Around her, Emariya’s companions breathed a collective sigh of relief as they peered into the dungeon, which was devoid of everything save dust, dirt and cobwebs. As thankful as she was not to find Mairi or Terin locked in such deplorable conditions, her stomach twisted with nausea as she imagined her father spending years locked in one of the cells before her.
Something skittered across the floor nearby. As her heart raced, she looked around, realizing it had only been a rat. Had that rat been her father’s only company? He’d been so close to her for so long, and she’d never known.
If only she
had
known, perhaps things might have turned out very differently.
That matters not. Worry not over what might have been or could be, steel yourself to face what is.
Her father’s wise words strengthened her, although only slightly.
Emariya turned back toward Torian. His pale face stretched thinly over his angular cheekbones, doing little to hide his anguish.
“She’s not here.” Exhaustion hung in his voice, betraying the sudden lack of hope invading Emariya’s spirits as well.
“Hopefully they are having more luck searching in the village than we did here.” Garith sighed.
As they rejoined their contingent of soldiers milling around the courtyard, Emariya cast a sad glance toward the stables.
“We’ll bury him properly,” Garith said.
Blaine, who had been blessedly silent during their search, finally spoke up. “I could stay here if you want to go to the village again. We could begin setting up barracks.” He looked toward Jessa.
“I’ve got to find Mama,” Jessa said.
Blaine looked disappointed, but understanding. “Do you want your men set up inside the wall, or out?”
Blaine had directed his question to Torian, but Garith answered. “Inside, we’d be best served to take advantage of any defenses we can summon.”
With a skeptical look at the meager gate of Warren’s Rest, Blaine shrugged and began organizing the men.
Where could Reeve have gone?
Once, she would have tried to come up with an alternate scenario that could explain Roel’s horrendous fate. Now, her eyes colored by recent experiences, she didn’t question her first suspicion—
Reeve had killed the stable master to punish him for setting her father free. But acknowledging Reeve’s corruption and confronting him might prove to be two separate things. Would she be up to the task of bringing her brother to justice?
Apprehension filled Emariya’s thoughts as she stood, feeling lost in the courtyard of her own home. When she was a child, she’d mistakenly believed that those close to her were invincible. The residents of the Rest watched her grow, chased away bad dreams, nurtured her through illnesses and kissed skinned knees. Would she find she’d come too late to offer any aid?
Slowly letting out her breath, Emariya started toward the stable. She’d almost reached the doorway and was trying to convince herself to go inside when the sound of hoofbeats drumming toward the gates made her pause.
Torian’s shoulders instantly tensed and he stepped in front of her. “Stay behind me,” he whispered.
The part of her that didn’t like to be protected or seen as weak wanted to argue, but the side of her mind still reeling from the shock of seeing Roel trapped her protest in her throat.
Part of her hoped it would be her brother and Torian’s sister returning from wherever they’d disappeared to. The other part of her dreaded the thought of what their next meeting would be like.
Emariya relaxed as the first riders came into view. Though there still seemed to be no sight of her brother, the tenants of Warren’s Rest had finished checking the town and their search had not been entirely without result.
A flame of red hair flowed past Emariya as Jessa rushed forward, throwing her arms around her mother. “Mama!” Tears streamed freely down both Mairi and Jessa’s cheeks and Emariya felt wet tracks down her own as well.
“One happy ending at least,” Torian said behind her.
Emariya turned, meeting his eyes. Clasping his hand in hers, she promised him, “We’ll find Terin.
We won’t give up.”
Garith greeted his father, who’d ridden into the gates with the rest of the men. Side-by-side, they walked toward Emariya and Torian. Emariya smiled. Now that Garith had begun to grow into his own, seeing him with his father was almost like looking forward in time.
The blacksmith bowed, smiling up at her through wrinkled eyes as he rose. “Milady Warren.
Welcome home.”
“Princess Ahlen,” Torian corrected, an edge to his voice.
Glaring at her husband, Emariya said, “Mister Hayes, although I wish I had returned to better circumstances, I am glad to be home.”
Grinning, the old man winked. “Issac, please. Don’t go getting all proper on us now just because you’re a princess,
Your Highness.
”
Emariya winked back. “Never. Please, allow me to introduce my husband: Prince Torian Ahlen, of Thalmas.”
“Well met, Your Highness.” Issac bowed again.
“Issac, what happened here?” Emariya asked. “And where is everyone else?”
“Most of the men had gone to the fjord, but when your brother began gutting the town looking for your father we sent the women folk and the children to hide in the hills. I think a few may have gone to Calkirk for help.”
Emariya looked toward the hills in the distance. She’d always thought of them as welcoming. An ache settled in her heart at the thought of her friends and neighbors having to use them for refuge.
“When we rode through earlier, we didn’t see anyone.”
“We hid. We heard the horses coming, thought maybe your brother had come back.”
She wanted to ask him where her brother went, but thought perhaps the conversation should wait.
Emariya waved to Jessa, beckoning her over. With a hand under her mother’s elbow, Jessa slowly made her way closer. Emariya gazed fondly at Mairi. “Let’s get her inside. Perhaps once our men are settled and everyone has been fed, we can find out exactly what happened.”
“You can help me cook, my girl. Supper will be served in the hall for everyone.” Mairi looked weak and tired, as if she’d aged twenty years over the last few months, but still her determination made it clear there would be no arguing.
Torian, not knowing Mairi like the rest of them did, tried to protest. “That won’t be necessary.
We’re accustomed to feeding ourselves.”
Mairi cocked a hard eye at him. “You may be a prince, but you’re at my estate now. You’d best learn quick, if I say supper’s at six, supper’s at six.” She turned, pulling Jessa with her, but then stopped and glanced back. She bowed slightly and said, “Your Highness,” before trudging inside.
Emariya couldn’t help laugh as Torian stood frozen in the courtyard with his mouth gaping open.
Pushing aside her sadness to simply revel in being home and enjoying Mairi’s familiar manner, she traipsed past him, batting her eyelashes. “See you at six.”
With her ancestors keeping careful watch from their tapestries, Emariya joined the rest of their traveling army for a meal in the great hall. The men of Warren’s Rest took their leave, excusing themselves to search the hills for their missing families.
It wasn’t until after every last man received a plate of food that Mairi finally sat at the long table, flanked by Jessa and Emariya, to recount the recent events at Warren’s Rest. “I guess it’s been a bit over a week now...”
One week earlier
Reeve stood numb, looking at the woman on the floor as if his heart were down there with her.
He said not a word as his uncle crowded into the room. Alrec clenched Terin’s arm in his hand and jerked her to her feet. Her eyes offered no apology as the old man dragged her out of the room. In the corridor, Mairi came around a corner and stopped at the sight before her. She quickly began to worry the apron her hands.
At Alrec’s announcement, suspicion had bloomed immediately. He couldn’t be sure of how, but he knew his princess had been involved. Guilt had marred her perfect features as his uncle burst into the room. Now, seeing the fleeting look passing between Terin and Mairi, Reeve grew even more confident in his assumptions. And more heartbroken at her betrayal.
“Milord, what are you doing?” Mairi cried. “Where is he taking her?”
It dawned on Reeve that he didn’t know. Trying to shake away the cloud of despair closing in around him, he latched onto his anger, shielding himself with it. “That’s none of your concern. I want the entire household out at the stables immediately. Make haste!”
He scrambled to formulate a plan as his uncle’s boots stomped down the hall, each of his strides sounding more furious than the one before. When they descended upon the stables, Roel was already there. The stable master kept his eyes locked firmly on Reeve’s, his disappointment evident on his face.
Reeve turned to his uncle. “Go, take Khane with you, and search the town. Likely someone there is harboring him, if he was even able to make it that far.”
“If you’d kept better control of
your estate
, this wouldn’t have happened. Why don’t
you
go search while I oversee things here.”
Fighting to keep his voice even, Reeve said, “Because I’d like to have a word with my bride-to-be.” He ignored his uncle’s intentional jab, letting it be for now. He took hold of Terin’s arm, trying to make it look like he was being more forceful than he actually was.
After releasing Terin’s other arm, Alrec stormed off, hollering for Khane as he went to fetch his horse. Once the two men disappeared down the road, Reeve turned to Terin.
Tugging on her arm, Reeve avoided her eyes until they were out of earshot of Mairi and Roel. “Did you do this?”
Terin smiled sweetly, but her lip trembled. “Do what, My Lord?”
A growl resonated through Reeve’s throat, as he let out a long, frustrated sigh. She was impossible.
The princess would be the death of him yet.
“When Alrec gets back, you will not admit to anything, do you understand me? No matter what.”
Her lips parted as if she were about to argue, but she nodded.
Reeve led her closer to the stables so he could keep an eye on the other members of the household as they gathered near Roel and Mairi.
A cold wind whipped through the courtyard and beside him, Terin shivered. Pulling off his own cloak, he wrapped it around her shoulders.
They stood freezing in the courtyard for several hours, growing more anxious by the moment.
Several times, Roel and Mairi tried to beg for their leave, stating other duties they needed to see to.
Each time Reeve denied their request. No one was leaving until he had answers.
Finally Alrec and Khane returned. His uncle’s jaw hardened into an unforgiving scowl as he shook his head, sending Reeve’s hopes sinking.
Khane, on the other hand, had adopted a self-satisfied smirk. “Where’d they get the key?”
Reeve hadn’t thought it possible for the situation to get worse, but Khane’s question instantly raised the stakes. After contemplating that exact question himself, Reeve concluded either Mairi or Terin must have taken the key from Jaryl’s body. It was the only logical conclusion. What he couldn’t understand was why Khane seemed so pleased.
Khane and Jaryl had been friends nearly since birth, yet he didn’t seem in the least bit regretful over his companion’s death. If anything, he appeared pleased. At one point, he’d thought they might become friendly themselves. But the closer Reeve had gotten to Princess Terin, the less goodwill there seemed to be between him and Khane.
Is he jealous? Or perhaps opportunistic?
Reeve wondered. If Reeve himself was discredited, Khane might be given a larger role in leading The Three Corners.
Not
if I have anything to say about it.
Reeve had been born to lead. Khane was nothing but the bastard of an exile, born as evidence Alrec wasn’t a failure in
every
respect. Unfortunately.
Reeve’s voice carried loudly through the courtyard. “Who was it then, who thought so little of the safe haven I have provided here at Warren’s Rest that they took it upon themselves to betray both me and their estate by opening the dungeon?”
The villagers and those in his service looked nervously among themselves, but each stayed silent.
“My father was guilty of treason! He’d allowed Sheas far too many liberties. We were not his priority. But you, each of you, have been my priority. Each of you has called me Lord, but which of you has looked me in the eye while sticking a knife in my back?” He turned hard blue eyes on each one of them in turn.
Alrec’s eyes narrowed as Mairi stepped forward. “Lord Warren was no traitor! You should be ashamed of yourself.” The woman’s fury made all the times she had swatted him for stealing sweets from the kitchen look like bedtime kisses.
Reeve’s anger surged in reply. “
I
am Lord Warren now.”
“You are Lord Warren
for
now,” the old woman spat.
Reeve grinned. “That is true. Soon, instead of Lord Warren of Eltar, I will be the King of all The Three Corners.”
Terin’s gray eyes flashed as they filled with disgust. “My father and my brother will never stand for that. Even if you marry me, they will never allow you to rule Thalmas or them.”
Alrec jerked Terin closer to him before Reeve could respond. “Foolish girl. They only have a say if they live.”
Like a cat suddenly uncaged, Terin shrieked, pounding her fists against Alrec’s chest. “We trusted you! We trusted you to guard us. The dungeon will be too good for you—my brother will gut you from neck to navel.”
Mairi, her skin flushed with anger to match the color her hair had once been, stepped forward just as Alrec raised his fist to strike Terin to the ground. “It was me,” she shouted. “I released Lord Oren.
Leave the girl alone, it’s me you’re really angry at.”
Terin’s face drained of the little remaining color it had. Her eyes darted frantically between Mairi and Alrec.
Just as Reeve was wondering if he’d have to kill his uncle, Roel stepped forward. “Enough.”