“Like I said”—he smiled—“I don’t have any answers.”
Neither do I. But it didn’t matter, not now. There are people who need saving. One step at a time. “Where’s Vess?”
“She and the others are scouting the wall,” Alex said. “I tried to talk sense into them, but Vess won’t listen. She said that tomorrow night she’s going to attack.”
Tomorrow night. That gave them twenty-?four hours. “You said you could get us into the fortress if you had to,” Winter said.
“Meaning the three of us? Sure. Probably not everyone, not without someone noticing.” Alex paused. “If Vess is intent on doing this, we might be able to sneak in and steal a boat in the confusion.”
“I’m not going to abandon them,” Winter said. “I’m not even going to abandon the damned Murnskai, if I can help it. Not when it’s hell on earth coming up behind us.” Although a certain captain may find all his limbs broken.
“So what, then?” Alex said.
“We find a way to get everyone out of here,” Winter said. “And then we convince Vess to take it.”
14
Raesinia
“You knew,” Raesinia said as soon as the door to Dorsay’s suite closed behind her.
“I suspected,” Dorsay said mildly. He wore a brown silk robe and his hair was ruffled, but he seemed unperturbed at finding the Queen of Vordan in his chambers first thing in the morning.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s not my place to reveal Georg’s plans, especially when he hasn’t consulted me about them.” Dorsay shrugged. “I did warn you not to come here.”
“You didn’t warn me he had a marriage alliance in mind.”
Dorsay waved her to one of the armchairs. After a moment of stubborn irritation, Raesinia sighed and sat down, and he settled in opposite her.
“Georg is the kind of man who takes opportunities when they present themselves. If Janus had remained quiet, no doubt he would have concluded the treaty with Vordan in good faith. When the situation changed, however, it gave him the chance to ask for more.”
“Goodman has been insistent about that,” Raesinia said.
“I’m sure he has. That’s the stick. I wasn’t sure what the carrot would be, but it makes sense.”
Marrying some prince I barely know is supposed to be the reward? “Why does it make sense?”
“The crown prince has only one son, and he is known to be sickly, while the prince himself grows weaker by the year. It seems increasingly likely that the Pulwer dynasty will not continue down that branch of the tree. The second prince is healthy and presumably fertile, but so far has refused every potential match. You are young, unmarried, and in need of heirs yourself.” Dorsay shrugged. “Given the course of recent events, Georg is also eager to move Borel away from Elysium’s orbit. An alliance with Vordan, cemented by something as strong as a marriage between the monarch and the prospective heir, would be a good way to accomplish that.”
“You think this offer is genuine, then?”
“Oh, certainly. Georg is an honorable man.”
“No king is an honorable man,” Raesinia snapped. “Not if he wants to keep his throne for long.”
“Fair,” Dorsay conceded. “But he does try to keep his promises. The alliance would be popular with the merchants, which would make Goodman and his friends less ruffled about being overruled. From Georg’s position, I can certainly see the advantages.” Dorsay steepled his hands. “And from yours, I have to say.”
“Advantages?” Raesinia glowered. “You’re not serious.”
“From a purely political point of view, of course. You are young, and your power is insecure. If you married Prince Matthew, then Borel would have a powerful incentive to make sure you kept your throne, which can only assist in dealing with domestic opponents. You would receive the aid against Janus you came for. And you clearly must marry someone soon, in any event.”
“I know,” Raesinia said. “I’m just...” What? Not happy about having my body bargained with like a broodmare? “Unprepared. I hadn’t thought to address the problem of marriage until things were more settled.”
Dorsay raised an eyebrow. “Well, we are where we are, and we needs must make the best of it.”
“You think I should accept, then.”
“I wouldn’t dream of telling the Queen of Vordan what she should do. All I can say is that it seems to be one way of achieving what you came for, at a cost your nation is willing to bear.” He got to his feet. “It’s time for breakfast. Would you like to join me?”
Raesinia declined, as graciously as she could, and headed back to her own chambers. Barely and Jo fell into step behind her, as usual, but she was so lost in her own thoughts she hardly noticed them.
He’s right, damn him. Taking the king’s offer was the logical thing to do. It would accomplish everything Dorsay said, securing Borel’s aid now and in the future. All at the price of, what? Sleeping with a boring dimwit? Women have done far worse for far less.
The problem, of course, was that it wasn’t that simple. Prince Matthew didn’t know about her supernatural problem, and there was no telling how he’d react if he found out. Raesinia planned to “live” only a few more years in any case, before her agelessness became too obvious to deny. Any heir would be too young to rule at that point, so she needed a husband she could trust with the throne. I would trust Marcus with Vordan. But Matthew?
Then there was the matter of the child. Raesinia had no idea if she could conceive, in her current state, but she strongly suspected not. She hadn’t had her monthly flows since Orlanko and the Black Priests had made her read the name of her demon. If she couldn’t age, or even get drunk, she doubted pregnancy was an option. With a husband who was in on the plot, that was a problem that could be circumvented, but if she had to deceive him about the parentage of his child on top of her other secrets...
It can’t work. Something would go wrong, and then everything would fall apart. She paused outside the door to her own suite and caught her breath. I can’t take Georg’s offer, whatever Dorsay thinks. She felt a little better having arrived at the decision without invoking purely personal reasons. My need to be with Marcus can’t trump the good of the whole country. But it won’t work anyway. She nodded decisively. We just have to find something that will.
Eric and Cora returned just after noon from yet another round of meetings with Goodman and his clerks. The servants, at Raesinia’s orders, had laid out a cold lunch, so there was food waiting when the two of them came in. Cora, as expected, went straight for the buffet and started loading up a plate with little sandwiches and the tiny egg-?and-?vegetable pies the Borelgai were so fond of. Eric, moving a little slower, tossed his ever-?present notebook into one chair and then slumped into another.
“Do you need something to eat?” Raesinia said.
“Something to drink, for preference,” Eric muttered. He sat up a little straighter. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Thank you, but no. Not at the moment.”