“Sten took him. As leverage against you.”
“And you didn’t try to stop him?”
“Me, stop Torsten Wolff? I am an old man, Your Majesty. I am an adviser, not a soldier. And someone needed to remain here to help you, if you survived.”
I’d argued with him. Last time I’d seen my father, I’d shouted at him. Anger rose inside me, sharp and irrational. “So you should have gone in his place. You should have protected him.”
“They would not have thought me as valuable a hostage, Your Majesty. They only left me because they did not consider me worthwhile. And you need advice, now more than ever.”
He was right. It wasn’t his fault. But my father . . . “What will they do to him? What will happen?”
“I am certain he will be safe, Your Majesty. He would want you to focus on your own safety now.”
“How can he be safe? Sten just tried to kill me.”
“There is nothing you can do, Your Majesty!” Holt’s voice rose for the first time, the whites of his eyes gleaming. “Half of the court is gone, and several of the guards. No doubt Sten has gone to his own lands in the south, where he will have all the men he needs to support him. You cannot fight him.”
“I have to fight him.” I clenched my fists by my sides. “Call the council. Or what’s left of it. We need to plan.”
He bowed. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
The remaining council, it turned out, was Holt and Norling. I suppose it made sense that Thorn had betrayed us. Surely the spymaster would have heard of Sten’s plan if she hadn’t been involved.
The council room had been left untouched, as cold and somber as always. The table seemed even more awkwardly large now, but I sat at the head of it anyway, pushing my fear away. I was too exhausted for preamble. “How long will it be before he attacks again?”
“It is hard to predict, Your Majesty,” Holt said. “He will gather support elsewhere in the kingdom first, to prove his right to the throne, and then I do not doubt he will return.”
“He has already started a campaign of words against us,” Norling said, “claiming Her Majesty was the one who poisoned the court. If people believe him, he may not even have to fight us himself.”
“At least we know who was responsible for all those attacks against us,” Holt said. “Sten has shown his hand now. He wants the throne for himself.”
“No,” I said. “That’s not right. The second poisoner . . . it seemed like she wanted to get rid of the throne entirely. Why would Sten be involved in that?”
“He could have allied himself with them, even if he did not share their beliefs. And it does seem likely now that he was involved in the attack on the banquet.”
“Perhaps,” I said. But I did not think it was him. He had seemed so convinced when he accused me of murder. So furious. He could have simply been a good actor, but . . . I didn’t think so. “We don’t have any evidence yet. Do you think he’ll gain a lot of support?”
“Unfortunately, Your Majesty, I have to say that I do. Some have already left with him, and he will be even more popular outside the city. People know him, and they trust him. They do not know you.”
“But he attacked me in my sleep. He took my father. People can’t support him.”
“Not everyone, Your Majesty,” Norling said. “But those will be seen as actions of justice, if people believe you are guilty. You should not have shown mercy to your attackers, or insulted the memories of the dead by taking jewels from the river. People here are not inclined to support you.”
The nobles here weren’t inclined to support me. My guards had seemed reasonably happy. But all my efforts to appease the court clearly hadn’t been enough, and a ruler without nobles behind her . . . I shook my head. “If his argument is that I killed the king, we have to focus on finding out what actually happened. If I can prove it wasn’t me, he’ll lose support.” And maybe, maybe, if I found proof, Sten would stop his attack, as well. Perhaps that was irrational, or it was naive, but . . . he’d always seemed sincere in his grief. He wanted to find his friends’ true killer. If I could prove I hadn’t been involved, he wouldn’t attack me again. “I need the poisoned cake brought to my lab. I need to study it.”
Norling frowned. “Your Majesty, I’m not certain—”
“But I am.”
Holt shook his head. “We cannot fight him that way now. We have to secure the city, gather support for you. Come up with a counterstrategy.”
“And we will. But I need that cake.”
I stared at him until he nodded.
“He’ll return to his own lands first,” Norling said, into the quiet that followed, “to gather more strength. But I don’t doubt that will only be the beginning. The balance of power in the kingdom has been shattered by recent events. If I were a betting woman, I would say he would start in the south, and then sweep around the kingdom, building his support one region at a time.”
“If he does that, it will be difficult for us to stop him from winning their support. We have no one to send as envoys to the other regions,” Holt said. “Not if we wish Her Majesty to have any protection left. No, Her Majesty must focus on here. We will have to win this with words.”
“And actions, too. Some people don’t like me, but some—they don’t know me. If I can show them I’m worth supporting—” Continue to do what I thought was right. Hope it was the right thing to do.
“The nobles may be hard to convince,” Holt said, “and you cannot run after those who have left. But perhaps you are right. The people of this city have seen very little of you, and those extremists have been whispering in their ears. If you can prove you’re not as corrupt as King Jorgen and his court—” He nodded. “Going into the city will be the first step. Perhaps some charity work. There are already rumors that the Forgotten were responsible for all the deaths at the banquet. If you can show them that you are worthy of the Forgotten’s favor, as we all know you are—that may work for us. People will fight for the Forgotten’s chosen queen.”
I twisted the ruby pendant again. The idea of the Forgotten had worked for me once, hadn’t it? The sight of Valanthe’s pendant had made Sten hesitate, long enough for my guards to arrive. Could the same idea inspire people to protect me, as well? If they did, they’d be risking their lives for a lie. But terror had gripped me, deep in my stomach. I did not want to die.
It wouldn’t come to that. I’d find a way to avoid fighting him. And this way, I could help people. Even if it was through a lie. “Madeleine supports an orphanage,” I said slowly. “I’ll go there. Make sure people see it. That might help, mightn’t it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Holt said. “An excellent idea.”
“And I want you to distribute copies of Gustav’s Treatise. Place them everywhere. Make it so anyone can read it.”
“Your Majesty?”
“It’s become legendary since it’s been banned, and it’s being used against me. But the actual text might support me. At least, it doesn’t support trying to kill me. I think we should try it.”
“If you’re sure, Your Majesty—”
“I am.” I wasn’t, but it was worth trying, at least.
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Holt said. “But then, we have another issue we must take into account. If you are to present yourself as one favored by the Forgotten, then we must look to the court, and the company you keep.”
“The company I keep?”
“People have noticed, Your Majesty, how you and William Fitzroy have been growing closer. I understand that he is a—pleasant young man, but it is not good for you to be seen with him, in such circumstances. As I mentioned before—”
“You said he might be a threat, I know. But he protected me, when Sten attacked. He could easily have turned against me.”
“That is not the only issue,” Holt said. “Fitzroy’s existence is symbolic of the past court’s corruption. If you wish to separate yourself from that, you must separate yourself from him.”
&
nbsp; Anger flared inside me. “He isn’t a symbol. He’s a person. And I can’t kick him out of the court because of that.”
“Not kick him out, Your Majesty. But maybe—do not associate with him. For all our sakes.”
“There is one more possibility we must consider,” Norling said, her voice cutting over the silence left by Holt’s suggestion. She seemed determined to move the conversation on. “Sten is out of our reach for now, but his cousin, Madeleine, remains here. She may prove a useful bargaining piece.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“He has your father, Your Majesty. No doubt he means to use that against you. But we have his cousin. I suggest we arrest her, and—”
“No.” I didn’t need to hear the rest.
“Your Majesty. If it might help us—”
“No,” I said again. “Madeleine has done nothing wrong. She saved my life tonight.”
“This is war, Your Majesty,” Holt said softly. “Sometimes we must act in ways that—”
“No. Madeleine is to be left alone. Sten knows she’s still with us. That will have to be enough.”
I returned to my rooms, limbs aching, as the sun rose. Mila and Carina stood watch, promising to keep me safe despite their exhaustion. I locked the door of my quarters anyway, and shoved a small table in front of it. Just to be safe.
My rooms were half ruined. Chairs knocked over, tapestries torn down, the dresses in the wardrobe shredded by swords. Naomi had clearly tried to start the cleanup, but she was now asleep in a chair, a circle of neatness around her. Dagny, curled up on Naomi’s lap, pricked her ears when I entered the room, but she didn’t move.
I began slowly, carefully, putting things back into place. My brain was too full of the night’s events to sleep.
“Your Majesty? Freya?” I spun around. Madeleine Wolff stood in the doorway to my bedroom, hands clutched carefully in front of her.
“Madeleine. What are you doing here?”
“I hoped I might be able to help you.”
“I locked the door. I barricaded it—”
“I’ve been waiting for you to return. I didn’t want to wake Naomi, so I was exploring a little. I hope I didn’t startle you.” She took a step forward. “Are you all right?”
“Am I all right?” I scraped the hair away from my face. “No. No, I’m not all right.” My father was gone, and I’d been attacked, and the danger of the situation felt all the clearer now, the metaphorical dagger hanging by a thread over my heart. “Why are you here?”
“Because I think you are a good person. I don’t want to see you hurt. And I think—I think you might need my help.” She stepped closer. She hadn’t changed out of her water-stained dress, but somehow, she managed to make the damage look deliberate. “I can help you, if you’ll let me. You need to win people over, make allies, more than ever. And I’m told I have a talent for that.”
“Why would you want to help me? Your cousin—”
“My cousin is wrong. And you . . .” She paused, her pink lips slightly apart. “You saved your cat.”
That was the last thing I expected her to say. “What?”
“When you were running for your life. You came back to fetch your cat. I knew you didn’t deserve what Sten had planned. I knew you were going to be a good queen, and that I should warn you. But when I saw that . . . you’re a good person, Freya. I want to help you. I know you’ll be a good queen, if given the chance.”
She was supporting me because of Dagny? I turned away, raking my fingers through my hair. “You think I’m a better person than Sten?”
“Does it matter? Sten was part of the old court, yes, and he would probably be a good ruler. But it’s not his throne.”
Madeleine had saved my life. But for her to turn her back on her cousin, on everything she had known . . . I didn’t know if I could trust her. It didn’t quite make sense. “You liked the old court. Didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “And no. I liked the people. I liked the laughter of it, the glamour. Always being around people, different people, learning their ins and outs . . . yes, I liked that. But it could be a cold place, too. Callous. Too wrapped up in its own extravagance to notice anyone or anything outside it. It was hard. But my friends were there. My life was there. I missed it whenever my doctors sent me to the countryside. They clearly knew little about me, if they thought peace and silence would make me feel better. But I suppose they did save my life, in the end.”
“What was wrong with you?” It was too blunt a question, but perhaps if Madeleine answered that, I’d know whether or not I could trust her.
“Melancholy. Nothing more or less than that. I have suffered it often. Not because I do not like the court, but because . . . well, I do not know why. It is just one of those things.” She brushed her hair over her shoulder and smiled slightly. “This time was particularly bad, though. It was so strong it was like a physical illness. I had never had stomachaches like that. But the doctors said it was melancholy, just melancholy, and that time away would heal it. ‘A fragile disposition,’ they called me.” She laughed. “As though one needs to be fragile to be sad.”
“What were you sad about?”
“That is not the question to ask. I did not feel sad over anything particular. I just felt sad. Have you not had the sensation? You are lucky if not.” She sank onto the floor, her skirts swelling around her. Dagny stretched and leaped from Naomi’s lap, before strutting over and butting Madeleine’s hand for attention. “You should arrange more entertainments,” she said. “I know it may seem crass, considering the circumstances, but if people do not see you as queen . . .”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, I understand. But I can’t be what they want to see.”
“And have they told you that?”
“They’ve always judged me, even before all of this.”
“Are you so sure? Few of the people who survived the banquet were close to the king. And have you ever given them reason to like you? Spoken to them? It might be that they are nicer than you think. Be yourself, Freya. It’s the only way you can succeed now.” She stroked Dagny under her chin. “I would love to help you. If you’ll accept me. And I’d love to stay here. With my cousin gone, and all my friends . . . please, Freya. Will you accept me?”
I chewed my lip. “Yes,” I said. After the warmth of her words, it was all I could say. “Yes, please help.”
TWENTY
“TELL ME, YOUR MAJESTY, WHERE WERE YOU ON THE evening of the banquet?”
“I, um—I went home.”
Fitzroy shook his head. I was perched on the side of the center table of my laboratory, to emulate my throne, while Fitzroy paced, bombarding me with questions. Dagny was grooming her paws beside me, while Naomi stood next to the cabinets, preparing different metal wires for the next round of tests. “If you wanted to sound suspicious, congratulations. Otherwise, no.”
I had listened to Holt’s advice. I’d even considered it, for a moment. Just long enough to confirm that I thought Fitzroy was a person, a good person, and that I could never throw him aside because of something he couldn’t control. I wanted to survive, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice that.
“But it’s the truth,” I said to him now. “I did go home. I left with Naomi.”
She shook her head, not pausing in her work. “I can’t save you from this one, Freya. It did sound suspicious.”
“It’s not what you’re saying,” Fitzroy said. “It’s the way you’re saying it. Like you think your words might be cause for someone to murder you.”
“My words might cause someone to murder me.”
Fitzroy raised his eyebrows at me, trying to look stern.
“Well, how should I answer it, then?” I frowned down at the paper where I’d written all the sample questions and answers we’d practiced so far. Fitzroy’s introduction to Not Getting Ousted was supposed to prevent me from making the same mistakes I’d made the last time someone challenged me, but so far all it had done
was reinforce how ill-prepared I was. “If I tell them I ran home to do experiments in my lab, I’ll only discredit myself more. Sten accused me because of my lab.”
“So you can’t hide it,” Naomi said. “You might as well be honest. I think it makes you sound interesting. And intelligent.”
“It makes me sound like not a queen.”
“It’s not the answer they would expect,” Fitzroy said. “But maybe that’s good. You’re not exactly an accomplished liar. And the court likes a bit of novelty. Maybe it would intrigue them.”
“My experiments are not a bit of novelty! They’re important research, and—”
“I know, Freya,” Fitzroy said. “Do you think I’d be here if I didn’t know? But does it matter if people think that? If it’s based on the truth and it makes them like you, then you should use it.” He cleared his throat and stood up straighter, shifting back into the role of interrogator again. “So, Your Majesty. What were you doing on the evening of the banquet? I didn’t see you there.”
“I went home,” I said. “I, uh—I wanted to do an experiment.”
“No.”
“You are not helping.”
“All right,” he said. He stopped in front of me. “Just tell me. Stop worrying about every word, and tell me.”
“But I can’t stop worrying about every word. Isn’t that what this is for? Because my words are useless?”
“You’re smart, Freya. You’re convincing, when you forget to worry. When you’re talking about your experiments, or your theories. Just let yourself speak like that.”
I took a deep breath. Fitzroy never let me feel completely at ease, but at least I could trust him to be honest. His emotions were always so clear around me that I didn’t have to worry about what he might think but not say. I should just address my words to him. “I was inspired at the ball,” I said slowly. “I thought that hairpins might be the key to an experiment I’ve been working on, about—about creating portable, long-lasting heat without flame. To help keep hands warm in the winter. I hurried home to try it, along with Naomi. I was there when I heard the news.”
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