“Take her to a cell” Lady Sascheme addressed her guards then watched them escort a defeated Patricia from the hall. Once they had left the witch turned to the person she knew as Lady Jasmine. “So the hag thinks you might be a Princess? Let’s see” she intoned something and motioned. The audience gasped as Lady Jasmine’s hair shed its black dye which dropped to the ground like dust. Her hair had changed back to deep red.
“Do you recognise this girl Duke Henry?” asked the witch who sounded much younger.
“I don’t Lady Sascheme. Though her hair is Royal Red and her facial features would place her in the Royal family”
“She is definitely the girl who fled the capitol with the wine merchant” commented Duke Marcus. “Guards send a troop to this wine merchants house and have him arrested on suspicion of harbouring a Royal” The Duke thought that even if the wine merchant was innocent he could at least confiscate his cellar.
Lady Sascheme turned to the new Duchess. “Duchess. Do you recognise this girl as one of your cousins?”
“I love Lord Marcus. I am going to marry Lord Marcus” the former Lady Marie monotoned.
“Uh” commented Lady Sascheme before waving her hands at the Duchess. “Well Marie? You have spent plenty of time with the royal family. Do you know this girl?”
Duchess Marie looked at Jasper. She appeared puzzled. “This is the Lady Jasmine. One of the peasant rebels you forced on me as a lady in waiting. Why has she red hair?”
“Is she not your cousin?”
“No! She is an imposter. I have never seen this woman before today”
Baron Beckhom observed. “No doubt she is a royal bastard. The tyrant ravished half the women in the capitol”
Duke Marcus concurred. “That makes sense. I suspected that at the time when we intercepted her fleeing the capitol. I know all the Princesses. She is not an acknowledged Royal but that does not rule out that she was sired by the former king. Was your mother one of the king’s concubines Lady Jasmine or perhaps a palace servant?”
Jasper was still in shock after observing what had happened to her friend Patricia. “I…. I …. My mother was…Is …. a faithful spouse of my father. She was no-ones concubine or mistress” Jasper had to be careful not to tell an outright lie. The witch would be able to tell
Her reply bought a knowing chuckle from the three male committee members
“My fiancé has never denied her peasant upbringing. Her father was a grocer and her deceased husband a silversmith. She cannot be condemned just because that witch suspected Jasmine was a princess in disguise. I spent many years in the Royal household and have met all the senior princess’s. I had never set eyes on Jasmine prior to meeting her at the Countess of the Lake’s manor house. As a Captain of the Army I have proven my loyalty to the committee over and over. Please don’t punish my fiancé. She is innocent. Remember only this afternoon she saved us from an assassin”
“Your loyalty is not in doubt Sir Richard” Baron Beckom replied. “This woman was almost certainly sired by the tyrant. I say we treat her as we do any of the female royals, legitimate or illegitimate. We give them as brides to our deserving soldiers. I believe you already have a claim on this woman”
“I do my Lord”