‘I would like Thornton to escort Eda to the nobility borough so she can be with my sister and mother while this all plays out.’
The queen mother nodded her consent, then gestured to Thornton. He walked over to the table, awaiting instructions.
‘Please see Lady Lyndal to her bedchamber. Lock the door, and bring me the key.’ She watched Lyndal across the table. ‘We must keep our future queen safe.’
Lyndal looked up at her bodyguard. ‘Then you’ll take my sister to Wright House in the nobility borough.’ Her eyes returned to Fayre. ‘That’s what we agreed, was it not?’
The queen mother bowed her head. ‘It was indeed.’
Rising from her chair and curtsying, Lyndal strode from the terrace. The moment she was inside the corridor, she slowed to walk beside Roul.
‘Why did you just agree to be locked in your bedchamber?’ he asked.
‘Because the queen mother wants to control the pieces she can, so I’m going to oblige.’ Lyndal glanced over her shoulder to ensure no one was behind them. ‘And you’re going to follow orders because you’re a defender.’
He glanced sideways at her. ‘What are you scheming in that head of yours?’
‘You defenders always think the worst of people. All I ask is that you let me say goodbye to my sister before you lock me up.’
He kept his gaze forwards. ‘You have five minutes.’
Lyndal closed her eyes. ‘Five minutes is plenty.’
Astin recognised the king’s footsteps long before he appeared at the top of the stairwell. Borin paused, looked around, then strolled over to Astin’s cell. The defender rose to his feet, eyes moving over his red, swollen face and crooked nose.
Borin slapped the bars, then shook out his hand as he began to pace.
‘I’ve got an English army ready to descend, nobility asking questions, and merchants one wall over carving weapons out of sticks.’ He glanced in Astin’s direction. ‘And instead of you being out here, keeping me alive, you stab me in the back.’ Borin touched two fingers to his swollen eye. ‘You once told me that your stepfather cannot be trusted.’
‘He can’t.’
Borin stopped walking. ‘To what extent? Is he capable of betraying his king?’
‘That man is capable of all kinds of atrocities.’ Astin leaned one shoulder on the bar, no longer caring about standing respectfully in the king’s presence. ‘He’s loyal only to himself.’
Borin was silent a long moment. ‘He told me he would handle negotiations, so I gave him free rein to come and go as he pleased. Now there are English troops at my doorstep, despite there being no quarrel between us. And now Cooper Brooke is nowhere to be found.’
Astin almost felt sorry for the king. Almost. ‘What did you give my stepfather to keep this whole thing a secret? What did you promise him? Coin?’
‘Yes.’
Astin exhaled through his nose. ‘And what did heaskfor? Because I know it wasn’t money.’
‘He wanted a title. Obviously I could not give him that. Handing him a title would have raised all kinds of questions.’
Astin nodded as the pieces fell into place. ‘So you offered him money in place of power. A man with no conscience or morals. A man with all the information one needs to take control of a small kingdom.’
Borin’s face slackened. ‘You think he’s working with King Edward to take my kingdom?’
Astin shrugged. ‘More likely Lord Roger Mortimer.’
‘Is no one in your family trustworthy?’ Borin said, stepping closer. ‘Tell me, how long have you been in love with the woman I am to marry?’
Astin stared past the king. ‘Since before.’
Borin was silent a moment. ‘You know, if my mother had not shown up, I would have killed you. I would have killed you, and then I would have let her cut her own throat to save me the hassle of orchestrating her death later.’
Astin calculated the distance between them, wondering if he could reach the man in order to slowly strangle him to death.
