“No—but you know how he feels about me. I’d have to put a sword through him to get an honest word out of his mouth.”
“It’s the same way he feels about me.” Grey thinks for a moment. “But that’s interesting. Was anyone with him?”
“No.” I hesitate. I’ve been turning my time in Briarlock around in my head for hours. I keep thinking of the tension in the bakery, especially once Alek arrived. Was that because of my presence? Or was it something else?
“What is it?” says Grey.
I tell him about Callyn and Nora and the sweetcakes, then about Jax and his forge. “He said he’d never seen Alek before. But it’s a smalltown near the border. Well off the main road. Alek would have no reason to be there. I can’t imagine he would be overseeing fabric shipments himself.”
I frown, turning it over in my head for the thousandth time. Alek has never been proven to be working against the throne, but his sister was caught working as a spy for Emberfall years ago. She died in the final battle. I was there. I might have shot the killing arrow. Alek doesn’t let me forget it.
I was fifteen years old, and it was the first time I took a life. I don’t letmyselfforget it.
So maybe all the tension and animosity was personal. Maybe I spent so many weeks in Emberfall looking for signs of treason that I found it in a remote bakery with a man I can’t stand.
I look at Grey. “Alek knew I was looking for the forge. It was rather remote, and I was alone. If he were up to something, he could have ambushed me.”
“He’d be a fool to ambush you.” He pauses. He doesn’t trust Alek either. “I know you’ve been gone for well over a month,” he finally says, and his tone is grave, “but I’d like to know if Alek is still there. If I send soldiers, we’ll spook him, but you can be explained away. How soon do you think you can return to Briarlock?”
I’m exhausted, and I’ve been thinking about my bed in the palace for longer than I’d admit out loud. But I pick up my armor and toss my cloak over my shoulder. “Your Majesty,” I say grandly, partially teasing and partially not. “As soon as you need.”
CHAPTER 7
TYCHO
I wake to weak sunlight against my eyelids and whispers from beside my bed.
“Are you going to sleepallday?” says the tiny voice. “The sun is up.”
I blink and find myself eye-to-eye with Sinna, who’s standing beside my bed. Her face breaks into a wide grin full of baby teeth. Her hair is a wild mess of red tangles, and she’s still in a sleeping shift, one hand clutching the stuffed pony that Harper and Rhen sent to her. “You’re awake!”
“I’m awake.” My voice is rough, but I smile back. I could have done with another five hours of sleep. Salam, my cat, has no tolerance for toddlers or noise, so he springs off the bed to disappear somewhere. I glance past Sinna to see that my door is only open wide enough for her to slip through. I wonder which nanny she got away from this time. “Still being a bit of a sneak, hmm?”
Her grin widens and she puts a finger to her lips.
“Sinna!” a hushed voice whispers from the hallway. “Girl, it istoo earlyfor these games.”
“You’re going to scare your nanny to death,” I warn softly.
Sinna scowls. “Mama said you would teach me how to hold a sword.”
“I will.” I run a hand down my face. I’m not awake enough for this. “If you let me go back to sleep, I’ll let you ride Mercy, too.”
She gasps, her eyes wide. “Mercy!” She squeezes the stuffed pony in her arms and bolts for the door, pulling it closed roughly behind her.
I pull the pillow over my head and fall back to sleep. The next time I wake, Salam’s orange-striped body is curled around my feet, and my hearth has gone cold. By the time I make my way to the dining room, I’ve washed and shaved and put on cleaner clothes than I’ve worn in days. It looks as though everyone has already eaten, but I’m pleased that most of my friends are still present. The air is full of the scent of cooked meats, warm breads, and sweet honey, but it’s the company in the room that’s the most inviting. The king and queen sit at the far corner of the table, little Sinna between them. Noah, the palace physician, sits on the other side of the queen. The only people missing are Jacob, Grey’s closest adviser and friend, and Nolla Verin, the queen’s sister. I wonder if they’re on the training fields already.
“Tycho!” Sinna cries, as if she didn’t already wake me at dawn. She tries to tackle my legs, but I catch her and toss her into the air, and she shrieks with glee. But then she looks at me as sternly as a toddler can manage. “You’re late for breakfast.”
“You look like you needed the rest,” says the queen. “Welcome home.”
“Thank you,” I say, but if anyone looks like they need some rest, it’s the queen. She’s one of the strongest women I know, but just now her eyes are heavy-lidded and her skin is a bit pale. I remember what Grey said about the pregnancy. Two slices of honeyed bread sit on her plate, but only one bite has been eaten. A steaming cup of tea sits in front of her.
Grey nudges the plate toward her. “You need to eat,” he says softly.
“I will.”
“I could try a bit of magic—”
