She brought the blade to her own throat. ‘If you kill him, we both die, and every merchant on the other side of that wall will have another reason to hate you.’
Astin’s eyes widened. ‘Put the knife down.’
She shook her head. ‘No.’
Footsteps came at a run, and a moment later, Queen Fayre appeared in her line of sight, Eda and Roul with her.
‘Lyndal,’ the queen mother said, her voice slow and level. ‘I need you to put down the knife and come to your sister. She is very distressed.’
Clever.She was hitting Lyndal in her most vulnerable area. ‘If anyone hurts him, I swear before Belenus, and every god before and after him, that I’ll cut my own throat.’ Her eyes went to the gate. ‘And you will all know who drove me to it!’
‘Are you trying to start a war?’ Borin hissed.
The war had already started.
Eda took a step forwards, but Roul caught her arm. She stood there with a helpless expression.
‘Lyndal,’ Astin said, his voice strangled. ‘Please put the knife down.’
Borin looked between them, and a realisation dawned on his face. ‘Ah, now I see it.’ He slowly nodded. ‘I must say, I expected more from you, Fletcher. You were the last person I thought would fall prey to her. I guess you were not as smart as I thought.’
‘Son,’ Queen Fayre said. ‘Have Fletcher taken to the tower, and the three of us will move inside and deal with the matter privately. This is not the place.’
‘No,’ Lyndal said. ‘I don’t trust you not to kill him.’
Fayre moved slowly, walking out to stand directly in Lyndal’s line of sight. ‘What do you think will happen to all those people on the other side of the gate if you take your own life?’
A ragged breath escaped Lyndal. ‘I want your word he won’t be harmed and that the archers will stand down. No more killing.’
Fayre searched her eyes, then nodded. ‘You have my word. No more killing.’
‘That is not your decision,’ Borin squawked behind her.
She rounded on him. ‘Have you learned nothing? I am still trying to clean up the last mess you made.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Look around you andthink.’
Borin looked in the direction of the gate, then threw his sword on the ground in a tantrum. ‘You heard her. Take Fletcher to the tower.’ Then to Lyndal, he said, ‘You tell the merchants they have exactly one minute to leave the square before my archers start shooting again. Any further deaths will be onyou.’
The second Lyndal lowered the knife from her throat, Roul stepped forwards to take it from her.
Borin walked over to Astin as he was pulled to his feet. ‘This is not over,traitor.’ With his hands balled into fists, the young king strode off, shouting, ‘I want that square clear!’
Astin was led away, and Lyndal had no choice but to let him go. He was alive. That had to be enough for now.
Her eyes went to the gate, where the merchants waited to see what she would do. She knew she had the power to fan the flames of civil war or contain them.
You’re bleeding, Eda signed, appearing next to her and inspecting her neck.
‘It’s nothing,’ Lyndal replied.
He’ll pay for this.
Lyndal headed for the gate. ‘He will, but not at your hand.’ She stopped in front of it and said, ‘I’ll not sit idle while you starve. Let me fight this side of the wall first. Go home. Please.’
The defenders kept a firm hold of their weapons as the merchants looked around, deciding what to do. Slowly, the people collected the dead and began to disperse. Two men came forwards to lift the dead woman off the gate.
‘This is our fight, not yours.’
Those had been her last words before Borin killed her. Now, as Lyndal prepared herself for war, she realised how many others were waiting in the wings—hungry to fight.
