Errol and the other two servants awoke us shortly before dawn. It was clear as we looked at one another that none of us had slept well, but the bags under Roden’s eyes were so dark I wondered if he’d slept at all.
Particular care was taken with Roden’s bath and dressing that morning, requiring all three servants to help. Tobias and I were left mostly to ourselves, other than Errol briefly slipping away from Roden’s care to check my back.
“In another day or two, you can remove those bandages,” he said.
“I’ll be as healthy as any other dead man,” I said lightly.
Errol frowned and lowered his eyes. Obviously, he didn’t think my impending death was very funny.
Once we were ready, Errol pronounced me as similar to Prince Jaron in appearance as he’d seen the night before, but then loudly told Roden that he also had many features that reminded him of the prince.
Looking at Roden, I hoped he planned on eating only a little. He didn’t appear to be in a state to handle a full stomach.
Mott came to collect Roden for breakfast. “You understand that the master may wish to reserve some conversations for himself and the prince alone,” he said to Tobias and me. “Your breakfast will be served in here, and I will come for you later to say your good-byes.”
“We’re tired of eating in here,” I complained, but Mott only frowned at me as he led Roden out of the room.
When the door shut, Tobias went to the window. “You can get us out of here, right? It’s time to run.”
“Run to where?” I asked. “Where would you go?”
“You could take us back to Avenia. We could hide there.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the garlin that I’d tossed to Roden last night. It had been left on the floor beside his bed. A day ago, he wouldn’t have been so casual about leaving behind any amount of money, but he was Conner’s prince now. Money was the least of his concerns.
I picked up the garlin, rolled it over my knuckles, then deposited it in my pocket. Tobias had retreated to his bed, defeated. I sat beside him and said, “We’re not running away and this isn’t over yet. When I said I wouldn’t let Conner kill you, I meant it.”
Tobias gave a halfhearted smile. “Thanks for that, Sage, but at this point, you should start worrying about your own neck.”
Breakfast arrived soon after. I was as hungry as always, but Tobias barely ate a bite. Mott returned for us before I’d gotten too far into his meal.
“What’s going to happen to Sage and me now?” Tobias asked.
“The master has given no orders,” Mott said.
“Maybe not to you,” I said. “Where’s Cregan?”
Mott’s face darkened. “Why didn’t you tell Conner you’d lie for him, Sage? He stood right here and said he’d make you his prince. All you had to do was say you would lie.”
I set my jaw forward, but said nothing. Even if I were inclined to explain myself, which I wasn’t, I had no answer to give him.
Finally, Mott waved us to our feet. “It’s too late to go back now anyway. Come with me and bid the prince and the master farewell.”
We followed him into the entrance hall. Roden looked pale and terrified. I leaned against the wall and withdrew the garlin from my pocket and began rolling it over my knuckles. It was a nervous habit, and I admit that I felt a little nervous.
Tobias tried a different tactic. He fell on his knees before Conner, begging mercy.
“Please don’t have us killed,” he said. “Please, sir. Give me your word that we can leave here safely.”
“You ask for the word of a liar?” I asked. “Would you feel any better if Conner did promise us our lives?”
Tobias shrank even lower, but Conner stared at me, frozen. “What is that trick you’re doing?” he asked.
The knuckle roll came so automatically to me that it barely required my attention. “Sir?”
Conner’s hand flew to his mouth. “How can I have been so foolish? The devils must be laughing, for I nearly ruined everything!”
Roden opened his mouth to speak, but Conner hushed him and walked over to me, never taking his eyes off the coin in my hand. “Where did you learn to do that?”
I shrugged. “Any pickpocket can do it.” To demonstrate, I dropped the coin in Conner’s coat pocket. With my thumb and forefinger I withdrew the coin, then rolled it over my knuckles and into my palm. “It’s a good way to steal a coin because you can sneak it away without having to make a fist.”
Conner turned to Roden. “Can you do it?”
Roden shook his head. Tobias also shook his head before he could be asked.
“I notice you do that with your left hand,” Conner said. “Just as you prefer to use a fork or write your letters. Can you do it with your right?”
I tossed the coin to my right hand and demonstrated the knuckle roll with equal agility.
“And can you write and eat with the right hand as well?”
“When I was young, my father insisted I learn to use my right hand for everything. He didn’t want me to appear different in that way. I was out of practice before but have remembered that habit since coming here.”
Conner walked toward his office. “Sage, I will speak with you in private.”
It was an order, not a request, and I followed him into his office, where he shut the door behind me.
“You don’t have to lie for the rest of your life.” There was a desperation in Conner’s eyes I’d never seen before. “There is another way.”
“Oh?”
“Claim the throne now as Prince Jaron. Be him for a year or two, any respectable length of time. Then assign the throne to anyone you want. You may leave and return to a private life, albeit one of wealth and luxury.”
“What are you asking, sir?” I knew, but I wanted to make him say it.
“Be the prince, Sage. I’m convinced now that it can only be you.”
“What about Roden?”
“Prince Jaron was famous for his ability to roll a coin over his knuckles. As I’ve rehearsed this plan in my mind, I anticipated everything the regents might ask in accepting or rejecting you. I considered qualities of his personality and what might remain in his character as he grew and changed. Jaron was trained throughout his childhood in the royal tradition, so my choice would have to display some semblance of that training as well. But until I saw you there, I forgot that this coin roll was an occasional habit of his, a parlor trick, but one few others could do as well. Sooner or later, the regents would expect to see the prince do that.”
I sat down in one of the chairs and crossed one leg over the other. “Roden can be taught to do it.”
“Not in time, and not as well as that. He’d look like he’d just been taught. Sage, you must be the prince.”
I didn’t answer right away, admittedly partially because I knew how desperate Conner was for my response. Finally, I looked back at him. “No.”
Conner exploded. “What? Has this all been a game to you? Just a test to see if you could get this far and then reject me?”
“No, sir. But I got to thinking last night while we were in the tunnels. Veldergrath’s men would have killed me if they’d found me, right? Somebody did kill the king and queen and Prince Darius. They’ll kill me too, eventually. I don’t want power or wealth, Conner. I want to stay alive.”
“Veldergrath won’t dare harm you once you’re seated on the throne. If the high chamberlain, Lord Kerwyn, accepts you as Prince Jaron, then Veldergrath will too. As for the royal family, you don’t have to worry about the same threat.”
“Why not?”
“They were killed for political reasons. If you use different politics, there will be no motive.”
My eyes narrowed. “How do you know that, Conner? Do you know who killed them?”
“Is that an accusation?” he boomed, then lowered his voice, struggling to keep his temper. “Regardless of who killed them, I know who their enemies were and they’re no threat to you. I can guarantee your safety on the throne, Sage. And I’ll guarantee your death here if you refuse me.”