AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She studies me, as if trying to decide how I fit into a puzzle. More likely, she’s weighing how much she can extract from me and how much it’s worth to her. “They are plotting to divide Islor in two, claiming as far west as the Plains of Aminadav and naming Kettling as its capital city. The force gathering there is considerable, aided by soldiers from Kier.”
The Plains of Aminadav. That’s the most fertile land in all of Islor. “That’s where Atticus sent the army?” Not to the rift?
Her lips twitch, and I realize my mistake: you don’t ever call a king by his first name unless you know him personally, and even then, not in front of others. “He sent the eastern forces camped outside the city north to the rift yesterday, but the Cirilean army has left today for the east. I imagine he will join them soon, if he hasn’t left already.”
I curse. “But Islor’s armies will be divided, fighting two different enemies.” With a third—far worse—one waiting.
“To ignore either would be a detriment.”
“And we’ll lose both battles because of it.”
“Yes. Likely. Unless he finds powerful allies, and I would hazard his recent actions are eliminating that possibility.” Her focus wanders over the tavern’s interior. “The air in Cirilea has become ripe with betrayal and rebellion. After so many years, I sense my time here is drawing to a close.”
That’s how a person like Bexley survives—by getting out while she can. “What about Princess Romeria?”
Bexley’s eyes snap to me. “What about her?”
“What do people around Cirilea think of her? Of what she and King Zander are accused of. Do they believe it?”
“It depends which side you are on. Most elven want them burned on a pyre for the chaos they’ve caused. And mortals … well, they pray for help from the Ybarisans as they watch their brethren die and their children taken.”
My chest tightens. “And which side are you on?”
“The side that benefits me.”
I quietly wait for her to give a better answer. At least she’s honest.
She flips the coin between her fingers, caressing her thumb over the emblem as if it might rub off. “I believe the exiled king and the princess together held many secrets. But plans to destroy Islor was never one of them. I hardly think their intentions will matter, though, if the fates are involved.”
She’s being far more candid than I expected. It makes me want to return the favor. “They are involved. They have been for a long time.”
She lets out a long, slow sigh. “It sounds like Princess Romeria should secure allies wherever she can find them, then.”
Either Bexley is fishing, or she’s already decided I’m closely linked to Romeria. “She has found some unlikely ones, yes.” I hesitate. Bexley once told me that she couldn’t be trusted, but that she would never pretend otherwise. “Can she count on you as well?”
A grim smile of satisfaction tells me Bexley got the answer she wanted. “I could be her greatest one. But I could also be her worst enemy.” Something blazes in her eyes. “I never give valuable information without gaining something equally valuable in return. That is true for anyone who enters my establishment, whether it be pauper or prince, or a princess masquerading as a commoner.”
Is she talking about the last time we met here? Or has she figured me out, here and now?
“It is also true for those who seek information from great distances, like the scribes of Mordain, who have been very eager to learn all they can about Cirilea and the late High Priestess Margrethe. They know far more about both the past and the future than anyone gives them credit for. All they need is to utter the word prophecy, and I listen very carefully, and I learn of things about the fates and the nymphs that would strike fear into the hearts of many should they come to pass.”
I steady my breathing. Bexley said nymphs. She must have learned about the prophecy from the scribes. She knows, and she’s testing me. “Like what?”
“I think I have been generous already. It is your turn now.” She holds up the coin between two fingers, the emblem out. “What does this mean?”
My gut tells me now is not the time to lie. “It’s the mark of Ulysede, a kingdom built by the nymphs and hidden for tens of thousands of years.”
“But it is no longer hidden.”
“No. Princess Romeria opened it and now rules there.”
She sinks into the bench. “Another ruler to vie for power.”
“She’s not fighting for power. That’s not what she wants.”
“And what does Queen Romeria want, then?” She closes her fist over the coin. “What does she hope to bring to these lands, besides more chaos?”
“The end of the blood curse through the nymphs. And eventually, peace.”
