My father dipped his chin, signaling for me to get on with it. Riordan unfurled the map sitting in front of him, and the remaining councilors reluctantly met my gaze.
Before I could begin, however, Fallon spoke once again. “Have you had any success rooting out the traitor?”
Cadence pressed her knee against mine, as if she was warning me not to murder yet another lord. I suppose she had a point. Kill enough of them, and the others will eventually turn on you.
Not that it mattered either way. Still, it would likely prove inconvenient.
I let the silence stretch until it became uncomfortable, watching as several councilors shifted in their seats. I trusted none of them. As far as I was concerned, they were all traitors until proven otherwise.
“We’re making progress,” I finally replied, keeping my voice level despite the way Fallon’s question hung in the air. “Though I find it interesting that you’d bring up the traitor so quickly, Lord Thorne.”
His smile didn’t waver. “I’m eager to see justice served, Your Highness. After all, my father’s death taught me how swiftly betrayal can strike.”
Cadence placed her hand on my thigh beneath the table, a silent plea not to act rashly. When I glanced in Riordan’s direction, he gave a subtle shake of his head.
But I was never good at taking orders.
“Something you wish to say, Lord Thorne?” I asked, feigning boredom. “Or do you need reminding that any offence against my wife is an offence against the crown? As far as I’m concerned, your father was just as much a traitor as the person responsible for leaking information to our enemies.”
Cadence let out a small gasp, and Riordan groaned, but my gaze never shifted from Fallon’s. His eyes narrowed infinitesimally, hinting at his true feelings regarding his father’s untimely demise. Then, as if remembering himself, Fallon stripped the emotion from his face, leaving only a lazy grin behind.
“I apologize if I offended you, my Lord, that was not my intention. I only meant it was a timely reminder of how quickly things can change, not that your punishment was unjustified,” he lied smoothly.
Every single set of eyes, my father’s included, darted between Fallon and me like spectators at a sword fight.
“The map,” Riordan prompted, clearing his throat.
When my attention returned to the parchment in front of me, a collective sigh of relief filled the room.
“The rebels have been hitting our supply chains, here, here, and here,” I said, tapping the three locations where the mountain pass was narrow, creating natural choke points.
Cadence leaned in, studying the map intently. “Are they only targeting the food supplies?” she asked, making me preen.
She was acting like the queen she would one day become.
“Any weapons, medicines, or tools?”
“Only the food stores,” I confirmed. “Given how narrow the passes are, the rebels can’t feasibly station troops thereindefinitely. They’d need to know exactly when to strike — when the reward outweighs the risk.”
“And you’re sure it’s the Wraith Borne?” Lord Vor asked.
“I care little for who is responsible, Lord Vor, only that they are stopped.”
“Perhaps we should simply change our schedule then.”
“And alert our traitor that we are on to them?” I craned a brow, and he shriveled beneath my scrutiny.
“So, what is your solution?” my father asked, his fingers drumming against the polished table.
“We create a shipment too tempting to resist. Extra guards, but visible ones, making it appear substantial but poorly defended.” I paused, watching as understanding dawned across some faces. “We will instruct the guards to surrender, which will lead the rebels to believe they have won easily.”
Heads began to nod around the table as the council members listened to my plan with rapt attention.
“Meanwhile, a secondary force will wait here.” I tapped a forested pass. “Hidden from view until the rebels have committed to their attack. Once they move in, they’ll be surrounded. We crush them and the traitor’s information network in one decisive blow.”
Fallon leaned forward, his interest genuine. “But what if they’re tipped off about the secondary force?”
My lips curved into a menacing smile. “We won’t be telling anyone until the day of the operation.”
