What was shedoing, helping the elves to crush the orc army? What was shethinking?
That night, she burst into the steward’s chambers where she slept with him, and her voice shook as she said it. “Call him back.”
Dathor turned from where he was standing, looking out the window. His shirt was unbuttoned, showing off the swells of his gray-green pectoral muscles and his impressively rippled stomach. He was holding a letter. “You’re here early.”
“Call Elrion back,” she said. “If you do it soon enough, perhaps you can stop him from telling anyone, perhaps he would know the right sort of people to contact, because he used to march in protests when he was in school, and there must be someone who could know who that might be.” Of course, there was Hafindel. What to do about Hafindel? She felt her heart squeeze in half. She had gone mad, that was all there was to it.
Dathor furrowed his brow, walking towards her. “What are you saying?”
“Elrion was a revolutionary in his youth. He was always talking about how he thought the High King must be overthrown, and you know as well as I that High King Findas is driving the wholesale mistreatment of your people, and that if he were removed from the throne—”
“Elrion had a lot of pretty words,” said Dathor. “But when it came down to it, he never treated orcs like equals. He even thought himself better than the silvans because of his nae Oir upbringing. He was all talk, and nothing of substance.”
She squared her shoulders. “Yes, perhaps. When it comes to action, he is not that sort of man. But he still might have contacts. And what we need to do is to manage this.”
“Manage?” he said.
“Oh, I sound mad. I have gone mad.” She threw up her hands. “What am I doing? Betraying my people, my country, my blood? But this is the only way, isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“For you and me to be together,” she said. “This is the only way.”
“You and I hate each other,” he said.
“I know,” she said. “I know.” She suddenly felt entirely deflated. She wandered over to the bed and settled herself on it, hanging her head. She did not say anything else.
“I have no idea what it is you’re even talking about,” said Dathor. He came over and tossed the letter he was holding into her lap.
She picked it up. She could see, right away, that it was written in Elrion’s hand. She opened it. The seal had already been broken. It was written to the Envivtain nae Oirnir in the Vale, warning him of the invading orc army. Her lower lip trembled. “You have intercepted it.”
“You were very smart and sneaky, writing to him whilst carrying on a conversation. Or perhaps I am very stupid to allow you to meet with anyone behind closed doors. No wonder he took your sister away. Then again, he always did enjoy rescuing things. He likes to feel noble and righteous, but he is only ordinary and boring and cowardly.” Dathor paced in front of her, hands clutched behind his back.
She gazed at the way his shirt blew back, exposing his bare chest. “So, you knew it all, then. Please tell me you have not had Hafindel killed.”
He stopped. “Who’s Hafindel?”
“My maid. My friend. My only friend,” she said, her voice breaking. “If you have hurt her—”
“I haven’t,” he said. “But why do you mention her?”
She rubbed her forehead, feeling ill. “Oh, I sent her off. She volunteered. I do not know. She was looking for a time to go, and she was not going to announce it. She would just go when she could. I cannot find her and I—”
“You thought a maid could slip out easier than anyone else, and you were likely right.” He sighed heavily. “What am I going to do?”
“You cannot hurt her.” Tears were streaming down her face. “You must promise me, Dathor, you must—”
“If she is going to ruin everything and warn the nae Oir,what choice do I have? I have to stop her. I have to send word for the army to find her and—”
“No.”
He eyed her and she sat on the bed and tears flowed down over her cheeks. Her breath hitched, but there was no other sound.
They simply stared at each other for some time.
Then he began to pace again.
She spoke, her voice wavering. “You do not wish the orcs to rule Lothnehil. I know you do not. You have done all of this for one reason.”
