Lady's Ransom (The First Argentines, #3)

Simon approached him. “Can we talk, Ransom? Away from the noise?”

Ransom nodded and took the plate with him, grabbing a cluster of grapes too. He followed Simon down to the room Longmont had established as the palace headquarters of the Espion. The fashionable lord from the Vexin had used a master stonecutter to carve stars into the ceiling and then named the room the Star Chamber. There were no windows, so it was lit by lamps, and a small brazier kept it warm.

Simon locked the door behind them. He looked as if he’d aged several years in the short time since he’d been called to run the Espion. The desk was a jumbled mess of papers and scrolls.

“I’ve never been so weary in all my life,” Simon lamented. “And you look worse.”

Ransom smiled and sat down in a stuffed chair across from the desk, setting his plate on an end table near it. Simon picked up a letter, scanned it, then tossed it into another pile. “The supply wagons to Glosstyr were attacked last night,” he said with a sigh. “They destroyed the wagons after they made off with the cargo. The brigand is becoming more brazen, and they’ve plenty of arrows now. I think you should send more men to hunt him down.”

“I told James he could take fifty men,” Ransom said. “He told me first.”

“You think fifty is enough? From what I’m hearing, he’s convinced some rogue knights to join him. There could be fifty of them by now. And with all the arrows they’ve stolen . . . they could be quite a threat.”

“I need to have a large enough force to hold off Estian. What news from Pree?”

“Nothing you don’t already know,” said Simon, massaging the bridge of his nose. “The Espion we have in Occitania give conflicting reports, but all agree that the king is preparing to invade us. Do you want my honest opinion?”

“Would I ask for anything less?”

“No, I don’t think so. I think Claire is waiting on Estian to attack before she launches a raid against Bayree. I have a source in Legault who says that’s her intention.”

Ransom looked at his friend. “Do your sources intercept messages? I just got a letter from her this morning when a ship arrived. The seal looked a bit . . . off.”

Simon shook his head no and frowned. “I’ve forbidden that, although I understand it was a common practice under Longmont’s orders. He has special men who know some tricks about wax. Half of the messages on this table are about our nobles. Longmont seemed to delight in prying secrets out of his peers.” His nose wrinkled in disgust. “I’ve said I won’t pay for it, that I’m only interested in intelligence about Occitania.”

“Bad habits are difficult to unlearn,” Ransom said with a sigh. “Have you found out anything about the girl who was in my room spying for Jon-Landon? I saw her in the great hall not long ago.”

“Not yet. I’m reading messages night and day. It’s all a jumbled mess, but the quality of intelligence has been improving now that I’m only paying for what I want. I don’t want to shock you, but Longmont spent a veritable fortune on intelligence. He had people spying on DeVaux’s daughter constantly. There was so much . . . I just started burning them all.”

Ransom shook his head. “He fancied her. But I don’t think she would have appreciated knowing his interest in her was so relentless.”

“And disgusting,” Simon added. “Estian’s army is still gathering at Pree. His forces are less limited than one would think, given he had to leave some behind.” He paused, giving Ransom a look. “And since I didn’t pay anyone to give me word about Claire’s letter, I don’t know what she wrote to you.”

Ransom fished the letter from his pocket and handed it to Simon. He ate some grapes in the meantime.

Simon lowered the letter after he was done and then handed it back. “So things are still estranged between the two of you?”

“Unfortunately. More than anything, I want to get back to Connaught or the fortress at Atha Kleah to try and reconcile with her. And I won’t rest until I see my sons with my own eyes. It horrifies me to think of what could have happened. She’s furious about Alix’s attack, and she has every right to feel that way.”

“She’s not unreasonable,” Simon suggested. “Give her time.”

That was not what worried him. She wasn’t unreasonable, no, but the stone had changed her, and then that book . . . The Hidden Vulgate had twisted her heart against him. It was gone now, and he hoped its effect on her would fade, but perhaps the damage had been done.

Ransom held up his hands. “Preparations for war are taking up all my time. Before I know it, the ocean storms will start up again. What if I can’t get back to Legault before then? What if we’re trapped apart during the winter?” He rubbed his forehead. “We haven’t even been married that long, Simon. I didn’t think it would be this difficult.”

“Nor did I at first,” said Simon. “It takes time to understand each other. I have no advice for you other than . . . be patient. Give it time.”

Ransom didn’t like that suggestion, but there wasn’t anything else he could do.

“I would say your marriage seems happier than Benedict’s at any rate. A note that I received yesterday . . . or was it . . . ? I can’t even remember now. Portia decided to return to Genevar instead of making her home in Kingfountain.”

“Do you know why?”

“Nothing solid. The knights escorting her were stunned by the sudden change in plans. Everyone believed she was pregnant, but apparently that might have been a ruse. One of the knights had the presence of mind to send Longmont a note . . . not realizing of course that he’d been replaced. I did pay for that news. The Queen of Ceredigion still hasn’t set foot on our soil, nor does she intend to.”

A knock sounded on the door. Ransom grunted. They hadn’t been given much of a chance to speak privately. Simon went to the door and unlocked it, opening it to reveal Sir Iain.

“The queen dowager wishes to see you both,” he said.

Ransom took a bite of bread and left the dish in the room. They went to Emiloh’s chambers and found her sitting in front of the Wizr board. Ransom had brought it from the cistern waters so that they could track Estian’s pieces, which had been congregating around Pree.

She had a wizened look to her eyes as she greeted them. Sir Iain departed and shut the door, leaving the three of them alone in the room. Warm sunlight spilled in from the gauzy curtains over the balcony window.

“Has he started moving?” Ransom asked with interest.

“See for yourself,” answered the queen dowager.

Ransom and Simon approached the board. Other than Sir Iain, they were the only ones privy to the secret of the Wizr set.

Looking down at the board, Ransom saw the king’s piece had moved diagonally. He gazed down at the board, feeling a sense of giddiness that it had finally started. Another piece, a knight, had gone in another direction. And a third piece, a castle piece, had gone in a third direction.

Ransom looked up at Emiloh. “He’s dividing his army.”

“Apparently so.”

Simon studied the board. “His piece is headed toward Brythonica. Do you suppose he’s going to attack the duchess?”

“I don’t think so,” said the queen dowager. “It’s possible, of course, but I’d be surprised. I think he’s going after Josselin castle.”

Ransom blinked. There was no piece on the board to represent it, but his castle was located along the border between Brythonica and Ceredigion.

“Josselin is a strategic castle,” said Simon. “Not just for its position but because it is Ransom’s.”

“I sent Dearley there two days ago,” Ransom said. “Better send a courier to him.”