Page 97 of Kingdom of Feathers

Wren reached for her friend’s hand, her eyes shining with tears, but Basil’s gaze flicked warily back to Sir Gelding. He looked furious, and was clearly building to some kind of explosion. Thinking it would be best to say his piece before that explosion came, Basil jumped in once more.

“Your Majesty, there’s more than just the mine. The princess and I have been conducting our own investigation into the attack that killed your sons.”

“You have, have you?” King Lloyd’s growl was low and furious at this mention of his sons’ murders. His eyes flicked between his daughter and Basil, and it was clear that he saw her discussion of the painful topic with the foreign king as a betrayal. For the first time, Basil actually saw the crushing pain that he had always suspected hid beneath King Lloyd’s anger. The emotion flickered plainly across the king’s face, fleeting but raw.

Wincing at his blunder, Basil hurried on, hoping to turn the king’s thoughts from Wren’s part in the investigation. “I believe, Your Majesty, that the attack was part of an attempt to provoke conflict between our kingdoms.”

“We all know that,” snapped King Lloyd, his face hard again, but his emotions clearly still in turmoil. “It was your father’s main purpose. Who other than him would have wished to provoke conflict?”

“I’ll tell you who,” said Basil calmly. “Someone who knew that something much more valuable than iron was to be found on the contested land. Someone with links to the Blacksmiths’ Guild, who might have heard a firsthand account of the ore. And someone who had the magical knowledge to recognize the value of the red stone. It would be a person with enough influence to form connections with like-minded Entolians, and who lived far enough from the capital to be able to operate without the scrutiny of the crown.”

Sir Gelding was growing more and more red by the second, to Basil’s satisfaction. King Lloyd’s gaze was still as hard as steel as it rested on the visiting king’s face, but Basil thought he saw a flicker of doubt in the older man’s eyes. Hastening to press his advantage, Basil continued.

“Someone who apparently cared infinitely more for his own wealth than for his kingdom’s future.”

But at those words, the veil once again descended over King Lloyd’s eyes. “Your own crime,” he spat. “It seems your crown was willing to engulf your kingdom in war for the sake of your secret mine.”

“Neither I nor my father are responsible for the mine,” Basil started again, trying to hang on to his patience, but King Lloyd cut him off with a laugh so bitter it could have rivaled the late King Thorn.

“I’m done with your excuses.” The king’s eyes passed from Basil to Sir Gelding. “And with your blatant attempts to ingratiate yourself. Do you think making these accusations brings you favor?”

A glance at Sir Gelding showed that the enchanter wanted to be angry, but was too wary of his sovereign’s suddenly unpredictable temper to express it.

“It hardly matters who built the mine, does it?” Quiet as it was, King Lloyd’s voice echoed awfully around the room. “It comes down to the same thing. Greed. Is that the reason my sons are dead?” His frame was starting to shake. “Because of your GREED?!”

The king didn’t even seem to know who he was accusing anymore, his eyes flicking between Basil and Sir Gelding as fury long suppressed rushed to the surface.

Basil said nothing, some instinct warning him that he was in genuine danger for the first time since his arrival in Mistra. King Lloyd’s loss of control wasn’t altogether surprising after Wren’s unapproved flight to the front lines. Basil could only imagine that her disappearance must have thrust her parents back into the darkest moment of their lives. And although Wren had returned safely, the relief must be tempered by other emotions, as she instantly became the very public focus of both Sir Gelding’s malicious insinuations, and Basil’s unsanctioned declaration of affection.

Sir Gelding also seemed to sense the dangerous ground on which they stood. At the king’s final roar, the enchanter visibly paled, although his instincts apparently didn’t encourage him toward silence.

“Notmygreed, Your Majesty!” Sir Gelding protested, sputtering. “I would never—”

“ENOUGH!” King Lloyd’s shout made even Basil wince, and Sir Gelding fell back a step as his sovereign advanced.

“Duplicity from without and treason from within!”

“Treason?” gasped Sir Gelding. “Never!”

Still Basil remained silent. He glanced at Wren, and saw both fear and grief in her eyes. The watching crowd was as silent as death. It was clear that King Lloyd’s subjects were as rattled as Sir Gelding by the uncharacteristic display from their sovereign. No one knew what to expect, which meant Basil, as an outsider, couldn’t hope to predict the outcome.

“I have always cared for Mistra’s future, Your Majesty!” Sir Gelding blundered on. He shot a venomous look at Basil. “King Basil’s allegations against me are merely his attempt to deflect the blame for his treachery. He covets Mistra—the greatest kingdom in Solstice.”

“I’m not the one coveting what isn’t mine,” Basil said quietly. “And if you care so much about Mistra’s future, killing off all its princes and pitching the kingdom into war is a strange way to show it.”

For a moment Sir Gelding just stared at Basil, venom in his eyes as his jaw worked. “Ridiculous,” he scoffed at last. “Why would I do any such thing?” He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “The desperate accusation of a guilty man, from a royal house of murderers and seducers.”

Basil’s temper finally erupted at this open slur against his family and his kingdom. But before he’d done more than open his mouth to bring a hot retort, a cloaked blur launched itself at the enchanter. Basil’s anger turned to alarm, a startled exclamation escaping him at the sight of Wren beating her fists against Sir Gelding’s suddenly upraised arms. Apparently she could no longer endure standing by—her attempts to communicate the truth dismissed—compelled by some force Basil didn’t understand to listen silently to the venomous lies of the man who had taken her brothers from her.

“Get off me!” the baronet gasped. “Someone stop her!”

For a moment the onlookers were all frozen, as stunned by the princess’s outburst as they had been by the king’s. Basil took a step forward, but he hadn’t reached the struggling pair when the king’s voice boomed across the room.

“Wren, compose yourself!”

The princess pulled back, her breath coming in pants as she glared at the enchanter. Basil reached her in two quick steps, placing a hand behind her elbow in a gesture of support. She looked up at him, anger still glinting in her eyes, her chest heaving in her agitation.

“I know,” Basil said quietly, nodding at her unspoken protest. “But we’ll fix it. I promise. We just need to stay calm, and keep telling the truth of what happened until they bel—”

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