Dear Brother,
I have many thoughts on the Royal Challenge and your impending return to Ironrose, but I would be remiss if I did not open my letter by insisting that you resolve this discord with Tycho.
I snap my eyes up. “Grey. I didn’t tell him to write this.”
“I rather doubt you could tell Rhen to do anything he didn’t want to do himself.” His eyes flash. “Keep going.”
I bite my lip and look back at the letter.
You and I have had our disagreements, including that one time we assembled armies to settle our grievances, but I have seen Tycho’s loyalty to you since the very moment you were both dragged into the courtyard at Ironrose. You yourself went seeking your freedom before claiming your throne, and I encourage you to recognize that while Tycho may wear no crown, he may well seek the same escape.
I wince. I don’t want to read the rest of this letter. I can just imagine what it says. “I’m not trying to escape,” I say quietly.
Grey’s eyes are unyielding. “Is there conflict we must resolve?”
I think of everything I’ve done wrong: Nakiis. Alek. Jax. Magic. Briarlock.
I think of all the measures Grey took to mitigate risk: Keeping me here. Sending Jake with me to Ironrose.
The worst part is that he wasright. I shouldn’t have freed Nakiis. I shouldn’t have threatened Alek.
I … shouldn’t have lingered with Jax.
“No,” I say. My insides feel tight and uncertain, and I can’t tell if my deep-seated worry is about arguing with Grey or about denying everything I’ve felt up till this moment. “There isn’t.” I pause. “Grey. I’m sorry.”
He sighs, then runs a hand over the back of his head, casting a gaze at the window, where Sinna is now lining up her dolls to peer out through the glass. His gaze softens when he looks at his daughter, and it reminds me of the heady emotion from last night. Sinna is talking toher dolls, but her voice is so soft that I can’t quite make out everything she’s saying.
“We have to watch the skies,” she’s murmuring. “You can all look.”
“Lia Mara wants to make a statement about the baby before rumors can begin to spread,” Grey says, dragging my attention back to him. “I expect she’ll want to do it first thing in the morning, if not this very evening.” He pauses. “But Jake tells me there were some complications in Briarlock again. He seemed surprised you hadn’t spoken a word of it.”
I freeze.
“Is this more of the conflict we’re not having?” Grey says.
I frown. “Last night didn’t seem the best time—”
“I’m not just talking about last night.” He taps a hand on the letter from Rhen. “You haven’t been forthright with me forweeks.”
I bristle. “I’ve never lied to you.”
“Deceit isn’t always about lying.” His eyes are intent and focused.
Deceit. My emotions hit me so fast that I can’t seem to sort through them quickly enough to respond. I’m frozen in place, simultaneously hurt and ashamed, belligerent and repentant.
“Tycho.” He smacks the table. “Talk.”
I jump, and from the corner of my eye, I see the governess flinch. At the window, Sinna whirls. She clutches the dolls to her chest.
Not all of this is about me. I know that. The king is buried in his own emotion, and I wasn’t even here for the last few days—days that must have been filled with heady fear and worry.
But my jaw is tight. Maybe weareat odds—and a lot of that is from his side.
I’ve never faced Grey like this. Every muscle in my body is tense, and I’m very aware that anything I say, anything Ido, is going to be witnessed by little Sinna.
A page appears near the archway. “Your Majesty,” she says. “Lord Alek of the Third House has arrived for an audience with the queen.He says he has an urgent matter for discussion. Her Majesty requests your presence.”
“Right away,” he says, and the page curtsies before slipping away. But Grey’s eyes haven’t left mine. “Is Alek bringing us any surprises?” he says.
