Page 13 of Kingdom of Locks

With a bow, Furn delivered a succinct but informative summary of their journey, to which Amell listened in mild surprise. He wasn’t sure whether to be impressed at all the guard had observed, or embarrassed at how much had gone over his own head.

“Thank you, you are dismissed,” said King Bern.

With another bow, Furn strode from the room with such quick steps that Amell wondered if he really had been itching to leave. He’d hidden it well, if so.

“Now that we have privacy,” Queen Pietra said, turning back to her daughter with a purpose that made Amell search his mind for a way to turn the conversation. But Tora’s reprieve came from an entirely different source as a sharp knock at the door caused them all to turn.

A servant hurried forward to intercept the messenger who had appeared in the doorway, and a moment later the newcomer was hurrying to the king.

“A message from the warden, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing low.

“The warden?” King Bern repeated sharply, reaching out for the sealed billet in the messenger’s hand.

The rest of the family stilled, and Amell and Tora exchanged tense glances. An urgent message from the prison couldn’t bode well.

King Bern’s face grew visibly harder as he read, and his wife’s patience soon gave out.

“What news, Bern? Is it bad?”

“Very bad,” he said, laying the parchment flat on the table with a bang. “There’s been a breach.”

Chapter Three

“Abreach?” Amell repeated, over his mother’s gasp. “You mean a prisoner has escaped?”

“Not just one,” corrected his father grimly. “An entire wing of the prison was blown open, and all its inmates got away.”

“All of them?” said Tora, startled. Her face was paler than Amell had ever seen it. “How many prisoners is that?”

“Three dozen, according to the warden.” The king met the eyes of each member of his family in turn. “I don’t need to explain to any of you how serious this is.”

“You certainly don’t,” said Queen Pietra, her voice not quite steady. “I always thought it was a bad idea to build that prison.”

“Pietra,” said the king sharply, and she fell silent. He called a servant over. “Send the captain of my guard to me at once.” Turning to the messenger, he added, “Return to the prison immediately, and tell the warden that three squadrons will leave Fernford within the hour. He should hold his position, and focus on making sure the remaining wings are secure.”

With a hasty bow, the messenger departed in the wake of the servant who’d already run to retrieve the captain. Amell had no doubt that the news would be all over the castle within half an hour, and the city soon after.

The moment they were alone again, the queen’s restraint fled. “This was bound to happen, Bern! We should never have agreed to build a prison for the riffraff of the continent. I don’t know why—”

“Nonsense,” her husband cut her off impatiently. “This wasn’t bound to happen. It should never have been possible with the protections on the prison. It’s the most reinforced site in Solstice. And you do know why it was worth building the prison, so let’s not be dramatic.”

Tora was frowning thoughtfully. “Of course it was worth it. It’s one of our primary sources of revenue.”

Amell nodded absently, his mind turning over the dire implications of the news. Although he’d only been a child at the time, he perfectly remembered the decision ten years before to build the prison. The problem had been common to several of the kingdoms—what to do with enchanters and enchantresses who had broken the law but, due to their powers, couldn’t be reliably contained through normal means. When the idea had been raised of a special prison, designed to hold the magic-wielding criminals from across the continent, and reinforced with all the magical protection the combined kingdoms could afford to provide, it had made excellent sense for Fernedell to volunteer. Not only was the kingdom centrally located in the continent, but its economy wasn’t as strong as most of its neighbors. Being the only landlocked kingdom on Solstice had its detriments.

But now, Fernedell’s economy was thriving. And it was largely thanks to the handsome contributions paid by the other kingdoms for the service of housing their convicted enchanters and enchantresses.

“Never mind that, though,” Tora was continuing. “The question is how in dragon’s flame a breakout happened.”

“Tora,” the queen said reprovingly.

Amell wanted to roll his eyes. It was hardly the moment to worry about Tora using an unladylike expression.

Apparently his father was equally unconcerned about such trifles. “It was no accident, that much is certain,” he said darkly. “There was an explosion, but even before that, the magic-users among the guards reported feeling an intense surge of power approaching the facility.”

“So it was sabotage,” said Amell, sitting up straighter. “An intentional attack.”

King Bern nodded. “And one with great power behind it, we have to assume.”

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