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The prince relaxed a little further now. “You might hate this assignment, and I’m certain you hate me for it. But let me ask you this. Would you prefer I had left it to someone else?”
Jav’s eyes tightened at the corners as his stomach twisted in fresh knots. Laid her out nicely… What liberties might some other knights take if they knew she wouldn’t live to tell the tale? Surely, his colleagues had more honor than that.
But who a man was when no one was looking was often different from what he presented to other people in the daylight.
Alekur’s eyes twinkled, clearly aware of the line of Jav’s thoughts. “The girl is to die, by your hand or another’s. Last chance to walk away. Should I reassign this to another knight?”
“No,” he replied, quickly. “No, sire.”
“Then accept this. And by the goddess, don’t let your honor impinge on your practicality. You might as well show her your love before it’s too late. Or at least get to plow her field for your labors.”
His jaw hardened. “She’s not a field to plow, sire.”
“You’re the one killing her, and you’re offended by that comment?” The prince chuckled. “I know who the gods will be offended by.”
“I’m following your orders. It’s the law of the goddess. And the land. That’s not murder. That’s… That’s justice. Obviously.” The words were hardly convincing, and he stumbled over them. Neither of them, in fact, seemed very convinced by this.
“Oh, of course it isn’t murder.” Alekur plopped down in an armchair, grinning, then flicked his fingers at the door. “Whatever gets the job done. Now go on. Do as you’re told, little puppet.”
Javarin glared. But he said nothing. Grinding his teeth, he spun on his heel and marched out.
“Enjoy the package!” Alekur called.
Without even a backward glance, Javarin hardened his face—and his heart—and hurried away from the prince. His pulse was racing as fast as his thoughts, but not from the exertion.
How would he ever do this? He had to. But it was impossible. Unthinkable.
His dream—the woman on horseback, the snow, and Iseris—flashed through his mind.
He needed time. Time to prepare, to think. To find a way out of this trap, if such a thing existed.
To find some way in his heart to kill the woman he’d loved for as long as he could remember.
Chapter 6
The Messenger’s Horse
“You there.” Jav was surprised to discover his voice slurred as he jabbed a finger at the young stable hand. “My horse. Sky.”
The boy’s eyes widened, then he set off at a jog into the stalls. Yes, well… Jav wasn’t known as a midday drunk. He wasn’t ever drunk, nor was he entirely sure if that was the state he was in. He also wasn’t usually this… direct. Rude?
“Please,” he muttered, too late.
But he was in a hurry. And on the queen’s business. And perhaps not thinking terribly straight… What in Nefrana’s name had been in that mead? His blood felt hot and fuzzy, pumping madly through his veins.
The boy was nonplussed at his oddness, however, and returned promptly. Sky stamped excitedly to be heading out for a ride, tossing his black mane just a little. Sky was a gorgeous horse, if a little ironically named, as he was solid black.
He doubted Sky would really approve of the purpose of this ride if he knew. The gelding seemed a tender-hearted beast, not so different from Jav. But luckily for Sky, he didn’t have to deal with the awful world the same way that Jav did. He buried his face against Sky’s neck for a moment.
It was probably a bad sign that he was envying his horse.
He smiled slightly, running a hand down Sky’s mane, but he couldn’t spend much time on a proper greeting. This slight diversion was, strictly speaking, entirely unnecessary. But it was something he had to do.
He had to go to the temple. He had to understand.
And failing that, he had to find a way to prove what he suspected: that Iseris was innocent, and the murder entirely political. He had heard of an artifact they kept there that might be able to prove Iseris was no mage.
Because she couldn’t be. How could he have missed it? Filthy lies.
