“All the same, that rider and the major can’t possibly be the only ones in the regiment in on the plot, and now we’ve lost the only person who could have connected them with Kyrin and the others,” said Alec. “There’s probably a whole nest of snakes Salana knew about. For all the good that does us now.”
Thero shook his head in disgust. “That’s what comes of torture.”
“Did Klia speak to anyone about Kyrin’s cabal, or us?”
“No,” Thero replied. “When Salana refused to speak, Klia thought it better to leave you to work from this side.”
“Reltheus and Kyrin are sure to hear about the loss of their spy. What do we do about that?”
Seregil shrugged. “We’d better work quickly. Have you spoken with the prince yet, Thero?”
“No. I’m on my way there now, and I want you two to come with me and tell him what you’ve learned before things take a turn for the worse.”
“Yes, it’s time.” Seregil tucked his bakshi bag under his belt. “We’re going to see Elani anyway.”
“Oh, and remember,” warned Thero. “You two know nothing of the assassination attempt on Klia.”
They rode together in a hired carriage through the pouring rain. At the Palace, a page led them not to the main audience chamber, but to one of the many rooms set aside for private business. Leaving the three of them in the corridor, the page knocked and went in to announce them with instructions from Thero to tell the prince that they had news of the utmost importance.
They were admitted, and found Korathan in his robe and chain of state and black velvet hat, talking with bluff, bearded
General Sarien. That wasn’t good, seeing as how the protector general was one of the people Atre had reported as conspiring with Duke Laneus.
Knowing this, Thero bowed to both men, then to Korathan. “We bring you a matter of the utmost delicacy, Highness.”
“The general and I were just finishing,” Korathan replied. Sarien understood the tacit dismissal and took his leave. Leaning on the edge of the table, Korathan looked the three of them over, taking in their disparate apparel. “What’s all this about?”
“I visited Klia last night,” Thero replied.
“Ah, so you were behind all the uproar.” He held up a sheaf of parchments. “You’re a bit late. I’ve had reports from the queen and General Moraus already this morning. Wretched business. No one mentioned you, though.”
“Klia and I agreed it would be better that way. I helped her question the courier, who gave up Salana’s name.”
“Who died without giving up any others.”
“Yes, Highness. Things would be a great deal easier if she had. But that’s why we’re here now. Seregil and Alec have uncovered evidence of a cabal working against Klia here in Rhíminee. Klia employed spies on her side and we on ours.”
“And you didn’t think I should be informed of this?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’ve been trying to give them the greatest latitude in searching out the roots of this plot. Arresting the conspirators we know about now may let others escape.”
“I see.” Korathan gave them a wry look. “As I recall, Phoria disbanded the Watchers.”
“Indeed, she did, Highness,” said Thero. “But as an Orëska wizard, I have a duty to the Crown. I felt it was imperative to look after the safety of the royal family in any way I could.”
“The same for us,” said Seregil, giving Korathan a wink. “And since we’ve rendered good service to your family before, I didn’t think you’d mind us sticking our noses in again.”
“So, you’re just acting as loyal subjects? I suppose Phoria can’t dismiss you for that. What information do you have?”
“We’ve sort of stumbled across information that we think points to two cabals—” Seregil began.
“
Two?
I thought this was about Klia.”
“That one is led, we think, by Marquis Kyrin, who supports Elani for the throne.”
“Aside from plotting against my youngest sister, not a bad thing.”
“But we don’t know what that support means, or how far they’ll go. Alec overheard something that might have been a threat against the queen herself.”
“Bilairy’s Balls! I’ll have word sent to her at once to strengthen her bodyguard. Who else do you think is involved with him?”
“Tolin, Stenmir, and—” Seregil hesitated, knowing Korathan was not going to be pleased. “And Duke Reltheus.”
“Reltheus? Is that why he’s thrown his son in Elani’s way every chance he gets?”
“No, I think he just desperately wants his line joined to the royal house,” Seregil replied. “And I believe he feels genuine affection for your niece. Kyrin has found a way to use that. He’s blackmailing Reltheus; it seems the duke was already passing out royal favors.”
“That makes him no less a traitor to the royal family, if he’s conspiring against Klia! How far has this gone?”
“All that we’ve learned makes me wonder if that attempt on Klia’s life was actually made by assassins disguised as Plenimaran soldiers,” replied Thero.
“Attempt on Klia’s life!” Seregil exclaimed. “Why weren’t we told of this?”
“Perhaps I should have—” Korathan looked sharply at Alec. “But you two already knew, didn’t you?”
Alec colored hotly. “Well, that is …”
“Only recently, Highness,” Thero told him. “And only because they uncovered evidence of their own as to the perpetrators. Seregil, tell the prince what you heard on the island.”
“Reltheus, Tolin, and Stenmir went off into the woods on their own and I followed to see what they were up to. I overheard Stenmir ask Reltheus if he’d had any more news from ‘the north,’ which I assumed were the messages from Danos.
Then Reltheus said that if someone he referred to only as ‘she’ had been killed, they’d have heard by now.”
“And you assume that this ‘she’ was Klia.”
“Yes.”
“And still you kept this knowledge to yourselves?”
Thero hastened to Seregil’s defense. “As far as we knew from the evidence Seregil and Alec found up until then, they were simply keeping an eye on her to see if she was making any move toward claiming the throne. We had no idea a plot was afoot to kill her.”
“What other evidence
do
you have, beyond an overheard conversation with no names?”
Seregil showed him the copies of some of the coded messages and purloined letters they’d found so far. “From these, it appeared that they were keeping a close eye on Klia, and also trying to gauge how deep Elani’s interest in Danos runs. And I found a number of other interesting items in a secret room in Marquis Kyrin’s house, including more letters and some phials of poison. And he’s hoarding Aurënfaie gold kars with Goliníl clan’s mark on them, and some gems.”
“Those are all capital offenses!”
“Yes, but I think that pales beside his real motives, don’t you? Arrest him for that and you tip your hand to the other conspirators. They’ll scatter like fleas off a dead dog.”
“Charming image.”
“You take my meaning, though. Please, Korathan, let us pursue this.”
Korathan sighed. “And what’s this other cabal?”
“We’re less sure of this one,” Thero replied, “but Duke Laneus seems to be conspiring to support Klia in some fashion.”
“And how does he propose to do that, without her consent?”
“He may just be trying to protect her from Kyrin’s group.”
“And assassinate the queen.”
“Possibly. We’re not sure of that, yet.”
“And who is with him?”
“It’s not entirely clear, but we’re fairly sure of Marquise
Lalia, Duchess Nerian.” Seregil hesitated again. “The protector general—”
“The man I was just speaking with? Bilairy’s Balls, man, he’s charged with protecting Elani! If he persuaded his regiment to turn on her—on me? The whole city would be plunged into chaos. Phoria would be forced to lay siege to her own capital.”
“Very likely,” said Seregil. “Once again, though, if you arrest him for that, or even relieve him of command without a plausible excuse, the others will know the game is up. I’d suggest sending the general on a tour of the coastal cities to assess their defenses against a sea attack. With his correspondence closely monitored, of course. That should get him out of the way long enough for us to complete our work.”
Korathan rested his head in one hand for a moment. “Yes, that can be arranged easily enough. Are there any others in league with that faction?”
“Marquise Lalia.”
“Mistress of the Royal Wardrobe.”
“And Duke Malthus,” said Seregil. “But I’m not certain Malthus is supporting their plans, at least not any talk of assassinating Phoria. He was overheard objecting.”
“By whom?”
“One of my spies.”
“And this spy is?”
“The actor, Atre,” Seregil admitted reluctantly. “From what he heard, Malthus was the voice of reason.” He paused. “Again, if you bring this all to light now, it will look like Klia is in the middle of it.”
“But I assure you, she isn’t!” Thero quickly put in. “I’ve had it from her lips, and I have no reason to doubt her.”
That earned another raised eyebrow from the prince. “Perhaps you’re not the most objective judge, when it comes to Klia?”
“Your Highness, I—”
Korathan waved that aside. “I must tell you, I don’t like any of this, or your keeping it from me for so long. From now on you’ll
all
keep me apprised.”
“Of course, Highness,” said Thero, bowing with the others.
Korathan turned to Seregil. “I understand you two are playing with my niece again today.”
“We have that honor.”
“That’s good. You can keep an eye on Reltheus and the others for me. I’ll make certain the queen understands your sudden interest in Elani.”
“Thank you.” It seemed they’d improved their standing with Korathan since that day at the archery lists.
“Well, go on, then. It’s not polite to keep the princess royal waiting.”
“Of course.”
In the corridor Alec let out a pent-up breath. “That went fairly well. Didn’t it?”
“Considering the alternatives, yes,” said Thero, looking equally relieved. “Good luck and good hunting.” With that he went off the way they’d come.
Seregil straightened Alec’s coat collar and brushed a wisp of hair behind his ear. “There, all presentable to ‘play’ with the princess.”
Another page led them down the long succession of corridors that took them through the public areas to the royal living quarters. Seregil could have found his way on his own, though it had been a long time since he’d lived here. The queen’s suite was the largest, with its own garden. The other royals lived in the same wing, the highest ranking closest to the queen. Seregil’s old room had been far away at the other end.
Elani occupied the spacious suite next to the queen’s quarters, rooms that had once belonged to Phoria. Her mother’s were next to hers on the other side, and Korathan’s suite lay just across the hallway, although the prince also had his own villa in the Noble Quarter and spent the majority of his free time there.
Seregil was familiar with Korathan’s rooms, but not Elani’s, as he hadn’t spent much time with Phoria in her youth.
Footmen bowed to them and opened the polished double doors to admit them into a large, already crowded drawing room. The walls were decorated with murals of countryside
scenes, and the sumptuous furnishings were done up in gold brocade. Bookcases lined the back of the room from floor to ceiling, framing an ornately gilded door. The bookcases were filled with leather-bound volumes on history, warfare, statecraft, and other topics suitable for a future ruler; the warm smell of them mingled with the scent of the wax tapers and the perfumes of the various courtiers in attendance, forming an almost incense-like aroma that was very pleasant and cozy on such a stormy day. A large marble hearth took up the center of the right-hand wall. No fire burned there, as the day was warm in spite of the rain. The tall windows overlooking a smaller garden stood open to the damp breeze.
The usual courtiers and servants were there, including Reltheus, who clearly still occupied a place of honor among the assembly, and the unsociable Marquis Kyrin, Seregil noted with interest. Neither of them appeared to be worried about anything.
“Here you are!” Archduchess Alaya greeted them, kissing both of them lightly on each cheek. Then, lowering her voice, she confided, “You two have become quite the favorites, my dears, at least with the princess. Her mother is less enthusiastic. You’ll do well to stay out of her way.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Seregil murmured with a smile.
“Elani needs some friends outside of the court. Lord Alec, you’ve been a breath of fresh air for her.”
Alec bowed, coloring a little at the unexpected praise.
“And I’m so sorry about your friend, Lady Kylith.”
“Thank you, dear lady. The pain lingers on, but she’s vibrant in memory,” Seregil replied with genuine feeling.
Alaya flitted on, teasing Earl Stenmir about something. Seregil looked around at the crowd, then brushed Alec’s hand with his own and inclined his head in the direction of Elani across the room. She was laughing with General Sarien.
“Interesting that such a busy fellow has time for court pleasantries,” Seregil murmured. The thought that the general might well be planning harm to the girl he was now charming was chilling. “Though it’s hardly surprising that he
has access to her, both for his rank and position. He’s an archduke.”
Apart from General Sarien, everyone was gorgeously attired and bejeweled today. Elani was resplendent in a crimson gown and ruby-studded neckband and girdle; her hair was dressed with jeweled pins. Catching sight of them, she came over to greet them with warm delight.
“Thank you so much for attending,” she said, extending her hand to them in turn.
“The pleasure of your company is always a ray of sunshine, Highness,” Seregil said, gesturing at the rain-lashed windows overlooking the queen’s garden. “And what better day for sunshine?”
Elani laughed. “I hope you’ll allow me to try my bakshi skills against yours again. I have been practicing.”
“I’m at your disposal. Alec is a good hand at the gaming table, as well.”
“Then I’ll test your mettle at the stones, too, Lord Alec.”
Just then her mother called out for the princess and Elani let out a small sigh, muttering, “Oh, what now?”