“There’s no way Ida would betray me again.”
Adelei reached over to touch his hand. “I—I know you two have a history, but Prince Gamun knew things that Margaret doesn’t. Either you told him, or she did. I’m sorry.”
“She can’t have done it. Someone else must know.” His frown dragged his brows down with it. “I sent Ida out on a small task before Prince Gamun arrived. When would he have encountered her?”
Goosebumps ran across Adelei’s arms. They both inhaled sharply in unison. “Where did you send her?” Adelei asked.
“To the Shadian border to see if she could get some answers about the Tribor and the Shadian royal family.”
“Then our lovely prince passed by her on the way out of the city. I assume she’s to report her findings on a regular basis?” When King Leon nodded, she continued, “Good. It’s possible she’s still alive then, assuming she hasn’t run into any Tribor.”
King Leon stood and paced back and forth. “They’ve failed twice to take me out,” said Adelei. “With their client breathing down their necks, their next attack will probably be against Ida or Margaret to get to me. In the meantime, send for Ida to come back with all haste.”
He nodded when another cough shook him. The King fell back into the chair, and he lunged for his cup. The liquid sloshed over the side before he downed several gulps, and his breathing eased. “I hate this. The war is over—the treaty was supposed to protect us, to prevent this. I wish I could send you both away until—”
Adelei closed her eyes as his words trailed off. “That didn’t work very well the last time.”
She hated to hurt him, but she needed the King right now, not the father. “Order Ida back. I need to return to Margaret’s side. By your leave…?” Moisture lined his eyelids, but he nodded permission for her to withdraw. He didn’t look up from the crown resting on the table, the candlelight casting tiny sparkles across the walls like fireflies.
Duty first. Family later. She held onto the words like a mantra as she fled the council chambers.
I may not be able to ease his pain, but after finding that girl’s body, the least I can do is my job. And do it well. Adelei squared her shoulders and lifted her chin high. At first, no one noticed when she entered the courtyard where Her Highness sat watching a game of sport.
Prince Gamun smiled at her as he held the ball aloft and winked before returning to the game. Adelei kept her mouth shut and focused on the crowd that seemed to have grown in her absence. Keep her safe. Duty first. Vengeance later.
She didn’t even care that she’d thought the word. He would pay for his crimes, justice be damned.
One month.
Exactly one month until the wedding, and still things were a mess. Adelei was no closer to finding evidence on the child’s murder, nor evidence to connect Prince Gamun to anything criminal. Worse still, no word came from Captain Warhammer, and lack of sleep was driving Adelei into the ground. She rose before sunup and crashed into her bed shortly after midnight.
Instead of eating supper, she roamed the city. Adelei wore neither sepier nor Amaskan clothing, trading both in for the clothes she’d worn as Alethea. As a middle-class lady, tongues wagged around her, and she was able to pass through markets and streets with ease.
She bought an apple from a vendor in place of the feast going on in the castle and leaned against a stone building to eat. Business trickled to a crawl as families sought their homes to prepare the evening meal. Even the vendor packed up his goods as she bit into her apple.
The man didn’t say more than a simple greeting to her, so after he’d set off for home, Adelei found a nearby inn and settled down at a table to wait.
It wasn’t long before one of the more unscrupulous patrons cast a shadow across her, and she glanced up to find him grinning down at her. “A lady such as yourself should never be alone. There’re dangerous folks about.”
His breath stank of ale, but his looks were nice enough and his clothing mostly clean. She gestured at the empty seat across from her. “But I’m not alone. I’m at an inn full of patrons. Alethea,” she said and held out her hand.
“The name’s Garret, milady. Are you visiting Alesta for the big wedding?”
“What makes you think I’m visiting?”
When he grinned, he was missing a tooth. “Your accent isn’t from Alexander. Figured you must be visiting for some reason or ’nother.”
“Good call. I took a caravan over from Sadai. Curious to see this prince everyone’s in a frenzy over.”
The barmaid dropped off another mug of ale for Garrett, and Adelei pretended to sip her wine. “Now I know you’re not from around these parts.”
Adelei laughed and pursed her lips together in an imitation of Margaret’s pout. “Now what did I say?”
“Only folk I know lookin’ forward to a Shadian joining the royal family are them highborn ladies who don’t know no better.”
A few customers at nearby tables grew quiet in their conversations, and Adelei frowned at Garret. Interesting. This was the third time she’d heard citizens of Alesta point out that no one was looking forward to the wedding.
“I heard there was still a feud between the two kingdoms, though I always figured the War of Three settled all that business.” Garret laughed and took another swallow of drink. “But over in Sadai, people don’t pay much attention to the politics of others. Could be I’m wrong. It’s not like I encounter many folks on my daddy’s land.”
His eyes widened at the mention of property. “What does your father do, if you don’t mind me askin’?
“The family farm grows grapes. Fact, this wine here is my family label. Last year’s crop—not as good as two years ago. Drought hit
