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I stumbled to a halt, glancing around in panic to find our guards had already closed rank behind us, barring us from any attempt we might make to flee. Grabbing Ren’s arm and dragging him behind me – we may have been trapped but I’d be damned if I was making it easy for any of them to take him – I shot a hurt look in Astrid’s direction.
“You sold Ren out?”
She shook her head.
“Nat,” Valeri said, descending the remainder of the dais’ steps and moving towards us, one arm outstretched like he intended to haul my prince away right in front of me.
“You’re not taking him!” I snarled, stubbornly keeping myself between them as my brother tried to move closer.
He faltered, his eyes darting back to Astrid as if seeking an explanation. She didn’t offer one.
“I’m not taking anyone,” Val said slowly. “Why would you think…”
“I Saw you do it.”
Astrid’s mouth opened slightly at that, a crack in her proud royal façade. I’d told her about my Sight when I relayed to her everything that had happened since my capture when we spoke upon our arrival, although I hadn’t been brave enough to recount my vision of Valeri and the horrifying realisation that he’d cut out my prince’s tongue. I’d never expected she would be the one responsible for making such a future happen.
“You’re going to hand Ren over to Welzes!” I accused. I felt Ren’s sharp exhale on the back of my neck.
My brother frowned, his face creasing into a pained expression. “No. I wouldn’t do that.”
I scoffed.
“Nathanael, Aratorre and I may have had our differences, but that was before...” He shifted his weight between his feet, clearly uncomfortable, and cautious hope flickered through me at the confession. “Before I realised what he meant to you. Before I watched you two together and saw how happy he makes you. Before...”
I stared back at him, unable to speak.
“Fuck, you’re really going to make me say it?” he pleaded.
“Yes,” Ren said from behind me, clearly enjoying his discomfort. “Say it.”
Valeri sighed. “Before I realised that he wouldn’t make theworstking.”
Ren snickered and rested his chin on my shoulder. “Told you he’s inloooovewith me.”
I folded my arms. There were still some things that weren’t adding up, regardless of how sincere my brother sounded. “Then why did you double the bounty for his capture?”
“Because the original amount was for his head,” Val said. His eyes shifted to Ren. “I made the verypublicoffer of a greater sum in exchange for you being brought in alive, Aratorre. Welzes couldn’t refuse without admitting they wanted you dead without trial.”
He sighed. “It was all I could do at the time to help. I was being closely watched in Máros; I couldn’t get a message to either of you. Other than through that laundress.”
Oh.
“You said we had no hope of escaping the city,” I said, realising, “knowing that upon hearing that, it would make me doubly determined to do so.”
My brother grinned. “Was I wrong?”
“No,” I grouched. I hated that he knew me so well.
“I could only pray the message reached your ears before the false king and that fucking councillor implemented their city-wide raids. They were…brutal.” Valeri’s expression sobered. “It was an excuse for violence that had clearly been festering for a while: arrests without cause, punishment without reason, executions without crime – all under the pretext of finding their so-called treasonous prince.”
“Bastards,” Ren hissed, ducking out from behind me. His face was carved from angry lines, pain etched in his eyes. “How fucking dare they?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it, Aratorre. Your sister quietly alerted me to Welzes’ intentions in coming after me next, and I was forced to flee like a thief in the damn night.” Val swallowed. “I didn’t want to leave Alondra with that monster, but she refused to leave and I was powerless there alone. I just…”
His shoulders sagged, and I didn’t think I’d ever seen my brother look so beaten as he did in that moment.
“There was nothing you could do,” I said softly, and the words were for both princes. “Not then. But now?” I glanced up at Astrid, still seated perfectly motionless on her throne. “Now,we can. We might not have been able to help those people, but we can stop it happening to anyone else. Please?”
