Dream of Me/Believe in Me

make you feel better.”
    Wondering how Eahlswith had guessed her stomach would still be disordered, Krysta tried to imagine how she could politely decline the food. But a glance at the tray reassured her. There was nothing save another cup of the infusion of chamomile that had helped her yesterday and several dry husks of bread. Ordinarily, such a meal would hold no appeal for her but she suddenly found herself tempted to try it.
    And after she had, she felt noticeably better. Enoughso that she was able to rise and dress without either dizziness or nausea. Delighted by her swift recovery, Krysta thanked the maid and left her chamber. She was making her way in the direction of the queen's solar when Esa intercepted her.
    Gloriously dressed and exquisitely beautiful, with absolutely no sign that
she
had woken up nauseous, Esa smiled coldly.
    “Why, it's the little servant girl. Of course, if you were a servant in my household, I would insist you dress better and do something with that awful hair of yours.”
    Krysta thought she was perfectly well dressed in a simple but attractive gown of forest green. She had let her hair down, tied back loosely along its length by several of the ribbons Hawk had given to her. Yet she had to admit she looked far less elegant than Esa.
    “Let me pass,” Krysta said and tried to go around the lady, but Esa merely laughed and rolled her eyes, setting off titters of amusement from her followers. Did she never go anywhere alone?
    “In such a hurry to get to the queen, are you? Poor, sweet Eahlswith is gulled by you now but that won't last long. Soon enough even she will realize how utterly un-suited you are to marry a lord who stands so high in the estimation of the king. I'm surprised Hawk even brought you here, but perhaps he intends for Alfred to see just how unworthy you are to be his wife.”
    “I have no wish for conflict with you,” Krysta said with dignity. Again she tried to continue on her way but the passage was small and Esa was able to block her.
    “You could not survive conflict with me,” the lady said bluntly. “You would do well to remember that. Since you are clearly as ignorant as you are inept, I will tell you that my brother, the Lord Udell, is first among the lords of Mercia. Oh, it is true that the family of the queen still imagines that honor is their own, and even that foolWolscroft thinks himself important, but they are quite mistaken. My brother now outstrips them all in the number of his shieldbearers and the acreage of his lands. He will bear no slight to me. Alfred knows this well. Were it not for the importuning of that Viking savage Hawk's poor, benighted sister wed, none of this would have happened.”
    “And yet it has happened,” Krysta said, looking at her more closely. Did she have no thought for matters beyond her own immediate wishes? “The people want peace. What can you do to bring it about?”
    The challenge so startled Esa that she was at a loss for words, if only for a moment. “You would do better to ask what I can do to prevent it. Have you any notion what would happen to Alfred's stand against the Danes if he could no longer hold together the alliance of the Saxon kingdoms?”
    Krysta really had very little idea of that since she knew almost nothing about how Alfred had put together the alliance to begin with. But obviously, it would not be anything good. “Why,” she asked, “would the Saxons be so foolish as to rebel against the leader who has brought them unity and peace?”
    Esa shrugged. “You really are quite simple, aren't you? They will do it because they are men. Men always like to fight and strive against each other. The moment one gains any supremacy, all the others are discontent. Alfred is no longer young. He has worn himself out in the struggle against the Danes. Besides, there are many who find his preoccupation with learning to be weak and foolish. Who needs such things when all that really matters is power?”
    As much as Krysta truly wanted to believe that Esa was merely being provocative, she had a sinking feeling that the lady was entirely serious. Looking into her clear gray eyes, she saw nothing but sharp ambition and contempt.
    “Lord Hawk values learning,” Krysta said. “He owns books and he reads them.”
    “What of it? Such is the fashion today.”
    “It is not fashion with him. He has a keen mind and the will to use it.”
    “Oh, does he?” How strange it was that Esa could even sneer