Finnikin of the Rock

'I hope you've come to tell me that Froi's been found,' she said, anger lacing her words. She wore a violet dress, scooped at the neck with gold trimmings, falling loose to her ankles to give her the freedom to mount and ride a horse.

'What have you done?' he asked, his fury barely contained.

Her hands were clenched. 'What I needed to do,' she responded.

'We needed proof,' he spat, 'of what Charyn had planned. Yet you ruin any chance of bringing to justice those who were responsible by destroying the ones who could prove it.'

There was so little guilt in her eyes that it fueled his rage. Over her shoulder, he could see Perri poised for action, a look of warning on the guard's face. Finnikin knew he would be flat on the ground the moment he stepped out of line.

'You feel no remorse?' he said. 'Regret nothing?'

Hatred blazed in her eyes. 'I regret not being able to watch them suffer. I heard it was long,' she said through clenched teeth, 'and my heart sang to hear just how painful.'

'Belegonia has been—'

'Wanting a chance to invade Charyn for as long as this land has existed,' she shouted. 'Waiting for any justification.'

'They have every right to know that Charyn was planning an attack on them through us.'

'Belegonia will not care for those who are caught in the middle, Finnikin. They will take Charyn, not out of revenge but for what they can get from that kingdom. And they will use Lumatere as the pathway.'

'So the truth stays hidden?' he asked.

'Better than a truth revealed that will lead to war involving our three kingdoms. Not to mention Sarnak and every other kingdom on our borders. Let Charyn pay, Finnikin. Let Trevanion and Perri do what they do best. Let's not pretend the captain and Perri know nothing about slipping into a palace and cutting the throat of a savage foreign king who deserves to die. But do not ask me to sacrifice my people.'

'That's called assassination, isn't it, Perri?' Finnikin called out to the guard. 'To do exactly what was done to our king and —'

'Don't!' she shouted, sobbing the word. Behind her, Perri shook his head at Finnikin in warning.

'Do not compare the slaughter of my family to the killing of the monster who planned it and the traitor who carried it out. We are not ordering the deaths of innocents here. We are taking revenge, while ensuring that Lumatere is not bled dry.'

'Your people need to know the truth, Isaboe.'

'What my people need to know is that the beast and his men who razed our kingdom to the ground are dead. That they suffered. That the beast and his men who raped their wives and children no longer exist. Do you know how they punished the men who dared to stand up to them? How they kept them from resisting? Do you know how they came for their young daughters in daylight hours? Do you know how many drowned themselves in the river rather than endure what was happening? And I felt every one,' she sobbed, hitting her chest with her fist. 'Every single one, Finnikin. Oh, that leaders of kingdoms should feel the pain of every one of their citizens who they send out to fight their wars. Put me out of my misery now, rather than allow me to feel the deaths of my people fighting for such a truth to be known.'

Finnikin gripped the hand pounding her chest, and she leaned toward him, emotion strangling her voice. 'If you want to help run my kingdom, you do so from by my side and not from your rock village,' she said.

'What makes you presume that I have a desire to run your kingdom?' he said coldly. But she was standing too close and he wanted to rest his forehead against hers. Take everything she was offering.

'Is it not what Seranonna predicted?' she asked quietly. 'In the Forest when we were children? Light and dark. And what else was it that she said, Finnikin? What is it you fear so much?'

He shuddered. 'Why don't you fear me?' he said, his fingers digging into her arm. 'Why don't you fear me shedding your blood to be king?'

He saw her wince with pain and felt Perri's arm around his neck as he was pulled away.

'You are a fool,' she said, the tears spilling down her cheeks. 'Do you believe you are not man enough for the task? Perhaps I should give that privilege to the prince of Osteria, who begs to come calling to strengthen ties between our kingdoms.'

Finnikin bit his tongue until he tasted blood. Something savage inside him wanted to kill any man who dared touch her.

'But know this, Finnikin. I will despise you for the rest of your life if you force me to take another man to my bed as my king.'

She walked away and he ached to follow, but Perri refused to let him go, his lips close to Finnikin's ear. 'Speak to the queen or touch her like that again,' he threatened in a quiet voice, 'and you will find yourself, on your father's orders, guarding the barren border at Sendecane.'

Finnikin broke free, his breath ragged. 'Make sure you leave someone behind to protect her as you would, Perri. For it looks like sometime soon you're going to Charyn,' he said bitterly. 'To kill a king.'

'If that is what my queen wants of me, Finnikin, that is what I will do.'

Chapter 29

A week passed and then another. Cottages began to appear, built from mud bricks and straw, their roofs thatched and floors earthen. But the exiles had slept in worst conditions and many of them relished the idea of having a door and space and privacy. Those who had been trapped inside became accustomed to greeting their new neighbors. In each village, plowing and planting continued and routines began to be reestablished.

One morning, Trevanion stood with Perri and Moss watching Lord August work the land alongside his young sons and the villagers. The sun was hot, but August looked content among the men. Their lives were beginning to return to something close to normal, and talk of crops and planting at times erupted into healthy arguments. Trevanion noticed the workers seemed to enjoy the task of turning over the soil with the hand-held plow, despite the demanding nature of the work.

'Where are the oxen?' Perri asked, holding out a hand to take the plow from Lord August.

'We share them with the rest of the Flatlands on rotation,' the Duke said, wiping sweat from his forehead. 'I think the village of Clough has them today.'

'Sennington was extensively damaged, Augie,' Trevanion said. 'Can you not have Abie convince Lady Beatriss to move her village to Fenton? They lost most of their people in the fever camps. There are acres of fertile land with no one to work it.'

Lord August gave a small humorless laugh. 'Have you been in the same room as my wife and Lady Beatriss and Tesadora?' he asked. 'Terrifying. The moment I tried to make such a suggestion, I was cut down. Then I displayed greater stupidity by suggesting to the viper Tesadora that since the queen had been removed from her cloister and the guards were no longer there, I could request some sort of protection for her and her girls. Just in case.' He shook his head, shuddering. 'I'm sure she cast a spell on me with one flick of her eyelid.'

'You're scared of the women?' Trevanion asked, amused.

'I am not ashamed to say so, and you are a fool if you're not,' Lord August said pointedly.

'Lucian has volunteered to send the Monts down to work on Fenton,' Perri said as he returned with the plow.

'I fear the boy is too young and does not have the heart to lead the Monts,' Lord August said.

Trevanion shook his head. 'He carried his father's body up that mountain over his shoulder, Augie. That has less to do with physical strength and more to do with heart. Finn has spent much time with him and his people, and they are doing what Monts do best. Getting on with life.'

'I'm presuming Finnikin is not there now,' Lord August said disapprovingly.

'He's in Sarnak. On palace business,' Trevanion replied, frowning at Lord August's tone.

'On his own?' Perri asked.

'He took some of his lads from the village. Why are you so certain that he wasn't with the Monts?' Trevanion