His face softened, and he reached for my hand. “Netta …”
“I’ll marry the king if I have to,” I said. “Not because you want me to. But because I choose it. If that’s the only way to stop the kingdom from coming apart, to stop a war, then fine. I’ll do it. But not yet. I need to … learn more about myself, first.”
He said nothing, but did not drop his gaze.
“Any news of Milady and Ban Morin?” I asked.
“As the king said …”
“I know you have your own ways of finding things out.”
He smiled, then shook his head. “No news. As far as I know, they have retreated and are licking their wounds, like the Pontiff, awaiting judgement … and probably forging alliances, and shoring up gold and weapons, I would wager. But wordwill spread of what they attempted. I do not think the common folk will take kindly to any hint of reviving the Plague. You have done wonders for the monarchy. Right now it seems to everyone that the safest option is to stay loyal to the king.”
“And … Will word spread about me?”
“It is inevitable, I’m afraid. But I feel the talk will be kinder to you. You are something of an enigma, you know. The all-powerful mage—”
I snorted. “Hardly.”
“—who appeared from nowhere to defeat bone magic and prevent a second Plague.”
“They won’t know what really happened?”
“How could they? Unless you tell them. Not even Milady, Ban Morin, and the Pontiff know exactly what happened after they left. Although the presence of an enormous skeletal bird spotted flying about the kingdom might give them a clue.”
“And what are you going to do?”
“I will stay with the king,” he said. “And keep an eye on my various interests throughout the kingdom, of course.”
“So, just like before then.”
“Very much like.”
“So nothing has changed. For you.”
He looked at me for a long moment, then said, “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
I hesitated.
“I’m not going to lock you up in a room, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
We walked together down the long hall, in not-quite-companionable silence, until we reached his rooms. Despite the ornate decor, they were tidy and spare. Patrick went to a desk by the window and unlocked a drawer, lifting out a narrow wooden box—the kind of thing you would store a gown in, with rosemary for freshness and to keep out the moths.
He laid it on the desk and raised the lid. I thought for a moment it was a gown, and then I thought it might be abouquet of dried flowers, but then I realized the riot of color was a chaos of silks of all sizes, intricately embroidered by a deft hand.Myhand.
All the pieces that I had made back at the Tower and given to Baldbeak for what I had thought were his own mysterious purposes. All of them were here. I dipped my hand into them as if they were a river, letting the silk flow over my skin. Patrick watched me.
“You’ve had these all this time?” I trailed my fingers over the designs. Some of them I remembered well, and others I had completely forgotten.
“I asked Baldbeak to bring me something of you, to help me understand you. I was curious.”
“Exceedingly curious, it seems,” I said. “I had forgotten most of these. And there is my map!”
“Ah yes, your map of the Tower. The first one that Baldbeak ever brought it to me. It is how I found out where you and your mother were hiding.”
“So my spell worked after all.” I laughed a little. “I was wishing to be rescued from my monotonous existence. Little did I know.”
“Rescued, eh?” He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “By a handsome prince, no doubt?”
