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“What time can we go?”
“After two.”
Naia didn’t want to wait, but, again, River knew his father better than her, and it was true that the only time she’d been in the Ancient City was late at night and everyone seemed awake.
“Fine, then, we wait.” She exhaled. “Meanwhile, we can try to come up with an idea, a solution, a way to figure out what Queen Kara wants.”
“What about the king?” River asked. “You said he wants to declare an Ironhold empire but it’s been postponed?”
“Yes. Well, I was in a mirror meeting with Wolfmark, Greenstone, Frostlake, or rather, the Ironhold person who’s taking care of that kingdom, and King Harold. We agreed on an emergency gathering. In Ironhold. It’s going to be in two days. I think that will be my chance to—”
“Are you crazy? I told you it’s much too dangerous.”
“They aren’t looking for me. I’m not the key to anything, so I don’t see the issue. Plus, my father will probably be back by then. He can go. His magic should protect him.”
River looked down, as if swallowing something he was about to say.
Naia stared at him. “You don’t think he’ll be back?”
“I don’t know. He might. You’re right that he could help us. That is, if he doesn’t want to separatemy headfrom my body.”
“He let me stay with you when I said that was what I wanted. He didn’t do it with any joy or pride, but he let me stay. Plus, he’ll want to fight Ironhold, he’ll want to protect Umbraar.”
River looked down. Naia knew what he was thinking. What if her father did not return? But she didn’t want to consider that possibility.
He said, “I could go and investigate Ironhold. I can move freely in that castle now.”
“River! Now you are the one not making any sense. You don’t know what that queen wants to use you for.”
“No. Think about it. The only reason she beat me was because of that stupid plant. All I need to do is find a way to counter its effects, and I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know if you’ll be fine, River. You don’t know what she wants to do with you.”
“It’s just a thought. I can try to research it in the Ancient library. They have to have something about that death grass. Then if I can counter it, I can go back to the Iron Citadel and move around unnoticed. Imagine what we could find out? Maybe that’s the key.”
Naia bit her lip. “Exactly. The key. What the evil queen and the creepy voice want. We’ll think of something else. And I don’t think Ironhold would be foolish enough to do anything at the gathering.”
“Really? You think they can’t come up with harsh, apparently illogical decisions? You haven’t been paying attention then.”
“I’ve spoken to other kings. Nobody wants to oppose Ironhold openly, but they’re not pleased about paying taxes to them and becoming part of their empire. We’ll all be together there. There’s something else, the Wolfmark king is here. He spoke to me and thinks we could try to negotiate better terms, or even refuse this empire altogether.”
“He’shere? In this fort?”
“Well, he insisted on coming. What was I going to do? And he’s a potential ally.”
River looked at her. “Ally. And yet something about the way you mention him makes me think you consider him a nuisance—or worse.”
She wasn’t going to tell him about King Sebastian’s outlandish proposal, but she could explain some of her dislike. “My father hates him, so I assume there must be a reason, and I can’t be delighted that he’s come to visit. But then, you don’t need to like your allies, you just need to have interests in common.”
River kept staring at her, his countenance suddenly serious, threatening even. “This king, did he bother you? Disrespect you?”
“You’re reading my mind now?”
“I’m reading your face, Naia. But now you just answered. What did he do?”
It was better to explain it before River thought it was worse than it was. “He proposed.”
“Pro…” His face was puzzled, then, after pausing for a second, he burst out laughing. “He thinks he has a chance? With you? Are all human men that deluded?”
