No one spoke to me beyond that. No one asked if I was alright. No one asked if Mr. Evergreen was, or Ser Willoughby, or Miss Josie, and Sam had no absolutely idea what he should do. He paced back and forth between his father’s leering eyes, and me.
“I think it’s fair to say we must address this now,” Elías said. He pointed at one of the maps. “If they-”
“And how should I do that, Lord Commander?” the King asked. “Shall we assemble a caravan of our own? Who’s going to lead it? You? AnOreianknight?”
“You,Your Majesty,” he replied. “Why wouldIlead your army?”
“Myarmy?”he asked. “You expect me to deploy my army?”
“I expect you to send knights, yes,” Elías said. “An attack on your son’s betrothed has just occurred, and on your soil, no less. Why wouldn’t you respond accordingly?”
“Chalke soil, yes, but as I see it, the Princessrecognized the man as Oreian. That makes this attack an Oreian problem. That is, if she is not part of it herself. Perhaps her father should send you to investigate?”
“A part of it?” I asked, shocked. “Is that aseriousaccusation or a seriously bad joke, Your Majesty?” I met his eyes. He looked stunned that I had spoken. “What do you think happened, exactly?”
“Your Highness,” the King began.
“No,” I said, standing taller, cocking my head. “I should like to hear it. This theory. What is it? That I staged my own assault? Burned down a man I respect’s home for what? For attention?”
Their eyes were all on me. I looked to Ser Elías; he subtly nodded his head to go on.
The King straightened his cuff. “Your Highness. I think-”
“You think what? You’ve just publicly accused me of inciting the same terror that I have been assuredyouwere investigating. The burning of horses, the threats, you’ve ignored it all, haven’t you?”
He frowned. “We investigated. We found it to be an isolated event. No further cause for concern.”
“No further cause for concern? Clearly.” I paused; my jaw tensing. “Yet, here you are, suggesting that I had something to do with such evil deeds. I should tell my father of your theory. I wonder what he would think? My, for your country’s sake, I do hope I’m not the entity you take me for. God help your son if I am.” I shook my head. “Look at you,” I went on, jeering rudely at each player in the room. “A bunch of fat cats, aren’t you? Lounging around a map, wondering how to exterminate the mice. Is it so hard? It’s no longer your nature then? You’ve forgotten you have claws?” I moved toward the table, pulling the dagger from my belt and staking into the heart of their scheme.“Do you need a deeper demonstration on how it works? Or is that plenty?”
His Majesty scoffed. “I’ve been killing men twice your size since I was half your age!” he said. “Since before your governess cut the crusts off your bread. Since–”
“My governess beat me every day of my life until I could no longer feel the nerves in the ends of my fingertips,” I said. “You don’t know me, Your Majesty, and I pray you never have to. But I sure would pay good gold to see to the truth of your killing capability because when I look at you I see nothing but a portly, old grouch with no bite behind his teeth!”
There was an audible gasp.
“I shall take this moment to remind you all thatOreiawon the war, not Chalke, and not by luck, or fate, or a particularly good weathered day, but by a naturally inherited skill in leveling the field and a strict resistance to cowardice. I am myfather’schild; I am his heir! Chalke is at the mercy ofourreign, and I say, I donotcare for the way you speak to me, Your Majesty.”
His first met the table, but I did not startle. “I will not be addressed as such, by achild,” he said. “Ever since you arrived, you’ve-!”
“Close your mouth, King, I am speaking,” I said coldly. He did. “Since I have arrived, I’ve done nothing— absolutely nothing but sit upon my hands and wait to be sold to your insufferable child for peace. Peace thatmyfatherwon forallof our future, and for a cause greater than you and than himself. Do you think he was so victorious by sitting around to see if the problems he faced resolved themselves or by declaring threats as ‘no cause for concern?’ Do you think he blamed others for his mistakes? Or did he own and correct them? You signedhistreaty because youfearedthe consequence of ignoring it. If violence is what these bastards want, violence is what they’ll have.”
“Violencedoesn’t solve everything, Your Highness,” he said.
“Acoward’sprayer,” I told him. “Violence solves plenty.”
“My love,”Sam said.
“Absolutely not,” I croaked, reeling around. I pointed at each person as I described them. “An over-compensating prince who doesn’t know how to stand up to his father. A tyrant who can’t win a war, and a flock of men whomightbe able to help, but are too bound to silence from their rank or lack thereof to make a fuss. Do not call me love, Your Highness. You call me ‘Your Highness,’ or nothing at all.”
“Your Highness,” he said, correcting himself with poise.
I huffed. “If I must root these bandits out myself, I will, but none of you want to be here when I return,” I said.
“No,” Sam said. “No, that’s not what must happen here. Right, Father?” He waited for the King to nod. “We’ll work together to find them.”
“And bring them to their knees,”I said.
Elías grinned. “That a girl,” he said proudly.
