Page 56

The king and Douglas and Niall had leaned in.

Douglas said, “Not a river, tis a loch.”

Torin said, “This is the map we used tae assault the castle. The Princess’s kingdom inna on it.”

I nodded. “My kingdom is very far away.”

“Dost yer king — yer father…?”

“My father is no longer with us, he is, um… gone. My mother also. I… a man named Rannald usurped their kingdom and he was here, at Dunstaffnage in this castle. So we attacked him. Torin killed him.”

The king nodded.

Niall said, “Now your kingdom is won?”

“Yes, I assume — my brother will become king. So, as you can see, I am just the princess. I’m not that important⁠—”

Douglas shrugged. “A princess is verra important, wars hae been fought over princesses.”

I glanced at Torin, he was staring straight ahead, fury on his face.

The king’s eyes were narrowed. “So yer brother, what is his name?”

Torin said, “Maximillian.”

“Maximillian will be ascending to the crown, but he inna king now, ye hae a crisis of secession, as we hae had for long years: a vacant throne, men vying for it.”

I raised my chin. “Rannald killed my parents and some of my uncles in cold blood. I was hidden for my safety.”

Torin added, “She was raised without knowledge that she was a princess. I explained it tae her a short time ago.”

The king’s brow was raised very high. “So ye came on my land, Laird Torin, and sacked my castle, with yer men and yer weapons… without my permission. And ye were nae acting alone, a rogue Laird — nae, ye are a prince of Riaghalbane. This is an act of war, the kind of action that would deserve raising an army.”

Torin’s jaw flexed.

Douglas said, “Ye hae proven yerself verra untrustworthy.”

I glanced around at everyone’s faces.

Torin said, “Ye call me untrustworthy, yet I hae given the king a castle; I hae been imprisoned; my wife, a princess, has been locked in a room⁠—”

The king said, “Would ye hae done anything differently?”

“Douglas beat my face while m’hands were bound.”

Douglas said, “Ye deserved it with yer disrespect⁠—”

The king held up his hand. “Douglas… daena.”

Douglas nodded. “Yer highness.”

Torin said, “I would hae done it much the same, in yer shoes, Sire. I would hae put the man in question under lock and key while I ascertained his business, but I wouldna separate him from his wife. The castle is full of men and ye kept me from her. She is a princess, ye canna expect this tae⁠—”

The king held up his hand. “I understand, Laird Torin, tis only that I couldna know that I might trust ye.”

Torin still looked upset, his jaw clenched and unclenched.

Then he said, “The case could be made that ye, as the King of Scots, were harborin’ the man who usurped the throne of Riaghalbane. The man who murdered the King of Riaghalbane, Alexandria and Maximillian’s father, and stole their kingdom. Harboring that usurper is an act of war. King Maximillian will be angered that ye put me in yer dungeons, that ye locked up the princess. I am injured on yer lands, and ye hae been inhospitable. We killed the man who usurped the kingdom, without bringin’ ye intae the issue, tis troubling that we did it on yer lands, aye, but we had tae act⁠—”