Chapter 7 #2
“What? What about my parents?” She tucked her knees tighter to her chest, wrapping her free arm around them. Her other hand gripped his so tightly that it had to hurt, but he didn’t pull away.
“There were no Lalsacian units in that area of the pass the day your parents were killed.” Lord Lorne held her gaze with unwavering intensity.
“No.” She shook her head, as if she could forcibly expel his words from her ears. “No, it’s not possible. I’m sure it was a mistake. Your kingdom didn’t mean to kill them. But…”
“I know I don’t have any proof that I can show you.
” Lord Lorne’s fingers flexed around hers, but his gaze remained locked on her.
“But I talked to every Lalsacian commander who was stationed in the pass that day. I talked to as many of the soldiers as I could track down. I searched our military records and confirmed everything with my…king. Lalsacia did not kill your parents.”
“No.” Her protest came out weaker than before.
She didn’t want to believe it. Her parents’ deaths had been her grandfather’s whole excuse for the war. It had been his reason for capturing and torturing Lord Lorne and his men.
If Lalsacia didn’t kill her parents, then that only left…
“Surely my grandfather wouldn’t have killed his own son. He was his heir.” She was still shaking her head, although slower, her shoulders hunching. She’d just been thinking that she wouldn’t put anything past her grandfather. But this?
“Not his only heir.” Lord Lorne eyed her. “He had one other heir. One he believed he could control and mold and eventually marry off to the son of his crony to further control her.”
“No, he wouldn’t…” She trailed off, curling in on herself. Her father had been vocal against any plans to go to war with Lalsacia. He’d rallied the lords opposed to war, and he’d been the leading voice standing against her grandfather.
Her grandfather had used that stance to force her father to prove how much he wanted peace with Lalsacia by going on that diplomatic mission, and taking her mother with him.
“It’s possible it wasn’t your grandfather.” Lord Lorne squeezed her hand. “Lord Sarlon would be my other top suspect. He certainly leveraged your father’s absence to worm his way into being your grandfather’s right-hand man. And he’d positioned his son to become king one day.”
“Or they worked together.” She wasn’t sure which option was better or worse.
“Or that.” Lord Lorne nodded, his jaw set. “After all, your grandfather didn’t personally carry out the raid. He worked with someone to commit the actual murders, if he’s the one responsible.”
“Do you think we could find proof? In my grandfather’s things or Lord Sarlon’s?” If this was true, then she needed proof. She needed to know exactly who had done this to her parents.
“I highly doubt either of them left a paper trail. Any orders were given in person.” Lord Lorne shook his head on a sigh.
“If they were especially cautious, then those who carried out the deed were also killed shortly afterwards. There might be no witnesses alive, and if your grandfather was solely behind it, then he took the full truth to his grave.”
“But if Lord Sarlon was involved, either as my grandfather’s man or acting on his own, then he knows the truth.” Adeline’s stomach churned, yet a burning feeling filled her chest.
“He’d have to confess, and you’d need a great deal of persuasion to get him to talk.
” Lord Lorne rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.
“But, Adeline, if Lord Sarlon is involved in any way, then it means that he has participated in the assassination of his royal family before. He won’t hesitate to do it again to achieve his goals. ”
“That’s why you’re so worried that I’ll be a target of assassination attempts, not just you.” She curled tighter on the bed. She’d known she was a target, but this discussion made it all more real.
“Yes.” Lord Lorne breathed the word on another sigh.
“I think you’ll be reasonably safe for a while.
After all, the easiest path for Lord Sarlon is still to have you marry his son.
A full-on coup gets messy and doesn’t guarantee success.
So I’ll be his primary target since he needs me out of the way first. But if he can rally enough support, he might go for the radical option and do away with you entirely, placing himself rather than his son on the throne.
If he’s as power-hungry as he seems, then that option would have a certain appeal. ”
Assassination. Scheming lords. Murder.
Adeline shook as she tried to absorb it. Her parents had been murdered. Not just killed by an enemy. Not killed in a tragic accident at the border. But murdered, either by her grandfather or Lord Sarlon or both.
“I…I…” She was going to cry. Or scream. She wasn’t sure what to do with the pain building in her chest.
Lord Lorne held out his free arm in an invitation.
She let go of his other hand long enough to tuck herself against him, her head on his shoulder. His arms came around her, holding her close. When she wrapped her arms around his waist, he hissed and flinched.
“Sorry.” She began to shift away from him.
“Just the ribs. Here.” He let go of her long enough to adjust her grip on him. “That’s better.”
She closed her eyes and, finally, let herself cry.