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My eyes wandered to the knife in my hand, then back to Rune.
“I did, but I would prefer you ask for an audience and not sneak up on me like this.”
Rune tilted his head. “As far as I’m concerned, this is the first eye-to-eye I have had with the Rhine Queen.”
I bit my lower lip. At the garden, I’d hidden who I was. But in all fairness, I also didn’t know whohewas. The North King’s bastard, a cold-blooded killer. Alrick had reassured me he was a man of his word and not here to harm me, but how could Alrick be so certain?
“Are you here to talk or—” My voice broke off. The question was nonsense. I had my back turned to this man. If he was here to kill me, he could have done so already. But instead, he held my hair and offered me his handkerchief.
Slowly, I lowered the knife until my arm was hanging loosely next to my waist.
“Th-thank you,” I said, quite ashamed that we were literally standing next to a pile of vomit. Never had I heard of a man aiding a woman in a situation like this. Embarrassing indeed.
Rune just nodded.
For a moment, we stood in awkward silence, then I put the knife away into the hidden pocket in my dress.
“As you can see, I’m quite busy today, so please don’t think me rude if I get straight to the point.” I studied Rune, his strong chin and emotionless expression. “But then...you don’t seem like a man who likes when others waste his time.”
Did his lips just curl into a thin smile? It was so faint, I couldn’t tell.
His continued silence shook my confidence. Then I thought of Father, his blue lips never to smile at me again. And all thanks to the man Rune protected.
I steadied my emotions and straightened my spine.
“King Algar of the North is most likely behind the killing of my father.”
I prepared myself for a strong response. Angry denial, shock, shouting, or even laughter, but instead, Rune kept staring at me with that intimidating confidence of his. Then he scratched his chin. “Your father was murdered?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Poison. Most likely from the North. Ever-sleep.”
Rune narrowed his eyes. “Ever-sleep?” There was curiosity in his voice for the first time.
I nodded.
“How can you be certain?” he asked.
“I’m not certain yet. My physician will perform another experiment on my—” I stopped midsentence.Experiment.On my dead father. It sounded just as awful as it was.
“You assume. So, so far, there is no evidence?” Rune clarified.
“Yes.”
He frowned. “Then write me once you have that.”
One of my brows shot up.Write you when I have that?
Had the conversation come to an end? My chance of winning him over, breaking his bond with his father over in a matter of a minute?
Rune bowed and turned.
My heart started racing. How could I fail Alrick and his people so miserably after how hard he had fought to get the rebels and Rune here at the same time?
“Wait!” I shouted after Rune, who had already made a few steps down the hallway, but he kept walking.
