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“If you don’t want to be involved…”
“No,” he said quickly. “I’m with you. I’m just aware that some are more at risk with this plan than others.” He threw me an obvious glance.
Airlie sighed. “It’s not an ideal solution, no. But the one most at risk is also the one with the most to gain. If we had another solution, we would have already tried it.”
“And that’s why I’m with you,” Hayes said. “I never would have believed King Marius or Colton could get to this point.”
“It’s this last winter.” Airlie sounded sad. “You weren’t here, so you didn’t see the situation growing. One of the problems with fear is that it breeds more fear. I’m convinced that if they’d been presented with this situation out of the blue six months ago, they wouldn’t have considered such a drastic path. Even now, none of them actually want to be the one to make the call. But we can’t leave the situation hanging like this with Delphine at constant risk.”
“We appreciate your care for Delphine,” Amara said. “I feel terrible that I’ve been so helpless to rescue my own apprentice.”
Airlie smiled at me, the gesture lighting up her face. “Of course we want the best for Delphine—and hope she has a long and prosperous life here in Tartora where her skills as a healer will always be needed. But I would do the same for anyone. We can’t start punishing people for what they might one day do!”
“Should we be going?” Hayes asked. “How long do we have?”
Airlie started as if suddenly remembering her original reason for joining us. “Yes, we need to hurry! Drake is keeping Their Majesties and the rest of the Triumvirate in the throne room, but I don’t know how long he can stall them.”
Amara turned to me. “You’re sure about this, Delphine?”
I drew a deep breath and nodded. However it turned out, I had to try something. I couldn’t just sit back and let my life be taken away from me without fighting back.
“Where is that fascinating fox of yours?” Airlie looked around the room. “Do you think she would mind being left behind for this meeting?”
“She usually sleeps at this time of day anyway,” I said, just before spotting her curled up and fast asleep on one of the padded chairs by the window. I smiled at the sight of her. “Looks like she won’t miss us.”
She didn’t even stir as I wrapped myself in the cloak once again for the trip back into the palace. But with Princess Airlie at my side, no one would have questioned us anyway. From the looks of respect and admiration sent her way, she had obviously won her place in the palace, despite her humble origins.
My thoughts went to Nik again—as they all too often did. Even if the court was willing to accept a princess of humble birth, I had neither Airlie’s extraordinary strength nor her temperament. I didn’t think I could ever live permanently at court. The current situation might be unusual, but it was enough to put me off a political life forever. Airlie was the perfect wife for Evermund, but if Nik was going to reclaim his rightful position, I couldn’t be the wife he needed.
All too soon we arrived at a set of double doors that clearly opened onto a room of importance. I would have preferred my confrontation with the king to happen somewhere less intimidating, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Airlie pushed both doors open without hesitation, making our entrance suitably dramatic. Hayes followed after her, and Amara gestured for me to go next, leaving her to bring up the rear. I appreciated the show of support they were giving me, but I still wished I could have slunk inside without making a fuss.
“Ah, Princess,” a deep voice said from the far side of the room, “there you are.” But whatever else he’d been about to say was lost when he caught sight of the rest of us.
Surging up from his throne, King Marius eyed me with alarm. His graying hair lent his features gravity, as did the formal circlet he wore, and I wanted to shrink back from his anger.
Beside him, on a smaller throne, sat an elegant woman with a circlet of her own. Standing at her side were Gia and Renley. The princess winked as soon as she saw me, her manner a shocking contrast with her parents. Clearly Airlie had managed to speak to her.
Standing in front of the dais were four more figures, two of whom I recognized. Given the presence of Drake, the Master of the Elements, and Anka, now the Royal Mage, this was clearly the Triumvirate, making the second man Colton, the head of my own affinity. And beside him, the diminutive second woman, whose hair was mostly gray but whose golden face was unlined and full of life, had to be the famous Master of Plants.
The king swung toward them. “What is the meaning of this? Drake?” He sounded furious. “You assured us all was well with your prisoner!”
“She looks quite well to me,” Drake said blandly, ignoring the fire shooting from the king’s eyes.
I gulped. Apparently Grey wasn’t the only one adept at shaping his words around a healer’s ability to truth tell.
“This has gone on long enough.” Airlie had progressed calmly forward to take her place beside Gia. “You must make a judgment one way or another, and it is only fair that Delphine be allowed to speak in her own defense. You have both Master Colton and Master Anka to tell you if her words are true.”
King Marius shot a look at Colton who was carefully avoiding catching my gaze. He might be worried for his affinity and the disaster I might bring on it, but he wasn’t completely shameless. As my affinity head, he should have been the one defending me, not Airlie.
He cleared his throat. “I can certainly confirm any lies, Your Majesty.” He finally looked in my direction. “You must answer questions directly and without prevarication.”
Both Colton and the king glared in Drake’s direction, but the Master of the Elements looked unmoved. He might not wear a circlet in his tight curls, but his height and the white of his hair against his dark skin conveyed a powerful combination of strength and age-won wisdom. I was fortunate in my allies.
“To begin with,” Amara said, “let’s clear up your most immediate concern. Delphine, is physical contact necessary to mesmerize someone?”
“Yes.” The word came out shaky and quiet, so I repeated myself in a firmer voice. “Yes. Just like with regular healing, physical touch is necessary to mesmerize. From here I can tell your heart is beating, and your lungs are working, and I could recognize a lie or test a child’s seed. But I cannot interfere with another person’s body or mind from a distance. Mesmerization is bound by the same constraints as regular healing.”
