Page 18 of War Queen
“There are signs inside the Canyonlands, but no outsiders have been seen.” His eyes met hers. “I don’t want you to worry. You’re safe.”
“I know,” she said quickly. But did she really believe that?
Mikael put down the letters. She pushed her breakfast across her plate with her fork.
“Salara,” he said, calling her attention back to him. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
She nodded.
The hall grew quiet again. They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, and Mikael left his remaining letters unread. She felt his eyes on her.
“Are we going to pretend there’s nothing else to discuss?” Salara-Mae said as they neared finishing. “That you didn’t uproot a keystone of this castle?”
Norah pursed her lips. She should have wagered more than a glass of wine in the bathtub thatthatwould be the topic Salara-Mae broached. She motioned to the servant, who refilled her chalice—she’d take that wine right now.
“The throne room isn’t a keystone,” he replied calmly.
“Of course it is. It’s what everyone sees. It represents your strength, your legacy, your family’s legacy.”
“A legacy of lies?” he cut back. “Secrets?”
“Oh, Mikael,” Salara-Mae said with a sigh. It was the first time Norah had heard her call him by his name. And it was the call of a worried mother. “Now you’re going to host your nobles to discuss this matter of the North, and they’ll see how you focus your attention.”
Norah knew what she meant, that he focused his attention on her more than his own kingdom. True or not, this was how the nobles felt.
“Are you not already under enough scrutiny?” Salara-Mae asked him.
He didn’t answer.
“And I fear your answer for them,” she added. “You know they won’t support marching against the North.” Her face turned bitter. “Even your commander didn’t support it.Publicly. You know his voice will still be in their ears.”
Slowly, he took a drink from his chalice. “They have a right to be concerned,” he said finally. “It’s a great risk.”
She huffed a small breath. “Of course it’s a great risk! Japheth and Rael are at our door, waiting for the moment to strike, and you would leave to go to war with the North? With no allies? No one by your side?”
Still, he said nothing. He only rested his gaze on Norah. She twisted inside.
“And don’t be a fool to think the North is alone,” Salara-Mae stressed. “Aleon will be lying in wait. This would be it—the vision of your end. The Bear lures you to it.”
Mikael’s eyes turned to his mother. “My fate comes when Salara rides beside the king of Aleon. Now is not my time.” He looked at Norah. “And the Bear wouldn’t betray his queen. The question is, didhesend the messenger? Or is this a plot from the council?”
Salara-Mae gaped at Norah. “Talk him out of this madness.”
But Norah wasn’t sure she could do that. This could very well be an opportunity to take back Mercia. Perhaps theonlyopportunity.
Salara-Mae’s voice came more urgently now, pleading Norah. “You would let him walk right into a trap?”
Of course she wouldn’t. But was it a trap? The miner had been believable. A skilled deceiver, if that’s what he was. But if Alexanderwasalive, he’d be working to take back her throne. If he wasn’t and this was a trick from the council, she’d lose more than what she already had. But could they afford to do nothing? If they didn’t win back Mercia, they’d have to stand alone against Rael and Japheth. She wasn’t sure they’d survive that either.
It was a gamble of life and death, and she didn’t know what to do.
Damn Adrian. Where was he? Norah stalked out of the army field office and toward the castle. He was nowhere to be found. Calla and Cohen hadn’t seen him. She’d even checked with Katya, who’d told her she hadn’t seen him in days and was livid about it. So was Norah, although perhaps she was more worried than livid. She just wanted to make sure he was all right. And she wanted to ask him about this Colb Matheson. Adrian would be able to help decipher anything suspicious and give her his thoughts on marching on Mercia. How would he feel about it? If he believed Alexander called them, no doubt he’d go. But to march against one’s home, it was hard. Even for Norah.
Yells from soldiers on the sparring field caught her attention, and she turned. Men on the north side waved their arms toward her, signaling… something. She stood, staring at them. What were they saying? She swept her eyes around her but saw nothing. What did they see? She looked back to them and caught a man pointing north. Her gaze followed.
She squinted her eyes against the horizon. To the movement.
The ripple of white and silver.
