“Of course you do,” Ash acknowledged, smiling in turn. Only it wasn’t a true smile, that slight downturn of the mouth cuing her into his tension. She had been so elated that she hadn’t been as in tune with Ash as normal.
Instantly, she went to the table where both of them were sitting. “What’s gone wrong?”
“It’s truly amazing how well you can feel each other,” Woelfel marveled. “He said you were in high spirits even before you returned. And now, even though he’s trying to mask it, you can still tell something’s off? I’m beginning to put more clout into those stories I heard as a youngster about the legendary wizards and their partners.”
Ash gave him an acknowledging, lofty nod. “As you should.”
Not about to be sidetracked by this banter as the men intended, she drove a finger into Ash’s ribs. “Out with it.”
“Ow, ow, owowowowowow, Riana! Quit it. I’ll tell you, just don’t bore a hole into my ribs.” Rubbing at his abused side, Ash tried to scoot back into his chair and put a little space between them. “Truth is, we just received a very disturbing message from Troi. The army arrived, the barrier is holding, so all of that is good news. The bad news is…Maddox isn’t there.”
“Not there?” she parroted in confusion. “Then where is he?”
“Troi was hoping we’d know,” Woelfel sighed glumly. “But I haven’t a clue. I know we wanted to draw him north, to trap him up in the mountains, but Troi reports they haven’t seen hide nor hair of him.”
Riana thought fast, going through every facet of what she knew of their plans. “Da was going to barter with the pirates, get them to help. Did he succeed?”
“He did, but they haven’t heard from the pirates either.”
She now completely understood why Ash had a headache brewing. She felt one coming on herself. “So not only are we missing a prince, but all of our mystery ships, and the pirates?”
“It’s quite the tally.” Ash rubbed at his temples. “I don’t even know where to start looking, either.”
Woelfel pondered the problem with his hands over his belly, head cocked a little to the side. “The first task, I think, is Maddox. If we can figure out where he went, then half of our questions are solved and we can surely guess the other half. To that end, my lovely partner in crime must assist me tonight. There’s a soiree of some sort being thrown by Lord and Lady Westhaven. I do believe the guest list has more than one government official attending. If we’re lucky, perhaps Lady Saira will bump into Savir again,” he drawled with a pointed look at her.
Riana blinked at him, all innocence. Was it her fault that she didn’t know what the royal family looked like? Besides, it was dark, the man had been completely obscured in shadows. “It worked in our favor, didn’t it?”
“And nearly gave me heart failure, but yes, I suppose it did.” Rolling his eyes in a prayer, Woelfel moved on. “At any rate, we best start digging for answers tonight. We need to know where Maddox went. We’ve kept our eyes strictly on the roads, but perhaps we need to broaden our search a little. I have a few contacts at the shipping companies as well. They only used the royal navy for this mission, but they all use the same docks, perhaps someone saw something.”
“It’s not a bad thought,” Ash agreed. “Do so. I assume my lovely partner has a report to send to Troi?”
“I do,” Riana confirmed. “The rumors are taking an interesting turn, shall we say. All of it to our advantage.”
“He likes to stay abreast of things like that. Let’s write one up for him and send it along by carrier pigeon. Heaven knows the man could use some good news right about now.”
Lady McAdaragh was indeed a chatterbox that couldn’t think a single concept for herself but happily repeated everything she heard. Riana had concluded on her first meeting with the girl that she was sweet for the simple reason that she didn’t have the brains to be mean.
An uncharitable thought, but true, nonetheless.
For a spy, she was the best possible resource, and Riana hunted her down at every social event. Speaking with Lady McAdaragh was more efficient, for one thing. She spoke with literally anyone and everyone, and because of that, Riana didn’t have to do the same thing. Instead, she listened to the girl chatter on, with the occasional re-direction in topics, and weeded through who she needed to speak with. When something caught her attention, she would casually ask who Lady McAdaragh had heard that from, make note of the name, and hunt the person down later.
Zelman had thrown an extravagant New Beginnings Festival at his palace. Everyone came dressed in pale blues, whites, and greys, as if they were limited to the colors of winter. It made a pretty sight, granted, but for some absurd reason they also wore half-masks over the top of their faces and that made it harder to tell who was who. If not for Lady McAdaragh’s rather striking midnight hair, Riana would have had the devil of a time finding her in this crowd.
Even the ballroom had undergone a transformation of sorts. Riana hoped that most of it had been done by magic, otherwise the cost would have been hideously expensive. All of the curtains were now white, there was blue and silver ribbons wrapping the columns from floor to ceiling, even the food had white and blue themed decorations to it. How could Zelman afford to throw a party like this when he was fighting a war on one front and having to defend his borders on another?
Oops, her attention had wandered around the room again. That tended to happen when Lady McAdaragh got on the topic of clothes. Which the girl spoke of. A lot. Riana tuned in enough to find a way to divert her attention.
“—Prince Savir look dashing in that stark white? With his dark complexion, it’s a truly heady contrast,” Lady McAdaragh was gushing, goggling off toward the left somewhere.
Riana didn’t do more than pretend to glance in that direction. “I do agree. Actually, speaking of contrast, I find all three princes to be an odd contrast to each other.”
Lady McAdaragh blinked at her, not at all following.
“Think about it,” Riana encouraged, not for one second believing the girl actually could do such a thing, “Prince Maddox is strong, but not known for being a strategist, Prince Savir is very much the scholarly sort, and then Prince Hendrix is a people-person. That seems to be all he does, is go around, speaking to and supporting people.”
“Ohhh,” Lady McAdaragh said, mouth forming a perfect O. “I hadn’t thought of that. But I suppose that’s true, isn’t it?”
Good, the idea was planted. Now the misdirect. “I’ve heard from several people that it’s a pity Prince Hendrix can’t inherit because of the new Inheritance Law, as he would be a more fitting candidate in some ways for the throne. Of course, I’m not sure if they’re right or not, and King Zelman seems to be set on having Prince Maddox inherit.”
Head bobbing up and down, Lady McAdaragh agreed, “The king does seem set on that. I’ve heard other people were contending, but I’m not sure if they stand much of a chance—”
At that point, a voice that Riana did not know spoke up near her ear. “I’m afraid, dear ladies, that you are quite mistaken.”
The oiliness behind it sent a shiver straight up her spine. She jumped a little and spun so that this man was no longer at her back.
“Oh, my apologies, I’m sure,” he crooned to her, a smile underneath his white half-mask. “I had no intention of startling you.”
Riana stared at him hard, frantically trying to place who this was even as she feigned a smile in return. “Not at all. I do not believe we are acquainted.”
“Indeed, we are not. Allow me to be so boorish as to introduce myself. My name is Axley—”
All of the blood just drained south.
“—and I am one of those contenders for the Iyshian throne,” he finished with a bow and a flourish of the hand. “A pleasure.”
“Oh, Lord Axley, I’ve heard of you,” Lady McAdaragh gushed, thankfully covering Riana’s frozen horror at being caught near this man. “I’m Lady McAdaragh, charmed.”
“No, no
, I’m the one charmed,” Axley responded smoothly. “Who is your companion?”
“Lady Saira,” Lady McAdaragh promptly introduced, not at all catching onto the dangerous tension that was filling the air.
Axley gave her another bow but this time there was a sharp, weighing look in his eyes. “Lady Saira, enchanted.”
Riana’s smile was so brittle it neared the breaking point. “Lord Axley, it is quite the thing to finally meet the man of report.” Where, where, was Woelfel, curse him?! She could not find a good way to excuse herself out of this situation without being rude, and Lady McAdaragh, curse her, would stupidly tell everyone about it without realizing the consequences. Having her name linked to this man in any way would harm the work that Riana had already done. She wanted to use their trouble signal of the fan over the heart, but couldn’t, as she didn’t have line of sight with him.
“As you ladies were discussing,” Axley picked up the original conversational thread, “I wish to correct your assumption that all is set for Maddox to take the throne. Indeed, that is not the case, as he has yet to truly solve the problem with Estole.”
“That’s true,” Lady McAdaragh allowed, blue eyes blinking ingeniously, “but isn’t that practically set? He led an army northward after all.”
“My dear, Lady McAdaragh, I put no faith in it succeeding. Iysh has led an army twice previously against Estole and it has nothing but graves and defeat to show for it.”
All very true but this time the force was much more sizeable and Estole was at its limits trying to protect all of the people inside of its borders. Hence why Riana was in this role, playing spy and trying to find a bloodless solution to the problem. “Yes, well, time will tell in that regard, will it not?” she stated gamely. “If you will excu—”
“No, no, Lady Saira, I do not believe that we should wait for our army’s defeat,” Axley objected, still in that same polished tone. “Indeed, that is a sad waste of lives, is it not?”
While Riana rather agreed, she knew that he couldn’t give two shakes about anyone’s life but his own. He was stringing the conversation along until he found a way to win them over to his side. That was all he was doing. She gave a neutral hum and looked away. Somewhere in this crowd, there was surely an excuse for her to get away from this man. Another five minutes and it would be rumored that she was seen to be in an “intimate” conversation with him.
“Ah, Lady Saira, there you are.”
Riana jumped all over again when Savir’s voice came from behind her. She turned with a smile on her face and a very conflicted heart. While she dearly wanted to escape from Axley, that did not necessarily mean that she was willing to jump from the frying pan and into the fire! “Your Highness.”
Everyone in the immediate vicinity gave a bow or curtsey. Savir pinned Axley with a look that promised not nice things—iron maidens and thumb screws would be the beginning of it. “Lady Saira, I must steal you away from this conversation.”
Axley regarded him coldly. “Surely whatever it is can wait, Your Highness. We were deeply engrossed in the talk.”
Savir’s enigmatic smile stayed in place, as strong as a magical barrier, not revealing what the prince was truly thinking. “If so, I do apologize. My mother has requested to meet her. Lady Saira?” he offered his arm courteously.
Not at all sure what the right thing to do would be, Riana took his arm and let him lead her away. Did he truly mean to introduce her to the queen? Or was that an excuse he knew would work to get her out of a tight spot? Riana tried to feel sorry for leaving Lady McAdaragh trapped with him, but odds were, the girl wouldn’t get his political double-talk anyway. She’d be fine. She didn’t have an agenda to push like Riana did. “Am I truly going to meet the queen?”
“Indeed you are.” Savir’s mask fell away and he looked more human as he answered. “Two reports have coincided to make my mother interested in you. We understand that you only recently left Senn?”
“Well, yes,” Riana admitted. Relatively.
“We have had reports that my brother Hendrix has also been in Senn recently. Did you cross paths?”
Was it wise of Riana to admit to that? On the other hand, if she said no, and he had actual intelligence saying Hendrix was in Senn, that would look very odd. In this case, the truth might be better. “I did. Prince Hendrix often dines with my family if he is in town.”
“Then it is as we thought.” Savir offered no more explanation than that as he led her straight through the ballroom and into a corner with a slightly raised dais. King Zelman and Queen Rosalinda often sat there during events like this. Riana’s heart clenched at the thought of being anywhere near Zelman. Would she be able to stand it?
As they passed through the last of the crowd, she realized that Zelman was not in his customary chair but mingling. Only Queen Rosalinda was present, comfortably ensconced in a wing backed chair, wearing pure white, her blond hair twisted up elaborately around her face. This was the first time that Riana had seen her this close and she was startled by how alike Hendrix and his mother looked. Savir didn’t look a thing like her.
Ah, right, of course. Savir and Maddox were not this woman’s sons. She was their step-mother, and only Hendrix was blood related to her, hence why the Inheritance Law was passed. Riana had forgotten that for a moment.
“Mother, this is Lady Saira Vaulx,” Savir introduced, releasing Riana and stepping back a half-step. “Lady Saira, Queen Rosalinda of Iysh.”
Riana sank into the deepest curtsey that she could manage. “Your Majesty.”
“Lift your head, Lady Saira,” the Queen invited.
Riana started to only to remember at the last second that this was one of those arbitrary rules of Court. In front of royalty, you had to be invited twice before actually coming out of a bow.
“Please, Lady Saira, raise your head,” Queen Rosalinda invited again.
Glad to straighten, Riana did and gave her a smile. “It is a very great honor, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Lady Saira. I have had a report that you recently met my son, Hendrix.”
“I have.” Although why this woman was asking was another question entirely.
For a moment, she looked wistful. “Is he well?”
It hit Riana like a ton of bricks. She was not facing the Queen of Iysh but a mother who dearly missed her son. Knowing how hard this must be on her, to have her own husband banish their son, without any real means to stay in contact with him, Riana felt a pang of pity. “He is, Your Majesty. He had dinner with my family and he is hale and hearty, if a little road weary.”
Rosalinda gave her a sad smile. “I am glad to know he is well.”
Perhaps this would come back later to bite her, but Riana was trusting her instincts on this. “Did you know that he is engaged?”
The queen’s head jerked up. “I have heard rumors, but nothing concrete. You know this for a certainty?”
Oh yes. There was a door open for her here, and a beautiful way to gain some clout very quickly in Court. Riana had to squash an evil chuckle. Gesturing to a plush footstool nearby, she asked, “Perhaps I may sit with you for a spell? I happen to know the story of how he and his fiancé Bria Knolton first met. Have you heard it?”
“Not a whisper.” Rosalinda pushed the stool a little closer and quickly gestured her into it. “Do, tell me. Bria Knolton, you say? Surely not related to Edvard Knolton.”
“The same, Your Majesty. I believe she is his next to youngest sister. Bria grew up in Senn during her teenage years, you see, I happen to know her rather well.” Actually, Bria had spent her teenage years in Honora, but it didn’t hurt to bend the truth a little here. Blessing that she wouldn’t have to come up with any other lies for the next short while, Riana launched into the story.
Queen Rosalinda listened enthralled and asked a great many details. No one dared to get too close to them, even though they were likely insanely curious what the women were discussing, as Savir stayed planted at the edge of the dais like a guar
d dog. For all the onlookers knew, they could be discussing clothes or secret information.
Even as she spoke, Riana could hear the buzzing from the other nobles, all of them whispering to each other and wondering what the queen was speaking about to the newcomer. Oh yes. Riana could use this connection quite well.
If Woelfel didn’t kill her for this, he might just kiss her.
Chapter Seventeen
Six days of being under siege takes a toll on a city. Even when the city was prepared for it.
Because they had no idea where Maddox was, they had to assume that he was coming in some other direction to attack. Whether that was Estole, Dahl, or Ganforth was anyone’s guess. The majority believed it would be Ganforth as it remained the only weak chink in Estole’s armor, and if he was not at their front door, surely he was heading for the back. That meant that a shield had to be constantly up around Ganforth as well as Estole. It wore on the magicians heavily and Broden sent more than one prayer heavenward that they now had a full school of magicians instead of the three they had possessed before. If this battle had come to them before moving Gerrard here, they would have lost the war before it could have gone more than three days.
The snow arrived in full force over those days and then stayed, as it never got warm enough to melt. Traveling across land became difficult, leaving the only means of reliable travel by sea, as the channel was not iced over enough to prevent ships coming in and out. Fortunate, that, in more than one sense. Ashlynn and Broden had actually returned to Estole via boat as it was the best way to travel. Their duty was done in Dahl, but the same could never be said in Estole.
They’d barely arrived in Estole when they were faced with an old problem—food. They had stored as much as they could, but a good portion of their food came from the southern edge of Dahl and Cloud’s Rest. Both of those were lost to them at the moment and there was precious little that could be done about it. Now the only real source that they had for food was the channel, and there was many a man that threw his line in, trying to catch something for dinner.
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