“Another coughing fit, I hear. You should rest more,” Goefrin replied. “Which is why the news I’ve heard is so concerning.”
Blood rushed to Leon’s face, and he took a slow, steady breath. “Well, what news? I assume you’ve come to tell me.”
“My connections sent word that an Amaskan agent is heading for our border.”
Now they got to the point at hand. “An Amaskan?” Leon feigned ignorance.
“I am curious to know if any of this is true, Your Majesty. You swore never to have dealings with the Amaskans again after—after the death of your daughter, Iliana.”
Ah. So Goefrin lies. Impossible that he doesn’t know what happened to my daughter.
“Oh. I know of whom you speak. Your connections aren’t as good as they used to be. Know you not who comes to our borders?” said Leon.
At his shoulder shrug, Leon continued, “Six months ago, my connections brought me word that there was one among the Amaskans that bore a striking resemblance to Princess Margaret, one who, for all that she is a killer, moved with the grace of my late wife.”
Goefrin’s eyes bulged. “Surely not—”
“Yes, Goefrin. The agent in question is my daughter, Princess Iliana. She’s been alive all these years, hidden away and raised by the Grand Master himself.”
“Impossible. Are you sure?”
Leon tilted his head and stared at the old man. “Very sure. I’ve no idea how, but my daughter is alive.”
“Your Majesty, this is great news. How ever did you manage this information?”
The false glee in Goefrin’s voice didn’t reach his eyes, which widened to their whites. It was the confirmation Leon needed. “Of all the things you taught me over the years, the most important was having good contacts and sepiers.”
“I’m glad I c-could help.”
“Let’s just say that I called in a favor, and now, the Princess is on her way home where she belongs.”
“Amazing.” His tone was flat like his eyes, and King Leon hid a grin behind his hand as he feigned a cough.
Goefrin poured a glass of water and offered it to the King. After a few sips, Leon said, “It’s more than amazing. My contacts are scouring the Little Dozen for the truth. I mean, someone has kept her from me. And they’ve made you look quite the fool, too, by passing word to your own kin that my daughter was dead.”
“S-so they have, Your Majesty. I will have to find out who has betrayed us all.”
“My people are on it, old friend.” His grimace must have been quite fierce as Goefrin jerked back. “We will find who is responsible, and they will pay. Starting with the Grand Master himself.”
This time Goefrin’s gasp was genuine. “Your Majesty. No one goes up against the Order of Amaska. No one. Not even the Senate. No one even knows the Grand Master’s identity, let alone how to find him—”
“I do.”
Goefrin’s elbow bumped the pitcher of water on the table beside him. Water sloshed over the side and wet the dark blue tablecloth.
“Also, if I recall your kin found him. Remember? They arranged for Iliana to be taken to safety.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty. But that was many years ago. Those sources are long gone to me.”
“But not to me. Not to a King.”
Leon studied his “old friend” and watched him squirm under his gaze. “Trust me when I tell you, Goefrin, that these Amaskans will pay, and all those who work for them. Even if it takes me to the end of my days, I will make them suffer.”
The Order of Amaska; 255 Agaen 21st
Bredych told her to rest. Get a few hours’ shuteye before meeting him for the job’s details. Not that she could sleep. Even after a night’s ride through the rain, Adelei’s limbs were pins and needles after the Masters’ revelation.
Her body refused to relax, and Adelei spent the time alone in her room. Tiny though it was, the room was home and had been since being named a full member of the Order. Just enough room for a cot, the room made use of its vertical space. The only bookshelf was built into the cot’s headboard. Several shelves lined the walls, though Adelei owned few knickknacks. A storage chest for clothes and weapons rested at the foot of the bed, and beyond that, the door itself.
One entrance and exit. No windows.
Every room in the complex was built this way. No one could pinch her between two enemies, and they’d be lucky to surprise her with the bells hanging from the door’s knob. Adelei brushed her fingers over her books. She supposed they would be sent to her in Alexander. She doubted she’d be given pack mules enough to take it all.
Weapons would go with her, as would clothes. Not that she had many. Four years in Amaskan black left little need for much else. Though she supposed she would need a disguise or two. I can’t imagine entering the Kingdom of Alexander in these clothes—I’d be riddled with arrows before I’d even touched the border.
She kicked the chest, and it rattled, the metal latch clinking against the lock. “This is ridiculous.” No one affirmed or denied her statement, and she stared at the door. When Grand Master Bredych didn’t stride through it, she sighed and thumbed through her books for the familiar green spine of The Book of Ja’ahr. Adelei flipped through pages at random. A few minutes later, she tossed the book to the foot of the bed where it lay, pages splayed like her emotions.
I don’t want comfort. I don’t want some holy words to reaffirm the Masters’ decision. What I want is for my father to explain himself.
The flush spread over her face and arms, and she leaned back, knocking her head against the wooden frame. “Damn, that hurt.” Adelei rubbed her fingers across the nape of her neck. The stubble on her scalp tickled her fingers as she massaged the smarting spot, and the door remained stubbornly closed.
Her foot tapped on the blanket and when she noticed her fingers
