All the air in the room seemed to have been sucked out, and she melted down to the floor with the sound of dune winds rushing in her ears.
No! Get up, she ordered herself. “I-I never thought. She’s firstborn. She was to inherit the throne and produce the heirs. Lana’s done everything perfectly. Does he—does the king think a Ketturan would make an adequate successor to our throne?” she asked, looking up at Evston who’d come to her. “He can’t.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“No, of course he doesn’t. I’ll go back. I’ll have to.” She clutched the bench and used it to steady herself as she rose. She felt faint, but dug her nails into her palm, using the pain to focus. “Raise him on the com and tell him he’s won. I’ll deny that I’ve been with anyone. I’ll say my innocence was rubbed away from games and sports. I’ll make the warrior believe it.” She turned to her bag. “I must call Lana first of all. She must be terrified and frantic. I have to ease her mind.”
“Brandese, it’s too late.”
“No, no. The engagement has just begun. There’s plenty of time for an exchange of brides. I’ll have the stylists dress me as never before. I’ll seduce him if I need to.”
“Listen to me,” Evston said, gripping her arms. “There was an incident. Lana ended up on the Ketturan spaceship, and they took her. They’re off-world already and headed to Kettura.”
For several moments, she couldn’t hear herself screaming. Then Evston clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her against him.
“I’m sorry. I knew you’d be upset.”
She jerked away from him. “What’s being done to recover her? Have ships been launched?”
“The king has decided we won’t pursue. An announcement that Princess Lana has married a great warrior and protector of the realm is being prepared, along with details of the victory on Wumbon.”
“It’s my fault. Her life has been ruined because of me.” Tears spilled over her lashes, and she dropped onto a bench. “I will never forgive myself. Or him.” After a moment, she looked up. “Did you offer to give me back? For the sake of saving her?”
He was silent.
“Why didn’t you call me the instant you knew his plan? You’ve been gone for days! There was time for an exchange.”
“I argued against giving her to them.”
“The truth! Did you offer me in her place?”
“No.”
* * *
Evston had never seenanyone in such a rage. He doubted she knew or would remember half of what she was saying. The level of her distress made him want to act, but he forced himself to remain still.
He let the storm of her fury break over him. He didn’t try to calm her. Nor did he promise her anything. He had experience with pets in the grips of high emotion. The best thing was to let them wear themselves out before offering comfort.
Except his firebird didn’t tire. Or weep. Her focus eventually sharpened.
“I want to speak to your brother,” she said in a voice that was hoarse from shrieking.
He didn’t try to dissuade her. Rocurt was capable of speaking for himself, and if Evston was being honest, he wanted there to be another place for her to focus her energy.
He went down and explained the situation. Melsint was aghast, but remained silent as she joined them in their ascension up the stairs.
Brande’s voice was huskier than usual, and her clasped hands were pressed so hard against her that the fabric of her gown bunched over the top of them. “A princess of the realm has been abducted. I understand that the king feels powerless to act because he entered into an arrangement with Kettura.” She tried and failed to clear the rasp from her throat. “That doesn’t mean that a small group of men, working secretly, couldn’t still retrieve her.”
“If the king wished for that, he’d have said so,” Rocurt said. “He knows what his armies’ capabilities are.”
“So be it. But I don’t care about the king’s wishes. I care only about my sister. If Evston or Melsint was taken, and the king ordered you to stand down, Rocurt, would you?”
“To take action forbidden by the king is treason,” Evston said.
Brandese ignored him, focusing her attention on Rocurt. “Will you do it? Will you please rescue her?”
“These are not disorganized outlaws you’re asking him to pursue. They are the most elite fighting force in the universe. A fight with Ketturan warriors in the open expanse of space would not go unnoticed. And their planet is raptor-infested and littered with traps designed to kill invaders. A strike force of even our best men—”
