Page 48 of Shadow Queen
Alexander strode alongside her to the judisaept, where the council was indeed waiting.
“Welcome home, Lord Justice,” Edward greeted him as he stepped inside.
He bowed his head. “Thank you, Councilman.” He almost added that it was good to be home, but he’d be lying.
The councilmen looked past him, then at each other.
“Where is the queen?” James asked.
Alexander swallowed. “She didn’t come.”
Edward looked at Catherine. “You were to convince her to return home in the letter.”
“I tried, but she doesn’t understand there’s a larger plan at work.”
Plan. Alexander stiffened. There was a difference between knowing Phillip would move against Japheth and planning with him. Planning with him would be… treason. Alexander curled his hand around the hilt of his sword. That, he wouldn’t allow.
“You didn’t tell her?” Edward asked.
Catherine scoffed. “I wouldn’t put such words into enemy hands!”
Alexander’s heart thundered as he realized—he’d helped them. He was also guilty, but his intentions were to make sure Norah had options. That she wasn’t forced to stay in a situation that wasn’t her choosing.
But this… She wasn’t choosing this…
His eyes met James’s, Mercia’s most loyal adviser. Norah’s father had trusted him. Alexander’s father had trusted him. Alexander trusted him. James wouldn’t tolerate treason, and James’s eyes told him to settle.
“Our priority is keeping Queen Norah safe,” James said, not taking his gaze from Alexander. “Protecting her and protecting Mercia.”
Was it treason when they worked to protect her? And Catherine—for years she’d worked relentlessly to hold Norah’s throne, in the face of uncertainty and doubt. She’d never betray her blood. Alexander settled, dropping his hand from his sword.
“We have to proceed cautiously,” James said. “If the Shadow King discovers—”
“The Shadow King knows,” Alexander said. “He knows I went to Aleon. He knows of Phillip’s offer.”
Catherine put a hand over her mouth, and the councilmen looked at each other in fearful surprise.
“They have eyes everywhere,” Alexander said. “Tensions are escalating. It’s why the queen bid my return.” He left off the lashing. That wouldn’t help the circumstance.
“Is she in danger?” Catherine asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“She’s always in danger there,” he cut back, sharper than he’d intended. He softened his tone. “But the Shadow King”—he paused—“he seems to… have a great affection for her.”
“We could use that,” Henricus said.
“Time is against us,” Edward stressed. “Whatever we do, we must do it now, while her marriage remains unconsummated.”
Alexander’s chest tightened. He stayed silent. He wouldn’t speak of what he suspected, what he feared. He wouldn’t say that Norah returned the king’s affections. That she now shared his bed. As far as the council was concerned, the marriage contract had not been fully executed. An alliance to Aleon was still an option—one that he would let them believe if it helped get her back to safety. But his skin still rippled with unease. They walked a fine line here.
“Tell us of the attack, the stabbing,” Catherine said. “Who’s to blame?”
Alexander’s mind reeled back to the attack on Norah, and he stiffened. But he chose his words carefully. “A disgruntled citizen, offended by the marriage.” The topic of the king’s previous wives would only fuel the fires, and despite Alexander’s desire to build a wall between Mercia and the Shadowlands, and between the Shadow King and Norah, he found himself pulling back.
“We need to get her out of there,” Catherine breathed. She turned to James. “What do we do now?”
Edward looked at Alexander. “We must find a way to get you back to the Shadowlands.”
“He can’t return,” Catherine argued. “It’s too dangerous for him there, now that our efforts are known. And the vision of the Shadow King’s fall shows the lord justice on the battlefield with Aleon, who is not yet by our side. We must trust the gods and wait. You can’t force the hand of fate.”
