‘They were not my words,’ the Provincaro said. ‘I was merely repeating –’
‘Then use your own words, coward,’ Gargarin said.
The Provincaro of Sebastabol shook his head with regret. ‘Lirah of Serker will not live in the palace. I’ve said my piece.’
He walked out with his guard. De Lancey looked at his men and signalled for them to wait outside. He closed the door behind them and turned to face the others. At least he looked contrite.
‘Gargarin, take the deal or they’ll give it to the next man.’
‘There is no next …’ Gargarin stared at De Lancey and Froi saw the Provincaro of Paladozza look away uncomfortably.
‘What?’ Froi asked, looking from one to the other. ‘Who’s the next man?’
De Lancey winced. ‘We have no choice if Gargarin says no. Avanosh is neutral, and whoever acts as regent cannot have ties to any of the provinces.’
‘Vinzenzo of Avanosh?’ Gargarin asked.
‘What?’ Froi shouted, looking at De Lancey for confirmation. But the Provincaro’s silence said it all. ‘
‘They are even willing to make an agreement with Bestiano to keep Charyn stable and safe from Belegonia and any other kingdom ready to cross our borders.’
‘You’d agree to any of those
‘Careful, Gargarin,’ the Provincaro of Paladozza warned, his eyes flickering to Froi. ‘You’re sounding like the future King’s grandfather. His
Gargarin’s stare was deadly.
‘That type of talk is dangerous, De Lancey.’
‘Is that a threat?’
‘Not a threat, but say it out loud again and I may have to turn it into one.’
‘Take the deal, Gargarin,’ De Lancey said, his voice tired. ‘I’ll make provisions for Lirah. She’ll have a home in Paladozza. She’ll want for nothing.’
‘I’ll want for everything,’ Lirah cried out with bitterness, speaking for the first time. ‘And what will I have to give you in return, De Lancey? Will I be a gift to visiting Provincari and their sons?’
De Lancey was taking aback by the words and Froi saw fury in his expression.
‘You’re getting older, Lirah,’ he said cruelly. ‘You may not be what they want anymore.’
Gargarin shoved him and although Froi wanted to beat De Lancey black and blue, he knew the Provincaro had spoken the words out of hurt. Froi didn’t know how he came to that realisation. All he knew was that pain placed the wrong words into their mouths. All of them. Forces outside their control had destroyed the lives and friendships and loves of De Lancey and Lirah and Arjuro and Gargarin long ago, and now even the future would keep them apart.
‘You never trusted me, Gar,’ De Lancey accused. ‘I was never good enough for the brothers from Abroi.’
‘You were the first person I went to upon my release. The first,’ Gargarin said.
‘And what did you tell me?’ De Lancey asked. ‘Half-truths. About a dead child, but you made no mention of the living. Was that punishment, Gargarin? For betraying Ari all those years ago?’
‘You mistake me for another, De Lancey,’ Gargarin shouted. ‘You mistake me for yourself. You’re the one who never forgave yourself. That was your weakness and that was why I couldn’t trust you with the truth of the lastborn. Because as long as you live, you will never, ever forgive yourself.’
‘I curse the day you and your brother came into my life,’ De Lancey said. ‘I curse it. Go hide in your caves and punish anyone who cares for you. It’s what Arjuro’s done for all these years. You care about no one but yourselves.’
‘He wasn’t hiding!’ Gargarin said.
‘Gargarin,’ Froi warned, standing between the two men, knowing this was not the time for De Lancey to know the truth.
‘Arjuro was trapped inside Lumatere, De Lancey,’ Gargarin said, pushing Froi out of the way. ‘That’s what he hid from us. Nothing else. Arrested by our army, who mistook him for me. A traitor. The word carved on his body as if he was a rump of mutton. Chained in a Lumateran prison for ten years believing he was forsaken.’
Froi was tired of seeing the broken spirits of men and women. He finally understood the curse of Isaboe and Finn, weighed down by the grief of their people. It wasn’t just a curse that belonged to his queen. It was Froi’s curse to feel the sorrow of these people. Blood sings to blood, he had been told all that time ago by Rafuel. Charyn blood sang to Froi, but it was Charynites’ pain that gnawed at him. He saw it on De Lancey’s face now. It was as though he had aged in seconds and Froi wished Grij were here to take care of his father. Grij and Tippideaux would know what to do.
He saw regret appear briefly on Gargarin’s face. ‘Let’s talk in the morning,’ he said quietly. ‘When our words aren’t dipped in poison.’
De Lancey nodded listlessly. ‘Yes,’ he said, opening the door and stumbling out to where his men stood. ‘We’ll talk in the morning.’
Froi woke to murmuring. He was used to Gargarin and Lirah’s murmuring. These past few nights it had lulled him into a strange, peaceful sort of sleep: the first he had had since he lost Quintana.
‘… I don’t know, but he’s hiding something,’ he heard Gargarin say. ‘I know De Lancey.’
‘You think he can’t be trusted?’ Lirah asked.
‘I didn’t say that. But what if it’s not in his power to support us, Lirah? Regardless of how strong Paladozza is and how quickly they can go to ground, they’ve not had an army ever. I respected his decision for so long, but not these past months. He should have raised an army the moment those street lords took the Citavita, but he didn’t. That was weakness and a mistake, and we can’t trust ourselves with a man who makes mistakes.’
Lirah sighed. ‘That may be, but only you can take Quintana and the babe safely back to the palace.’
‘Do you honestly think I’m going to let you go?’ he whispered and Froi heard pain in his voice.
‘Listen to me,’ she said firmly. ‘We may doubt and question the truth, and entertain the horror that Quintana’s child may belong to Bestiano, but you know the gods have done something right here. That babe belongs to Dafar. And if you allow another man to raise our blood, I will never forgive you.’
And at that moment Froi was never so sure. Regardless of his constant fury at Gargarin, there was no other man he wanted taking care of Quintana and the little King.
‘You’re the smartest man I know,’ Lirah said fiercely. ‘If you can’t find a way of placing my grandson in my arms or sharing my bed without the Provincari knowing, then you are as big an idiot as the rest of them.’
Gargarin made a sound of frustration. ‘I’m not agreeing to anything … yet. If I never have to step inside the palace again, I’ll be the happiest man alive. But I’ll meet De Lancey in the morning to see if we can come to an agreement.’
Lirah was silent a moment.
‘Ask the boy what he thinks when he wakes.’
‘He’ll only say yes to anything I suggest!’ Froi heard the irritation in Gargarin’s voice. ‘I need him to be sure. Not compliant. He’s lost faith in himself, Lirah.’
Froi froze. Despite his attempt to stay quiet, he was desperate to get out of the room because he needed to breathe. He stumbled to his feet, tripping over his bedroll, and climbed onto the balcony. Despite the icy wind from the ocean, he sat down, smarting at the words he had just heard.
A short while later he heard a sound behind him and Gargarin was there.
‘Lirah said to go back inside,’ he said. They both had a habit of doing that. Saying
Froi didn’t respond.
‘We thought you were asleep, Froi –’
‘I don’t want to hear it,’ Froi snapped.
There was silence and he wasn’t sure whether Gargarin was still there.
‘If you had stayed in Paladozza, the Avanosh lot would have taken her. She would have ended up in Sorel. Or being used as some bargaining tool.’
