But he had not expected everything to fall apart this soon.
Lestara rose to her feet and then rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Your face is a welcome sight, cousin. The Amaridians discovered corpses in the Blackreaches, and you were declared dead by Ahnna’s hand. More schemes on Katarina’s part, it seems. But why are you here and not at Verwyrd?”
The truth was a nonstarter, but with both his cousin and his uncle watching him expectantly, he had to give them something. James swiftly weighed what Lestara may or may not know, then said, “Carlo captured me in the Blackreaches, and Katarina imprisoned me in the Furnace.”
Lestara gasped and caught hold of her chair for balance before slowly lowering herself onto the cushion. “Stars, Jamie! How did you escape?”
“I know how he escaped!” his uncle roared, clapping James so hard on the back he staggered. “My spies recently reported that Riomar was in an uproar because of an explosion in the Furnace that resulted in a convict escaping. The Beast himself pursued, only to be killed on the beaches of Riomar. It was James who dressed the Crimson Widowin black. The stars demanded blood vengeance for your mother and uncle, and you delivered. Stars, but you delivered! Tell me everything!”
“Carlo tried to apprehend me, so I killed him.”
“Jamie, Jamie, Jamie! Never a man to brag!” His uncle pushed him down on one of the chairs and poured him a cup of ale from the pitcher on the table. “While I usually appreciate actions speaking louder than words, in this case, I wish to hear every detail. How did you come to be captured? How did you blow up the Furnace? And for the love of the stars themselves, give me every detail of your battle against the Beast of Amarid!”
James took a long mouthful of his ale to buy himself time. While Lestara was likely another pawn in Alexandra’s schemes, she and the dowager queen were still inherently allied by the fact both of them wanted to keep William on the throne. Ahnna’s plans would harm Lestara almost as much as Alexandra, and this unexpected conviviality between her and Ronan made him deeply uneasy. He was best served relaying the truth that spies would have reported. “Ahnna Kertell fled into the Blackreaches, and I pursued. A rockslide separated me from my men, but I pressed on alone.”
“Did you catch her?” Lestara demanded. “Did you kill her?”
“No, Carlo and his men had come across the border. They captured me and brought me to Riomar.”
Lestara’s expression turned to disgust. “The Amaridians must have aided her. All of Harendell’s spies report that Katarina and Aren are allies. See, Father? I told you, yet you refused to believe me. But I’ve no doubt you’ll believe James.” The last came out with an air of petulance.
“James has said nothing of alliances, girl. He has said very little at all, while you jabber on like a jaybird.”
Lestara’s face soured. “Father, I am queen of Harendell. Accord me the respect I deserve.”
His uncle laughed. “This is not Harendell,daughter.Do not speak tome as though I were one of your subjects, especially given William has banished you from court.”
“He didn’t banish me.” She twisted her skirts with her hands. “He sent me here to protect me from Keris Veliant.”
“The only injury Veliant delivered upon you was the truth of your actions. You made your own bed, girl.”
Perhaps not entirely convivial.
If Katarina had lied about his death, then she had likely kept Ahnna’s fate secret as well. “I don’t know what befell Ahnna Kertell.” He could give his uncle the truth later when they were alone. “I escaped the Furnace with several other prisoners, but ran afoul of Carlo on the beach, where I killed him and escaped on a stolen pleasure ship.” To appease his uncle, he added, “The Beast and I dueled. I stabbed him in the chest and then slit his throat.”
“Good, good.” His uncle gave an approving nod. “You have struck a blow against the Crimson Widow. The stars will look upon you with favor, nephew.”
Lestara’s jaw worked back and forth, his cousin clearly struggling to contain her questions.
“Not that we are not glad for your company, Jamie,” his uncle said. “But why are you in Cardiff and not Harendell?”
Yet more lies, because banished or not, James didn’t trust Lestara with the truth. “I came by way of the North Sea and had to earn my passage with hard labor.”
“So here not because you favor your old uncle but because you are hungry and broke.”
“Can it not be both?”
Ronan laughed and then drained his cup. “No matter the reason, it is good to see your face, Jamie. Caly swore you lived, but I have less nerve for trusting in things I cannot see than I once did.”
Lestara’s eyes darkened at mention of Queen Calythra. There was no love lost between her and her mother, and James knew that his cousin blamed Caly for turning Ronan against her. James had alwaysbeen of the opinion that Lestara had done a fine job of doing that on her own.
“How fortunate that I am here, then,” Lestara said. “William will not begrudge my return if I have you with me. His heart was broken when the spies brought word of your death, and seeing you will bring him out of his despair.” The wind howled down the chimney, sending sparks flying, and Lestara shivered before adding, “It will bring all of Verwyrd out of its grief if I return with you.”
She was ever and always consistent in her self-interest.
“I’m surprised to find you here in such advanced condition, Your Grace,” James said, the title still tasting sour on his tongue. “I can understand why William wanted you away from Veliant, but we have many estates that would offer both protection and proximity to Verwyrd.”
Lestara preened, smoothing a hand over her round belly. “It is because William trusts me implicitly that he asked me to take on the important role of maintaining the alliance between Cardiff and Harendell. In times of war, we must keep our allies close.” She smiled at both of them. “And our families closer.”
