is the final corridor before we reach the ante-chamber of the Audience Chamber.'
'Will it be guarded?' Rampton asked.
'There will definitely be guards in the ante-chamber, and that is without doubt,' Ysabel looked around their faces again, 'and most likely some within this chamber.'
'How will we get past these final guards?' Winterburne asked. 'I have only a shortsword and in this dress it's not going to be easy to fight.'
'Perhaps it will not come to that,' Ysabel replied, 'and there is still some small chance that they may yet believe that we are just flower sellers.'
All the men looked around each other's faces, and from the look in their eyes Winterburne could tell that none of them were convinced of that either. Then he turned his face towards Ysabel, and nodded towards the door.
'Go on,' he said, 'try the handle.'
Ysabel turned the lever and pushed the door open. It swung silently inwards and slowly, as Winterburne peered over her shoulder, the Long Hall was revealed. Paintings, all along the walls, showed themselves as the door opened and stretching from the doorway all along the corridor lay a deep-red carpet forming a pathway that led in a straight line to the far end. There were no guards.
'Hmm,' Ysabel said, 'I was not expecting that.'
'Where are they?' Winterburne asked.
'A good question.' Ysabel stepped into the corridor and beckoned the men to follow. As they passed her she pushed the door closed behind them. 'If the ante-chamber is empty too, then we can enter the Audience Hall unchallenged.'
'Is that likely?' Rampton asked.
'Who knows,' Ysabel said, 'after all, I was expecting guards to be stationed here.'
Ysabel set off towards the door at the far end of the corridor, passing the gilded chairs and decorated walls towards what should be their final hurdle. Winterburne noticed that she had raised herself to the balls of her feet, tiptoeing as she approached the door. She turned, holding her finger to her lips to bid them all to be quiet, then she pressed her ear against the door for a moment, closing her eyes as she strained to try to hear what may lie beyond. Ysabel looked back at the men, pulling a face and shaking her head.
Then, without warning the door swung opened wide. A troop of heavily armed guards stood in their path and they lowered their sharpened spears at Ysabel and the others. Standing behind the soldiers was the Speaker, the foot of his staff planted firmly on the ground. Moments later the door through which they had come opened wide and more guards entered. They marched down the corridor directly towards them, led by what looked to be an officer of some kind.
'This is not good,' Winterburne said, lowering his basket of flowers.
'Leave this to me,' Ysabel said, and pulled herself upright.
The officer marched up to the group and Ysabel stepped forward, pushing herself gently past Winterburne.
'His Majesty said that you would come,' the officer said.
'I had to try, Captain.'
The man nodded. 'I know.' He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing it. 'I hardly know what to call you now?'
'Ysabel,' she said. 'My name is Ysabel.'
'I am to take you to the dungeons, Ysabel.' He looked up and around the faces of the others. 'All of you.'
'I understand,' Ysabel said.
'I am sorry,' the officer replied, 'it is not a personal thing, but I have my orders and my allegiance must be to the crown, and to my country first and foremost.'
'You have no choice, I know that,' Ysabel replied. 'Honestly, I hold no hard feelings towards you, or indeed all the other fine men under your watch.' She looked around all of the faces of the men that had accompanied the Captain.
The Captain lowered his eyes from Ysabel's gaze.
Ysabel raised her hand to put her fingers below his chin, lifting the man's head gently, and she looked into his eyes, smiling.
'But,' she said, 'before you take us away, let me tell you something. Something very important that you need to hear.' She paused. 'Then, when you have heard it, if you still decide to take us down, we will go willingly.'
oOo
Courtenay breezed through the side door of the Audience Chamber, striding past the the guards positioned around the edge of the room. They brought themselves to attention as he passed.
The Electors had seen him enter, and as one they rose to their feet shouting and calling from their seats, waving their arms and gesturing towards him. The guards that had been placed around them to keep them in their positions lowered their spears, pointing their sharpened weapons in their direction. It was an effective threat and their cries faded away.
'Duchess Rennick,' Courtenay said, as he approached the Council members, 'please ensure that your rabble remain under control at all times. It does your credibility no good whatsoever.'
All the Electors sat, with the exception of the Duchess. She had stayed on her feet and leaned towards him across the bar that separated them.
'Why are you still holding us?' she asked.
'Duchess,' he said, 'the state has determined that the group formerly known as The Electors are a subversive group,' he said, 'and it is in the interest of the Commonwealth that they remain under arrest.'
The Electors jumped up from their seats again and shouted, waving their arms.
Courtenay stood and raised his voice above the din. 'Indefinitely!' he shouted.
The cacophony of noise that erupted made it impossible for any one person to be heard above any other.
'I will speak to no other than Duchess Rennick!' Courtenay held up his hands, 'For it seems that she has become the self-appointed spokesperson for you all.'
The noise subsided and the others sat on the edge of their seats, leaving the Duchess as the lone council member on her feet again.
'You are a fraud and a usurper, Courtenay,' the Duchess said. 'You will not get away with this.'
Courtenay placed his hand on his chest. 'I am stunned, Duchess,' he said. 'Stunned. And, may I say, deeply offended that you all give such little regard for the great tradition of democracy that has been fostered over the centuries by this noble country.' He smiled to himself. 'And all because you do not like the result of due process.'
'Due process!' Duchess Rennick screamed. 'You kidnapped our children!'
The Electors turned towards the Duchess, open-mouthed.
'Is this true?' several of the others said, together, as Dukes Whitney and Becker also rose to their feet.
'Duchess,' Courtenay said, 'you really will have to control yourself, or else I will have to have you removed from the chamber.' The guards looked around at him nervously.
'Where are they?' Duke Whitney called. 'I want assurances that all the children are safe.'
'Honestly, I have no idea of what it is that you are saying.' Courtenay addressed the remaining council members and pointed at the three. 'I do not know what poison these...these traitors have been spreading amongst you all, but it is lies.'
'Traitors?' Bekker cried. 'How dare you!'
'I dare,' Courtenay said, leaning towards him, 'because it is the truth.'
oOo
The door to the chamber crashed opened and Ysabel marched into the arena.
'No it is not!' she called. 'It is Courtenay that lies...with every word that passes his lips!'
Winterburne followed Ysabel into the room with Rampton and Marek at either arm. The Speaker led the Captain who was followed by at least two dozen of the Guard that the they had been able to collect on their way to the chamber.
The men fanned out and formed a cordon around Ysabel and the others, readying their weapons towards their colleagues stationed around the hall. It was entirely possible, Winterburne thought, that the outcome of this was still in the balance and who knew how many of the guards in the hall would remain loyal to Courtenay.
The soldiers that had surrounded the Electors turned to face their compatriots, a clear look of confusion and bewilderment on their faces.
'Seize her!' Courtenay pointed towa
rds Ysabel. 'I command you! She has been declared an enemy of the state and must be taken.'
Men looked around the faces of their colleagues, and at the troops that had accompanied Ysabel. For a moment, Winterburne could tell, they had thought about fighting, but then, to a man, they raised the points of their weapons.
Ysabel looked across at the Electors. 'We have freed your children, my friends. They are safe.'
'I command you to take down this woman!' Courtenay screeched at the men that he considered his own.
Ysabel turned towards Courtenay. 'It will do no good,' she said, 'for it seems that even my Palace guards know more of our laws than do you, Lord Courtenay.'
Ysabel pushed her way past the front rank of her men, walking slowly towards the throne.
'Who are you to call these men your guards?' Courtenay said. 'You are no longer Queen.'
'Oh, but you see, it seems that, even to my own great surprise, I am.' Ysabel looked around the faces of the crowd, and as she saw the face of the Speaker she waved him forward. 'Please explain,' she said to him.
The Speaker stepped forward. 'I have been deeply uneasy about the constitutional implications of the recent changes to the throne,' he said. 'So, I spent some time in the Queen's library, studying the books of law, looking for reassurance and guidance. Trying to find something to set my mind at rest, as it were.
'There is no exact precedent, of course, to support what has taken place here,' he said, 'and this seems to be quite a unique case, but there is an old clause in the Electoral Laws of our land. Quite obscure it is true, but nonetheless, it is there, if you look deeply enough. It