“Were your prophetic visions accurate, Naelros, you would have foreseen the theft of the fragment. Your performance pleases our mistress not at all. Mine does, which is why I command here. I welcome your strength, but it is my vision that has brought us this far, and shall carry us further.”
He tapped a finger on the map. “Caledo will fall. There is nothing a foundling princess from Okrannel or a bastard gutterkin from Alcida can do about it. It is our empress’ will that Muroso fall, and so it shall. Before there is a hope of spring, this nation shall be ours.”
50
Will glanced through the open doorway of Princess Alexia’s room, as if making sure she was alone before he knocked on the jamb. “I’m sorry to disturb you.”
Alyx looked up from a chair near the fireplace and smiled. She had been preparing to enter the Communion to see if there was anything she could glean from them about Aurolani efforts elsewhere, but the apprehension on Will’s face made it easy for her to set that aside. “No, that’s fine, Will. What’s the matter?”
The thief hesitated, then began slowly. “I was wondering… um, I need some help.” He stepped into the room and extended the small parchment packet in his right hand toward her. “I got this message but, well, I can’t read.”
Alyx beckoned him farther into the room and he came reluctantly, which surprised her. He was more subdued than usual, and certainly more so than anytime since they’d started to put together the group that would attack Chytrine’s supply train. “Crow could have read it for you, or Resolute.”
He shifted his shoulders uneasily. “I would have asked them, but they’re busy. Kerrigan, too. I mean, not that you are not, but…”
“No offense taken.” She took the packet from him and turned it over one side, then the other. It had been sealed with red wax, but the seal meant nothing to her. The address on the reverse had been written in a clean hand and directed the packet to be delivered to Will Norrington in Caledo. Though there was no indication of who had sent it, Alyx was pretty certain it had been written by a woman.
The concern on his face suggested to her that he knew it was from a woman, too, which could have explained his reluctance to have Crow or Resolute read it for him. “Doesn’t say who it is from, but it is meant for you. It was sent here to you in Caledo.”
“So, it’s not from here?”
“Here?”
“Here here, like from the palace or anything?”
“Probably not.” She shook her head, then pointed him to the other chair. “You can sit if you want.”
“I’ll be sitting enough when we ride out. I’ll stand.” Will swayed a bit from side to side, then crossed from the door and rested his hands on the back of the chair she’d pointed to. “You can open it.”
“I’ll have to if I’m to read it, won’t I?” She slid a thumb under the flap and broke the seal. She drew out two folded pieces of parchment and glanced at the bottom of the second page. “It’s signed, ‘The one you saved.’”
Will frowned for a moment and anguish washed over his face. “That’s it?”
Alyx looked at the first page. “Dear Lord Norrington, Since your departure from Meredo, the city has been in an uproar.”
The thief’s anxiety broke and he grinned. “It has to be from Sephi!”
The princess frowned. “Sephi is Scrainwood’s spy?”
“Was. That’s why she said you and Crow were married. She wanted to help me, so I made her my spy.” Will came around and seated himself on the edge of the chair. “What does she say?”
Alexia quickly scanned the two pages. “It’s mostly court gossip. Linchmere’s departure was noticed immediately, and folks are saying that he’s with you, or that Kenleigh and he are off on a mission to Fortress Draconis to save Erlestoke and bring him home to the throne. Various soothsayers are spreading the story that Erlestoke is still alive, but she thinks they might be stalking horses for a group of nobles who are looking to overthrow the king. If they hold Erlestoke up as some paradigm of virtue, King Scrainwood looks even worse, so the people will be upset. One of those lords ended up dead, so she supposes there is a shadow war going on, which is not good.”
Will shook his head as he frowned. “Oriosa, weak as it is, is better than no Oriosa. If it falls apart, Chytrine just pours through it.”
“That’s absolutely true.” Alexia looked at the second page. “King Scrainwood, it seems, is keeping company with Nolda Norrington. I might suggest not letting Kenleigh know that.”
“No, no, I wouldn’t.”
Alexia sighed. “This is not good. My aunt and King Scrainwood have plotted to have the leaders of the world meet in Narriz inside a month, to determine new strategies. Invitations have gone out and travel has been started.
King Bowmar has said nothing, so either he thinks such a meeting is foolishness or…“
“… or they never invited him, figuring he’ll be dead by the time the meetings come off.” The thief closed his eyes for a moment. “They’re assuming that Chytrine won’t just march on into Saporicia.”
And if they assume she will... The implications of that idea surprised her. She could have believed Scrainwood would have set an ambush for his fellow leaders, but Tatyana? That made no sense. What did make sense was that somehow Tatyana had managed to twist Scrainwood around to the point where he saw an advantage in opposing Chytrine, and with the Aurolani horde poised to invade his nation, that wouldn’t have been difficult.
“I don’t know what they are thinking, Will.” Alyx sighed and tried to let the flutter in her gut subside. “She closes with, ‘You should know that the people of Meredo have taken your words to heart. Your Freemen have set an example. There are free militias preparing to defend the nation forming up all over. Refugees are being welcomed and housed. There are even those who think you should be placed on the throne if neither prince survives. I would add my voice to their cries, but it is best I remain hidden. Better to serve you and our cause, which I shall.’”
Will settled back in the chair and let out a big sigh of relief. “Thanks. I should write her back, I guess. I would, if I knew how to write and where she was going to be.”
“That is a problem.” Alexia refolded the letter. “Now, why don’t you tell me the problem you came here to ask me about.”
The thief’s eyes grew wide for a second, then his expression smoothed into one as close to innocent as he could manage. “That was it, the letter.”
“Will, you came here because you must have trusted me. Now the signature ‘the one you saved,’ applies to this Sephi, and to at least one more woman I know of.”
“Two others could say that.” Will shrugged. “One you don’t know.”
“And the other is from here, which also worried you. You thought this was from Sayce.” Alexia rose, closed the door to her chamber, then returned to her chair. “Why would getting a note from her concern you? And what about it couldn’t you ask Crow, Resolute, or Kerrigan?”
“Well, it’s this thing, see. A romantic thing, so Kerrigan wouldn’t know anything about it.”
She smiled. “Will, I don’t think I’m much better equipped than Kerrigan to deal with questions of romance.”
“But you’ve, well, you’ve at least kissed someone.” Will shifted painfully in the chair. “I mean, Crow has, too. He’s kissed you, but he wouldn’t know what a woman thinks. And Resolute, well…”
She held a hand up. “We are agreed on Resolute.” Alyx leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I will help if I can, but it’s probably easier for you to read this letter by yourself than it is for me to read someone else’s feelings.”
“Please, Princess, don’t say that.” The plea in Will’s voice sank deep into her heart. “I can’t… I don’t know who or what or how, and with my going away and Sayce going with you, I mean… I don’t know what I mean.”