One of the soldiers picked it up. “Lady Bryn? Do you recognize this knife?”
Of course she recognized it, though she hadn’t seen it in some months. It washerknife. Or rather, Rangar’s knife, which he had given her on their journey from the Mirien to the Baersladen. She’d lost it during her first days in Barendur Hold when she’d left it with her clothes in the bathhouse, and the servants had taken away the whole bundle. Try as she could, she hadn’t been able to find the knife again. It had been missing ever since then.
One of the other soldiers went stiff. “That knife belongs to Prince Rangar,” he said gravely, recognizing the hexmarks on the hilt.
The other soldiers fell silent, and Bryn suddenly realized what they were all thinking.
“No,” she said in a rush. “I mean, yes. The knife was once Rangar’s, but not anymore. He gave it to me, and then I lost it . . . ”
But her explanation fell on uninterested ears. The soldiers snapped into attention, ignoring her as though they’d already made up their minds. Footsteps outside hurried toward the bedroom. In the next moment, Valenden came barreling in, stopping short at the sight of Trei.
“By the gods,” he muttered in shock.
Bryn went to throw her arms around him. “Val, someone killed him!”
Valenden looked stricken. He dragged a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Trei . . . ” Then his gaze snapped back to Bryn. “Who killed him? Who did this?”
One of the soldiers cleared his throat and held out Rangar’s knife, and Valenden’s eyes went wide.
“No,” he practically growled. “Rangar? No, he would never. They’re brothers!”
More footsteps came striding down the hall, and Bryn felt numb to see King Aleth and Mage Marna hurrying to the scene. The king’s face was white, and Mage Marna had a hand pressedto her chest. When they took one look at Trei, the king let out a howl. Mage Marna fell back against the door jam and muttered a prayer in a language Bryn didn’t know.
“What happened?” King Aleth snapped at the soldiers. “You were supposed to be guarding him!”
“We didn’t leave our post,” one volunteered bravely. “We’ve been at the door since Prince Trei retired—no one else came in or exited. The murderer must have entered through the window. This was in the bed.”
He showed King Aleth the knife.
Silence again filled the room until Valenden snapped, “There is no way Rangar did this!”
“That’s his knife,” Mage Marna whispered.
“But he gave it to me, and I lost it,” Bryn implored. “It’s been missing for months. Anyone could have had it.”
“Begging your pardon, Mage Marna,” the elder soldier said to the older woman. “Prince Rangar himself might have found it shortly after it went missing and kept it hidden until now.”
Mage Marna ran a shaky hand down her chest. “Rangar said he was going to kill Trei . . . ”
Bryn tore away from Valenden, throwing her arms in the air. “You can’t be serious! Rangar wouldneverhurt Trei!”
The mage’s eyes snapped to hers. “When Valenden kissed you, Rangar broke his nose. And Treimarriedyou. A graver punishment for a graver transgression.”
“Rangar loved Trei,” Bryn insisted, growing more panicked. “Yes, he was displeased with our marriage, of course, but he loves his family fiercely and would only ever want to help them. Go. Ask him. He’ll tell you the truth that he is innocent!”
Everyone looked to the king, who had sunk onto the edge of the bed, stroking his dead son’s hair like he was a child again. In a hollow voice, King Aleth said, “She’s right. Find Rangar. We must question him—but put him in chains first.”
Bryn spun on them, ready to argue, but Valenden beat her to it.
“I agree with Bryn. Rangar would never do this.”
Mage Marna clasped her hands together to keep them steady. “Valenden, I know you love Rangar as well. But the fact is, this is his knife, and he recently threatened Trei with murder. He’s also one of the only people familiar enough with the castle to know how to get past the guards to get into this room through the window.”
Bryn felt a frantic thrashing in her chest like a bird that couldn’t get free.They can’t be serious. They can’t actually think Rangar did this!
Mage Marna took one look at Bryn and signaled to Valenden. “Take her out of her. Somewhere safe.”
Bryn tried to protest, but Valenden pulled her out of the room, arms wrapped tightly around her, as he whispered fiercely in her ear, “I know that Rangar didn’t do this as well as you do, but it doesn’t look good for him. We need to figure out how to prove his innocence or…”
