Page 59 of The Queens and the Kings
“I assumed so.”
“There’s no other way to explain it. There must have been a moral justification. Otherwise, I can’t see her committing such an act. He departed from the mainland laws, or something?” Britt blew a raspberry. “I don’t know.”
“Some people don’t have moral codes, Britt.”
She shot him a perturbed look.
He kept it.
With a heavy breath, Britt settled her chin back to her fist and stared out, morose. “Regardless, her being in that position changes things.”
“For the better?”
“I don’t know. I’m . . . not sure if we can really trust her. I thought I knew her. I really did. But the Alma I knew wasn’tthisAlma. It feels . . .”
“Off balance?”
“Yes.”
“You were tense the whole time.”
Chuckling, she ran a hand over her face. “Of course I was. The moment I saw Alma, I felt utterly unmoored. With theprevious Lordlady, it was straightforward. I knew him. IthoughtI knew her. Can we trust what she says? I have no idea. All motivations, goals, everything is different. In some ways, I wish it was still the former Lordlady.”
“You were an honorable Kapurnickkian agent. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“Thanks,” she said wryly, chewing on a nail. She straightened with an explosive, “I hated it! General Helsing wants me to represent her, and I’m not trained, nor interested, in speaking between leaderships of nations. Particularly not a nation with as much power as the mainland.”
“The islands aren’t helpless.”
Britt waved her hand toward the illuminated expanse growing smaller with every spear of the oar. “Against that? Againstwyverns? Henrik, be serious.”
He stilled, unable to argue the point. He’d seen one port city against the rest of the mainland. What did he know?
“The relationship between General Helsing and the mainland has been meticulously curated over several decades. General Helsing has wisely been attentive and attuned into the mainland for years. It’s the only reason she was voted into power.”
“Really?”
Britt nodded. “That, and my father’s reputation. People were devastated when he died, and she had always been part of his political campaign. She’s done a good job in her role, too. The mainland needs General Helsing, and they both realize it. Without Kapurnick, the mainland has no real hold on The Isles, or the exports that The Isles contribute.”
“What exports are that important?”
“Arcane, mostly. Although the popularity is reducing as time passes. Sometimes they buy jord.”
“There must be others.”
Britt shrugged. “I’m not sure. There are fruits, other minerals. Of course, a child like myself never merited extensive knowledge into whatever the mainland requires from The Isles. Their agreementshave to be very carefully managed. Otherwise, it looks like the mainland is meddling or tyrannical.”
The question of what the mainland wanted nagged like a whiny dog. Arvid would know. Henrik planned to write to him before bed and inquire. Drake hadn’t been on a long flight in awhile.
Henrik enjoyed the row. Britt unwound in the slaps of water and calm. With each pull of his arms, they skipped away from land and closer to Pedr’s ship.
“Do you think Einar will agree to meet with the Ladylord and Nils?” she asked.
“He’d leave immediately if he knew it would gain him access to an enemy of His Glory.”
Hands braced on the seat, she straightened. “If there’s any chance that Selma lives on the mainland, the Ladylord’s scribe will find her.”
“Good.”
