“I heard he was once the captain of the guard.”
Her head bobs as she pierces the wool with her needle. “He was the king’s right-hand man. Did you know they were close friends? When King Leon died, it was like losing a brother to Millner.” A shock, considering the infamous status of enemy he wears now. “Many people thought Millner would act as a spokesman for young Aodren. Step in as king regent, since Aodren was the last of the royal line.”
Defecting to Shaerdan after holding such an elevated station must’ve been a shock to the entire country. The reason Millner has been called the Archtraitor seems clearer now.
“I know he spoke out against the Purge and the border closure,” I tell her. “And he was imprisoned because people listened and rallied against the new laws.”
She snorts. “Aye, they listened, but he wasn’t imprisoned right off. First, guards were sent to his home. They beat him and tied him so he couldn’t move as his wife was tortured before him. Can you imagine that? Seeing the brutalization of your loved one?” The insides of my mouth turn briny as she continues. “The guards dragged Millner outside and then set his house on fire, with his unconscious wife inside and their sleeping babe.” My sharp intake interrupts her. Gods, the man lost his wife and child? His cheery face pops into my head and baffles me. How can he be happy after he’s suffered so much? The ruthlessness of Malam’s inner court staggers me, and yet I’ve seen traces of their cruelty all my life.
“Only after slaying his family did the guards throw him in the dungeon. The next day they put Millner in the pillory, as a cautionary example to those who would defy the laws.” Enat’s mouth twists into a grim smile. “But he escaped.”
No one simply escapes the pillory. He must’ve had help. “My father?”
She shrugs. “I believe so, but Millner will carry that secret to his grave. Saul was tasked with finding Millner. When he went to Shaerdan to hunt Millner down, it was only by luck that your father bumped into Rozen in Padrin and had a chance to explain why he hadn’t come.”
Enat’s stitches are tight and uniform, not a single one different from another despite the gravity of the conversation. If anything, her speed has increased while we talk. She pushes and pulls through the material in mechanical movements.
“What happened after he explained?” I ask.
Her gaze remains fixed to her fingers. “Young, and desperately in love, they married at a church in Padrin that evening and left for Malam the next day.”
Stunned, I forget about the needle and gouge my pointer finger.
“Ouch!” I hold up my wounded digit. The danger of my father’s trek and the passion of his and my mother’s actions ring so untrue to the pragmatic man who raised me. He taught me to value caution and control.
“Your father bribed a friend who was a watchman to help them past the border. Another friend claimed Rozen was a distant cousin and had no Channeler connections. And one more person testified that Rozen had spent summers on his farm and should be considered a countryman of Malam. Those lies were enough for Saul and Rozen to be allowed a quiet life in Brentyn, but not enough to rid her of the Shaerdanian stamp.”
“So, like me, she was an outcast?”
“I can see you’ve taken it in stride.” Enat winks, and my short chuckle clashes against the dark tone of the conversation.
“Aye, she was,” Enat continues. “Which is why it was difficult to find a priest of Malam who would marry them. No one wanted to aid a Shaerdanian. No one wanted to be accused of treachery like the Archtraitor.”
She draws a breath and holds it in her lungs, before letting it slowly out. A minor tremble runs through Enat’s hands. Something inside her has grown restless, reminding me of the way Papa’s horse used to pace in the stall before a bad storm.
“Rozen sent letters to me through the one trusted watchman. She was with child. On her small frame, her belly grew large quickly, drawing speculation from townspeople. She was too big too fast. They whispered of Channeler magic. When she delivered, there were . . . complications. Yet Rozen didn’t die in childbirth as others would’ve in the same situation, so the healer claimed Channeler magic.”
“Didn’t my father’s position protect them?” His title has protected me and kept me from the pillory.
“To some extent, but Rozen was afraid. She wrote, asking me to meet her at the border.” Enat’s skin pales to an ashen color.
“Why?” I press.
“She wanted me to take your power away. So you could live without fear in Malam.”
My frown sinks deeper. “Is that possible?”