He lifted her chin. “You told the king you don’t want Karsten?”
“He wouldn’t listen, and now I’ve upset him, too. He still thinks this is the only way to assure my safety. I think I need to leave—just go away and not come back. Can you get a message to Poppie? He’ll take me out of the country and hide me again.”
Christoph took her arm and led her down the hall. “I’ll take you away from here, if it’s what you really want. But let’s see what happens tonight. Sometimes things right themselves.”
He said that almost . . . mysteriously. That wasn’t like him at all.
“Let’s see? Are you actually invited this time?”
“It’s a formal matter that requires witnesses. And your father doesn’t quite have all the facts yet.”
“What doesn’t he know?”
“How likely it is that I’ll kill Karsten if he agrees to marry you.”
There he went again with that silly notion. “No, you won’t. I think you even like him. But thank you for making me smile.”
They arrived at the royal chamber. Karsten and his grandmother were already there. Auberta was glowing with happiness. Karsten came forward immediately to escort Alana the rest of the way into the room.
“No hard feelings, eh, Christoph, if I walk away with the prize?”
“She’s not a trophy, Karsten, another notch for your belt. And if you touch her, you’re going to end up on the floor. Everyone will wonder why, and I’ll have to mention the three mistresses you’re currently supporting. One is never enough for you, is it?”
Karsten actually laughed. “They’ll be sent on their way, of course, after the wedding.”
“Will they? I doubt it. But there isn’t going to be a wedding.”
Karsten’s visage darkened. “So that’s how it is, eh? I think Frederick will disagree.”
Alana spoke up before they came to blows. “I’m sorry, Karsten, but he’s right, I don’t want to marry you. I’m sure you’re a fine man, and I’ve heard very nice things about you, but—someone in your family tried to kill me when I was an infant, and when I returned here, they tried yet again. My guardian has been working diligently to find out who it is, and, in fact, he has uncovered new information that could well exonerate your family, but until we know for sure—”
“No,” Christoph cut in.
She gave him a hard look. “No?”
“Leo even admitted it was only a possibility,” Christoph reminded her. “He has no facts to support it—it’s just a guess, Alana. I even understand why Leonard would draw that conclusion. He’s been away from Lubinia too long. It hasn’t occurred to him yet that within our borders live two queens, not just one.”
Alana’s eyes flared wide. Both of those queens were sitting across the room smiling at her at that very moment, the current queen, Nikola, and the widowed queen, who had retired to the Bruslan Stronghold after her husband had been beheaded. Auberta Bruslan.
Alana didn’t know what to think now. One queen was too young, the other too nice! But Christoph led them farther into the room to stand before her father.
“I was beginning to wonder if you three were going to join us,” Frederick said congenially.
Christoph said, “I withheld information today during my report, Highness, until I could verify it, which I have done. It concerned a message Alana had from her guardian this morning to beware the queen.”
Nikola gasped, hearing that. Frederick said coldly, “I think you had better stop there.”
“Hear him out, Father,” Alana said quickly. “It’s not what you think.”
“I’d like to hear this myself,” Karsten said quietly, standing beside them.
It took a moment for Frederick to nod his approval, but he did, and Christoph continued, “While Leonard was with us today, he told us what he overheard from two Bruslan hirelings. They spoke of a queen who’d been involved in an old conspiracy. And this was to be delivered to her.” Christoph handed Alana’s baby bracelet to the king. “Do you recognize it?”
“Yes, I still remember the day I gave it to her.”
“The person who possessed this bracelet until it was claimed as evidence has twice given the order for Alana to be killed,” Christoph said solemnly before he turned toward Auberta. “Would you like to explain what it was doing in your town house, Lady Auberta? I found it there this afternoon.”
Nikola jumped up, exclaiming, “There has to be some mistake here. Auberta would never do anything so horrible!”
