I have to get out of here,she thought, darting out of her hiding spot once the coast was clear. It was only a matter of time before the servant alerted the guards, and if she was not clear of the castle walls before Sir Jerrold was summoned, she wasdoomed.
25
“You didwhat?”
“I know, I know,” Tariel said, holding up a hand as if she could stave off Calrain’s anger. Her beautiful features were pinched with guilt as she confronted Calrain and Riann in the parlor room. “It wasfoolish.”
“Foolish?” Riann repeated, his eyes wide with anger. “We have been worried sick! You were gone when we awoke, without leaving so much as a note, and you didn’t return forhours!”
“I had to make sure I wasn’t being followed before I came back here,” Tariel said, sitting down on the sofa. She looked exhausted, her eyes heavy with defeat, and Calrain softened a bit despite himself. “I didn’t want to put you in any more danger than I alreadyhave.”
“I just wish you would have told us where you were going,” Calrain said, sitting down next to Tariel and taking her hand in his. Her fingers were clammy, and he pressed them to his lips, hoping to drive some of the chill from her. “We could have come withyou.”
“I would have, if I’d still been here,” Tariel assured them. “My visit to the castle was spur of the moment, and by the time I realized what I was about to do, it was too late to come back to the mansion and getyou.”
“Well, at least you did get your audience with the queen,” Riann said, joining them. He still seemed annoyed, but his jaw had unclenched, and his eyes were no longer blazing fire. “Did you learn anythinguseful?”
“The queen refused to tell me who my parents were,” Tariel said, “but she did say something interesting. She told me that I was the spitting image of mymother.”
Calrain blinked. “But that must mean your mother was Maroyan, and not your father, as we had previouslythought.”
“But that does not make any sense,” Riann protested. “No mages from the Empire have dared cross over into Fjordland territory, not since the ill-fated marriage of Prince Hersian and PrincessAllia.”
Calrain paused at that. Princess Allia had been a Maroyan royal wed to the king’s brother after a passionate love affair that had ended in death, at least according to the stories he had heard. “I wonder if your mother could have been one of Princess Allia’s ladies-in-waiting, brought with her from the Empire,” he said. “Perhaps she had a dalliance with someone at court, and you were theresult.”
Riann nodded. “That would make a lot of sense,” he said. “A Fjordland noble would be hard-pressed to acknowledge a half-breed daughter, especially one born out of wedlock. It is very possible that his family forced him into giving Tarielup.”
Tariel smiled bitterly. “It would be nice to think that my father would have wanted me, but the likelihood is that he rejected me, just as the queen has.” She bit her lip. “Although this doesn’t quite explain why the queen was my warden. How am I connected withher?”
“Maybe you are a by-blow of the king.” Riann’s eyes flew wide at the thought. “That would certainly explain the queen’s hostility towardyou.”
Zolotais popped out of the abacus, appearing in a shimmer of golden light. “Your theory makes little sense,” she said primly. “A woman from the Maroyan Empire with strong magic such as you have would not have served as a mere lady-in-waiting to the princess. And besides, I cannot imagine that Princess Allia would have been unaware if one of her ladies did fall pregnant and give birth to a female child. That child would have been jealously guarded, perhaps even sent back to the Maroyan Empire with its mother for proper rearing. Certainly, it would not have been abandoned, as you were.” She gave Tariel a sympathetic look. “What has happened to you is an unforgivabletragedy.”
Tariel’s eyes shone with tears, but she blinked them back. “Maybe so, but my life has still only begun, and I do not intend to spend the rest of it in misery.” She clasped Calrain’s and Riann’s hands, meeting their gazes steadily. “It is high time we left. Pack your things, for tonight, we ride forCarliss.”
26
As Tarieland her men prepared to flee the country, Yarim sat in the waiting room outside Prince Raglar’s study, mulling over everything he had learned in the past twenty-fourhours.
He had spent quite a bit of time going over Fjordland’s recent history with the Maroyan Empire. Everyone knew about the epic love story between Prince Hersian, the king’s younger brother, and Princess Allia, favorite niece to the Maroyan Empress. The two of them had met at court, and, according to the stories, it was love at first sight. Everyone who saw them together knew they were soulmates, and though both the Fjordlanders and the Maroyans had misgivings, both sides knew there was no keeping them apart. Reluctantly, the two countries allowed them to wed, forging an uneasy alliance between two countries who considered each other uncultured barbarians or decadent heathens,respectively.
Unfortunately, the love story had not ended well. Princess Allia had died giving birth to Prince Raglar, and Hersian, in deep mourning, had retreated from court life, taking up residence in his estate on the west coast, and later battling the sea lords. His son had come with him for a time, but after he’d reached the age of ten, King Hamin had begun summoning him to court frequently to learn the ways of court and for tutoring. With Queen Relissa’s five children turning out to be either stillborn or female, Raglar was the only heir. Yarim had seen him once or twice at various social functions, and though he had inherited his father’s blue eyes and tall frame, his hair was jet black and his skin far darker than the average Fjordlander, a clear sign of his Maroyanblood.
There must be some connection between Tariel and Raglar’s mother,Yarim told himself. He had made some discreet inquiries, but no one seemed to remember anything about either the Maroyan princess or her ladies. With Prince Hersian off fighting the sea lords on the western coast, his son, Raglar, was the only person he could get informationfrom.
“The prince will see you now,” a guard said, stepping into the room. Yarim rose and followed the guard into a study. He was surprised at how large the room was, the walls jam-packed with shelves and shelves of books. Aside from the Brothers of Roisen, Fjordlanders generally did not prize books, and yet there sat Prince Raglar behind his desk, pouring over amanuscript.
“Ah, Sir Yarim.” The prince smiled, flashing perfect white teeth. He was quite a handsome specimen, and attracted the attention of many of the ladies at court despite his dark complexion. The dark blue jerkin and trousers he wore were expertly tailored to show off his broad shoulders and powerful physique, hard-earned from his days fighting the Western sea lords. From what Yarim had heard, Raglar had distinguished himself as a brave and fast warrior, fighting alongside his father in many campaigns. “I have been wondering if we would finallymeet.”
“Oh?” Yarim asked as he took a seat. The chair was a bit hard for his tastes, and he imagined the prince didn’t entertain very many visitors here. “Because of our sharedheritage?”
“Indeed.” Prince Raglar gave him a half-smile. “Most of the time I have to pretend that it does not exist, but I have always harbored a secret longing to visit the Empire and see my mother’shomeland.”
“I hope you do,” Yarim said sincerely. “It is a wonderful country, and I am certain the empress has been wanting to see her great-nephew.”
“Indeed.”
The prince’s blue gaze shuttered, and Yarim knew he had hit a sore spot. He imagined that Queen Relissa would sooner die than allow the Maroyan empress to set foot in Castle Kalsing, and that the king was not keen on sending his sole heir off to theEmpire.
