24 #2
I wrap my other arm around her and wait while she gasps and shudders. She’s nothing but bones and skin and weakness, and in those final moments, I feel a flutter of pity for her. She was slight as a butterfly’s wing, and easily overcome.
And then it’s over.
The Stewardess rushes in as Roxalin releases her final, rattling breath, as her lungs push out the last tiny bubbles of air.
I lay the Liege down amid the treasures that cover her bedroom floor. “She attacked me,” I tell Inaya. “I had to stop her, or she might have hurt the prince. And she killed her brother.”
The Stewardess surveys the room, her face settling into lines of peaceful determination. “So be it. I discovered his death this morning, and I witnessed hers just now. I will swear that I saw her attack you.”
I meet her gaze and discover no sorrow there, only relief. Her life in this place, watching the kingdom crumble and being powerless to stop it, must have been wretched.
“The betrothal contract—” I begin.
“It stands,” she says. “In Tularesk, a betrothal is binding. Your prince, as the sworn intended of our Lieges, inherits their throne and the rulership of the Tularesk people.”
“But surely there is someone else in line for the throne,” I say. “Some distant relative—”
“There is not. And even if there were, they would not step forward to claim responsibility for this wretched kingdom and this decrepit palace. There are no riches left, no treasures except these moldering belongings and the handful of diamonds promised to Belavrin. Everything else is gone.”
“Then Vawn controls the army?” When she nods, I cover my mouth with my hand. “Oh shit. Will they obey him?”
“If I swear to the truth of what happened, they will. They are desperate for true leadership.”
I remain where I am, stunned by the turn of events. The Stewardess picks her way past me into the bedroom.
“Perhaps you could inform the prince of his inheritance when he’s done being sick,” she says. “I have some cleaning to do.”
At first I think she means the disposal of the bodies, but she’s surveying the Twins’ hoard. Her gaze is all fervent eagerness, not a trace of sorrow. This is a day she has long dreamed of—the day she finally gets to clear the mess out of the palace.
“I’ll talk to the prince,” I say. “My duty is to him first, so I must see how he wants to proceed. But if I have some time later, I’ll help you.”
Vawn and I go outside into the clear cold, and we sit on the steps of the palace that now belongs to him.
“I am the dethroned son of a murdered dynasty and the dubious heir of a dying kingdom,” he says dryly. “How fortunate am I?”
“Inexpressibly fortunate, because you have me.”
His eyes sparkle above his scarf. “So cocky. And so right.”
I lean against him, wrapping my gloved hand around his. “You should send for the commander we met at the West Gate outpost, along with any other leaders that remain in Tularesk. Hold a council. Discuss options for invading Belavrin.”
“The Redemptive Authority will be expecting us,” he says. “The Exemplar knows that I fled here to find allies.”
“Yes. The sole advantage we have is the invisible glyph paint. It’s possible the Exemplar doesn’t know about it.
And even if he does, his Redeemers won’t know which glyphs the Tularesk soldiers have.
A slight benefit during a battle.” I release a weary sigh.
“I wish there was a way to mobilize the Belavrin people, those who would rather be loyal to you than to the Exemplar. I’m sure there are many of them. ”
“I can’t imagine why.”
“You’ve always been popular. You know that.”
“Yes, but my popularity consisted of glamorous gossip, salacious rumors, and reports of my debauched doings on the gossip boards,” he confesses. “I can’t imagine that sort of popularity would make people willing to lay down their lives for me.”
“You underestimate what people are willing to do for their problematic favorites.”
“Perhaps.” He sighs. “I have to be honest with you, sweetheart—I don’t see us making it through this. If you want to leave again, now’s your chance. I won’t chase you down this time.”
“And you won’t run away with me.”
“Weeks ago, I would have,” he says quietly.
“But inheriting the Twins’ title and position changes things.
Whether I like it or not, the people of Tularesk are my responsibility now.
They are dying, and Belavrin is being terrorized by masked soldiers who have murdered nearly everyone I care for.
The fates have a twisted sense of humor, putting me in a position where I can actually make a difference and save people.
Admit it—if I abandoned everyone, you’d respect me less. ”
“I suppose so. And running away together brings its own share of dangers. We might not survive to reach Xarsi or Kredissia.” I squint and pull my hood lower over my eyes, overwhelmed by the bright gleam of the icy street and the snow-cloaked buildings. “It’s incredible that we even made it here.”
“No shit. Think of how many times we almost died.”
The idea appears in my mind, two pieces fitting together. “Say that again.”
Vawn frowns. “The part about how we could have died so many times?”
“What if we did? Or what if you did?”
“I’m not following, love.”
I leap up from the steps. “We spread the news that you’re dead. That way the Exemplar won’t expect you to lead an army back into Belavrin.”
“They won’t believe a rumor,” he counters. “They’ll need proof.”
“So we give it to them. Everyone knows Heim Cordall, right? They’ve seen his demonstrations.
They know he can only reproduce what he witnesses with his own eyes, and he does it with perfect accuracy.
We set up a death scene for you, perfect down to the last detail, and we have Cordall create an image of it.
He can return to Belavrin and reproduce that image—disseminate it to gossip runners.
The report will reach the Exemplar quickly, and he’ll let his guard down. ”
“Forsythia Lecari.” Vawn rises and grabs both of my hands. “You are as brilliant as you are beautiful.”
“We’ll need Cordall’s consent for this,” I say. “The Exemplar may summon him to the palace to testify about your death and to produce the scene again from memory.”
Vawn’s pale eyes narrow. There’s a scheming glint in his gaze that makes me proud and aroused at the same time.
“I hope he does summon Cordall. That could be the perfect opportunity. But if we’re going to do this, we’ll need secrecy and cooperation from the people of Tularesk.
And we will need as much invisible glyph paint as they can manufacture in a short span of time. ”
He jumps up and gives me a hard kiss, an eager light in his eyes. “If we can manage this, sweetheart, you and I might have a future after all.”