I hesitate.
“He encouraged him,” I say at last. “he called it righteous punishment.”
My breath comes shallow now.
I want to tell them everything.
My hand tightens on the ring. Heat flares. I draw a breath, ready to pull it free, ready to confess—
“Enough.” Ashford steps forward. That single word cuts cleanly through the room.
He does not look at me. He looks at them.
“She has answered,” he says evenly. “And she has already placed herself in danger by doing so.”
I sit frozen, heart hammering, the ring still warm against my skin. Whatever I was about to reveal dies unspoken…for now.
“I have seen the King unravel,” Rowan says. “And I have seen this woman stand against him. She has already risked more than any of you.”
Tassilo nods. “If Charles learns how deeply she is involved, he will destroy her—and use it to discredit us all.”
My father places a small leather pouch on the table. Coins spill out.
“Do you recognize these?” he asks me.
I lean forward and examine them. My stomach sinks.
“Freshly minted,” I say. “Those were made in Brockton, aneastern mint. Only a few coins have been minted there, the distribution was delayed.”
“Has Charles traveled there?” My father asks.
“I don’t think—” I stop. A memory resurfaces. “He stopped nearby, at an abbey, to pray for…Queen Hilde.”
“When was this?” Tassilo asks.
“It was right after Lent,” I say.
Two months before the hunt.
“These were the coins found on the man who attacked Tassilo,” my father says. “It looks like Charles paid the man directly.”
Silence.
Ashford speaks again. “We cannot be certain that Tassilo was his only target. The Queen cannot be asked for more. An exit plan is required.”
Agreement moves through the room like a wave.
“I will stay at court,” I say loudly into the room. “We need someone who can keep a close eye on Charles. But I do have a favor to ask. My daughters, they must be sent somewhere safe.”
The bishop steps forward. “Of course, Your Majesty. I know a convent. It’s secure, and the princesses may finish their education there. You may visit.”
I nod, throat too tight to speak.
My father rises. “One final matter,” he says. “We need an ally beyond reach. Someone Charles cannot easily silence.”
He pauses.
“Pepin will join us tomorrow night.”
