“Did you beat Karsten?” Christoph asked.
“If I did?”
“I would have killed him.”
Poppie actually laughed. “I thought about it, to do this country a service in assuring he’ll never wear the crown. All their schemes would fall apart without their golden-boy heir standing in line for the throne. But that choice isn’t mine to make.” And then to Christoph: “So, have I found out more since I’ve been back than the palace has found out in eighteen years?”
“That depends what you’ve found out.”
In answer, Leonard asked Alana, “Did you get Henry’s message today?”
“Yes, but it was garbled, all he said was ‘Beware the queen.’ ”
“Exactly. With those two spies that were in the palace out of the picture, the man carrying out the orders had to hire a new man, and I overheard him filling the new thug in. He made reference to the queen and her connection to some big conspiracy in the past, and passed the bracelet to the new man to deliver it to her. I know Nikola wasn’t old enough or tough enough to order an infant’s death, but her father wouldn’t have hesitated.”
“You’re guessing now,” Christoph said angrily.
“Guesses come first, facts often follow. And this is a logical conclusion based on past experience.”
“No,” Christoph disagreed adamantly. “Nikola loves her husband. I have no doubt of this.”
“I’m sure she does. But maybe you should ask the king when she was offered in marriage to him? I’ll wager Queen Avelina was barely in her grave when Nikola’s father approached him on the matter. He would have wanted his own blood relative on the throne, not the daughter of Avelina. It’s an old motive I’ve run into before, when a second marriage occurs yet there are children from the first marriage.”
“Who are we talking about?”
“I don’t have his name yet, but I’ll find out and track him down.”
“Speaking of names, you are Leonard Kastner, aren’t you?”
Alana quickly shook her head the tiniest bit, to let Poppie know she hadn’t mentioned his name. Leonard raised a brow at Christoph. “Does it matter at this point? You and I have the same goal, Captain. To protect our princess. I am also following another lead right now that—”
“And us,” Christoph said. “I didn’t expect you to—join us so soon.”
“Join you? I was surprised to see you coming up this road yet again.”
“You didn’t follow us?”
“No, I was on my way back down the mountain. I followed someone else up here, the one I told you about who hands out the orders now. He killed the man who hired me so long ago.”
“Aldo?”
“So the thief talked to you? The man who killed Aldo implied that the one he reported to, who had always given Aldo his orders, was just a lackey as well. The safeguards they’ve used to hide the true master—or mistress, as the case may be—are extreme. But I’ve been following this man for a couple days now. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s playing more than one side.”
“Where did he go up here? There’s not much up here except the nobles’ estates on the eastern road. Even my family lives on that road.”
“It sounds as if we are speaking of the same one. The estate he visited, the grounds were too open with too many retainers marching about like guards for me to stay there for long. I was able to reach a few windows undetected. One was the right one, his lover’s bedroom. It appeared he was going to spend the entire day in bed with her, so I left to pick up the trail on his return to the city.”
“What do you expect to gain from him?”
“I’m still hoping to find out who he reports to at the Stronghold. I thought it might be Karsten because they left at the same time, but Karsten knew nothing. The woman my target rendezvoused with up here, though, she obviously knows him well and should also be questioned. But I don’t like questioning women. I had hoped I could leave that to you. This was a safe way to tell you that.”
Christoph raised a brow. “You call it safe, putting a knife to my throat?”
Leonard chuckled with some genuine humor. “That was only to get your attention.”
Chapter Fifty
IT WENT AGAINST THE grain to work with an assassin, to accept any help from Leonard Kastner at all. Christoph had to keep it uppermost in his mind that Alana considered the man family. Yet, Leonard’s audacity did amuse him. A lot. He had to admire a man who would confidently put a blade to his throat.
