Page 183 of Prize for the King
“No,” I say morosely. “There will be a Gathering. The kings will cast their votes. If they are unanimous, he’ll be removed from the Table of Kings and executed for violating the Peace.”
“Can we break him out of the dungeon?” Khay asks.
His eyes are dull and hollow, the corners of his lips drooping. I think it’s his turn to feel guilty.
“No. They will catch and hang us all. The Citadel has a guard ofalmost a thousand men, and each king brought his soldiers, as well. They will give chase if we break Magnar out.”
“But the cliff path?”
“The dungeons are well guarded, and they expect us to act rashly again. No. We do it my way this time.”
Khay sighs with relief, his dark eyes locking on my face, transfixed and hopeful. “So you have a plan? You’ll save him?”
I snort softly. “Not yet. And I will.”
The day dawns gray and wet when we make our way to our apartment. I undress while Raduna arranges a bath for me. I wash quickly, and I only eat because he hovers by my side, sternly counting each mouthful I take. When we reach twelve, I shake my head.
“No more or I’ll vomit. Please. I have to… I must think.”
Knowing Magnar is right there, locked up in the bowels of the palace, is a torturous awareness that keeps circling around my head like a stubborn insect. I can’t go to see him. I shouldn’t even know where he is. If I am to save him, I must be free of blame.
I don’t know where my husband is. Oh, he violated the Peace? How dreadful.
All I want is to call a Gathering myself and argue for his release. Instead, I force myself to take my own advice andwait.In the meantime, I read my father’s journals. I’ve combed through them already, but I do it again, hoping some bit of advice will leap off the page and save us all.
I still haven’t decoded everything. My father taught me his code, but some names elude me. The initialEdBappears multiple times in contexts that make me think he’s an Unmentionable of the highest caliber. My father mentions him sparingly, and those parts are the most heavily coded. From what I understand, EdB deals with secret, highly unlawful missions ordered by the Table of Kings as a whole. He is too expensive for any of the kings to use his servicesindividually.
“Paid collective 20 thousand manoli to EdB. Pricy but effective. Sunflowers bloom.”
“Sunflowers”means someone is dead, fertilizing the flowers. I pore over that entry, but I don’t find any mentions of the victim’s identity. My father was careful, even in his own journals.
The things I can decipher easily are mostly useless. Silly secrets to humiliate his competition. Reports from old Gatherings. Lurid gossip from years ago.
When there’s a knock on the door, I almost fall off my chair. Raduna goes over to answer. Sidonius stands in the threshold, wringing his hands.
“May I come in?”
I wave him inside and school my features into an inviting expression.
“What a pleasure, Sidonius! What brings you?”
He gives me a look that seems genuinely sad and apprehensive. “You… You are cordially invited to join the Gathering. It starts in five minutes. We should set out at once, and I am forbidden from revealing the matter that shall be discussed.”
I let my smile drop, frowning in mild curiosity, even as my mind reels. Ah, it’s so obvious. I was a humiliation, a disruption to their tradition. Now they call me into their midst on purpose. They will reveal what my husband has done and humiliate me back.
And then, they will have their vote. I still don’t know what to do, but I know I must sway at least one of the kings. If the vote isn’t unanimous, they can’t sentence Magnar to death.
I take Sidonius’ arm and follow him, my free hand at my belt, where the knife Arvi gave me sits, reminding me what I am: a fighter.
LV Powerless
When we reach the Table of Kings, I can’t contain my shaking. I clasp my hands behind my back to hide it, but my legs shake, too. I don’t know how I’ll save Magnar. His fate is almost decided, and Imustdo something.
Yet, what?
I am almost desperate enough to pray, but that never helped before. Oh, damn. I should have made Arvi teach me the Agnidari prayers.
“Queen Caliane,” Sidonius announces my presence, then walks to the top of the table, where he stands to oversee the meeting.
