Page 68 of To Save a Kingdom

She’d been wandering the castle for an hour, with no sign of General Zadé. There’d been no one else, either, which meant at least the palace staff had heeded her warning to evacuate.

She wasn’t going to accomplish anything by roaming the halls. In fact, she was more likely to run into Brooks at this point than Zadé, and as much as she appreciated having the two sentries at her back, somehow she doubted they’d be a match for the former arcane inquisitor.

“We’re walking in circles,” she said, glancing over her shoulders at the two guards who trailed her. “Maybe it’s time to—”

A flash of green satin flickered in the corner of her eye.

Aliya whirled around, gasping. “Brielle?”

Her lady in waiting gasped, her foot paused halfway up the third step. “Your Majesty.” The words echoed in the empty stairwell.

Furrowing her brows, Aliya took a few steps closer. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be evacuating.”

Brielle swallowed, rubbing her palms on her skirts. Her gaze flicked toward the eastern wing. “Um…”

Aliya tensed her jaw, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “Out with it.”

The woman sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Traliorn is up there.”

Squinting, Aliya tilted her head as she stared at the woman. “Who?”

“Traliorn Farsys.” She swallowed again, as though there was something stuck in her throat. “He’s one of King Enorathil’s stewards. We…” Brielle’s voice trailed off.

Aliya studied the woman, and the bright flush staining her cheeks. Oh.

A faint grin softened her features as she reached for Brielle. It warmed her heart. At least she and Elessan weren’t the only two who had found love across racial lines.

Maybe there was hope, after all.

The other woman followed her unspoken instruction, descending the stairs and moving to join Aliya and her guards. She kept her eyes downcast. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

Aliya gave her a sympathetic smile, taking the other girls’ hands in her own. “I understand the urge to try to free him. I do.”

Brielle raised tear-stained eyes to meet her own.

“But if you go up there, you’ll only find your own death.” Aliya shuddered. Or something worse, but she wouldn’t scare her lady in waiting with those details. “I don’t think Traliorn would want that for you. Do you?”

Sniffing, Brielle shook her head.

“King Roland and I are working on a plan to save the hostages.” She glared at her two silent sentries in warning. When neither of them called her on her lie, she turned her attention back to her servant. “We will get to him. In the meantime, he would want you safe, right?”

Aliya had no idea what Roland’s steward would or would not want, but she was rewarded with another sniffle and a nod. “Yes,” Brielle whispered.

“There are people up there who are important to me, too,” Aliya said, thinking of Shadow. And Sorisana, who mattered to Elessan, so by default, was also on Aliya’s priority list. “Trust me… We will get them back. I swear it.” Something settled heavy in her gut at the words. She hoped she wasn’t lying to the girl.

Brielle’s round eyes stared into Aliya’s, meeting her gaze more boldly than she ever had before. After several heartbeats, the other woman nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Aliya echoed. “Good.” She squeezed Brielle’s hands. “Now, please. Get out of the evacuation zone—outside the city walls, if you can.” She dropped her voice, moving her lips close to the other girl’s ear. “You’ll be reunited with your man soon. I swear it.”

Brielle pulled one hand free, using it to wipe at the trail of tears as they spilled over her cheeks. “Yes, Your Majesty.” She turned and headed toward the garden.

Aliya watched as the woman’s green dress was lost to the shadows and her footsteps faded. She clenched her jaw until her molars creaked.

They needed to convince Roland to help the hostages. Otherwise, Aliya had just lied to one of the few people who, it seemed, wouldn’t look askance at her relationship with Elessan.

Aliya gestured to her guards as she spun on her heels. “Come with me.”

They quickened their pace to keep up with her as she marched back toward the Council Chambers.