A wave of loss rushed over him, because there wasn’t anything Aren wouldn’t have given to have Ahnna here to wield a weapon at his back.
Katarina took a mouthful of cake, chewed and swallowed, then looked up at him. “Fight hard, Your Grace. Fight until the Harendellians decide the economics are not in their favor. Fight and win, for all our sakes.”
47
Keris
“We need to leave, Keris.”Saam held a needle over a candle flame, a mountain of medical supplies on the table next to him. “The king of Harendellstabbedyou.”
“He didn’t stab me.”
Saam waved a hand over the bleeding wound. “Then what do you call this?”
“A prick. Just give me a few stitches and I’ll be fine.”
“He didn’t do it with a pin, you lunatic.” Saam threw up his hands, eyes going to the three other members of guard for support but receiving only shrugs in response. “Get out, the lot of you. And one of you take Fiona out to the courtyard for a stroll.”
Keris watched the dog prance out with one of the guards, noting that her leash glittered with what looked suspiciously like diamonds to match her collar. “I can’t believe you bought that thing.”
“The only unbelievable thing is that we are still here.” Saam threaded the needle and set to work. “You pissed off Alexandra. Drove William toprickyou. Inspired all of Verwyrd to call Lestara the Carrion Queen, which saw thirty people arrested and put in the stocks. To top it all off, King Ronan of Cardiff now sees you as a threat. We should be racing for a ship to get out of Harendell, but instead you’re lying here drinking the Ashfords’ liquor.”
“I made progress today, Saam.” Keris stared at the ceiling. “Alexandra needs Ithicana to be the great villain in the eyes of the people, which means keeping their emotions firmly fixed on Ahnna’s actions. Today I turned that focus to Lestara. If I can fuel the fire of their outrage inward toward their queen, Alexandra’s campaign will lose momentum. To regain it, she’ll need to convince William to set aside Lestara, which, with luck, will create conflict with Cardiff. Every time I step out of the Sky Palace, the civilians are reminded of what their queen did, whereas if I flee, I risk Alexandra redirecting them back to Ithicana. It’s a game of public manipulation and propaganda, and no one does it better than Harendell.”
“It’s going to get you killed.”
A sudden commotion sounded from outside. A shrill female voice and words of protest, but then the door opened and Lestara stormed inside. Her face was streaked with tears. “Why, Keris? Why must you be so endlessly cruel to me?”
He waved Saam aside and sat up. “You know the answer to that question, Lestara. Besides, I haven’t done anything to you.”
“They’re calling me the Carrion Queen! The Butcher of Babies!” Her hands balled into fists. “You’re making them hate me!”
Keris reached for his bloodstained shirt, pulling it over his bare chest while he debated how best to get rid of her. “I’m notmakingthem do or say anything. North and south, everyone knows what happened in Vencia. Everyone knows that you made it possible. If you didn’t want to be known for the deaths of innocent civilians, you should have put your mind to protecting them, not throwing them to the wolves for the sake of getting rid of me. Your life is what you made of it, good and bad. Own it.”
“You think that I haven’t owned it?” Lestara scrubbed tears from her face, then cupped a hand over her swollen belly. “You think I don’t regret my part in what happened in Vencia? You think that I don’t hate myself for allowing Petra to take advantage of my hurt and grief?”
Keris crossed his arms, ignoring the slice of pain as his stitches pulled. “No, I don’t. The only thing you regret is getting caught.”
Silence stretched between them, then she said, “Do you have any forgiveness in you?”
“No. I’m sure many consider that a profound character flaw, but it’s one I’m willing to accept.”
Logically, he was aware that provoking her was a bad idea, but Keris didn’t care.
Her chin quivered but then stilled as she clenched her jaw. “Virginia and her ladies tortured me, day in and day out, as you knew they would. At first, I could not see beyond my hate for you, but I came to understand it was my penance. Came to understand that I needed to do good in the world in order to atone for the consequences of my mistakes. I have taken up my cousin’s mantle in his absence and am doing all that I can to ensure peace continues with Cardiff. I do everything I can to temper William’s anger toward Ithicana. I spend my days on charity, donate all of my allowance to good causes, and use my power to protect those who have none. I am trying, Keris.”
He clapped slowly, mockingly. “Well done, Your Grace. Tell me, does it require giving up one new gown or two to atone for the death of a child? What is the accounting on such matters?”
Pink flushed into her cheeks, the muscles of her jaw so clenched she had to be risking broken teeth. Then she said, “You judge me harshly, Keris, but do you ever look in the mirror and judge yourself for the harm you caused?”
“Every fucking day.” Keris shook his head. “I am no paragon, Lestara. I know I am not fit to rule, because I always act in the interest of those I love, no matter the cost to others. It’s one of the reasons I gave up the crown to Sarhina. It is the reason I’ve refused all power in Valcotta. Whereas you just keep clawing your way higher. Keep finding ways to gain more power, and that is the reason the common folk resist you. They know you’ll bury them all to get what you want.”
“You’re wrong.” Lestara squared her shoulders and pushed her blond hair back. “I will bring forth the longest era of peace in living memory. That will be my legacy, stars as my witness.”
“I pray that I’m wrong.” He stared into her amber eyes, struck with the sudden certainty that Lestara believed what she was saying. “I pray that you have the capacity to change. I pray that you will do good things.”
Her mouth curved in a slight smile. “I appreciate—”
“But I’ve never once had a prayer answered, and so I’ll plan for you to be exactly the woman I know you to be.”
