What will Alric say when Royce reaches him?
Even if she succeeded, he would be furious that she had disobeyed him and gone off without telling anyone. She pushed those thoughts away, deciding to worry about all that later. They could hang her for treason if they wished, so long as Melengar was safe.
All estimates indicated Breckton would arrive in less than four days. She would have to control the city by then. She planned to launch the revolt in two days and hoped she would have at least a few days to recover, pull in supplies from the surrounding farms, and set up some defenses.
Royce would get through with the message. If he could get to Alric quickly, and if her brother moved fast, Alric could attack across the Galewyr in just a few days, and it would take only two or three days for word to reach Aquesta and new orders to be sent to Sir Breckton. She would need to hold him off at least that long. All this assumed they successfully took the city and defeated Lord Dermont’s knights to the south.
Two days. How long does it normally take to plan a successful revolution?
Longer than two days, she was certain.
“Excuse me. Hello?”
Arista stopped as she passed the open door of Emery’s bedroom. They had put him in the small room at the top of the stairs, in the same bed where the princes of Rhenydd had once slept on a stormy night. Emery had remained unconscious since they had stolen him from the post. She was surprised to see his eyes open and looking back at her. His hair was pressed from sleep, and a puzzled look was on his face.
“How are you feeling?” she asked softly.
“Terrible,” he replied. “Who are you? And where am I?”
“My name is Arista and you’re at the Dunlaps’ on Benning Street.” She set the candle on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed.
“But I should be dead,” he told her.
“Awfully sorry to disappoint, but I thought you would be more helpful alive.” She smiled at him.
His brow furrowed. “Helpful with what?”
“Don’t worry about that now. You need to sleep.”
“No! Tell me. I won’t be a party to the Imperialists, I tell you!”
“Well, of course you won’t. We need your help to take the city back from them.”
Emery looked at her, stunned. His eyes shifted from side to side. “I don’t understand.”
“I heard your speech at The Laughing Gnome. It’s a good plan, and we’re going to do it in two days, so you need to rest and get your strength back.”
“Who are ‘we’? Who are you? How did you manage this?”
Arista smiled. “Practice, I guess.”
“Practice?”
“Let’s just say this isn’t the first time I’ve had to save a kingdom from a traitorous murderer out to steal the throne. It’s okay. Just go back to sleep. It will—”
“Wait! You said your name is Arista?”
She nodded.
“You’re the Princess of Melengar!”
She nodded again. “Yes.”
“But … but how … Why?” He started to push up on the bed with his hands and winced.
“Calm down,” she told him firmly. “You need to rest. I mean it.”
“I shouldn’t be lying down in your presence!”
“You will if I tell you to, and I’m telling you to.”
“I—I just can’t believe … Why … why would you come here?”
“I’m here to help.”
“You’re amazing.”
“And you’re suffering from a flogging that would have killed any man with the good sense to know he should be dead. Now you need to go back to sleep this instant, and that’s an order. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She smiled. “I’m not a ruling queen, Emery, just a princess. My brother is the king.”
Emery looked embarrassed. “Your Highness, then.”
“I would prefer it if you just called me Arista.”
Emery looked shocked.
“Go ahead, give it a try.”
“It’s not proper.”
“And is it proper that you should deny a princess’s request? Particularly one who saved your life?”
He shook his head slowly. “Arista,” he said shyly.
She smiled at him and, on an impulse, leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “Good night, Emery,” she said, and stepped back out of the room.