Page 10 of The Prince's Fealty

“Fealty,” Pel and Bavil chorused at the same time.

Chapter Three

Tor

Tor nodded, and then he felt the blood drain out of his face asanother sickening realization dawned. “But if you get rid of me and Cala, then—”

“Either your sister is a mastermind the likes of which we have never seen, or we need to get to her quickly?” Pel finished.

Tor cursed. “It never occurred to me that she might not be safe. She’s not at the castle in Nexa, so I didn’t associate those events with her at all. But if you’re trying to guarantee where the Fealty goes, she’s a loose end.”

Tor wouldn’t even entertain the idea that this was Ada’s plot. And that left one other person who was likely to inherit when all the rest of Varex’s relations were gone.

Pel made a face. “Look, I know you don’t like High Queen Fernila, but she never struck me as a mastermind.”

Apparently, his mind had gone the exact same place Tor’s had.

Aware that he wasn’t exactly objective on this topic, Tor still couldn’t help but point out, “She’s been out to get me since the beginning.”

Bavil had an arrested expression on his face. He lowered his voice, though it wasn’t like Cavun wasn’t going to hear everything.

“Are we really suggesting that the High Queen of the United Realms is trying to usurp herhusband?”

If Tor were being perfectly honest, he would have said that the one person shedidcare about was Varex. Plotting to get rid ofTorseemed plausible. But her husband?

Still, though. Tor forged ahead. “We all know it’s happened before. And she’s well-positioned to have the ear of the King. The idea that the distance between us and the acrimonious relations were orchestrated actually makes a lot of sense.”

It didn’t absolve Tor or Varex of what had happened, but maybe it wasn’talltheir fault.

Pel and Bavil exchanged glances, but then they shrugged. They didn’t look convinced, but it wasn’t like they’d been living in Alossa with Fernila and Varex for most of the last five years.

Tor knew that he wasn’t exactly unbiased when it came to Fernila. He really didn’t like her, and he knew that she didn’t like him, but that wasn’t the same as being the mastermind behind treason and murder.

She didn’t seem a likely candidate—but maybe that was her cleverness. Or she was working with someone, and there was an obvious suspect at hand.

“It’s got to be pretty easy to manipulate the information that the King receives if you’re the one giving it to him.”

Pel’s expression was contemplative. “If I had to say which one of them liked you less, I’d probably say Yomil. Or at least, he seemed to be more vocal about his disapproval. I felt like more pressure was coming from him to sentence you.”

Tor tried to think back to the final confrontation in the throne room. He remembered trying not to engage with either YomilorFernila. As often as possible, he’d ignored both his brother’s advisor and his wife, because he’d been concentrating on Varex, imagining that if he could just get through to him, everything would be all right.

“Thanks for paying attention,” he told Pel with a smile. “I was preoccupied with trying not to punch my brother in the face.”

Pel rolled his eyes, but there was the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. “It was definitely not a conversation that was conducive to actually talking and listening to one another.”

“That sounds like most conversations we’ve ever had around the dinner table,” Bavil pointed out. “Maybe it’s just how families work?”

Tor laughed. “Yeah, no, I’m pretty sure that most families are way more functional than we are.”

“They are,” Cavun interposed from his position near the entrance of the cave.

His matter-of-fact tone made everyone laugh, which decreased the tension a little.

Grinning at Pel, Tor proposed, “Maybe we’re so attached to one another because we’re so messed up.”

Pel smirked, not seeming the least offended. “That would explain a lot. But I don’t think I have anyone trying to kill me, so I’m winning. Or would that be losing?”

They all grinned at one another, and Tor reminded himself that now was not the time to kiss that smile off Pel’s lips. They weren’t alone, Tor still felt a bit like he’d been trampled by a horse or twelve, and no matter how much better Pel and Bavil were getting along, that probably didn’t extend to watching one another get intimate.