“Come with me, now,” Gerald said.
We immediately followed. He led us through a rear corridor of the manor that served as a sort of castle in exile, with me as a king in exile, ruling over a people I barely knew, and with Harlyn the only connection between us. Gerald brought us to the doors of a room where I met with the officers of what little army the Halderians still had. The door was slightly ajar, and Gerald motioned for Harlyn and me to come forward where we could hear.
“… but like it or not, Simon is the king.” The man who was speaking was named Edgar, and he was one of the finest officers in the cavalry. “We serve him.”
“But who does Simon serve?” This man was Reese. He was the current head of the cavalry. “Not us, not our people.”
“Master Thorne assured us that Simon was the king we’ve been waiting for. Commander Mindall trusts him too.”
A third man, whose voice I didn’t recognize, said, “Commander Mindall is too sick for his word to be trusted, and even so, he only supports Simon because his daughter will become the queen.”
“We would serve her,” Reese said. “But has Simon gi
ven any indication of wanting to marry her? No. I say the rumors are true, that the king is in love with the Infidante.”
“If he is, then he’ll have to be removed,” the third man said. “It was bad enough that the Infidante is a Dallisor, that she’s one of them. But now she also has magic, which means she must have Endrean blood too, the blood of the tyrant. I’ve heard rumors of the real reason Kestra Dallisor was sent away from here, and it’s worse than you can imagine. If our king has any place in his heart for Kestra Dallisor, he will have to be removed too.”
“Removed?” Edgar asked. “That’s treason.”
“Call it what you want, but it must be,” Reese said. “We can’t afford to have our people divided, not in these dangerous times.”
I turned on my heel and marched away, my hands balled into fists. Gerald and Harlyn followed until we reached my room, then Gerald shut the door behind us.
“We have to find Kestra,” I said. “If they mean to harm her—”
“Weren’t you listening?” Gerald asked. “They intend to harm you!”
“We have to prove to them that she’s on our side, that they’re wrong—”
“They’re not wrong,” Gerald said. “She is more like Endrick than us, and you know for yourself that she has begun to corrupt. I didn’t bring you to hear that conversation for Kestra’s sake. I’m trying to protect you!”
I glanced over at Harlyn, whose eyes were lowered. She wouldn’t look at me.
“Listen carefully,” Gerald said. “There is a supper tonight. When it is finished, Simon, you will offer marriage to Harlyn, and, Harlyn, you will accept.”
Harlyn opened her mouth to say something, but Gerald quickly added, “I know that neither of you wants a marriage to happen this way, but it must and it will. Refuse, and believe me when I say that within the week, there will be a challenge for the crown, and one way or another, it will end in death. When I see you tonight, after the supper, I will raise a toast in honor of the king, and, Simon, you will raise it in honor of your new queen. Are we agreed?”
“Where is Kestra?” I asked, not for the first time. “Do you know?”
And not for the first time, he replied, “Let her go. She—” Gerald stopped as a knock came to my door and a page opened it with a note in his hand.
The page bowed low and said, “A message has come for the king.”
Gerald took the note and passed it to me. I opened it, then gave it to Harlyn. While she read it, I said to Gerald, “Have someone prepare my horse and a pack for several days of travel. I’m leaving now.”
“You’ve just arrived.”
“Then I’m most of the way ready.”
“You’ll need an escort, the cavalry—”
I nearly choked on his suggestion, then pointed toward the stables. “That cavalry? I don’t need their help.”
Harlyn returned the note to me, adding, “I’ll go with you.”
I nodded back at her, but Gerald asked, “What is the note?”
“Captain Tenger has finally located Basil, but he needs our help to rescue him from Lord Endrick.”