Author's Preface
Content Warning: This chapter contains references to child abuse, pregnancy loss, sexual exploitation, and prejudice.
Jaziel assisted Shani up into the carriage. He found it quite cute watching her contemplate how to reach the first step, but he needed her gone so best to help move things along. The carriage man folded the steps and Jaziel closed the door. He stepped back toward the entrance.
Shani waved out the window at him. It was quite the dangerous position, she could fall. Well, he supposed that could wait after she returned. He smiled and waved back. Once they were finally gone from view, his smile dropped. Now… his investigation could begin.
The archive. That would be his first stop.
As he approached the archive, he could hear the murmurs and conversations behind the doors. Though it was still quite early, it seemed the staff was eager to work. A proud smile crossed his face. That is, before he opened the door. Dust floated through the air like glistening stars. The servants were holding documents and chatting, but it didn’t seem to be about work.
No. They were socializing. The scent of must and paper hung in the air, and from a distance Jaziel could make out dust along the shelves. Jamila had really been too relaxed. He would have to fix it later, though.
He took in the aides’ names and faces and made a mental note for later. Then, once more, his easygoing smile returned as he stepped further into the room. A younger aide was the first to notice him and instantly stiffened. The others noticed his reaction and followed suit before bowing deeply. All the enjoyment they had earlier was gone. The oldest man stepped forward, lowering his head.
“My lord... what brings you to our remote corner?” he asked quietly, making sure his eyes never met Jaziel’s. Jaziel’s smile widened, and he motioned for everyone to relax. Slowly, people began to stand upright, looking at him hesitantly.
“You all have been working so hard... the empress believed you deserved a break.” His tone was as smooth as honey as the lies poured out. The people glanced at each other around the room, doubt and a hint of guilt lacing their faces.
“It’s her first time going to town with the princess... so she told me to let everyone start work an hour later,” he continued. Doubt still lingered, but who were they to question someone from the stars’ lineage? Besides... a break was a break. They bowed their heads in gratitude before shuffling out. The oldest was the last to remain behind.
“That includes you,” Jaziel replied politely. The older gentleman hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Thank you... My lord... but i must lock up.”
Jaziel nodded as if considering his statement. Then his expression brightened as if he’d had an epiphany.
“I know! How about I lock up for you?” he chirped. The gentleman hesitated.
“Unless... you don’t think you can trust someone from the royal line?” he continued before the man could say anything, cocking his head as he leveled a stare at him. The head aide’s eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly.
“Of course not, my lord! I would be most grateful!” he said with a quick bow as he offered Jaziel the keys. Jaziel shook his head.
“Not to worry... I already have a set. The palace is my domain, after all,” he said with a wink. The man bowed once more before excusing himself from the room. Jaziel waved him off with a chipper smile. Silence settled over the space. Once he was sure no one else was around, he shut the door. The click of the lock echoed through the room.
An hour would be more than enough.
Jaziel hummed an old lullaby as he moved through the archive, making his way further and further toward the back of the large room. To those who didn’t know the archive, it was like a maze. Towering shelves filled with parchments and documents stretched as far as the eye could see, spanning multiple levels. There were no windows so as not to damage the papers, and some of the older, more important documents were chained and locked away. Those required a high level of clearance.
Luckily for Jaziel… there was no one higher in the palace than him. Well… besides Jamila.
He stopped at a shelf where an impressive amount of dust had gathered and started pulling out documents, making sure to take note of where they had come from.
“Land rights, slavery compensation, courtesans, yada yada…” he mumbled as he scanned over the parchments. They were indeed old, dating back to his father’s reign. But nothing here stood out as unusual. Not for the bastard, at least. He was a greedy and controlling man in every facet of his being. Whether it was the kingdom, women, or how he expected his children to behave.
Jaziel sighed, pushing the thoughts away as he carefully put back the documents and moved deeper into the labyrinth. Every couple of shelves, he stopped to scan the documents before putting them back. Over and over, the dance repeated. He was beginning to get frustrated when he froze. A document had been placed in the wrong section.
It was his father’s will. The one that named Jamila as heir.
His jaw clenched as he took in the penmanship. It started out in his father’s handwriting but slowly morphed into someone else’s. He recognized it instantly. It belonged to a woman who hated him, who had tormented him through all of his etiquette lessons. A woman who disciplined him until his legs shook and his fingers bled from holding a quill. A woman who always stared not at him, but through him, with a hatred he never understood.
“…Nimue,” he murmured.
His expression didn’t change, but his eyes danced with flames as he traced a finger along the all-too-familiar penmanship. It made him nauseous. He understood his father had been blind near the end of his life. But why would a maid… no, a wet nurse… be recording royal matters in the king’s place? He had aides for that.
He put back the document and continued searching, scanning more quickly now. Something in his gut told him he was close to an answer. And his gut was never wrong.
Then he found it.
It was an old ledger, one that began when his mother was pregnant with them. His throat bobbed as he took in his mother’s handwriting. It was still as lovely, as perfect as he remembered. He took a shaky breath as his eyes burned, steeling his heart once more.
Jaziel read over it slowly, part of him trying to take in the recorded information while the other was memorizing every stroke and line. He paused at the end, confusion crossing his features.
It was pretty normal to start with. Jewelry, dresses, silks, candles, and other things required of the palace to keep up with trends. Women’s work. But as he continued down the ledger, he noticed recurring payments, all to the same familiar name. Nimue. The amount was far beyond a maid’s salary, which was what Nimue had been at the time. Far more than most merchants made. But of course, not too much for Gildan to manage.
That was strange, but even stranger was the duration. Ten months. She was paid that amount for a little over ten months before her salary changed once more, dropping. It was still generous, but nowhere near as exorbitant. And beside the first payment was a small note.
Nimue will be Jamila’s wet nurse.
A new thought struck him, as if a veil had suddenly been pulled from his eyes.
How?
How had Nimue become a wet nurse? She had no children. He had always assumed that was why she’d become so attached to Jamila and Shani. She had nieces and nephews but Nimue was childless. Heck, he was sure she never had a husband in all her years. Yet… she’d somehow produced milk and become Jamila’s wet nurse because their mother couldn’t produce enough for both children.
Realization dawned, his stomach turning at the thought. He remembered Nimue was quite pretty when they were children. Not his taste. She was a spitfire, as his father called her, and Jaziel preferred his women more… demure and intelligent. A laugh escaped his throat as he once more looked over those first ten months. But there was no humor to be found in his eyes.
“Perhaps Jam gets her taste in lesser people from our father,” he mumbled to himself before he could think better of it. As soon as the words left his lips, he felt his stomach drop. The last thing he wanted was to think of his niece’s donor. He scratched his neck, trying to get his thoughts back on track.
He wasn’t certain, but he knew exactly where to go next. Jaziel closed the ledger and placed it gingerly back in the spot he’d retrieved it from. He turned away and began walking back toward the entrance.
When he finally left the archive, no one so much as glanced in his direction.
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