by Kiera Cass
“Good luck, son,” Uncle Reid said, placing a hand on Etan’s shoulder, passing him some of the more incriminating letters. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
Etan nodded, shaking his father’s hand. We had hope that people would follow, but if Etan failed . . .
We’d have no way of knowing until it was far too late.
Etan embraced his mother and whispered something in her ear. I watched as she squinted, taking in the seriousness of his request. He stepped back and looked into her eyes. There was something deeper than a goodbye happening there, almost as if they were making promises. He took a deep breath, and she slowly nodded.
He then moved to Mother, kissing her cheek. “Keep this lot together,” he instructed teasingly. She smiled as he moved to Scarlet.
“Last chance to be queen. I’d hand it over in a heartbeat. Without question or remorse.”
Scarlet smiled, perfectly composed, and sank into the deepest curtsy.
“Fair enough,” Etan said when she stood. He kissed her forehead and moved over to me.
Face-to-face, knowing the danger in front of us, there were so many things I wanted to say. Even if we hadn’t had an audience, I couldn’t have gotten it all out.
“I will be back,” he whispered. “Please, please . . . stay safe.”
“You, too,” I breathed.
He laced his fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck and kissed my forehead, staying there maybe just a moment too long, then turned to Valentina.
“Come, Your Majesty; we don’t have much time.”
Valentina looked at us all one last time and disappeared quietly into the hallway. Etan didn’t look back, and I hoped that the flash of his riding cape around the edge of the door wasn’t the last I’d ever see of him.
Twenty-Seven
NONE OF US SLEPT THAT night. And we all stayed awake through the following day. I had no idea how long it took to raise an army, but I would not be able to settle until I saw a pair of gray-blue eyes riding back up to the castle.
I doubted any of us would. Uncle Reid was stealthy but speedy in his work. Unwilling to leave anything in writing in case something should fail, he was in and out of the apartments, passing information to other nobles and double-checking the strength of our numbers.
Even Mother and Aunt Jovana had been receiving guests, the wives and daughters of exclusive families, confirming that they were behind us, and helping those who should have gone home by now provide valid excuses to the staff for needing more time in their rooms.
I didn’t know these people, and while I wasn’t unwelcome, I didn’t feel comfortable adding to the conversation. I wouldn’t feel at ease until Etan was back, until it was all settled and done. Before then, anything could happen.
As I was perched at the window, watching the horizon as the sun went down, I whispered my worries to Scarlet as she came to settle beside me.
“He’s not hurt, is he?” I asked.
“No, he’s not hurt,” Scarlet assured me.
I swallowed, sweeping my eyes across the field again. I heard someone snoring. Uncle Reid was deep in prayer, but I thought Mother had fallen asleep in a chair. I didn’t look back to check on Aunt Jovana. “No one’s accused him of being a traitor and murdered him somewhere in the countryside and left him in an unmarked grave, right?”
Scarlet narrowed her eyes and turned to me. “That’s very specific, Hollis.”
“It’s the image that keeps coming to me. That he tries and tries to explain the truth, but no one believes him. And he’s one man against many. I’m terrified he’s dead somewhere, and we have no way of knowing.”
“Have some faith, Hollis.” I tore my eyes from the horizon to look at my sister, and she placed a hand on my shoulder as she went on. “Etan . . . he’s strong. Maybe too strong. And he’s fighting for something good; he won’t be taken down. Besides . . .”
She closed her lips tight like maybe she was saying too much. But she glanced around at the otherwise engaged members of our family and lowered her voice to a whisper all the same.
“Besides, he’s definitely coming back for you.”
“Shhhh!” I insisted, checking that no one was listening. “We’ve been over this.”
“Yes, and you clearly weren’t listening to me.”
“I told you. He doesn’t care for me like you think he does.” I sat up straighter. “He asked if we could finally call ourselves friends. Friends, Scarlet. No declaration of undying love, no request for me to wait while he avenges his family, no anything of the sort. Friends.”
She let her chin settle into her arms as they rested on the stone sill of the widow. “And why do you think he made such a request, dear sister?”
Because it was the only way to save face after making the massive mistake of kissing me, I thought.
“Because, at the very least, he doesn’t hate me anymore, and he wanted to let me know that before we inevitably part ways,” I said.
She smiled at me like I was the simplest creature she’d ever met.
“Because he thinks you’d reject him if he dared to ask for more.”
I sighed. “And all this time I thought you were so observant.” I turned my eyes back to the gate.
“Would you have?”
“Have what?”
“Rejected him?”
“What do you mean?”
She huffed. “If Etan had declared his undying love, if he had asked you to wait for him . . .”
“Oh. That’s . . . He didn’t ask that.”
“For goodness’ sake, but if he had, Hollis.”
“No, all right?” I lowered my voice again quickly, seeing heads rise in my periphery. After a steadying breath, I whispered my reply. “I certainly wouldn’t have told anyone about it because I don’t want you thinking I didn’t care about Silas, but no . . . I wouldn’t have rejected him. I’d have sent him an open invitation myself if I were free to.”
I swallowed, feeling a strange ache in my chest now that I’d admitted it out loud.
Scarlet’s hand was on mine. “I know, in my heart of hearts, that if Silas were here, you’d have devoted your life to his happiness. I know you to be loyal and caring, almost to a fault. You mustn’t hold it against yourself that you never had the opportunity to prove it. We certainly don’t. You are free, Hollis.”
“I’m not. It would hurt Mother, I just know it.” I toyed with the ring on my finger, the one that she gave me, the one passed down from Jedreck himself. I’d earned the right to wear it by marrying her son. I couldn’t just abandon it. “Besides, if Etan succeeds, he will be king. He will have to marry for advantage. He’ll need to establish his line as fast as he can, and I’m sure every lord who vows to support him will expect him to marry an Isolten girl with an impressive lineage to back his up.”
“You’re an Isolten girl now, Hollis. And you have an impressive lineage.”
I sighed. “That’s not . . . why are you so adamant about this?”
She shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. “I already told you. We need something to celebrate. Besides”—she looked back to the room, keeping her tone quiet—“everyone’s made a comment or two about how close you’ve become over this trip. I don’t know how it happened, but it’s enough of a change that everyone sees it. Perhaps not the full depth of it, but still. And when they mention it, it’s always with a smile.”
I considered this, that there was a chance that no one would hate me for falling for Etan. But I couldn’t give in to gravity just yet. Their support comforted me, but I was still convinced he had no interest. He called me his friend, he didn’t want to get married anyway, and if he ever did, there would be expectations.
It’d be better to keep the scraps of my heart to myself; some poor boy might want them eventually.
“I need to watch the gate, Scarlet. For now, I just need him to live.”
She shook her head. “That doesn’t support your case at all,” she noted.
I sighed. She was
right, of course. “Case or no case, it doesn’t change what is fact.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Hollis. Love is a fact.”
Twenty-Eight
I WAS UNTHINKABLY TIRED. BUT as I kept watch, all I felt was nervousness and excitement, a fear and hope intermingled, stirring in my heart and stomach and hands. That won out, and I never faltered. When the darkest part of the night came, I squinted, looking for a torch. And when the inky blue sky turned to purple and the purple turned to pink, all I could think was: he’s coming any minute now. He had to, right? He had to have made it.
And then, when the anticipation might have been ready to kill me, a grayish line appeared on the horizon.
I sat up taller, and Scarlet, noticing my change in posture, shifted beside me, squinting.
“What is . . . ,” I started.
“That’s an army, Hollis,” she replied in hushed wonder.
We watched a moment longer, just to be sure, to see the outline of his face. It only took a second. And once they were all but on top of the gate, a trumpeter sounded. He arrived with appropriate fanfare.
“He’s here!” I cried, as if the horn wouldn’t have drawn everyone to the window. “Oh, he’s here, and there are so many people with him!”
I had expected to be able to count the numbers behind him, but I was completely shocked by the men—and the occasional woman—riding and marching under a silver flag as they came upon the castle.
“He’s all right!” Aunt Jovana said, her words breaking over tears, tears of a mother carrying quiet worry over her last living child.
“So regal,” Mother whispered, awed by the sight of it all, and Scarlet could only nod in agreement.
Everyone gaped at the sheer size of Etan’s army, but all I could see was him.
His posture was tall, and his face was unapologetic and unafraid. He wore no crown yet, and I was sure that even if one had been available, he wouldn’t put it on before everything was said and done. But he was wearing armor now and looked far more regal in this lone ride to the castle than Quinten ever had.
“It’s time,” Uncle Reid said. “Straighten yourselves up. We’re going down to greet Etan, and we need to alert the others.”
I’d been in the same dress for more than a day now. And maybe red was the wrong color for the occasion, but it was too late to fix it. I raked my fingers through my hair, pulling it over one shoulder.
“You look lovely,” Scarlet insisted. “I can see the worry in your eyes.”
I swallowed. “There are bigger things. Come.”
We followed Uncle Reid down the hallway, and I watched as he passed each room, knocking three quick raps on the doors. Lord and Lady Dinnsmor sprang out of one, and Julien’s family—the Kahtris—came from another. As we neared the stairs, Lord Odvar, who’d greeted me so sweetly when he learned I was Silas’s widow, was coming down with scores of people behind him. It seemed several families had harbored together overnight, and within a minute, we had an army of our own.
We came around the corner just as Etan reached the guards. Oh, he did look handsome.
“Drop your weapons,” Etan commanded.
One bold guard called back to him. “No, sir! This is treason!”
Etan shook his head. “My good man, I almost wish it was. Sadly, it is King Quinten who has committed high treason. He has killed Her Majesty’s family and my own, executing crime after crime against his subjects both high and low. I have letters in his own hand and with his seal to back up my claim, and, as a blood heir to this crown, I have come to see justice done. You may lay your weapons down now and join us, or you will die in vain attempting to stop me.”
He was so precise with his words, so certain.
I waited for one of the guards to charge, for a fight to break out. But, instead, one dropped his spear and quietly walked over to join Etan. After that, three more did. Then, slowly, they all abandoned their posts. The men behind Etan cheered and welcomed the guards into their ranks, and with that, it seemed the last of those who could defend King Quinten were gone.
I let out a shaky breath, both thankful and impressed.
Turning atop his horse, Etan called out to those behind him. “My faithful Isoltens. I will go in alone and bring King Quinten down to face his charges in front of you, his people, to whom his life ought to be owed. I hope that he will come peacefully, that we might handle these matters in the open, as you have a right to know the truth about all of them. If he refuses, then I urge you, for Isolte, you must fight!”
A deafening roar went up. It sounded like the entirety of the country was out there behind him. Etan climbed off his horse, and I watched his eyes light up when they met mine.
In the midst of his ascent, he wasted a beautiful moment on me. He stood there, gazing at me, his eyes asking for me to support him, too. And I did. With all my heart, I did.
“Son!” Uncle Reid called, breaking the spell.
“Father. They backed me,” he said in shock, taking him by the shoulders. “They came. So many. It feels like too many. I can’t believe they came.”
Uncle Reid placed his forehead against Etan’s. “I can. Are you ready?”
“I think so . . . I worry he won’t step down peacefully. I don’t want any unnecessary violence today.”
“Don’t worry, my son. Neither will he. Not now.”
Etan nodded. “I want you by my side. And I want Hollis there, too. I want him to know just who has led to his undoing.”
“Of course,” Uncle Reid said.
Etan turned to me.
“I am with you,” I vowed. “Always.”
He smiled and turned to the main stairway. He marched up decisively, knowing exactly where he was going. I’d been wrong about the last of the guards dropping away. As we wound up the spiral staircase, we came upon a few more, but at the sight of Etan, some dropped their weapons while others just ran. Clearly, the crowd had been spotted.
There was no one stopping us from walking right into the king’s quarters. Etan pushed the door open in a swift and easy move, his sword—Jedreck’s sword—at the ready.
In the room, King Quinten sat, bent over at his desk, as Princess Phillipa stood beside him, hands tucked in front of her, unmistakable worry painting her face. Meanwhile, Quinten looked up, seemingly unsurprised by our arrival.
“King Quinten, you are hereby under arrest for gross acts of treason against your people. I am here to escort you outside, where your citizens will hold you accountable for your crimes. Following their condemnation, I will take your crown, as is my birthright as a descendant of Jedreck the Great.”
“That birthright belongs to Prince Hadrian and his offspring,” Phillipa said, her voice wavering.
Right. It wasn’t only Quinten who had to go, but Hadrian and Phillipa as well. And, while Quinten was clearly evil, I couldn’t say as much for Hadrian. In many ways, I pitied him. But what else were we to do about his presence?
It turned out Quinten had an answer to that problem.
He sighed heavily as he rubbed at his forehead, looking up at us from his chair. “Fortunately for your claim, sir . . . my son died this morning.”
Twenty-Nine
UNCLE REID, ETAN, AND I all paused. In the midst of our triumph, this was a hard blow. Hadrian’s only sin was being Quinten’s son. What’s more, it looked like this was crippling to Quinten. Perhaps he was pained to lose the final link in his line for the throne, but the way he swallowed hard and didn’t want to look into our eyes hinted that he was equally pained to have lost his son.
“But, but,” Phillipa said pointedly to Quinten, “I could be carrying his child as we speak.”
“You’re not,” Etan replied flatly. “We know about that little plot, too.”
She smashed her lips together angrily, turning to Quinten. “You made me so many promises.”
“If you were stupid enough to believe them, that’s really your problem, isn’t it?”
Her face went red, not in embarrassm
ent but in rage. Her chest heaved as she stood there, wordlessly demanding this wrong to be righted. Unfortunately for her, that would never happen.
“You will stand,” Etan ordered. “And you will take up your crown. The people in the back need to be able to recognize you.”
Quinten raised an eyebrow. “You must have brought an impressive crowd of witnesses.”
“Not witnesses,” Etan corrected him. “An army. Of men and women, poor and wealthy, all ready to finally call you to pay for the crimes you’ve been committing for decades.”
He made no attempt to deny this, bothered only that he’d been cornered. His head was heavy, his posture weary. He stood, walking to the coronet resting on its indigo pillow. He ran his bent fingers over the sharp tips of gold, seeming to remember an entire reign in seconds. I wished I could have said he looked to be mournful, regretful. But no.
He placed it on his head and turned to Etan. “So quick to judge. Wait and see what you do when someone comes to challenge you. Because that will certainly happen now. You’ve set a precedent today. And when you show the slightest sign of weakness, they will do what they can to topple you. I hope I’ll still be alive to see your mighty principles fall.”
“Well, seeing as I have no intention of murdering my own subjects, I don’t think I’ll quite be in the same predicament as you,” he replied defiantly.
Quinten was unmoved. “As I said, we’ll see.”
“Come. Your people await,” Uncle Reid said, escorting King Quinten out the door.
“What about her?” I asked, nodding at Phillipa.
She stayed incredibly still, as if she might blend into the stone and be ignored.
Etan shook his head. “Let her go home and attempt to explain this to her family and kingdom. That will be its own punishment.”
She swallowed, but she didn’t look as if she felt spared by her sentence. I turned from her, falling in step beside Etan, with Uncle Reid holding King Quinten several steps ahead.