Jean Genie
Copyright© 2026 by Rachael Jane
Chapter 4: Jeannia’s First Mission
Doña Esperanza is a wealthy and influential noblewoman in her mid fifties. Until his arrest, her husband, Don Carlos, was particularly devout to the teachings of the church, and he made generous donations to its coffers. Quite why he attracted the attention of the Inquisition remains unclear to Rosalia. Unlike the cautious and well respected Don Carlos, Rosalia’s late husband was an impetuous young man who paid the ultimate penalty for not thinking before acting.
Neither Rosalia nor her mother are heartbroken by the loss of their respective husband. Both marriages were arranged political or business alliances, with love playing a negligible part in their respective relationship. That doesn’t mean that Rosalia wishes the current situation to continue. Rosalia is attractive, and she is once again available on the marriage market. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown to her, she has attracted the attention of Caballero Alonso, an arrogant peacock of a man who is more than twice Rosalia’s age. He has already approached Doña Esperanza with an offer to use his influence with the Inquisition regarding Don Carlos’s imprisonment, in exchange for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Rosalia is repulsed at the idea, but she doesn’t wish her father to continue suffering at the hands of the Inquisition.
Rosalia’s main desires become clearer in her own mind. Firstly she must find a way to free her father from prison, and secondly, prevent her mother from bartering her daughter’s hand in marriage to the obnoxious Caballero Alonso ... or indeed, any man not of Rosalia’s choosing.
Of course, Rosalia has numerous other wishes in need of fulfilment, but she regards those as secondary to her two primary desires. She summons me from the bracelet for a second time. I help her clarify her actual wishes, hopefully avoiding unintended consequences. Freeing her father from prison will prove a short-lived achievement without proving his innocence to the Inquisition. Similarly, Caballero Alonso will only halt his pursuit of Rosalia once his affections are diverted towards another woman.
“How long before you can satisfy these wishes?” asks Rosalia.
I have no experience to draw on that can provide an answer to that question. I seek guidance from the bracelet, but my communication with it so far has been patchy at best. It seems able to read my thoughts, but answers are only sparingly given to my questions.
“Neither request can be granted instantaneously, my lady,” I reply, fudging an answer. “The magic will set to work at once, but results can take time.”
Rosalia is clearly impatient, and I’ve no idea how to go about delivering her requests. Nor do I understand whether my participation is required at all. For all I know, my part in all this has been completed, and the bracelet will do the rest. To that question I receive a response that I interpret as coming from the bracelet. Unfortunately its answer places me in a quandary.
On one hand I could sit back and let the bracelet satisfy Rosalia’s wishes. However, the bracelet on its own can only deliver superficial short-lived results. It can persuade the Inquisition that the current charges against Don Carlos are false, but not prevent new charges being laid. Someone betrayed Don Carlos to the Inquisition. Unless they are neutralised, they may continue their vendetta against him. As for dealing with Caballero Alonso, the magic can enamour him into falling for another woman, but only for a short while. For longer lasting results, my participation is required. Its like the difference between sweeping the dust under the carpet, and thoroughly cleaning the room.
To be honest, sitting back and twiddling my thumbs has never been my style. Besides, even though I have no sense of time while I’m trapped inside the bracelet, I long to be more active. Years have elapsed since my rescue from imprisonment in Burgalimar castle, but to me it seems but a few hours since I was freed from the months spent confined to my cell. This is my chance to do something useful, even though I have little idea of what I need to do.
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