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“Because the assassins somehow entered our country unseen.”

“Most likely via the port on a foreign vessel.”

“A possibility,” she agreed, “However, what if they didn’t?”

“How else would they have entered Daerva?”

“Could be they did so via the cliffs.”

Venne harrumphed saying, “Only a fool would try to climb those.”

“Or someone well-paid and trained,” she countered. “Hence why I want an increased naval presence around Daerva.”

“It’s a waste.”

She leaned forward on her desk and eyed him firmly. “This isn’t a request. You will increase the patrols, or I’ll appoint a new admiral who will.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” While Venne did acquiesce, he also grumbled, “However, might I suggest if you’re worried about foreigners entering undetected, you should probably be talking to the portmaster. Rumor has it Loomis has greasy palms.”

“I am already aware and will be handling that matter. You have your orders, Admiral.”

With a disgruntled salute, Venne left, and Avera only needed to give Gustav a quick glance for him to know what she wanted.

The portmaster was summoned.

Lord Juno Loomis, who ran the nearby and largest port title in Horizon’s End, apologized upon meeting her. He was still bent over in a bow as he exclaimed, “I swear those killersdidn’t come in through my docks, Your Majesty. My agents are very thorough at ensuring only people with proper papers disembark.”

Avera raised a brow. “You’re claiming they can’t be bribed?”

The portmaster met her gaze and blanched. “Perhaps a little, but not for anything that would ever harm Daerva.”

“And what do you consider harmless?”

Apparently, Lord Loomis smuggled in alcohol to resell without declaring it or paying any tax. Dishonest, but not a hanging offense, so she let him off with a warning once they confiscated the crates of it in his home. They’d serve it at her coronation.

Horizon’s End, however, was only one of two entry points. Seaserpent Bay, on the opposite side of their continent, proved trickier to contact. The portmaster there, even the dock workers, might have been persuaded to let in the assassins given their lack of traffic since Verlora went dark. While she knew from the ledger that her mother had been sending them funds to keep it running, poverty had a way of making people, even good ones, shed their morals in favor of survival.

Given Avera couldn’t leave to question the portmaster in Seaserpent Bay herself, Gustav dispatched a pair of knights he trusted to investigate. The delay of a reply chafed, though. It would take a week to get there and a week back. If the knights found any guilty parties, then they had an edict signed by her giving them the authority to arrest the culprit.

Now to wait for their return and report.

As the coronation approached, even more lords and ladies arrived from all over the continent. They showed up at the palace with gifts, trying to curry favor, some of them quite lavish and useless like the slippers with heels to make a woman taller. Why would she want to totter around? Avera kept being introduced to bachelor sons of all ages, including a twelve-year-old boy whomade her uncomfortable as he flattered with practiced words. She even had widowed lords with children her age trying to pay her court.

Appalling and tiresome. It led to her grumbling to Gustav, her only confidant, “I might take a consort just to stop the blatant attempts at matchmaking.”

“Do you have someone in mind?” he asked rather than scoffing.

“Depends. Does it have to be a lord?”

“It would be unusual to choose otherwise but not without precedent,” he admitted. “Your great-grandmother ended up marrying a rook.”

“Meaning I could choose you.”

Gustav recoiled so fast he almost fell. “My queen! I am much too old, not to mention involved with someone.”

“Calm yourself. I am jesting. Although, it would solve my problem. You could still bed your paramour and I could get on with ruling this kingdom.”

“But what of an heir?” Gustav reminded.