The Tears of Midnight, and this. Two secrets now she had kept from him.
“The next trial,” Elder Cestrum announced, “will be held later tonight in the castle. Prince Andreus and Princess Carys will entertain the court, the visiting dignitaries, and winners from today’s tournament at a ball.”
He saw Carys stiffen. She hated the public pageantry of balls where her every word and gesture were judged. It was at the last ball two years ago that everyone had become aware of her need for their mother’s drink.
This next trial was designed to give Andreus the clear advantage.
“But before we can move on to the next trial, we must complete this one,” Carys pointed out. “A winner has not been chosen.”
Elder Cestrum scowled. “Quite right.” He cleared his throat. “I ask the audience once again to pledge support to the successor they believe won.”
Andreus straightened his shoulders as Elder Cestrum called his name, grateful for the guard standing close in case any other attack came.
Yellow banners waved for him. People shouted his name. But perhaps not quite as loudly. They must be more subdued because of the assassination attempt. He had almost died. He could appreciate that.
“And who here at this tournament supports Princess Carys for her efforts in the final event?”
The words were barely out of Elder Cestrum’s mouth when the crowd roared. Strips of blue fabric were hoisted into the sky. People stomped and waved to Carys, whose mud-streaked face looked pale as she turned in a circle while the tournament spectators chanted her name softly, then louder.
His sister hadn’t won the race, but she’d won the event by saving his life.
So he did the only thing he could do. He applauded, too.
He forced himself to smile and to praise his sister’s skill, but he couldn’t help the spark of resentment that flared.
He was supposed to be ahead three to nothing on the enormous scoring board above the steps leading to the entrance of the castle. Instead, there were two yellow pegs in the board that had room for ten pegs from one side to the other. Beneath his two points was one peg painted bright blue. For Carys.
When he arrived at the white steps that led to the castle, Andreus handed his horse’s reins to a groom and hurried over to help Imogen climb off her horse.
“Your Highness.” She looked over her shoulder then back at Andreus with eyes filled with warning. Behind her Elder Jacobs stood next to his horse with the hooded falcon on his arm, waiting to dismount. “I failed you. I should have seen the danger. After Micah’s death, my visions have been blocked by my sorrow. I promise that I will not fail you again.”
She curtsied deeply. He reached down, took her hand to help her up, and felt her squeeze his fingers tightly.
“I have news. I will come to your rooms as soon as I can,” she whispered as she rose. Then she turned, gathered her skirts, and hurried off into the crowd. When he lost sight of her, Andreus headed up the steps. While there were guards all around, he would feel better when he was inside the castle walls.
His would-be assassin could have been part of the same plot that killed his brother and father. If the man had succeeded—
“Prince Andreus,” a voice yelled from up above. “Prince Andreus, you’re okay.”
Max. Andreus looked up and saw the boy barreling down the steps toward him. A guard stepped in front of Andreus and put a hand on his sword.
“It’s all right. I know him,” Andreus said as the sweaty, panting boy gave the guard a steely-eyed look and then bolted to Andreus’s side.
“They’re saying someone tried to kill you,” Max said, eyes wide with worry. “I heard that you were winning all the events at the tournament and that you even knocked the Princess into the mud and then when you were running the footrace a man tried to kill you just like someone killed King Ulron and Prince Micah.”
Clearly news of what happened at the tournament had run ahead of his return.
“But they failed, Max, and in doing so revealed themselves. Now the castle guard will be on high alert. Whoever would wish me harm, it seems, has lost their chance.” Andreus put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and urged him to walk up to the castle where they could speak without half the court trying to listen in. But as confident as he sounded, he couldn’t help looking at everyone he passed as they reached the top of the steps and headed through the castle’s arching entrance. Could any of his subjects have something to do with the man with the knife? Were they plotting his death?
“Sebastian said that Princess Carys pulled swords out of thin air and saved your life,” Max reported. “But I told him that wasn’t possible because no one can make a sword come out of the air. Not even Lady Imogen.”
“No one can pull weapons out of thin air,” Andreus confirmed as he veered away from several castle workers who were glancing in his direction. “But someone can pull stilettos out of hidden pockets and kill someone by throwing them with a great deal of skill. Which is what Princess Carys did to save my life.”
“Wow.” Max stopped walking, put his hands on his hips, and cocked his head to the side. “My sister Jinna could hit a rat with a rock at fifteen paces. I wonder if she could learn to do it with a knife.”
The sad, wistful sound that crept into Max’s voice as he spoke about the sister he hadn’t seen in a year struck Andreus. Max knew that even if he saw his older sister again, their parents wouldn’t want her to speak to him. They believed he was cursed.
“Maybe someday you’ll find out,” he said to Max.
Then Andreus allowed himself another thought. Maybe if things worked out the way he and Carys planned, Max’s parents would be happy to have a son who had the ear of the King. Maybe they would welcome him back with open arms. He glanced down at the boy. “Isn’t there something you should be doing instead of talking to me?”
“I was helping carry water to the Hall of Virtues for the fountains they built for the ball, but after I spilled a bunch on Mistress Violet, she screamed at me to get out of her sight so I came to find you.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure there is something else you can do to help out.” As fond as he was of Max, Andreus didn’t want him hanging around when Imogen arrived. Max was too curious and talkative.
And Imogen’s position was perilous. By short-circuiting the Council’s plan to replace the ruling family with another, she may as well have drawn a target on her own back. Andreus would do nothing to further draw the ire of the Council. The idea of losing Imogen when she had finally admitted she was his was unthinkable. Andreus would not take the risk.
Max scrunched up his face with concentration. “I guess I could bring water to the Princess’ rooms. Although someone probably already did that. Ladies don’t like being dirty and she was really dirty after the tournament. She looked unhappy, but the lord walking with her into the castle didn’t seem to mind.”