Carys
“Major Kilkenny requestsan audience with Your Highness,” Callum calls from behind the door.
“Let him in!” I jump to my feet from my bed where I’ve been restlessly awaiting news since being whisked away from the ballroom.
Back in his maroon livery, Tiernan rushes into my bedchamber. “Carys,” he says breathlessly. Beads of sweat cling to his forehead, and his eyes are wide and frantic.
I’ve never seen him this flustered, and the sight of the ordinarily calm and collected Tiernan in this state twists my gut.
“I wish I could explain everything, but Alys was arrested just before the Feast,” he says. “For treason.”
The blood rushes from my face, and I step back.
“Durvla was arrested shortly after. They’re both in the brig, both on the docket to be hanged come morning.”
“No, no, no, no—” I take another step back, but my knees give out, my arse plopping onto the bed. I press my palms against my eyes. This can’t be happening.Please tell me this is another nightmare.
“Carys, we have to act fast.”
I drop my hands. “What the fuck canIdo?”
“Save them.”
I jump to my feet, staring him down. He makes it sound so easy. I’d gotten Durvla out of the brig by sheer luck last time.
“It wasn’t luck when you saved Durvla.”
I blink at him—it’s as if he read my mind.
“You are the heir to the throne and the queen is unable to make decisions.Youspeak on her behalf. You can pardon Alys and Durvla. You have that power.”
“You’re wrong. Iywan holds the power. The fucking Council holds the power! All decisions go through them.”
“The brig guards don’t know that.”
We stand there for a moment, face to face, tense silence drawing out between us, then I say, “What would you have me do? Storm into the brig with a quiver of arrows and a bow at the ready? Shoot the guards and break out Durvla and Alys?”
“Order their release. They need to get far away from here. Alys knows where they can go. All you have to do is give them the opportunity.”
“But—”
“Durvla is deaf. And?—”
I hold my hand up, silencing him. Durvla? Deaf? I stare at Tiernan, ready to tell him he’s wrong, but it explains so much about the odd interactions I’ve had with her. “She can read lips,” I say aloud. Tiernan nods. “I see…” A pang of guilt strikes me for all the times I lost my patience with her.
“She also has a brother who’s been identified as an Undesirable. Only five years old. They were going to banish him to the Wastelands and hang Durvla for harboring him.”
My stomach clenches. So that’s why Durvla was so eager to get back home. She had a little brother to look after. And I was planning to demand that she stay here…
“You said theyweregoing to banish him? Does that mean they aren’t anymore?”
“He was rescued. The Forayers were ambushed on the way to Paramount and quite a few captives were rescued. Durvla’s friend who’s been looking after her brother in her absence wasn’t so lucky. He’s in the brig right now.”
“Let me guess, also sentenced to be hanged tomorrow.”
Tiernan nods and everything I’d eaten during the Feast churns in my stomach. I breathe in slowly through my nose and gulp.
“Alright,” I groan, smoothing my hair back from my face. I march toward my desk. “If the gods start listening now, that would be wonderful.”
