“What’s going on?” Kasper threw open the door my room, his sword in hand.
His hair was disheveled from sleep, and he wore only a pair of pajama pants, revealing a tattoo of a rabbit above his heart. I knew that many of the H?gdragen had that same tattoo, but I’d never seen Kasper’s before.
“Nothing.” I held up my hands to calm him. “Everything is fine.”
“I heard a noise,” he said, probably referring to Linnea’s yelling, and he looked around the room in bewilderment. “Why is the Queen here?”
“Am I even the Queen?” Linnea asked, growing more despondent by the second.
“She just needed someone to talk to,” I explained to Kasper, and he relaxed and lowered his sword.
“What I need is answers,” Linnea said.
“Your grandmother carries a great deal of weight in the kingdom,” I said. “You should be talking with her. I’m sure she knows more about what’s going to happen than I do.”
“She does,” Linnea agreed, but she didn’t sound too happy about it. “She’s on the committee to decide who should rule in the King’s absence, but she won’t listen to me. Whenever I say anything about Mikko, she just tells me to be patient and that the truth will come out.”
“That is very sound advice,” Kasper said.
Something must’ve occurred to Linnea, because she suddenly perked up, her eyes bright and excited. “But she’ll listen to you. She trusts the pair of you. If you talk to her about Mikko, she’ll have to listen to you.”
“My Queen, I think you’re being a bit a rash,” I explained carefully. “Marksinna Lisbet is far more likely to listen to you than she is to two guards from another kingdom. As the Queen and her blood, you possess far more clout than we ever could.”
“Nonsense.” Linnea jumped to her feet, undeterred. “Nana still thinks of me as a child. She respects your opinions. You must come with me to talk to her at once.”
“At once?” Kasper asked.
“Well, I’ll give you a moment to get dressed.” Linnea glanced over at his shirtless torso. “But as soon as you’re finished.”
I sincerely doubted that we could change the Marksinna’s mind, not to mention that I wasn’t convinced Mikko was innocent. Of course, I wasn’t convinced that he was guilty either.
THIRTY-ONE
sequester
Linnea held my hand as we ran down the hall, practically dragging me along behind her, and as we entered Lisbet’s chambers, she continued to do so. I wanted to let go or pull free, but she squeezed so tightly I thought she needed it.
“What are you all doing here?” Lisbet asked, sounding more harried than surprised.
Despite the early hour, Lisbet was already up and getting ready for the day. Instead of her usual gowns and dresses, she wore suit pants with flowing wide legs and an elegant top, while her matching jacket lay carefully on her bed. She flitted about the room, putting in large dangling earrings, barely stopping to look at us.
“We want to talk to you about Mikko,” Linnea said, summoning all her strength.
“I have a great many meetings today, all centered on him,” Lisbet replied tiredly. She began rummaging through the drawer on her vanity. “I can’t imagine there’s anything more I have to say about him.”
Linnea stepped away from me, letting go of my hand. “But Nana, he’s innocent! Bryn and Kasper think so too!”
Kasper appeared startled by this declaration, since he’d never said anything indicating he felt that way.
Lisbet apparently found what she was looking for—a heavily jeweled bracelet—and she straightened up and looked over at us as she put it on. “Is that true?”
“I haven’t seen any evidence that’s shown King Mikko’s guilt definitively,” I replied, choosing my words very carefully so as not to alienate Linnea, but I need to be truthful. “But I haven’t been allowed to see very much evidence at all.”
Lisbet nodded. “That is an unfortunate necessity.”
Every time Kasper and I had tried to get more information yesterday, we’d hit a wall. While I wouldn’t go as far as to suggest that Lisbet declare Mikko wrongfully accused the way Linnea had, I did realize that now was the perfect opportunity to see if Lisbet could remove some of those walls.
“If we had more access, I’m certain we could be of help—” I began, but Lisbet held up her hand, silencing me.
“You’ve already been more than enough help,” she said. “But I’m afraid your time here has run its course. Members of another tribe—no matter how well-meaning and how educated—cannot be involved in deciding the fate of our King.”
I lowered my eyes. “Of course.”
“Things are changing a great deal here, and I truly believe my granddaughter is much safer, and that is because of you,” Lisbet went on. “Both of you have been integral in improving our way of life here in Storvatten.”