Page 12 of War Queen
“I have to know,” she argued. “I have to know if my grandmother’s all right.” She stopped herself from the mention of Alexander. “I have to know where Phillip stands.”
“You show your weakness.”
“It’s not weak to ask about those I love! And if it is, I don’t care. I would ask my council directly if I could. I have to know.”
“It’s no longer your council! They’re your enemy. And if they know what you care about, they’ll use it against you.”
“I think it’s quite obvious I would care about my grandmother,” she cut back, her own anger rising.
“And what about those not as obvious to them?”
Norah stopped.Alexander. She swallowed.
His voice dropped lower. “Did you ask about the Bear, Salara?”
A chill ran up her spine. “I asked Phillip if he’d heard from him,” she answered finally.
“And?” he pressed. “What else did you ask?”
“If he knew whether Alexander was all right.”
“Your grandmother and the Bear. That’s all you asked about?”
She nodded.
Mikael pushed out a long breath as his jaw tightened again. “They’ll be working to find those still loyal to you. Your actions put him in danger.”
Her heart seized in her chest. She hadn’t thought of that. If she was inquiring about Alexander, it would show she worried for him. If the council didn’t know before, they’d know now—if Phillip told them. Would Phillip tell them, though? She felt like such a fool. She hadn’t even realized.
Her lip trembled. “I didn’t think. I was so desperate to know. I needed to know.” What had she done?
Mikael sighed as he pulled her close and put his arms around her, but it brought little comfort now.
Chapter four
DearAlexander,
Please live.
I command it.
Do not have died. Do not die.
Be well. Be strong. Be safe.
“Salara?”
Norah snapped her attention to the maid that had been calling her. How many times had she said her name? Had she asked something? “I’m sorry, what?”
“Would you like me to make up the bed?”
Norah realized she had the quilt from the bed wrapped around her as she sat at the small table by the window. She wasn’t ready to give it up yet. “No, I might… need to crawl back into it and hide.” Her worry over her letter to Phillip still sat like a weight in her stomach.
Her maid smiled warmly. Salara-Mae had assigned her to Norah—not as a slave—when Norah returned from Mercia without Vitalia, and the girl had taken kindly to her. Amara was her name. She was no Vitalia, but Norah liked her. She was quiet but friendly, and reminded her a bit of her Mercian maid, Serene.
“You haven’t even had breakfast yet,” Amara said, “and it’s getting late. You might feel better after you eat.”
That was true. Mikael had risen early to tend some things. She knew he wouldn’t take his breakfast in the dining hall, and she’d skipped it herself, but a little food might help, or just getting out and walking, perhaps.Fine.
