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‘Yes.But it’s getting late, we have to head back,’ he said.

It was then that I realised the sun was sinking in the sky.How long had I been sitting by that tree?I’d completely lost track of time, lost myself in whatever magic held me in its thrall.

‘We can come back another time, if you like,’ he continued as he placed his hand on the small of my back to get me moving.

Maybe I should have been concerned about coming back, about what that magic was doing to me, what it wanted from me, but it didn’t feel ominous and I found myself more curious than anything.It felt like there was something I could learn here, like the Evalian had something to tell me.I shook the thought away, because it strangely didn’t feel like mine.‘I’d like that,’ I said with a smile.

Maybe next time I’d find some answers.

The day left me with a confusing view of Solas.I didn’t feel like I knew him any better than before, he always kept himself hidden behind a mask of civility.I was still no closer to figuring out who he really was, and I think he liked it that way.It was all part of whatever game he was playing and I still didn’t know where exactly I sat on the board.

When we returned to the palace, a cacophony of voices filled the entrance hall, all of them speaking over each other, rendering the words unrecognisable as they bounced off the walls, but the emotion behind them was easy enough to read.

Something was wrong.

Solas strode forward as if he’d forgotten I existed, all that kingly authority wrapped around him like a cloak.I quickly followed after him, being sure not to draw attention to myself in case he sent me away before I could find out what had happened.

‘What is the meaning of this commotion?’he demanded.

Silence fell heavily over the room and everyone seemed to freeze in place as they turned to stare at us, faces a mixture of shock and panic.It seemed no one wanted to be the bearer of bad news.

Marietta stepped forward, eyes glossy with unshed tears.‘Your Majesty, something terrible has happened,’ she said.‘Paveil was attacked.’

‘Attacked?’Lord Bastielle said incredulously.‘The rebels didn’t attack it, they razed it to the ground!’

‘Why attack such a small village on the outskirts?’Solas asked.He seemed completely unfazed by the news but his face was still, like a frozen lake.What emotions was he hiding beneath that stoic surface?

‘What reason do those scum need besides chaos?’Lord Kremic said.He was a short, unpleasant sort of man, I’d only really seen him in passing and I didn’t like the way he looked at me, as if I had no right to be in the Summer Palace.

‘Actually, Paveil is responsible for approximately a quarter of our food supplies,’ Niall said.‘This could have a significant impact on the city if we don’t restore the village quickly.’

‘What about the people?’I asked, the words toppling from my lips before I could stop them as horrific images flashed through my mind.The room fell silent once more, a stillness that answered my question without the need for words, making my blood run cold.

‘We’ve found no survivors as yet, my lady,’ Niall said, a softness in his voice that seemed out of place in that room.It was as if he was trying to lessen the blow for me somehow.

I didn’t quite know how to react to that.What kind of place was Paveil?How many people lived there?I’d previously felt sympathy for the lesser fae and the way they’d been treated, but how could they do something so unthinkable?To wipe out an entire village.

‘There’s something else, Your Majesty,’ Lord Bastielle said, stepping forward.There was a gleam in his eyes I didn’t like.‘We weren’t the only ones they attacked.’He said it like it was a good thing and I bristled, my hands clenching at my sides.

‘Oh?’

‘The Unseelie Palace was also hit.They struck at the throne room itself.’

‘Who was in attendance?’Solas asked.There was little emotion in his voice—as if he was asking what they’d had for lunch—but I could have sworn there was a spark of interest in his eyes.

‘The queen and her advisors, several members of the Unseelie nobility, and the prince.’

A gasp left my lips before I could stop it.It was as if the world fell away and I was floating in a voice.And the prince.

Tarian.

Oh god.A wave of nausea hit me and the world seemed to spin as it came back into focus.Gentle hands gripped my arms, helping to hold the weight of my body that I couldn’t seem to hold on my own anymore.Solas clicked his tongue in irritation.‘Get her out of here,’ he ordered.

It was then that I realised Marietta had come to my aid.She nodded at Solas and turned her full attention to me.‘Come on, let’s get you to your room,’ she said softly, her voice a strange contrast to the turmoil that had broken loose inside me.I wanted to ask if Tarian was alright, if he was alive, but I didn’t want to hear the answer if it was no.I couldn’t bear to hear that answer.My body began to tremble as we neared my room, and I was vaguely aware of Marietta fluttering about me, lowering me into a chair, stoking a fire, placing a warm cup in my hands.She was saying something but I couldn’t make out the words as I stared into the dancing flames before me, my mind gripped with fear.

Oh god, please let him be alive.

Chapter 9