Chapter 43 Genevieve
Genevieve
My hands shake as I meet with the team of lawyers representing Kieran. Leland must notice, because he gives my gloved hand a small squeeze before releasing it.
One of the lawyers says, “The charges brought against him would take weeks to build a proper case for. If the queen is moving this quickly, she must have been collecting evidence for some time.”
“What do you suggest we do?” I ask, trying not to give up hope. Trying with all my heart to do everything I can to save Kieran, to not betray his trust again.
I begged Gabe last night to let me see him, pleaded outside his rooms, but he wouldn’t tell me where Kieran was being held. Instead, Astoria made him see reason, and Gabe allowed Leland to know Kieran’s location—giving him the opportunity he’d taken from me.
Leland assured me Kieran wasn’t injured, but there was so much he wasn’t saying, his gift hanging in the air like cloying perfume meant to soothe me. It didn’t. It only sharpened my anxiety.
One of the lawyers clears his throat. “We need to identify the person responsible for the rot and the murder. Once we have that, we can move forward with clearing his name of the other charges.”
“The kidnapping too?”
The lawyer examines a paper in front of him, adjusting his spectacles.
“Yes. That should be easy to refute. The court will listen to testimony from yourself and Prince Leland. It should outweigh a servant’s accusation.
You are, after all, the future monarch. In two years’ time you could erase this trial from record entirely if you wished. But…”
Prince Leland frowns. “But what?”
“If we don’t find the perpetrator tampering with helachite, we won’t have a strong case for his innocence. And then there’s the matter of false identity. He’s guilty there—there’s no denying it.”
“So you’ll do nothing to fight those charges?” I ask.
“Your Highness, he’s been using an assumed name for years. Records go back eight years to when he first used the name Morris Blackwell.”
“How is choosing a different identity a crime?” What harm is there in changing who you are? He’s spent years trying to let go of his former self, so much so that he’s no longer the Kieran Greenbluff he once was.
“It becomes difficult to verify that he owns everything he claims. Taking on a nom de plume raises questions—are there other crimes he may have committed under that name?”
“Stop this.” The words come out sharp, steel-lined. All the men look at me. “Kieran has been running from his past because of me—not because he’s guilty of anything—and I will do everything in my power to clear his name. This is my fault, and I won’t lose him again.”
Leland’s touch is gentle on my arm, the silk of his gloves a soft weight against my skin.
“It isn’t your fault. It’s the queen’s. And we will get him out of this.
I persuaded Gabriel to use his influence with the guards and soldiers to search for the true killer.
Your sisters and my sister are doing all they can as well.
Someone will come forward with the evidence we need. ”
I take in a deep breath, trying to ease the rising panic in my chest. We only have one day before the trial.
“When are you going to see him?” I ask the lawyers.
“After we finish up here. We just need to gather our notes so we have something more tangible to present to him. I’m not going to give you false confidence, Princess. We need to know who is behind the rot.”
“I want to see him too. I need to assure him I’m doing all I can to get him out of there.”
Leland shakes his head. “That’s not a good idea.
Even having you at this meeting is a liability to Kieran’s safety.
If your mother is intent on carrying out this false trial, we don’t need to give her any other reason to feel threatened by your interest in him.
Let her believe we’ll have our wedding. Let her see us working together to free our friend, but don’t give her cause to assume you’ll go against her wishes for your future. ”
A lump forms in my throat as I think about Kieran alone in a cell, wondering if I would give up on him again. I can’t stomach the thought of him believing I would betray him again—not after everything that’s happened between us.
I push down my fears, nodding as I stand. “Prince Leland, will you escort me to my rooms before accompanying the lawyers to Kieran’s cell?”
He looks at me with such tenderness, and once again I wonder why I couldn’t fall for this kind, good man. Why has no one fallen for Prince Leland Frostclaw, when he has a heart so willing to give?
But the truth has always stood in front of me, just beyond my line of sight. I gave away my heart long ago, and there’s nothing anyone could do to take it from Kieran. It’s always been his.
“Of course,” Leland says, offering me his arm. I bow to the lawyers before adding, “Please keep me informed of any updates, and I’ll do all I can to find what we’re looking for.”
As we enter the hallway, Leland leans close enough for only me to hear. “He trusts you. He knows you won’t abandon him.”
“I just wish I could tell him myself,” I admit. “Will you tell him I—will you tell him I love him?”
He nods quickly. “We’ll get him out, and you’ll have all the happiness you’ve always deserved with him.”
I squeeze his arm in a friendly gesture, and he meets my gaze. “You deserve happiness and love too, Leland. You, more than any of us.”
He looks away before stopping at my door. “Yes, well, that isn’t as easy to come by as one may hope.”