Everard had been gone for five days. The house felt strangely empty. I wouldn’t know if he had survived for another fifteen days, possibly longer.
I had done everything I could to warn him.
“Yes, you did,” Shana said.
I hadn’t realized that I had spoken that last part out loud.
“His Grace is very intelligent,” Clover said. “He won’t let himself be poisoned.”
“Clover is right,” Shana told me. “People have been trying to kill him since he was a boy and he’s still here.”
Kaiden dashed into the kitchen. “There are guards outside.”
“What guards?” I asked.
“City guards.”
“Teal tabards?”
Kaiden nodded.
“What do they want?”
“To talk to you.”
Why would the guards want to talk to me? Were they looking for Everard? I couldn’t think of any other reason, unless the Filderon thing had come back to us, but so much time had passed . . .
I got up and marched to the front door.
Will and Lute had parked themselves in the tunnel in front of the outer door, blocking access. Gort stood directly behind them, brandishing his axe.
“What is going on?” I asked.
Gort bowed. “My lady, these guards are requesting to speak to you.”
It was time to channel a noble. I made astep asidemotion with my hand. I’d seen Everard do it often enough. The Magnars parted and I saw three men in chainmail and City Guard tabards.
The leader held out a scroll. “Knight Captain Jehan invites you to join him for a conversation.”
I stared at him.
He held my gaze for a long moment, then added, “My lady.”
I nodded at Will. He took the scroll and presented it to me.
“A conversation where?” Gort growled.
“At the Southern Guard Station,” I said. “No reason given.”
The Magnars squared their shoulders in unison. The lead guard took a small step back. His two colleagues put their hands on their weapons.
As far as I knew, the guards had no authority to remove me from the house without a written order. Rellas took the concept of “my home, my castle” very seriously. We could shut the door in their faces. However, that would only postpone this confrontation. There was a decent chance that they would come back with more guards or try to snatch me up when I was out in the city.
No, it was better to do this now, on my terms.
“I will require at least an hour to get ready. You may wait here, or you may return at that time.”
“We’ll wait.” The lead guard took what my father would call the “at ease” position. They wouldn’t be moving from their spot.
