Tourelle glanced away, turning to Philippe. “Sire, as you can see, Varennes is unharmed. As I told you he would be. I merely imprisoned him here because he and his men attacked us without warning—”
“It is too late for lies, Tourelle,” Gaston said derisively. “The King will not believe you. One of my men is dead. A mere lad, and you cut him down—”
“And two of my men are dead,” Tourelle countered, still addressing the King. “Varennes killed one, and his squire another. It was an ambush, my liege, just as I said. My men managed to subdue Varennes, and I brought him here, with my ward. I was forced to strike her when she tried to attack me, and I have had to keep her locked in one of the tower bedchambers. He has turned her against me, sire. She would say or do whatever he tells her. I thought merely to hold them both here until I could send for you. I dispatched a rider to Paris days ago—”
“That’s not true at all,” Celine cut in angrily. “You were holding us here until you could think of some way to kill us while making it look like an accident.” She turned to Philippe. “He told me everything, sir. He was originally going to make it look like I fell through the ice on a lake and Gaston drowned trying to save me. He had it all planned. But now the ice is melted and he needed to think of something else.”
“Dear Christiane, how can you say that?” Tourelle gave her a wounded look. “Do you see how Varennes has twisted her mind, my liege? You cannot believe that I would kill my own beloved ward. It makes no more sense than her mad tale that she is from the future! The poor child suffers from some strange brain-fever, and this knave has taken advantage of her enfeebled mind to feed her all manner of lies.”
The King gazed at Celine with an expression of pity. He was clearly having difficulty believing anything she told him. Gaston realized with frustration that the truth would avail them naught here; it was simply too unbelievable without the proof of Celine’s odd pouch and its contents. Until Philippe saw that, all she claimed about herself—and about Tourelle and his treachery—would remain in doubt.
“Sire, my wife does not suffer from a brain-fever,” Gaston said flatly. “There is proof of what she says. I have seen it.”
“Saints’ breath,” Tourelle exclaimed, “they are both mad!”
“And where is this proof?” Philippe asked incredulously.
“My squire had it with him, but it seems he lost it in the forest—”
“Most convenient,” Tourelle sneered.
“Etienne did speak of a bundle,” Royce said. “He seemed to think it important.”
“But you said yourself that he was feverish,” the King replied.
“Sire, you cannot listen to this madness.” Tourelle raised his hands in a gesture of exasperation. “I am the one telling the truth of what happened. Varennes attacked me. He broke the truce. He should be forced to forfeit his holdings—”
“This cur is a liar and a murderer,” Gaston retorted, “as I have said from the beginning. It was he who ambushed us, when we were on our way to my chateau. Had I been planning to attack him, would I venture out with naught but two lads? And bring my wife along?”
“An excellent ruse to cover your true purpose,” Tourelle spat.
The King exhaled slowly, as if trying to hold his temper in check. “Alain, it was Gaston’s men who reached me in Paris first. How do you explain that?”
“Part of his scheme,” Tourelle replied quickly. “He knew he was planning to ambush me, so he had his men at the ready to leave for Paris. He knew that sending word of what happened would make him look innocent in this.”
“By nails and blood, that is an incredible tale,” Gaston scoffed, furious at the way Tourelle tried to slither and coil around the truth. “Sire, you have proof enough of the good and honorable Duc’s guilt: he has kept me imprisoned in his dungeon for days without food or water—”
“Small punishment for what you did,” Tourelle said.
“Lying whoreson—”
“Enough, both of you!” the King demanded.
His voice rolled through the chamber like a peal of thunder, leaving silence in its wake. Gaston could feel his liege lord’s anger radiating outward in waves. Celine shivered, and almost unconsciously Gaston tightened his arm around her shoulders, drawing her protectively closer.
After a taut moment, Philippe continued in that same tone. “It is apparent that I may never know the truth of this! But one thing is clear: you have both ignored my commands once more. I decreed that neither of you would raise arms against the other, but blood has been spilled anew, on both sides. How many more men must die before the two of you accept the peace that I have declared shall be?”