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Auberon kept his attention focused solely on King Domhnall, but he felt the weight of Riona’s stare as he said, “Because I promised to kill him if he did not.”
Murmurs rippled throughout the room at Auberon’s words. Pure fury swept over the king’s face, and he whirled, pulling Master Kaiden’s sword from its sheath at his hip. Erdurian and Rivosi guards alike stepped forward, unsheathing their blades, as the king started toward Auberon.
Drystan shot to his feet at the same time as Riona stepped into the king’s path. “Release the sword, and order your men to stand down,” she commanded, the words ringing with authority. “I have people waiting all over the city with copies of the documents Treasurer Cathal stole. With proof that you have been sending our people to work themselves to death in the mines, and that you intend to condemn more of our men to the fighting while you prepare for yourdecisive victory. Right now, the nobility believe Lord Farquar operated alone. If any one of us walks out of this room with so much as a scratch, my helpers will spread word of your actions to the entire city. How long do you think they will allow you to rule, once they learn what you’ve done?”
Auberon looked at her sharply, surprised and impressed. She hadn’t mentioned that part of her plan to him at any point. For all that she would condemn him for his manipulative ways, it seemed that the Lady of Innislee had some tricks of her own up her sleeve. From where he stood behind Faylen’s chair, Aeron watched Riona with a look of pride and admiration.
The king held up a hand to still the guards. “You’re bluffing.”
“Am I, Your Majesty?” Riona gestured at Auberon and the others. “There is no going back, Uncle. No more deception. No moremurder. Once news of the mines spreads, foreign armies will come to stake a claim on the Howling Mountains, and this is your one chance to make allies of those who would happily send troops to join them. Because I love this kingdom, and because I would give anything to ensure my people’s survival, I bring you offers of peace.”
Heavy silence descended over the room, everyone waiting to see what King Domhnall would say. Riona watched her uncle with a calm, level expression, her thoughts hidden behind a polished mask.
Suddenly, the king began to laugh.
“I hope you see the irony in this, Riona,” Domhnall said, his voice bitter. “You say you would do anything for your people, and yet because of your actions, Rivosa’s fighting will never cease.Youled Prince Auberon into the heart of the Mountains.Youbetrayed the secret of the mines. How many men will die to protect our land? To protect their families?”
Riona went rigid, the words hitting their mark. “I—”
“You and I are the same, my niece,” the king said, reaching back to hand the sword to Master Kaiden. “Both desperate to save our kingdom. Both weighing the cost of lives lost to the value of lives saved. You fancied yourself worthy of a place on my council, so tell me: what would you have advised? Kill Cathal and that servant and save thousands, or allow proof of the mines to spread and damn all the generations to come?”
She opened her mouth, then faltered. When the king phrased it that way, the choice was simple. Auberon could tell that the answer to the king’s question killed Riona to admit, even to herself. He longed to stand up and interject, but this was the moment he’d been waiting for since the night he had punched Eamon—the moment she finally stood up to her uncle and proved herself more than an obedient court lady. The moment she faced what it would be like to rule.
Her perfect veneer cracked, and Auberon saw guilt and raw grief flash across her face. The king seized the opportunity to say in a soft voice, “So you see why I had to ensure your silence on the matter, my dear. Amaris was never in any danger; she and my son will one day rule together, and they will run the mines as I have done, for the security and protection of our kingdom. You and the prince… You would use it to destroy us. It was a sacrifice I had to make for our kingdom. Two deaths so hundreds of thousands could live. And now the blood of all who die defending the Mountains will be on your hands.”
The sight of the first tear slipping through Riona’s lashes shattered Auberon’s resolve. He rose, rage swelling within him. But before he could say a word, Lord Farquar began to struggle, letting out a series of insistent, muffled grunts. They all turned to look at him. He still wore the gag, and lines of dried blood ran in rivulets from his broken nose, staining the fabric a deep brown-red. He glared at the king, then twisted toward Riona and fixed her with an imploring look. At a nod from her, the Kentari guards dragged the lord forward and unceremoniously dumped him on the floor before the low central table. One pulled the gag down around his neck.
“Do not let him break you, my lady,” Farquar said, his words urgent. “You are not like him, or you would have slit Prince Auberon’s throat yourself when you went to meet him at the Royal Theater last night.”
“Why are you saying this?” Riona asked. Her tears had stopped falling, but the trails they had left down her cheeks shone under the light of the torches. “Why help me?”
“Because I desire to live, and if you allow him to win, he will kill us all.” His gaze swiveled to Duke Valerian, who had been watching the entire confrontation unfold in silence. “Take me to Kenter with you when you leave, Your Grace. If you swear to release me, I will tell you all the one thing you have yet to piece together. I will tell you how His Majesty orchestrated the death of Lady Riona’s mother.”
ChapterSixty-Nine
The Lady
The silence was deafening.
And then the queen was rising to her feet, storming toward Lord Farquar as if she would torture the information out of the lord herself. King Domhnall caught her arm, and she turned on him. “Unhand me,” she snarled, jerking out of his grasp. “Tell me he’s lying, Domhnall. Tell me you didn’t kill my sister.”
Riona watched, her heart twisting, as the king glanced from his wife to his brother, who looked as if he’d just been punched in the stomach. The guards lining the room shifted, whispers rising from the Rivosans. Master Kaiden shot them a glare, swiftly silencing them, but King Domhnall barely seemed to notice.
“Tell me the truth, Domhnall,” the queen said. “Tell me you didn’t take Riona’s mother from her.”
Slowly, his eyes returned to her, the confirmation of his guilt etched across every inch of his face. “…I cannot.”
She staggered back a step. “Youbastard.”
“Promise me what I have asked, and I will tell you everything,” Farquar said, his voice thick through his broken nose. “Duke Valerian?”
Valerian looked to Riona, seeking her answer. Words lodged in her throat, a dozen answers tangling together—No.Yes.I don’t want to hear it.I have to know. Her mother, murdered by her uncle. Her ship sent to the bottom of the sea not by Erdurian ships, but by Rivosi ones. Perhaps even by the men and women who had been charged to protect her.
She could feel Auberon’s eyes on her. Could feel him standing close enough to touch, to reach out and lace her fingers through his. She wanted to. More than anything, she wanted to collapse, to sob until her tears ran out, to feel his arms wrap around her and to listen to him promise that everything would be alright.
But instead, she merely nodded.
Valerian’s voice shook with anger as he said, “Lord Farquar, you have my word that you will be safely transferred to Kenter. You will be considered a subject of the Grand Duke of Kenter, and by extension King Jericho of Kostos, and you will have your freedom and your life.”
