Alex felt he was on the right track. “That’s too young. Who would be appointed regent?”
“Traditionally it is the minister of war, who is often the brother of the king, and therefore the heir’s uncle.” Banneth stopped and gazed into the garden thoughtfully. “But my sister also has claim. Lani is of age, and rules when I am gone. She is also popular with the people.”
That was the third time the minister of war had been mentioned. “Who is the war minister’s enemy again?” asked Alex.
“Minister Sinda,” said Sage, her face pale.
Banneth nodded. “Yes, that is a good lead. The finance minister has been supportive of opening talks with Demora. He and General Calodan have been at odds for years.”
“No,” she said. “I mean Minister Sinda is the traitor.”
The king stared at her. “Dev Sinda has been your biggest champion since your arrival.”
Sage looked like she wanted to cry. “I know, but it all makes perfect sense.”
95
SHE HADN’T WANTED to believe it when Alex described hitting the man with his chains as he tried to escape. Dev Sinda had a wound like that, but it could have been from subduing Alex as Lani had bragged. Sage didn’t want to jump to conclusions, especially since Sinda had been openly supportive of the king, Lani, and the Demorans. For Spirit’s sake, he’d gotten Lani into council meetings and given her more power.
But that had given him tremendous influence over Lani. The princess may have been old enough and have the right relationship to Hasseth to be appointed regent, but if Sinda married her, he had significant claim to both minister of war and regent. Framing General Calodan would make his post vacant and ripe for Sinda to step into as the young king’s uncle. If Lani’s youth and relative inexperience were considered an impediment to being named regent, her husband was an alternative she might not object to. Even if he was somehow excluded from both offices, Sinda could still wield power through his wife.
However, Lani had said Calodan—or General Pig-face, as she called him—was planning to resign. Sinda didn’t need to get the minister of war out of the way anymore, but his retirement would almost certainly be delayed by dealing with the approaching Demoran force. If Sinda “uncovered” Sage’s and Nicholas’s guilt in Banneth’s murder, he could use it to ensure the resignation of the military commander who’d let it happen under his nose—and line himself up to succeed the general. Additionally, the princess would be heartbroken at Sage’s betrayal and depend on Sinda even more.
The third piece had been the absence of the Kimisar dolofan in the prison records. Minister Sinda audited the prison accounts weekly, according to Lani. He had every opportunity to erase their official existence, not to mention access to treasury funds for bribing anyone who saw too much. When he heard about Alex, Sinda saw him as a gold mine of information he could use to undermine and frame the Demorans.
Banneth wasn’t convinced. “You said Kimisara would do this in exchange for passage through the mountains to attack Demora,” he said to Alex. “Only the minister of war or the king could give the order for the garrison at the pass to stand down. That implicates General Calodan.”
“Unless that was also arranged to frame him,” said Sage. “Sinda could forge the order to make it look like Calodan had issued it. If he’s bribing prison guards, he can pay the right people to have it done.”
“If he’s bribing prison guards.” The king sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I can’t decide whether you are trying to grasp at sand or if I am. Everything is circumstantial.”
“I would recognize him if I saw or heard him,” said Alex.
“It doesn’t matter if I believe you; I can’t arrest a high-ranking council member over an assassination that hasn’t been attempted on the word of a foreign prisoner,” said Banneth. “I need proof.”
“We may get some from the dolofan when Darit finds them,” said Sage. “But perhaps we can find some detail Sinda knows but should not.” She looked to Alex. “When you were … questioned, what did you tell him?”
“I told him about Nicholas.” Alex’s face had gone parchment white under his bruises.
Her eyes widened and darted to the king. “I never told anyone who he is.”
“I think you should tell me now,” said Banneth, folding his arms.
Sage held Alex’s gaze for a few heartbeats and took a deep breath. “Nicholas is a prince. He is the youngest son of the king of Demora.”
“I see.” Banneth drew his brows down. “What does that make you?”
“I am a tutor for the royal children. Nothing more.”
The king turned his green eyes on Alex. “Is she speaking the truth?”
“In a strict sense,” Alex admitted. He smiled at her lopsidedly. “But she is everything to me.” Sage rolled her eyes as she blushed.
Banneth sighed. “Very well. If we can get Sinda to admit he knows this, as well as a confession from the dolofan, that will be proof enough.”
“What about Princess Lani?” Sage said. “We can’t let this surprise her.”
“You say she’s in love with Sinda.” Banneth shook his head. “If you had difficulty convincing me—and I am still not fully convinced—imagine how she will react. It will be a shock no matter when she learns.”
Sage wouldn’t budge. “The longer you wait to tell her, the more humiliating this will be, and the more public. If you leave her out, she will never trust you again, but most importantly, she deserves to know.”
Alex didn’t hesitate. “I agree with Sage.”
“You don’t even know my sister,” said Banneth.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Alex. “She deserves to know.”
*
Lani didn’t want to hear it. She screamed at Alex and threw vases at the wall.
Banneth was silent, waiting for his sister’s rage to run its course. When Lani finally collapsed on the floor, weeping, the king knelt by her and took her in his arms. “The betrayal is worse for you,” he said. “I know your heart is broken.”
“I don’t believe it,” Lani sobbed. “He could not do this. I don’t care what they say.” She looked up with eyes as green as Banneth’s. “Prove it, Saizsch. If you can.”
Sage glanced to Alex, who’d watched most of the conversation without understanding what was said. “Come here, then,” she said to Lani.
The princess stood and strode to Alex’s bedside as Sage lifted his shirt to expose his chest. She pointed to the lines of three bruises all over his body, and Alex winced as he rolled to his side to show more on his back. “Who wears rings that would do this, Lani?” Sage asked quietly.
Lani spun around and ran for the patio, but Banneth caught her arm. “You will not leave this room, Alaniah.”
“He was going to ask you for my hand tonight, Banna,” Lani cried, fresh tears falling down her red cheeks. “Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life yet.”
“Then nothing has happened that cannot be undone,” he soothed.
Lani looked at Sage then. Banneth was wrong. Sage went to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. Lani had always seemed taller than Sage, so overwhelming was her presence, but now Sage realized they were the same height.
“I thought I had something real,” Lani whispered.
“Someday you will have it, Lani,” Sage whispered back. “I promise.”
After a few minutes, Lani pulled herself together and turned back to Banneth and Alex. “What do we do now to prove this to the council?”
“We bring the dolofan to them,” said Banneth. “In their questioning we try to get Sinda to admit what he knows. If that fails, we will reveal Ah’lecks, but his words could be turned against all the Demorans, so that will be a last resort.”
“Will it be enough?” Lani asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” said a voice. Everyone turned to face Darit, who stood in the doorway to Nicholas’s room. “The dolofan are gone.”
96
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, Alex thought Banneth took the news that two assassins were loose in the palace rather well.