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Amaris leaned forward and grasped her hand. “I know this is hard to hear, but you must listen. His Majesty is not going to stop mining eudorite because you have a moral objection to using prisoners as labor. Neither will Domhnall and I, once we take the thrones. It is our duty to protect our subjects from the armies who will come to take the mines. We will have no choice but to continue forging eudorite weapons.”
“And the prisoners?”
A shadow passed across her face. “I do not condone needless death, but they are prisoners, and they sealed their fates when they committed their crimes. If we must sacrifice them to ensure our enemies do not destroy our kingdom, it is the price we shall pay. Better the deaths of prisoners than innocents.”
Riona stared down at her hands, Dig’s haunting, keening cries echoing in her ears. The thought that more men would be driven mad by the unsettling, screeching wind made her feel sick, but Amaris was right—they could not afford to stop mining. Rivosa was bankrupt, and Erduria now knew that the king had found a way to mine the valuable ore in the Mountains. If they allied, it would spare her people from years of fighting.
“I have always admired your insistence on doing what is right, Riona,” Amaris said softly. “But in this, there is no right answer. We are at the mercy of the Empire.”
* * *
They didn’t speak much as the carriage rolled through Innislee’s northern gate and began the slow, steady climb up the King’s Road. Every minute sent a ripple of dread through her, every revolution of the wheels bringing her closer to whatever awaited them in the castle. Riona looked out the window and was just able to glimpse Auberon riding alone behind the carriage; the two brothers from the mine had broken off from their group earlier and ridden ahead, taking the extra horses with them. They would stay in a tavern until she and Auberon decided to broach the topic of the mines with her uncle.
Finally, they arrived at the castle’s forecourt, and the driver announced their arrival to the half-dozen guards at the gate. Amaris glanced at Riona as one of the men rushed into the castle to alert the royal family of their return. “I will say nothing of the mines until you and Prince Auberon decide our next move, but I beg you to be careful. It is more than just our lives on the line.”
“I know.”
“And Riona—” She faltered when one of the guards opened the carriage door and offered a hand to help her out. She glanced at him, then leaned forward and whispered in Riona’s ear, “If you must go to Erduria, be certain it is with the husband who will truly make you happy.”
Before she could respond, Amaris pulled back and accepted the guard’s hand, gracefully climbing out of the carriage. Riona followed her, being careful not to let so much as a flicker of pain pass across her face as her bruised ribs protested. The healer’s medicine had worn off during the journey, but she couldn’t risk taking more and dulling her wits.
“I cannot tell you how relieved the king and queen will be to learn of your return, my lady,” one of the guards said as he led them toward the open gate. “Your father was beside himself. He and the king sent half the royal guard to search for you.”
“Who all knows that I left the city?”
“Save for the royal family, your father, and the guard, no one. Master Kaiden ordered silence on the matter. His Majesty told the court and the suitors that you were ill.”
“Good.” She didn’t doubt that whispers of the truth were already spreading through the court. The guards were sworn to serve the king, but there were more than a few pairs of loose lips in any castle. “Tell me, has anyone of note arrived in the past couple of days, requesting a private audience with the king?”
“Who would you deem someone of note, my lady? We’ve seen the council members, of course, and there are always men and women coming to the castle with requests for audiences with His Majesty.”
“It would have been a man—tall and muscular, with strikingly pale skin. Anyone of that description?”
The guard frowned. “No, not that I can recall, although I wasn’t on duty at the gate yesterday. If you’d like, I can ask around and let you know what I learn.”
“Yes, please.”
“Of course, my lady.”
Riona glanced over her shoulder as Auberon handed his horse’s reins to one of the guards and started toward them. “What are we waiting for?” he asked as he joined them by the portcullis gate. His lips curled into a wicked grin. “It’s time I collect my reward for rescuing the king’s beloved niece.”
ChapterFifty-Five
The Liar
The guard led them to the great hall, where the king, Prince Domhnall, and Lord Lachlan were already waiting for them. As soon as he saw his daughter, Lachlan crossed the hall and grasped Riona’s upper arms. “Where have you been? Have you gonemad?”
Auberon stiffened as King Domhnall stepped forward, but he merely set a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Release her, Lachlan. Let’s hear some answers before we begin chastising.”
What game was the king playing? More than likely, he’d learned by now that they had been to the mine. Was he only feigning ignorance to keep his brother and son from learning of the secret he’d fought for so long to hide?
“I went to Crafford,” Riona responded immediately, swiftly recounting the story they had concocted before leaving the tavern that morning. Her gaze dropped to her feet in feigned shame. “After the performance at the Royal Theater, it all just became too real. The suitors… The arranged marriage. I…panicked, and I fled. I needed some time to clear my head and come to terms with the fact that I am truly leaving Rivosa. It sounds foolish, but until that night, a part of me had always held out hope that there might be a way for me to stay.”
A note of raw anguish slipped into her voice, and a pang shot through Auberon. It wasn’t entirely a lie, what she was saying. She had survived the Beltharan civil war only to be cast out of her home less than two months later. Auberon longed to move closer and offer what little comfort he could, but he forced himself to stand still, his hands clasped behind his back.
Riona’s slender shoulders curved inward. The sight of her misery made her father’s ire vanish. Lord Lachlan grasped his daughter’s chin and tilted her head up. “I understand, my love. But why did you tell no one that you needed space? That you wanted to leave?”
“You would have stopped me.”
