The Thief's Daughter (Kingfountain #2)

Owen shook his head. “We’re not going to Averanche, Farnes. That’s exactly what they want me to do. I’m keeping my army near St. Penryn.”

Farnes wrinkled his brow. “What on earth for?” he said with confusion. “There are no enemies here. And no fortifications either.”

“Not yet,” Owen said with a smile.

Farnes looked even more confused. “Did you have a . . . a dream, my lord?”

Owen rubbed his mouth. “You could say that. We stay here. Let Chatriyon hammer away at Averanche for a while. He’ll be watching his back the whole time. And I don’t think that’s his true goal anyway.”

Owen started down the footpath toward his pavilion, Farnes at his heels. The men were murmuring from their places among the patches of snow. There were no inns or taverns nearby. The conditions were rather deplorable, but these were men of Westmarch. He could see the looks of respect and determination in their eyes as he passed them on his way back through camp.

His fingers and toes felt wooden from the cold, and Owen stretched his fingers beneath his gloves, clenching and opening his fists. After bidding Farnes to linger outside, he ducked inside the warm interior of his tent, feeling the heat sting his cheeks.

Etayne was kneeling in front of two large saddlebags, undoing the straps. As he entered, she turned and saw him, and a slight flush crept onto her cheeks, followed by a hesitant smile.

“She is on the mend,” Etayne said, preempting his first question, and he was grateful to her for that.

“Thank the Fountain,” Owen sighed, rubbing his forehead. “In all likelihood, it looked worse than it was.”

“I stitched it myself,” Etayne said. “She’ll have a small scar on her brow, but only if you look for it. When I left Kingfountain, she was preparing to ride North.”

Owen started pacing, feeling edgy and anxious. “Did the king give you your orders?” he asked gruffly.

Etayne inclined her head. Her face was deadly serious, but she nodded once. “I was expecting to find you still at Tatton Hall, but they said you’d ridden on to St. Penryn.” She stood and smoothed her dress. “This is a desolate place to bring an army. Why here?”

Owen wished he could discuss his plans with Evie, but she was not there. Etayne had shown herself to be loyal thus far and he believed she would tell him the truth if his reasoning were off.

“Can I trust you?” he asked her in a low voice.

Etayne’s countenance changed and she stepped forward. “I would do anything you asked of me,” she answered sincerely. He sensed an invitation in her words, but he sidestepped it.

“How is your strength with Fountain magic right now?” he asked her. “Have you recovered from our journey to Atabyrion?”

She nodded resolutely. “I grow stronger day by day.”

Owen flashed her a smile. Then he tapped his mouth, deciding he would trust her with the entirety of his plan. Ankarette had said that the most important skill was the gift of discernment, of being able to judge the motives and intentions of another. In his dealings with Etayne, he had learned that the thief’s daughter had been so mistreated and distrusted that she craved approval and attention. Owen had given that to her by treating her as a person and not an instrument. He had noticed her growing attachment to him, her loyalty. With Mancini’s death, she was no longer bound to anyone else. He was certain she would be more loyal to him than she had ever been to the spymaster.

He looked deeply into her eyes. “I believe Iago is going to strike soon. Not here, but in the North or the East. I think East Stowe is his most likely destination, because he would not want to attack Evie or her grandfather directly. One of the duchies alone could repulse Iago’s attack, let alone two. So the threat isn’t going to come from Atabyrion. It’s going to come here.”

Etayne looked thoughtful. “How so?”

“Iago’s attack is a diversion,” Owen explained. “It draws our forces away and opens up Westmarch. I think this is where Eyric is going to land. This is where he will lay his claim to the throne of Ceredigion. This is where King Andrew died.” He pointed in the direction of St. Penryn. “This area was once dry land, Etayne. There was another kingdom here. A kingdom called Leoneyis. It’s now underwater, covered by the sea.”

Etayne’s lips twisted with surprise and horror. “They were all drowned?”

“Indeed,” Owen said, continuing to pace. “There was a prophecy that King Andrew would return. This was where he was supposed to return, to save the kingdom. The prophecy is called the Dreadful Deadman. Eyric is not that man. But many believe he is. They are bringing him some relic of magic to turn the tide. Perhaps even literally. Occitania is a part of the plot, though I’m certain Chatriyon has his own ends in mind. And I believe that Brythonica might be as well. I don’t trust Marshal Roux. Something is happening here that I don’t understand. Something no one will explain. So I plan to be very unpredictable. And I plan to set a trap to lure Roux into revealing himself. If my instincts are correct, he is not in Brythonica right now. He is coming here by ship.” Owen used his forefinger to stab his empty palm to emphasize it. “And we will be waiting for him.”

Etayne’s eyes were wide. “Owen, you said that one duchy would be enough to stave off an invasion from Atabyrion. But the last time you faced Chatriyon, you were not alone. You had Duke Horwath with you. Now you’re talking about facing Occitania and one of its strongest duchies by yourself.”

Owen nodded. “I know. I’ll be a tempting target, don’t you agree?”

“You’ll be crushed!” Etayne said, blinking worriedly.

He smiled. “Not if they think I’m on their side,” he answered in a quiet voice. “Ankarette once told me this story. It was about one of the previous kings of Ceredigion and how his nobles revolted against him. They raised an army to defeat him, and the king’s son, a prince, negotiated a truce. He was so convincing that he was able to disband the rebel army. And then he destroyed it. They may try to do the same thing with me. I have no intention of trusting Chatriyon or Eyric, but I will make them both believe that I do. Eyric offered me power. I plan to accept it.”

Etayne smiled at him, her eyes filling with light. “You are crafty.”

He bowed to her. “But I need your help, Etayne. I need you to become someone else in order for my plan to work. May I look in your saddlebags, please? I am hoping you brought something. Knowing what your mission was, I was counting on you to bring it.”

Etayne’s eyebrows lifted and she smiled, one of her knowing, beautiful smiles. “I think I know who you want me to be. And yes, my lord. I did bring her dress.”