A white falcon named Karina perched on his shoulder. Splotches of red mottled the bird’s chest. Trittibar scratched the falcon’s neck, and she responded by raising her crest like a tiny crown.
“Karina confirms it, Your Majesty,” Trittibar was saying. “The storms are strongest along the shore but die quickly the farther you travel from the palace.”
“Demons fly in those clouds,” said the admiral. Hays, Danielle remembered. She had seen him about the palace on occasion. Hays licked his lips, eyes searching the skies. “I’ve spent forty years of my life on these waters, and I’ve never seen a storm arise so suddenly. The
Reginald
was barely out of the harbor when the winds hit. Cracked her mainmast before she could take in her sheets.”
“We were less than an hour out of Lorindar when we saw the storm building,” said the sailor. “We stopped to lash supports to the mainmast. That’s when the undine attacked.”
“You were on the
Branwyn,
” Danielle guessed.
“James Harland. I’ve been a waister on the
Branwyn
for two years.”
Armand raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t ask how Danielle had known. He beckoned her closer, putting an arm around her shoulders when she joined him. The gesture seemed to be as much for his comfort as hers.
“ ‘Waister?’ ” Danielle whispered.
Armand bent his head close. “He worked the deck at the foremast.”
“Were there other survivors?” Danielle asked.
“I don’t think so, Your Highness,” said James. “I was working to bring in the bowsprit when the wind tossed me overboard. The merfolk dragged me away almost before I hit the surface. They left me on the outer seawall. They promised safe passage if we paid proper tribute to their queen.”
“Lirea asked for gold,” Armand said. “The undine have never used money before. They barter with other tribes for what they need.”
“The undine aren’t known for this kind of magic.” The king waved a hand toward the clouds. “Could Lirea have allied herself with the fairy folk? The gold could be payment for their aid.”
“Anything is possible, Your Majesty,” said Trittibar, but he sounded dubious. “But I believe I would recognize the magic of my people. It would be a serious violation of Malindar’s Treaty, and few of our kind would risk the wrath of our lord and lady. No, this is something else.”
“You believe it’s coincidence that this storm assaults the palace the day we bring my mother home?” Armand asked. He spun away, moving so fast the water sprayed from his arms.
A page hurried onto the wall, his jacket held over his head against the rain. The king waved for him to approach.
“We’ve received a note from Lord Montgomery. He sends his sympathies to you and the prince and asks how you intend to protect Eastpointe from the undine. He requests twelve warships be diverted to escort trade ships to and from his docks.” The page bowed and took a step back.
King Theodore simply shook his head. “Word spreads quickly. By this time tomorrow, I imagine half the lords will be demanding similar protection.” He dismissed the page, then rested his arms on the crenellations of the outer wall. “Who do you think Montgomery’s spies are, to alert him of the undine threat so quickly?”
“Does it matter?” Armand asked. “He’s within his rights to ask the crown for help.”
“He is,” Theodore acknowledged. “Just as I’m within my rights to call on Montgomery’s resources in a time of war. If he’s not careful, I’ll send him and his ships out to sea to hunt Lirea.”
“Until this storm eases, what help does he expect us to give?” Hays asked. “The weather would cost us a quarter of our ships before we even left the docks. We’ve already had one cargo ship run aground.”
“Order the hurricane bells rung,” Theodore said. “Any incoming ships should be diverted away from Whiteshore. Send them to Griffon’s Vale.”
Admiral Hays bowed his head. “I’ll have hurricane warnings rung on the hour.”
Armand shook his head. “We know they’ve attacked near Whiteshore. Let me take our ships out to search for Lirea. Warships sailing together will be better able to defend themselves, and they should lure the undine away from our civilians. If we could take prisoners, we might be able to find where Lirea is hiding.”
Danielle’s throat tightened. He meant to draw the undine away by making himself a more obvious target. She looked at James, his eyes still haunted by the undine attack on his ship.
“It’s a big ocean, Highness,” said Hays.
“Would you prefer we huddle along our shores, waiting for the undine to attack at their leisure? We know where the
Branwyn
was attacked. Once this storm recedes, we can begin our search there.”
Danielle cleared her throat. “Exactly how difficult would it be for a ship to sail through this storm?”
“Anything’s possible,” said Admiral Hays. “I’d not want to try it if I had the choice.”
“Why do you ask?” Suspicion sharpened Armand’s voice.
“We’ve learned of someone who might be able to help the queen. I’m told the
Phillipa
is a fast ship. Would she survive these winds?”
The king straightened. “Who have you found? Where is this person?”
“The mermaid who created Lirea’s knife.” Danielle hesitated to say more in front of so many people. “If we can find her, she might be able to help us undo—”
“You promised me you would be careful,” Armand said, pulling her aside. “Even if the winds don’t capsize you, Lirea and her undine are lurking out there. What makes you think they won’t come after the
Phillipa
? It’s too dangerous for you to—”
“As dangerous as searching half of Fairytown to rescue a captured prince?” Danielle answered.
Armand’s eyes widened, and the king coughed to cover what might or might not have been a smile.
“You found Lannadae,” Armand said softly.
Danielle didn’t answer. “Lirea may come here in search of her sister. We should make sure the docks are well watched.”
“For all the good it will do in these storms,” Hays said. “A man can barely see his own—” He glanced at Danielle. “His own hand.”
Snow stepped forward to stand beside Talia. “The spells on Lirea’s knife are strong. If we can find the mermaid who created it, she might also have the skill to find its wielder.”
“Why would she help us against her own kind?” Trittibar asked.
Talia’s chin rose ever so slightly. “We can be very persuasive.”
“Let me go.” Armand turned to the king. “I can take the
Phillipa
to find this mermaid.”
“Because somehow this is less dangerous if you go instead of me?” Danielle demanded. She folded her arms. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll stay here where it’s safe if
you
promise to do the same.”
“It’s my duty as prince—” Armand began. His shoulders drooped slightly, and he gave her a rueful smile. “You’re about to turn that argument back at me, aren’t you? Don’t expect me to be happy about this, Princess.”
“No more than I am.” She gave him a quick kiss, trying to ease the moment. “You think I wouldn’t rather be here with you and Jakob? It tears my heart to leave him with Nicolette again so soon. Sometimes I think he knows her better than his own mother.” She swallowed hard, refusing to lose her composure in front of so many people, but Armand saw. He reached for her, and she rested against him. “But if I stay here where it’s safe, and Beatrice . . . I have to, Armand. We both know a mermaid is more likely to listen to a princess than a prince.”
James cleared his throat. “I’d like to come too, with your permission.”
“Are you sure?” asked Danielle.
He bit his lip, but he nodded. “I’ve spent most of my life at sea. I won’t let the merfolk take that away from me.”
The king had been quiet, listening to their argument. Now he nodded to James. “Your experiences could be helpful if the undine attack again. If you’re sure, you may accompany the princess on the
Phillipa
.”
James bowed his head, but not fast enough to conceal look of apprehension. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“A single ship would be too obvious a target,” Armand said. “An escort—”
“An escort is precisely what will mark us as a target to Lirea and her warriors,” Snow said. “Even with the hurricane bells, you’ll still have individual ships seeking to escape the storms. Fishermen need to eat, and the cargo ships lose money every day they delay. Most will obey the warnings, but a few will not. The
Phillipa
will be just another ship sneaking away to try her luck against the storm . . . unless you draw attention to her.”
Armand whirled. “So you think I should send my wife out unprotected?”
“Unprotected?” Talia repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“I won’t be,” said Danielle. “An escort is a good idea.”
Armand stared. “Perhaps I’ve fallen prey to some spell, but I could have sworn your friend just finished arguing against sending additional ships.”
“Who said anything about ships?”
Danielle had only taken a few steps down the tower stairs when she heard the door open again behind her. “Armand?”
It wasn’t her husband, but the king himself. Theodore pulled the door shut behind him. “I won’t keep you. But if you could spare a moment?”
Talia took Snow by the elbow.“We’ll grab something for you from the kitchen and meet you in your chambers.”
Danielle almost called them back.While she had grown close to the queen over the past year, she hadn’t spent much time with King Theodore. He might be her father-in-law, but she still saw him first as ruler of Lorindar.
Danielle waited until Snow and Talia vanished down the stairs. “Armand is angry at me, isn’t he?”
“No. Not at you, at any rate. Mostly he’s scared.” The king leaned against the wall, showing the fatigue he had struggled to hide before. “He’s already angry that he couldn’t protect his mother, and he hates the idea of you putting yourself in danger. I can’t really blame him for that.”
“I’m not thrilled about the danger either,” Danielle said. “But I can’t—”
“I know. Armand knows too.” He sat down and patted the step for Danielle to join him. “Beatrice and I had been married less than a year when I realized she was sneaking away from the palace. I was furious. I tried to follow her once, believing—” He bowed his head. “Well, what any man might suspect.”
Danielle tried not to stare. She had never seen the king blush before.
“At that time, I was working to settle an inheritance dispute between twin brothers, both of whom believed they should rule South Haven. Their father’s body was still warm, and already they were at each others’ throats.” He shook his head. “After holding court for two days with these spoiled brats, I was ready to throw them both from the cliffs. I’m afraid I took my frustrations out on Beatrice that night, shouting at her and accusing her of various infidelities.”
He chuckled. “She walked away in the middle of my rant, slamming the door in my face.”
“What did you do?” Danielle tried and failed to imagine the king shouting at Beatrice.
“Nobody had ever turned her back on me before. I stood there for quite a while. Long enough to realize I might have made a mistake. I was too proud to follow her, though. Eventually I retired to bed.
“A noise woke me later that night. I sat up, thinking she had finally returned. Instead, a man swathed in black stood over my bed. He held a knife in one hand, and a mask hid all but his eyes. He took a single step, then flopped onto my legs, a single arrow protruding from his back.
“Beatrice stood in the doorway. She lowered her bow and stepped inside to apologize for interrupting my sleep. There had been a second assassin, and stopping him had taken longer than she expected.”
“What about your guards?” Danielle asked.
“Stunned,” said the king. “Charles, one of the twins, had planned well. He hoped to frame his brother for my death, earning South Haven for his own and moving himself one step closer to the throne. I never suspected—” He turned to look in the direction of the chapel, and his voice softened. “I didn’t, but Beatrice did. Things were far easier between us after that night.”
Danielle tried to smile. “I did help rescue Armand from my stepsisters. Does that count, or do I need to stop actual assassins?”
That earned another chuckle. “He’s prince of Lorindar. He’s not used to feeling powerless.” He climbed to his feet. “There are things Beatrice has done which I don’t know about. Things I
can’t
know. I have no doubt she’s saved my life more than once. Perhaps the kingdom as well. But it was never without danger.”
He looked at the wall, as if he were trying to peer through the stone to the chapel where Beatrice lay. “She chose that risk. I hope you don’t feel forced to make that same choice or to accept those same risks.”
“Beatrice has been like a mother to me,” Danielle said.
The king’s face was hard to read. Hope and fear and sadness all battled behind his furrowed brow and shadowed eyes. “The
Phillipa
will be ready to depart at sunrise.”