Lorelei was livid. As the words slowly sank in, her cheeks flushed bright red. During her testimony, she had refrained from going in-depth about what had happened between her and master Argente. They had talked, he had told her about the deal with the Red Hands; afterward, he had ordered for some of her blood and hair to be taken for a hex intended to assassinate Noah. That had been it. But now, Neli was asking the very same question she had feared even before entering the room.

‘You idiot!’ she cursed herself, feeling her heart speeding up with each beat. ‘It’s all your fault! You and your big mouth! But… it was wrong to let an innocent man get implicated in a crime he did not commit.’

Lorelei could feel the penetrating gazes scrutinizing her. Even if she said that there hadn’t been anything between her and master Argente, would they believe her? She crossed eyes with Neli, who was sitting there, calm and dignified, and couldn’t see any animosity or glee in her face. Why, oh, why did she have to ask this in front of everybody? Even Noah had never asked! Lorelei had waited, and waited for over a week, but no one had inquired or questioned her purity. Why now of all times? To discredit her before the peers? To start rumors? But none of this would be of any help to Noah, rather it would show him in a bad light as someone who did not manage to protect the honor of his wife.

Her eyes slowly shifted to her husband only to be met by a rigid face and furrowed brow. By the Gods, he was angry! Angrier than he had been while reprimanding Bishop Petronius and Baba Tevishka. But there was also something else she could read in his eyes – pain. Her heart dropped. He suspected her! Only a word from Neli, and he was starting to ask himself the same question everybody was – had she been taken by another man? Was the chastity of the Duchess Norden violated? Had the Red Hands managed to put a stain on the ducal household?

This realization was like a stab in her chest. But with the stab, a drop of poison also entered.

‘Maybe he was suspicious all this time,’ she thought while trying to control the anger, fear, and pain bubbling in her heart. ‘Maybe that’s why he insisted for me to come personally and testify before the summit? Indeed, this is such a great opportunity to end our contract! What better way to get rid of the inconvenient bastard as fast as possible? No, he… he wouldn’t. Please, let me be wrong!’

Pushing back her thoughts with great effort, Lorelei opened her mouth to refute Neli’s claim but her husband spoke first.

“Lady Abrahmandar,” his tone was icy, “this is neither the place nor the time to discuss this.”

Hearing this, Lorelei’s heart fluttered. Maybe she was reading too much into it, but didn’t he… just stand up for her?! Against the person he considered a mother?

The old Marzbanati didn’t seem fazed by the reprimand.

“I beg to differ, my lord.” Neli straightened her back, her words remaining calm and traitorous like the surface of a mountain lake. “The chastity of the new Duchess Norden is a matter of national interest and security, especially at such an important time when the whole land is expecting the good news about a little prince on the way. If there is even the slightest suspicion that the new heir of Norden is not of the ducal blood-”

“Enough!” barked Noah, the anger in his gaze threatening to turn Neli into cinders. “I don’t want to hear even one more word.”

“But I think Lady Nelini has a point.”

“Who dares-?” Noah snapped back but choked before finishing his sentence. “Duchess!?”

Lorelei somewhat savored the stunned expressions appearing simultaneously on all faces around the table, and especially on Neli’s. There was no doubt, for whatever reason, the old Marzbanati had intended to slander her. Well, Lorelei had no intention to allow that. All her life she had been scorned and treated like a dirty mutt because of her parentage, because of something she had no influence or choice on. She had thought that coming to Norden, if not a happy occasion, would be at least a chance to start anew. She had tried to show the people around her that one’s worth was not measured by their birth and status, that honor was something one earned and wasn’t born with. And now, that woman tried to ruin her? To question her chastity when even her lord and husband hadn’t?

‘No more!’ Something in her mind snapped. ‘The timid bastard died the night the dhrowghost touched me. Merhek! You want to kick me out? Fine! You want to take my life? Fine! I have nothing to lose. But I won’t allow you to win by your rules!’

“My duchess,” Noah’s voice brought her back to reality, “I think you are too emotional to-”

“Do not worry, my lord,” she cut him up and looked around the table with a listless smile, stopping her gaze on Neli. “I am perfectly fine. As you and our esteemed guests have heard from my own tales, I tend to have thicker skin than one might anticipate.”

She slowly stroked the front of her gown without letting the old Marzbanati out of her sight.

“I agreed with Lady Abrahmandar, my lord, because I see merit in her words. If the next duke of Norden were to be a bastard, it would be a crime against the Gods and the Law of the Land.”

Lorelei felt the temperature in the room dropping considerably and saw with the corner of her eye Sir Gregor glaring at her with mouth agape. She continued, savoring every word:

“My duke, my honored lords and ladies, I could swear before the Fathers of Light and Darkness, and the Mother Above that my body is untouched by any other hand except my husband’s. Unfortunately, if oaths were unbreakable and unfalsifiable, there wouldn’t exist adultery in marriage. I could also suggest that the ladies gathered here today come and inspect me for my monthly bleeding. But again, I am facing an unfortunate fate. Since I have entered adulthood, my flowering days have been irregular and unpredictable. To solve this problem and address your fears, I have a solution that would have an immediate effect. Maybe some of the ladies here are acquainted with Bitter Water?”

The expression of baba Tevishka remained confused and oblivious but the wide-eyed looks that Neli and the Mother Prioress gave her meant that they had understood her. Before Lorelei could speak further, the old nun sitting next to her grabbed her hand.

“Foolish child! Take back what you said! Are you trying to die?!” She turned to Noah. “Your highness, please, if you cherish the duchess, don’t allow for this to happen!”

“Explain, Mother Roslinde,” Noah managed to hide his confusion and his voice didn’t even tremble, “what is the duchess suggesting? What is this Bitter Water?”

“It is a potion, my duke.” Neli rejoined the conversation. “It is mostly known in the Marzbanats under the name Zoste Ganeni, the Three Demons, and contains mugwort, pennyroyal, and silphion.”

“Spare me the folklore and ingredients. What does it do?”

“It clears the womb, my lord.” Lorelei looked Noah straight in the eyes as she replied and could see his gaze waver for a second. “This is the best way to make sure that I am not going to plant a cuckoo’s egg into the duke’s nest.”

“Shush, child!” Mother Roslinde almost jumped up. “My duke, I implore you, don’t consider allowing the use of this poison! One of my sisters has traveled the Marzbanats in her youth. She has told me stories of girls bleeding to death in agonizing pain after taking two sips from that Bitter Water! If you have a place for the duchess in your heart, please, don’t condemn her to death!”

“The Mother Prioress is overreacting,” said Lorelei. “Bitter Water is only dangerous in untrained hands. Your highness has witnessed my prowess in the healing arts. The risks are minimal and I’m more than willing to take them in order to cleanse my name of any suspicion.”

“If that is truly the lady’s choice…” Neli crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“No, it’s too dangerous!”

“I’ll be fine, Mother Prioress. I know what I’m doing.”

“No! Even if you survive, you might become barren for life!”

“Silence!” Noah’s voice interrupted them. “By the Gods, just be quiet all three if you!”

His outburst made Lorelei hold her breath. Was he going to shout? Was he… going to accept? Maybe he was going to find another excuse and quietly send her away. Any moment now she would read her verdict in those steely grey eyes.

At the head of the table, Noah rubbed his temples and exhaled.

“Lady Lorelei,” hearing her name, the young woman tensed up, “honestly, I don’t know where you’ve gotten that idea but your proposal is rejected.”

“My lord-”

“Let me finish. Lady Norden, before all these people, look me in the eyes and answer me – did that man rape you?”

The words rang in Lorelei’s head, bringing back all the dreadful memories – the dim room, the entrancing smoke coming out of the burners, those horrible hands over her body, that man’s arousal pressing against her… Lorelei managed to swallow the bitter bile crawling up her throat. All the anger and determination she had mustered up just a moment ago dissipated. She could be strong when facing Neli, the Bishop, even master Argente but before Noah’s gaze, she reverted to a helpless child, yearning for protection. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she peered into the depths of her husband’s eyes.

“No,” her tone was quiet but resolute. “He didn’t rape me. You came in time.”

“That’s all that I need.”

Saying this, Noah stood up abruptly, prompting everyone to do the same. Before Lorelei could gather herself and follow suit, her husband had already reached her side of the table. Laying gently a hand on her shoulder, he pushed her down in her seat and turned to face the confused summit.

“You all heard the words of the duchess. I accept and trust them, and so should you. This should be all the proof you need. Doubting her means you are also doubting me. If I hear anyone discuss this matter further, I’ll consider it an attempt to slander the ducal authority and the perpetrator will be punished accordingly, no matter who they are.”

A hall of rigid faces looked at each other, then at the man standing before them. One by one, they bowed in silent agreement. Satisfied with their response, Noah turned to Lorelei and his frown softened.

“My wife, this meeting has surely drained you. There are some smaller matters left to be discussed but nothing that requires your immediate attention. Would you like to retire to your chambers?”

“If you don’t need me, my lord,” said Lorelei, suddenly feeling extremely tired, “I think that I would accept your courtesy.”

Noah helped her up and she leaned on his arm as he escorted her to the door.

“Should I bring you back to your room?” he whispered so that only she could hear him. “You don’t look well.”

“I am fine,” she replied in kind. “Rish is waiting outside.”

The two reached the door and Noah hesitated for a bit but then bent his waist and kissed her hand.

“When I finish, I’ll come by to see how you are.”

“Do as you wish, my lord.” Lorelei curtsied and hurriedly left the room.

As the heavy door slammed behind her back, all the strength drained from her limbs. She wobbled a few steps across the hallway, reaching the window on the other side, and pressed her burning forehead on the glass. Everything was spinning, her knees were shaking, and her stomach unceasingly tried to regurgitate what little she had had for breakfast. She wanted to crash into her bed, but reaching her room unassisted was out of the question. She needed help.

This thought finally nudged her brain in the right direction. Rish? Why wasn’t she here? Did something happen?

“Rish!” With a weak voice, Lorelei called for her friend, her words almost getting drowned by the drumming of the rain. “Rish, where are you!”

She tried to look around but the moment she moved away from the window a new wave of nausea overcame her. Lorelei coughed and slowly slid to the floor. Through the ringing in her ears, she managed to register a door opening and closing and hurried steps approaching her. Did Noah come back for her?

The light steps reached her and two frantic hands tried to straighten her up.

“My lady!” Rish’s worried voice bore through the fog. “What happened? What’s wrong with you?”