“I’m not,” Theo replied. “Wielding whatever this is required no magic craft at all from me. But clearly it was created with much more advanced magic craft than we know. I suspect the whirlwind was created using another such item.”
“We did find this in the viscount’s pocket, Your Highness,” one of the guards said gruffly, handing Prince Patrick a curiously carved wooden object.
“Wood for a force of nature, steel for a weapon,” Simeon murmured. “That shows consistency with the laws of magic that wedoknow.”
No one replied, although Theo noticed Paulson nodding thoughtfully.
“If someone has found a way to store magic…” Prince Patrick said. “The magnitude of that development…”
“We know,” Elowen said quietly, when he trailed off. “It would change everything.” Her voice turned grim. “We have a general idea who’s behind it, Patrick, and it’s not good news. But I’d rather explain it all once, when Father and Mother are present as well.”
“Every word is nonsense,” Bertrand spat, apparently finally master of himself enough to get the words out with a semblance of calm. “I’m not a hand for hire. I’m the son of a proud house, with no reason to do anyone’s bidding for any price. And so I’ll tell His Majesty.”
“And I’ll be telling him the truth,” Lady Sophia said, her voice calm but carrying.
“Sophia, hold your tongue,” Bertrand hissed.
Her face was incredibly sad as she looked at him. “I think I’m done holding my tongue, Bertrand.” She turned to the royals.“Our family’s wealth is gone. We’re not yet penniless, but we’re close to it. We’ve been doing all we can to conceal it, because we’ve lost none of our wealth of family pride. But the truth is we’re on the point of ruin. Our estate has always relied heavily on exports, and when Siqual and Carrack both halted trade agreements with Torrens a few years back, we were hit very hard. My father and brother have both been unable to forgive the other kingdoms, and the idea of the alliance was not received well in our household.” She drew a breath. “We might have weathered it had Bertrand not continued to incur such very high gaming debts in spite of our reduced circumstances.”
“Sophia, learn your place!” Bertrand’s hiss was furious.
Sophia continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I’ve been anxious many times recently that Bertrand seemed to be spending money he didn’t have. If someone offered him a substantial amount of gold, I think it would be a motivator he would find hard to refuse.”
“Curse your disloyalty, Sophia,” Bertrand growled at her.
“You accuse her of disloyalty?” Elowen cut in, outraged. “When you’ve been trying to sabotage an important alliance since the beginning?”
“There was no disloyalty in trying to prevent Torrens humiliating itself with an alliance with a kingdom so far beneath us,” Bertrand scoffed.
“You fool,” Theo said, hardly able to believe the man’s shamelessness. “Do you really not understand that if an outside player wants to prevent the alliance, it’s because they don’t want our kingdoms to be strengthened by the connection?”
“Not to mention whatever you helped do to capture and remove the Dust released by those accidents was disruptive enough to throw magic off balance all across our kingdom,” Elowen added. “Many people have suffered from it, and who knows what the ongoing effects will be?”
“I’m ashamed of you, Bertrand,” Sophia said, the words quiet and personal.
“How dare you?” he breathed. “How dare you talk about shame when you’ve been carrying on like a tavern wench with some servant?” He spat at Simeon’s feet.
The sandy-haired young man had reached his limit. He loomed forward threateningly, his pleasant face set like steel.
“You will not speak of her that way.”
“Enough.” Prince Patrick’s voice brought instant silence. “I’m shocked at the display before me. We will return to the capital immediately, and try to untangle this whole deplorable mess.”
“Yes, let’s,” Elowen agreed, letting out a long breath.
“Load the viscount into the carriage,” Prince Patrick started, but Xavier jumped in.
“Surely he can make the journey thrown across a guard’s horse,” he said cheerfully. “Theo and Elowen are both injured, they should ride in the carriage. I can borrow the princess’s mare.”
Elowen looked faintly bewildered by this declaration, her hand rubbing at her neck as she tried to protest. “But I’m not really inju—”
“Trust me, Princess.” Xavier had stepped close, his voice low enough that most of the group wouldn’t hear. “When it comes to my little brother, you have to take what openings you can get.”
“We don’t need your meddling, Xavier,” Theo said, unimpressed. But for all that, he didn’t rescind his brother’s instructions. In fact, he was perfectly pleased with his situation when he found himself alone in the carriage with his intended.
They rumbled into motion, and for a long moment, there was silence between them.
“How are your arms?” Elowen was the one to break it.
