The powder exploded in a puff of white, shimmering air, blooming over his muddy coat.
Otto coughed violently, stumbling onto all fours. His eyes grew glassy as he choked, his strength failing until he collapsed.
Every breath burned in Nin’s chest as she slumped against a stall door. The powder lingered in the air like an iridescent snowfall, swirling toward her face. She waited for it to cloud her mind and dull hersenses—but it never came.
Instead, warmth bloomed under her coat, steady and pulsing. She placed a grateful hand over the queen’s enchanted brooch. It warmed her skin, a protective barrier between her and the corrupt magic.
Boots pounded, drawing closer.
“Nin!”
Cedric burst into the stables, followed by five guards, their swords drawn. Nin raised a shaky finger toward Otto, sputtering into the dirt.
“Silent… Breath,” she wheezed.
Cedric raced to her side, kneeling to cradle her face in his palms. “Have you been affected?”
She slowly shook her head. The guards hauled Otto to his feet, but he slumped into their grip.
Cedric’s warm hands fell to his side as he stood. Anger rolled off his frame in relentless waves, like the rain pounding against the slated rooftop.
He marched to Otto, pointing his sword under his chin to force his face upward. “Did you use the Silver Flame to attempt an assassination on Princess Marianne?” The point of Cedric’s sword remained under the ambassador’s chin.
“Yes…”
“Why?” Cedric demanded.
“She came between kingdoms,” Otto murmured. “She stood in the way of what Aurelion could gain, and what Ehrenmark could lose…”
Nin’s chest constricted. “You wanted the alliance for Ehrenmark.”
Otto’s eyes fluttered, his grin widening. “Of course. The treaty would have benefited us greatly. We are small and vulnerable… Aurelion didn’t need it as much as we did.”
“Or as much asyoudid,” Cedric surmised, “You stood to benefit the most, didn’t you?”
Otto giggled like a child with his hands caught stealing sweets. “I would have been greatly rewarded!”
“And Rodrigue? How did you presume he would go for the alliance?” Cedric pressed.
“Grief seeks comfort,” Otto answered. “A little encouragement in the right direction is all that’s needed for the next woman in line.”
Nin’s eyes widened, and disgust coiled tight within her. “You were going to use Adelina’s sister? She’s hardly of age!”
Otto chuckled. “In a few months’ time. Besides… she is the more gentle of the two sisters. More pliable. And my king would thank me for the alliance.”
Nin was tempted to press her own blade against his throat. Her nostrils flared, her fists clenched by her side. “And your princess? Would that not destroy everything you were working for if she were the culprit?”
“It was the cleanest option,” Otto said dreamily. “A scandal is not the same as war.”
Nin’s brows pinched. She looked to Cedric, whose frown curled.
“Princess Adelina’s jealousy would be interpreted as a domestic crime rather than an act of war,” Cedric said, his blade digging a tiny cut into Otto’s neck. Blood trickled into Otto’s starched collar.
Nin’s mouth parted. Nausea churned in her stomach as the implications settled on her like an iron yoke. If Adelina were blamed, Ehrenmark could claim she acted alone, and her life would be ruined for the sake of profit.
“That’s despicable,” Nin said behind clenched teeth.
Otto peered up at her, his glassy eyes held no remorse. “It’s politics.”
