I recognized a few of them. The Earl of Rothguard came forward to greet me, as did Lord Fenton, Marquis of Greystone. According to Penelope, they were my father’s oldest friends, but I hardly knew them at all. Captain Raingate, Silverthorne’s captain of the guard, was also part of the Silver Swords. I wasn’t surprised to see him there. If Erien was a prisoner of the archmage, I knew Captain Raingate would do everything he could to get him out. He was a capable soldier, and my granduncle had trusted him. I was glad Rafe still had some people he could depend on.
I looked around the room. The others were strangers, but I didn’t have time to get to know them right now. I noticed some food laid out on a table in the corner. I was famished, and the food was fresh and warm. Small, flaky meat pies and fresh bread with white creamy butter accompanied a hearty vegetable stew. Rafe invited us to eat while he gave others instructions and sent them away to carry out their orders, until there were only a few of us left.
I picked at a meat pie while Kalen chattered away with his mother, telling her everything that was going on. At some point in the conversation he put his arm around my shoulders. I couldn’t help but notice all the similarities he had to Tristan. He wasn’t as tall as Tristan yet, but he had really grown and filled out since I had last seen him.
“I’m so glad you are back, Aurora,” he said, a half-eaten pie in his hand.
I eyed the others in the room. “It seems you are the only one.”
“Give them time,” said Kalen, trying to smile. “They are all loyal to Rafe, and they know how he felt about you. Now you are here with your fae prince, and they don’t know how to behave.”
I looked around at all the people Rafe had gathered. I couldn’t explain myself to each of them, and frankly I didn’t feel the need to. Rafe was the only one who I needed to speak with, and I wondered when I could get him alone to talk. I darted looks over at him from the corner of my eye, but he was busy giving instructions to two men and writing something on a piece of parchment he then sealed. I wanted to explain why I agreed to become betrothed to Tristan before we went into the castle, but I couldn’t seem to get him alone for one moment. I had a sneaky feeling he was purposely avoiding me.
“We don’t have much time,” Rafe announced after we had eaten and he had finished with the others. He glanced over at Tristan and me. “We need to disguise you and get you both into the palace before the coronation. It is the best time to stage the rescue while everyone is busy with the parade and festivities.”
“Once the children are out, are you sure the other nobles will join you to take the castle?” Penelope asked.
Rafe shot a glance at Rothguard and Fenton, who both nodded. “I believe so. My army is hiding in the woods around the castle, as well as Silverthorne’s and the other nobles’ individual armies. But they will not make a move until they know the children are safe.”
The plan sounded simple. We would disguise ourselves and infiltrate the palace. Then when the archmage was busy with the coronation, we would slip into the dungeons and get the children out through a portal. But as I had learned on more than one occasion, plans rarely ever went the way they were supposed to. And to top it all off, there was a catch. Rafe was going to give himself up to Delacourt before the coronation.
I shook my head. “Rafe, this is too dangerous. It’s exactly what Delacourt wants you to do.”
He ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair and rubbed the base of his neck as he scoured the maps on the table. “What choice do I have? If I don’t surrender before the coronation, Delacourt has promised to kill Erien first. And after what happened to Silverthorne, I can’t take any chances.”
My face paled. “But how will you get out? Once he knows the children are gone, he will have you executed.”
“He won’t.” Rafe’s stormy eyes narrowed. “At least, not immediately. He will want to make a spectacle of me at the coronation, surrendering the crown to him in front of all the nobility. If he doesn’t, his rule will always be in jeopardy. As it is, his claim to the throne is slim. Calisto may be next in line to the throne after me now that her father and brothers are dead, but she is not a Ravenswood.”
A young woman with dark hair came into the room and walked straight up to Rafe.
His eyes softened when he saw her. “Is it set up?”
She nodded. “Yes, Rafael.” She put her hand on his arm, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from fixating on their touch. “Don’t worry, I have taken care of it.”
Rafe smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a slight squeeze. “Thank you, Danica. You have done well.”
Danica looked up at him through long lashes and gave him a sultry smile. I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach. Who was she?
Rafe turned back to Tristan and me, and his smile disappeared. “The castle is hiring part-time servants for the coronation, as it will be full of guests and their retinues. I will get you a job in the kitchens—I still have people in the castle working for me. Danica will meet you at the gates and get you in.”
Penelope nodded and clasped her hands together. “You and Tristan will disguise yourselves as servants. As long as you are wearing the Amulet of Auraken, the wards will not detect your glamour. If there are Drakaar in
