each other, both in private and in public, whether to touch, or give loving looks; to conceal their new relationship from all, most of all the Queen; how their new relationship affected their feelings towards their friends, such as Andromache and Penelope, and Sophia, and little Nina.
Nina was not only innocent, but simple. Out of an irrational belief that the child’s life would be brief, Ianthe had felt a special tenderness towards the little girl. However, as the lady daughter of the Queen, she had cultivated a certain aloofness towards the servants. Those who knew her saw through this, but it restricted their behavior nonetheless.
Since the cooks had died, though, and Jana had assumed supervision of the kitchen, their attitude towards Nina was more openly affectionate, as Jana’s had always been. Now, with her heart newly tender with her new love, Ianthe found it a sweet puzzle as to how to moderate her love towards Nina. Sophia, in contrast, was keenly intelligent and observant. Fortunately she was also fiercely loyal to Ianthe.
It was up to Jana, Ianthe and Nina to make breakfast; Sophia was also the Queen’s personal maid, and they did not expect her down to help. But Ione was a sensible woman, and did not burden Sophia with frivolities, and so the young maid often did come down to help prepare breakfast, for the sheer joy of the shared company in the kitchen.
Penelope was a complex problem for Ianthe. “She’s very intelligent, and loyal,” said Ianthe to Jana privately, with the air of a much older woman speaking indulgently of a mere child. “But she is fascinated by you, Jana; I wouldn’t be surprised if she had, well … feelings for you!”
“What can we do?” Jana asked, quietly. No problem was too small for tender-hearted Jana to consider seriously.
“Nothing,” said Ianthe, slumping. “I used to be jealous, because I considered you my personal … that I owned you, in a childish way,” she explained, blushing. Jana nodded, as always startled by not only Ianthe’s mind, but her skill at explaining ideas. “But now that … you’re mine--far more than before, at least-- I don’t feel so jealous … I’m sure I could see her lust after you, and endure it.”
“I’m fond of her, too,” Jana said seriously. “Don’t be jealous or envious.”
Ianthe nodded. “That’s your way, and that’s why I love you!”
“Because I’m fond of Penelope?”
“Because you have a large heart!”
Jana studied her. “You love me, and so you think I am perfect!”
“No. I know you better than anyone. Even if I hated you, I would know how big-hearted you are!”
Their conversations often had this abstract flavor, because Ianthe was fascinated by the logic of love: what was it; how did it change people, and so on.
But Penelope’s case became not so abstract very soon. She was dropped off in her family coach unexpectedly one afternoon, and they saw her hurrying into the kitchen where the Queen was eating her noon meal. She was always allowed free access to the palace, and at first they were not alarmed to see her. But they soon saw that she looked stricken. She knelt at Ione’s feet.
“What’s the matter, Penelope? Are you in trouble?”
“Oh, my Lady! My parents! My mother!” she began to weep.
“What is wrong? Can I help? Is she ill?”
“No, no! O Queen, it is she! She’s the one trying to p-poison you! I p-pretended that you had asked me to c-come s-wim in the p-pool, and I have c-come to tell you! Oh please, don’t be harsh with her, I beg you!”
Ione had lost her regal air of late. Jana brought a chair and helped the quivering Penelope into it, and Ianthe brought her a drink. Ione was a picture of consternation.
“What exactly did you hear, Penelope? Let me judge for myself how serious this is!”
Penelope calmed herself down with an effort. She had heard her mother say that poison was too difficult, now with that ‘foreign girl’ cooking for the Queen. She had washed her hands of it. Her last words had been, ‘Leave me out of it.’
“Oh, my beloved Alethea, … how could you?” the Queen murmured, her eyes closed. It was too much for Penelope, who huddled into a miserable ball and sobbed. Jana knelt by her, murmuring words of comfort to her, after which she exchanged glances with Ianthe.
“Don’t cry,” Ianthe said, coming to her friend. “We’re all alive, thanks to you… and we’ll know we need to fear poison, at least, no longer!”
“But my mother!” wailed Penelope. “What will become of her?”
“That’s between me and her, dear; once I understand her motives, we can get to the bottom of this nightmare. Penelope, we’re all deeply grateful for your courage in warning us, child. It was frightening, not knowing why there was such determination to do away with us all!”
“Mother! I think I know it!” cried Ianthe. Everyone turned to the excited young princess.
With clear logic, Ianthe traced the influence and the motives. It ultimately led to the Duke of the small province to the west, a cousin of Ione herself. He had a claim to the throne, as well as a grudge against the Queen for abolishing tolls on all roads maintained by her, including tolls on the Great West Road, crucial to the economy of the land, but a great loss of revenue for the Duke. On careful reflection, it had to be admitted that this was the obvious motive, now clear in retrospect.
[Next installment: Episode 9]
K
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