Page 46 of Arrows and Gems
She gulped. “One of General Valentin’s aides. Auguste. The General fired him.”
“But who was Auguste working for?” Cap pressed. “The king is dead, his oldest son is missing, and now his daughter is assaulted? Sounds like a conspiracy to me, and I don’t believe that you and a single aide are behind it all.”
“Of course not. Didn’t you hear?” she said with a sly grin. “The king’s son disappeared because he was caught fleeing the scene of his father’s murder. Nasty temper, that Prince Raphael.”
Jean-haut released a snort. “The idea that Prince Raphael would harm his sister is as ridiculous as the idea he would kill someone in anger. He’s one of the most level-headed people I know.”
“Youknow him?” she laughed. They were losing the intimidation factor the longer they talked. “That seems unlikely. Whereas he and I are well-acquainted.”
Her tone made Cap’s lip curl in disgust, but it was Jean-haut who spoke up. “I don’t think you’re his type.”
“Again, how would you know?” she sniffed. “And why do you care what happened to the king? Shouldn’t a pair of outlaws be glad that he’s dead?”
“I care about justice,” Cap ground out. “And King Antoine was like a father to me; Iwillsee the culprit punished.”
“You are too funny. The king, like a father to an outlaw?” She shook her head sadly. “If you really feel that way, the prince is your man. After all, it was his favorite dagger that they found buried in the king’s chest. And General Valentin himself saw Prince Raphael running away.”
“It’s a lie,” he snapped.
She shrugged. “But the people don’t know that, do they? And who will they believe: a trusted, respected general, or a pair of outlaws?”
Had she just said...?
“It was General Valentin?” he choked out. Jean-haut and Rouge had tried to tell him, but— “He killed the king?”
Nathalie gave him a mock sympathetic look. “What’s the matter? Another man who was like a father to you?”
Yes, but she didn’t need to know that.
While he was trying to clear the red from his vision, shecontinued, “I don’t know the murderer any more than you do. But my money is on the prince.”
Rage like he’d never felt before poured through him, making his arms tremble. He dropped them, releasing the tension on his bowstring before he did something he would regret.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again and spun on his heel.
“Cap?” Jean-haut called.
Cap ignored him, storming through the trees toward the horses.
“You’ll stay there and keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you,” he heard Jean-haut growl at Nathalie. Then Cap was swinging himself onto Farrell’s back and his friend was closing the trees behind them as he raced to join him.
“Cap,” Jean-haut tried again as they trotted through the trees. “Cap, she didn’t say the General did it. We still don’t know for sure.”
Releasing a bitter laugh, Cap replied, “Don’t we? You’ve been trying to convince me for months, Jean. Why change your tune now?”
The forester urged his horse next to Farrell. “I’m not. I still believe he did it. But we don’t have proof yet, Cap. You need to stop looking like you’re going to murder someone.”
“You can’t see my face.”
“I don’t have to.” He could hear the concern in his friend’s voice. “It’s written in every line of your body.”
Closing his eyes, Cap inhaled deeply. He needed to get a grip on himself.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Jean-haut said quietly. “Do you...want to talk about it?”
“No.” Talking wasn’t his thing.
Opening his eyes, he spurred Farrell forward. The horse dodged around trees, leaping over thicker underbrush. Capreleased the reins, drew an arrow from his quiver and his bow from his back, and buried an arrow deep in a tree trunk. He shot another, then another.
