The other queens' stunned silence ended, Queen Galen standing so quickly that her chair crashed to the floor, causing Queen Tessa to jump. Without another word, she swept out of the room, her guards close on her heels, her steps heated. One by one the other queens began to depart as well. The threat was clear: every province for themselves.
Alex had no doubt that the Morrows had sealed their fate by acting against Rune. No one dared to move. If any of them drew a blade against Vivian or Rune, it would be a massacre. Alex felt rooted to her spot. She had no doubt that Vivian’s minions would be on her in a heartbeat if they so much as suspected a strike against Vivian. To be fair, she wasn’t sure why she had let her be to start with, an error Alex would happily take every advantage of.
Falling in behind the clamor of Vivian and her guards, Alex scrutinized them as they took the prisoners to their holding cells. Commander Vale and Advisor Amari kept their heads bowed but stayed close as well. Although they couldn’t fight back, she knew they sure as Kiel would do all in their power to keep them from harm.
Weeks. Alex had weeks to figure out how to fix this. When a Tribunal was called, a mandatory interim was required to allow sufficient evidence to be gathered. Sophiana, Evanar, and Andrew would remain in the dungeons until then, leaving Vivian to rule in her stead. There were no documented cases of this ever happening in their histories, no precedent to follow. Alex was determined to find the evidence they needed to clear their names. She would not allow this to happen. Vivian would not rule Varon for long.
Chapter Twenty
Where It All Went Wrong
Alex
It hadn’t gone unnoticed that it was Vivian’s guards who had seized Sophiana. In addition to that, the ones set to stand watch in the dungeons were some of the guards on Colin’s list to be watched. That alone confirmed her suspicions that they were planted by Vivian.
Alex called a meeting with Commander Vale, presenting him with her concerns about untrained guards standing a watch that they were not qualified for, showing him the records of their skipped workouts, but holding back her suspicions of treason. He agreed that it was a lapse that would be corrected and had them removed immediately. Alex breathed a sigh of relief. At least for now, she could sleep better knowing that they were safer.
She hated to imagine them in such poor conditions. The dungeons were anything but welcoming. Each cell outfittedwith a drain, a sink, a chamber pot, and a crude mattress in the corner. The blankets were barely more than thin sheets. With no windows to allow for air flow, the rooms always smelled stale, heavy with the stench of old urine and waste. It was blasphemy that the queen who had ruled Varon with strength, love and compassion, now was provided none.
They hadn’t even allowed them to be kept in the same cell. Andrew, Sophiana and Evanar were alone in their misery. Alex knew the shift change schedule for the evening thanks to Colin. Gods help her, she only had Colin left to rely upon, but so far he’d not let her down. The boy was young and undeniably irresponsible at times but he was loyal and that would have to be enough.
Alex stood before a locked door, at the top of a set of stairs, waiting for the rapid succession of knocks that signaled shift change. Almost three days had passed since they were locked up under accusations of supporting and aiding in the desertion of the province and provocation of war, and Alex was almost at her breaking point. Luther was a monster and the Varon guards were powerless to stop him if he came after the three prisoners, not without risking their own heads, and Sophiana wouldn’t want that. She would stand strong and take the fall before she let a single citizen, guard or otherwise, hang in her defense.
Colin had assured Alex that Vivian’s guards would be occupied elsewhere this evening and that Luther wouldn’t be an issue either. He had the nerve to wink at her when he delivered that bit of information, and she wondered what the boy had done. This wasn’t a game, and any risk he took put all of their lives in danger. A quick rap rap rap sounded from the other side of the door and she took a step back. Lieutenant Marcus Tait lifted his weary eyes as he stepped through the doorway not expecting to see Alex standing there. He failed to cover his surprise and looked frantically around.
“Calm yourself. We are alone. I need to see them. Stay here until I return.”
“Yes, Captain. But what if…” he started to protest.
“There is no time. Stay here. I will only be a few minutes.” The Lieutenant hedged as if he might argue again but her look quelled his attempt. “Where are they being held?”
“Third cell to the left in the southernmost corridor. Queen Sophiana is directly at the bottom of the stairs to the right of the main chamber.”
“And Andrew?”
Lieutenant Tait’s jaw clenched. “He is shackled to the wall in the front chamber right now. They left him there this morning after Captain Blackwood … visited. His cell is at the end of the north corridor. They are not permitted within speaking distance of one another.”
Their eyes held, a silent conversation, an understanding passed between them. He would stand his post until she returned. Alex took the stairs three at a time, squinting in the dim light until a large chamber opened in front of her. She had only been down there a few times, since the cells were seldom used.
Her eyes went straight to Andrew, hanging limply from the chains that bound his wrists to the stone wall. Alex rushed to him. The dampness in the air mingled with the smell of sweat invaded her nose. “Andrew!” she called to him, gently tapping the side of his face. His eyes blinked open with effort and then filled with panic when recognition settled in. “No.” he croaked, his voice strained and dry. He was certainly dehydrated, but there was no blood and no bruising, so they hadn’t roughed him up, yet.
“Shut up and tell me what they’ve done to you. Is Queen Sophiana alright?”
Andrew took a shuddering breath. “Yes, I believe so. Theydon’t want to physically harm her before the Tribunal since it will be a public viewing. They can’t afford a citizen’s rebellion if it looks like she’s been tortured.” Alex heaved a sigh of relief.
“What can I do for you?” She had to help him somehow, do something.
“You can’t stay here. They will be back soon. There is nothing you can do for me.”
Fuck that.Alex thought to herself.He doesn’t get to throw himself into the fire that easily.
“I have to speak to Evanar. I will be back and we will figure this out.” She spat the words out before turning to run down the southern corridor, ignoring Andrew’s protests behind her.
Red filled Alex’s vision.I will murder them. I will slice them to pieces with my blades, one sliver at a time, while they scream and beg for mercy.
She hadn’t said a word as she approached. The purple and blue swollen mess across Evanar’s jaw spoke enough for the both of them. Evanar winced as he licked his lips to speak. “It looks worse than it is, darling.” He tried to sound casual but the pain from talking belied his words.
“I don’t have much time. Vivian is sending me after Rivka and Ellis. I can’t figure out her angle but since I’m officially in charge of the Recovery Battalions, she’s using that to send me after our stolen supply ship. We have no leads and nothing to go on and I don’t know how I can help you if I’m not here. I am to leave at first light.” The desperation in Alex’s voice surprised even her.
