The Duke's Masked Wife

"Eleanor, you need to explain what you are talking about because it is not just me that you are worrying with your outburst. Why do you need to go to the palace?" Bryce asked as he stood up with her.

Eleanor looked at Bryce and all the other confused faces in the room. She was sure the familiar taste she got when she drank the queen's tea came from the same remedy she grew up smelling. Eleanor was familiar with it so much that she became sick of the smell and her body would instinctively try to throw up as if she had drunk it.

Eleanor was so comfortable in the palace that it slipped her mind this was what she had tasted. Now that she smelled it once again there was no one in this world who could tell her it was something else. It made sense that the remedy was masked by the strong scent of tea mix. It was something her mother did to help newer girls drink it as they were not fond of the bitter aftertaste.

"I will be back soon," Eleanor started to run instead of explaining herself. She was certain about this but didn't want to get anyone else tangled up in this.

"Eleanor!" Bryce called after her whilst he followed her out. He didn't understand how they went from talking about scents to having to go to the palace. "Eleanor! Slow down a second and explain this to me. Why must you go to the palace?"

"We all drank it. Everyone except for the queen. I drank mine and her tea. Mine didn't taste odd but the queens did. Alessandra and Heather had some too," Eleanor rambled as she ran outside in search of a carriage to take her to the palace. "I need a carriage."

"Eleanor," Bryce held her hand to stop her. "Slow down a moment. I didn't catch a word you said other than tea. We took my carriage here, remember?"

Eleanor licked her lips out of nervousness. "The day I visited the palace I drank tea with the queen, Alessandra Collins, and another young woman. There was something familiar about the tea meant for the queen but I don't know why I foolishly skipped over it or forgot. I know those scents anywhere. We need to get to the palace now to tell the king and queen. We are wasting time."

Bryce was in shock that Eleanor had caught onto someone preventing the queen from getting pregnant. It was a hot topic all over the town as everyone wondered when there would be an heir.

"Bryce!" Eleanor's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Bryce looked ahead and saw how far away she already was. "I-I coming," he replied, running to catch up to her.

They found his carriage and started to make the long journey to the palace. Eleanor was unable to keep still and endlessly shifted in her seat.

"Eleanor, this might make me sound like a bad person but we have to think for a moment. Anyone who is bold enough to do this to the queen is not someone you would want to anger. What if they set their sights on you for ruining their plans?" Bryce asked as he was concerned for Eleanor's safety more than anything else. They shouldn't get involved with games in the palace and should probably use another way to alert the queen.

"I can't know what I know and not tell anyone. Can you imagine the pressure she faces to have an heir but it is not her fault? I understand your concerns but I can't keep my mouth shut. I have to tell her even if there is a slim chance I might be wrong," Eleanor replied.

Bryce sighed, "You will need another approach because the guards might throw you right in the dungeon and question you with all sorts of measures. You might have met the queen but she is out of town, remember?"

'"Shit," Eleanor cursed as she only now remembered the queen and king were not in town. Everyone knew that. "Then I must go to the Duchess and let her husband do something about it. There is a chance something could have been wrong with her tea too. Have your driver take us there. We are already going in that direction."

Bryce hesitated for a moment but after a deep breath he said, "I can't."

Bryce had not forgotten Edgar and his wife catching him with Oliver at the ball. It would be awkward for him to show up at the Duke's home and Oliver would not talk to him if he learned he was anywhere near Edgar.

"No? What has gotten into you, Bryce? This is not like you. You are aware the health of our queen is at stake? I have the connections to get the medicine she needs to turn this around and you are saying no?" Eleanor asked in complete disbelief at what was going through the mind of her lifelong friend. "If you are scared that you will get tangled up in this, I won't-"

"That is not it. Stop the carriage," Bryce spoke loud for the driver to hear.  "I will let you use the carriage to get there but I am not going with you. I hope everything ends well," he said, opening the door and stepping outside the moment the carriage stopped.

"Are you kidding me, Bryce? Tell me what it is that is stopping you from going to the Duke's house or I will no longer speak with you," Eleanor said, holding the door so that he could not close it on her.

"I'm sorry," Bryce apologized before going to where the driver sat. This wasn't something he could speak to Eleanor about and she would be able to offer him advice. This town wasn't used to his kind and he would rather not see Edgar who was aware of his relationship. "Take her to the Duke's estate and then return for me on this road. Go now."

The carriage started to move again and as it passed by where Bryce stood, the door was still wide open and Eleanor could not believe the one person she expected would come along with her no matter what was ditching her. It was a slap in the face for him to be so secretive when she was always so open with him.

Eleanor slowly closed the door as she had no time to think about Bryce or stop the carriage to speak with him. As of right now, getting the message to Alessandra was more important. Eleanor rested her head back against the seat, thinking of how she would tell Alessandra about the tea. Her feet kept bouncing as she could not handle how painfully slow it was taking for the carriage to reach Alessandra.

Eleanor bit her nails one by one, a habit she never had until now.

After too many minutes of traveling to the Duke's estate, Eleanor's nervousness increased when the carriage finally stopped in front of the gates of the Collins home. There was another nerve-wracking couple of minutes as she stated her name and had to wait for permission to enter.

"Finally," she felt relieved when the gates started to open and the carriage moved once more. Eleanor contemplated hopping out of the carriage and running up to the house as it might be faster in her eyes. "I can't wait," Eleanor decided, opening the door of the carriage before it could park, and began running up the steps so she could deliver the message sooner.

"Eleanor-"

"Duchess!" Eleanor sighed in relief when she found Alessandra standing by the door as she finally reached someone who could help her. "The tea. Neither you nor the queen should drink the tea!"