“It’s all right. My father hates Edamo a lot more than I do. I actually believe that the conspiracy was behind both the attack on me and the murder of my brother.” She gave a small smile. “Still, I know what you mean. Edamo and I will never be friends.”
Naditia nodded, her relief palpable.
“Have you seen any evidence of the conspiracy in Macharzo?” Diani asked, thinking once more of her strange conversation with Naditia’s first minister.
“None at all. That doesn’t mean it’s not there, of course. Only that its members have been careful.”
“Do you trust your minister?”
“Craeffe?” She shrugged, a frown creasing her forehead. “I used to. I’m not certain anymore.”
“Why not?”
“She’s changed in recent turns, grown quieter, more sullen. But I’m sure I’ve changed, too. She may sense that I have doubts about her, and probably she resents it.”
“I often see her speaking with the archminister.”
Naditia stared at her, nodding. “I’ve noticed that, too. And she spends a good deal of time with Alao’s first minister. I believe they’re lovers.” She blushed and looked away. “Though that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Maybe it does.” Diani paused. “Some time ago, not long after my first minister was killed, the queen asked me to keep watch on the archminister. I haven’t been able to prove anything yet, but I don’t trust her. If you’d be willing to keep an eye on her as well, along with your own minister and Alao’s, I’d be grateful.”
“Of course.”
Diani smiled. “Thank you.”
They spoke for a while longer. It turned out that Naditia remembered Diani’s mother quite vividly. Once, while visiting Yserne with her own mother, she had entered a chamber uninvited only to find Dalvia and the queen having a private conversation. The queen had said little, but Diani’s mother spoke to her quite sternly before sending the girl on her way. The incident had left enough of an impression that even after becoming Macharzo’s duchess, Naditia had still been intimidated by Dalvia.
“That sounds like mother,” Diani said, laughing at the story. “She was very kind, really, but she could seem terribly cross when she wanted to.”
“That’s a fine skill for a noble to have. I know, because I don’t.”
Diani grinned, realizing that she liked this woman far more than she had imagined she would.
A moment later, they heard voices calling out from west of the river. Scrambling up the riverbank with Naditia at her side, Diani saw that the archers had returned, carrying four stags, several does, and a good number of partridges.
“It seems we’re going to eat well tonight.”
Naditia nodded, and together they walked back to the camp.
* * *
“You’re a fool!” Abeni said under her breath, as she watched the duchess walk away. “You couldn’t just leave it, could you? You should have just answered her question and let it be. But no. You had to say more. ‘That’s not my way.’ Demons and fire, Craeffe! What were you thinking?”
“Calm yourself, cousin,” the minister said, though without her usual composure. “She’s just a dull-witted girl, barely old enough to rule her house.”
“And you’re an idiot. That dull-witted girl has managed to convince the queen that Kreazur’s death was more than it seemed.”
“That would seem to be your fault, wouldn’t it?”
“She has Olesya’s ear, and she’s just gone to speak with your duchess. If we give her cause to question our loyalty-as you just did-she’ll destroy us.”
Craeffe gave a small breathless laugh. “Now I know that you’re fretting for no reason. My duchess is no more a threat to this movement than my horse. Even if she learned something of our movement, she’d be too afraid to voice her suspicions. If her mother was still alive, perhaps I’d share your fears. But the daughter is nothing.”
“I hope you’re right. As it is, the Weaver won’t be pleased to hear about this.”
Craeffe blanched. “There really isn’t any need to mention it to him, is there, Chancellor?”
“That depends on you, Minister.”
Craeffe lowered her eyes. “Yes, of course. I didn’t mean to imply that you had made a mistake with Kreazur.”
“Yes, you did. But I’ll take that as an apology and assume that you won’t speak of it again.”
“I won’t, Chancellor,” the woman said through clenched teeth. “You have my word.”
Abeni grinned, knowing that she was enjoying herself far too much.
A short time later, the soldiers returned with food for the evening meal. Gradually the nobles returned as well. Diani and Naditia gave no indication that they had gleaned anything from Craeffe’s insolence, but they did seem to have forged a bond at the river, and once more Abeni found herself cursing the minister’s recklessness.
The balance of the evening passed without incident, as did the next several days. Now that the army had reached the moors of Eibithar, Olesya pushed them harder than ever. They covered nearly ten leagues each day, riding due north toward Galdasten, where the empire’s army was said to have made land. On the third day after their descent from the steppe, as they drew nearer to the central moorlands, they began to see columns of smoke rising into the sky far off toward the horizon. Sensing that they were near the warring armies, Olesya began to send out scouting parties, several at a time ranging to the east and west as well as to the north.
Early the following morning, just after they had set out from camp, the western party returned, bearing news of a great army marching from the southwest.
“Is it Kentigern?” Olesya asked the lead rider as he steered his mount next to hers.
“No, Your Highness. They’re burning crops and homes as they go. This is an invading army.”
“What colors do they fly?”
“Gold and red, Your Highness.”
The queen cast a dark look at Ohan and Diani.
“What would the empire be doing down here?” the duchess asked.
“It’s not the empire. Think, Diani. Braedon isn’t the only realm that flies banners of gold and red.”
Diani’s eyes widened. “Solkara! It’s the Aneirans.”
Olesya nodded. “Yes.” She faced the rider again. “How many are they?”
“More than a thousand, Your Highness. But they’re on foot.”
“We can stop them,” Ohan said. “Keeping to our mounts and using our bowmen wisely, we can defeat an army that size.”
“No!” Abeni bit her tongue, furious with herself for speaking so rashly. Both Olesya and Diani were staring at her as if she had just told them of the Weaver.
“You have something to say, Archminister?” the queen demanded. Abeni could hear the distrust in her voice.
“Forgive me, Your Highness. I was merely going to suggest that we might be better off joining with Kearney’s army first. We’re on horseback. Aneira’s men aren’t. We’ll reach Eibithar’s army well before they do, and we can warn the king of Aneira’s approach. That way, Kearney won’t be caught unawares, and we won’t have to risk fighting a larger army.”
The master of arms appeared to weigh this. “Actually, she makes a good point.”
The duchess continued to glare at her as if she hadn’t heard.
“Did they see you?” the queen asked her scout.
“I don’t believe so, Your Highness, but I can’t be certain.”
“All right. Go tell the dukes and Lady Macharzo what you’ve seen. Tell them we’ll continue to ride through the day and well into the night. By the time the sun sets we’ll be far enough from the Aneirans to light torches. Except for brief rests, we won’t stop again until we find Kearney and his army.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Once you’ve delivered that message, I want you and your party to ride west again. Keep pace with us, and watch the Aneirans for as long as you can. If they change direction or do anything unexpected, return here immediately and inform me. Do you understand?”
