“This mess wasn’t of your making. I know she blames you for not telling her sooner, but it wouldn’t have accomplished anything for you to have done so. The thing she’s saying about being traded for Lanamoar is nonsense. The king would never have allowed it. Not only is Brandese not a virgin, which would have been risky enough, but he also has no incentive to make the exchange. Brandese is the people’s darling, and he’s marrying her at a very high bride price to one of Endricane’s most celebrated sons. He wants his blood mixed with ours. He’s never made a secret of the fact that a half-Calex grandson is exactly who he’d like to see on the throne.”
“I know all this. Do you imagine that I didn’t think all this through?”
“So why didn’t you point it out to her?”
“Because she doesn’t care what he wants. He’s betrayed her twice in what she considers the worst ways imaginable. What she wanted was for me to intercede in any way necessary to prevent Lana from being taken.”
“Realistically, what more could you have done? I assume you tried negotiating with money and other things.”
“I did. The Ketturans don’t value currency. They have plenty. They value girls because they don’t have enough of them.”
Rocurt folded his arms across his chest. “Men starved of female company can be aggressive with women.”
“Yes.”
“What’s really troubling you? Do you think they’ll rape her sister and leave Lana a broken shell?”
“No. I think Lanamoar has more spine than she’s given credit for. And these warriors weren’t the savages they’ve been made out to be. I watched them. No one can say what they’ll do when there are no soldiers around, but if all they wanted were girls they don’t need to negotiate for them. They could take as many as they want from other worlds. As a raiding party, they’d be unstoppable.”
“So then?”
“I knew Brandese would be upset. I thought about bringing her back to the castle. So that she could talk to her sister and get the lay of the land herself.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want the Ketturans to see her. I thought if the leader saw Brandese, he’d want her, and he’d convince the king to give him the originally promised daughter.”
“You think he’d have wanted her when she’d have failed the medical examination?”
“Yes. In his place, I would have.”
Chapter Twenty
It had been a quarter-dulcent since her sister had been taken before communication could be established with the barbarian world.
The commander and Melsint were both in attendance to witness the exchange, but Evston had not troubled himself to come. Her anger at him was sharper than ever.
