I let my shoulders slouch when Jonas returned to the crowds near the longhouse. The woman with the tonics offered me a sad smile, as though telling me she would look after the young ones who were snickering as they read fanciful tales.
People were scattered across the palace gates and walls. Curious staff and folk who lived on the grounds, wanting to know what had become of one of their own. Dorsan kept a pace ahead of me, one hand on my arm until we reached my chamber.
“You were regal tonight, My Lady.”
“Pardon?”
Dorsan remained stiff and stalwart. “Your actions to assist where you could, to provide comfort—even to young subjects—is what a leader ought to do.”
He closed my door, leaving me aghast. Dokkalfar never acknowledgedmy position as heir to the shadow elven throne. They were too busy being leery.
I stripped the cloak from my shoulders, sweaty though I had done nothing more than tend to heartbroken littles, and went to the window. My thoughts were with three children I’d just met and a prince who tried to conceal his pain, but the shadows of his magic always gave him up.
A few clock rounds ago, I told Jonas Eriksson I did not want to be more than our duty. As he said after the negotiation, hearts were not part of this agreement, yet I could not help but feel the weight of worry. How long would he remain out there, clearing out a house, risking his own health with whatever wretched disease had taken an innocent man and woman?
A sliver of dawn was rising in the distance by the time I forced my body to climb back into the bed, tuck under the quilts, and close my eyes. When my cheek pressed against the down pillow, a rough scratch of parchment rubbed against my skin.
My heart stopped. Another wax sealed missive with my name was laid over my pillow. It had not been there when I left the room.
Fingers shaking, I tore the seal.
My blood froze with each word.
They will blame you for this night, and what is to come with the dawn. It is the only way to get you free of here and back to those who understand exactly what you are.
Look for me when he falls.
Chapter 19
The Mist Thief
I poundedon Dorsan’s door, the threat crinkled in my grip. There was no longer any room to consider the strange happenings were mere coincidence.
The missive at the vows, the slaughtered sun wing, made it clear Dorsan and I were not the lone elven here.
My guard wrenched open the door, blade half in his sheath, his tunic untucked. “Princess, what is it?”
“This is not the first strange note. What am I to make of this?”
Dorsan blinked when I shoved the parchment into his hand. “This is not the first?” In a frenzy, I repeated the note at the vows, and the gift. Dorsan’s jaw tightened. “You must take this to the king and queen. I will join you.”
I fastened the robe over my shift and hurried after the guard, only pausing to inquire of a maid polishing frames of paintings in the lower corridor where we could find the king and queen.
“They’ve returned just now. Such a pity.” The woman shook her head. “They’ve gathered with the princes and some other folk for a bit of a meal. Cook Ylva demanded it after the night they’ve had.”
I didn’t pause to offer thanks before rushing toward the great hall, dread I couldn’t explain tight in my belly.
Two men in hoods and dark cloaks stood near the doors, the strange palace guards who always looked frightening more than regal. They watched me run through the doorway into the hall.
The king and queen were there as promised, Jonas’s mother had her head rested against the king’s shoulder, her eyes closed.
Raum, Ash, and the woman with cat eyes and her husband were seated on long benches. The man with runes inked on his fingers I’d seen on the day we arrived kept flipping through a strange book with Prince Sander.
Jonas took a place next to Von Grym. The prince had his brow propped onto his fists, as though he could not peel his gaze from the table.
“Come to dine, lovey?” Raum’s silver eyes found me first as staff from the cooking rooms slipped around me in the doorway.
They set to work placing trays of breads and cheeses, plates of berries and ewers of ale in the center of the table. Each seat was given a cup of what looked to be herbs for the steaming tins at their sides. Doubtless some sort of mesmer tea.
