Page 120

“It appears they have lost one of their number along the way.” Mehl lifted his brows in warning, and subtly, she nodded. Message received. “Regardless of how it happened, there may be trouble if the envoys are upset at the loss. I hope you will stick close to Ria, especially if there is an argument. Court affairs can be distressing for newcomers, and both of you are that.”

“Thank you for the warning, Your Majesty,” Ryssa said. “I will be extra careful with Her Highness’s health and with my own. Of course, in the moment, I’ll have to do as my lady commands.”

Mehl tipped his head in acknowledgment. “Naturally. But I thought it best that neither of you be surprised.”

Although Ryssa fell silent, she wasn’t unaffected. Mehl was close enough to detect the telling surge of power as she reinforced her shields, and her expression held an uncanny focus. He almost wished Ber would find her first, for he had a feeling Ryssa would happily gut her treacherous husband before the man had time to recognize who stood in front of him. But no. She would not act so hastily while she was with child.

Once she’d given birth? Then, all bets were off.

* * *

As soon asthe door to the archives closed behind them, Ria sagged against the edge of the nearest table in relief. A momentary thing, surely, since there was still Ber on the loose. But for a single moment, she allowed herself to savor her triumph. She’d survived both the presentation and reception without making a fool of herself.

Thank the gods.

Then Ria’s gaze landed on the door, and unease slipped back in. Ryssa had insisted she was happy to sit on the bench in the corridor, and there were at least three guards out there. But would she really be safe? Her tense demeanor had been worrisome, too. Although the princess wasn’t the timid kind, she was vulnerable where the prince was concerned. Was she afraid of what he might do?

“Do you think Ryssa is truly fine out there?” Ria asked.

Mehl nodded. “Angry more than anything, I’d say. As for safety, our bodyguards do know that Ber is missing and that even your companion might be a target. And don’t forget that she is cloaked in a glamour.”

Ria let out a long breath to release some of her tension and then stood. “You’re right. I suppose I’m used to it.”

“Wherever he is hiding, I doubt he will break his cover even if he does recognize her,” Toren said, his voice vibrating with the force of all the power he withheld. Ria frowned. The longer they delayed, the more his energy would build up. “He is too intent on destroying me.”

“Then we should hurry,” Ria said.

The High King nodded.

She followed Toren’s clipped steps to one of the patches of wall between the bookcases, where he settled his hand beneath a sconce holding a mage-lit globe. His magic pulsed, and Ria flinched at the sharp, sudden snap of it. Even when that pulse had faded, the fine hairs on her arms still prickled from the heightened energy in the room.

Perhaps this had been ill-advised with his control so weak.

Acrackmade her jump, but it wasn’t Toren’s power. Part of the wall slid out a hair, and Toren dug his fingers into the gap and pulled it out farther. Really, it looked like a long, deep box with a lid made of stone. She expected him to carry the entire thing to the table, but apparently, that wasn’t necessary. Somehow, the slab remained suspended without additional support.

“Mehl,” Toren said softly. “Could you help me lift the lid? I would normally use magic, but…”

But he might destroy everything in the room.

Mehl apparently didn’t need that reminder, for he rushed forward to grab one side of the stone slab. At Toren’s signal, they heaved it upward, leaning it back against the wall. Ria peeked over the lip of the wall-turned-box. What kind of container held one of the most important ancient tomes in their kingdom?

A surprisingly nice one, considering the exterior. The finest silk velvet in a shade of deep royal green lined the inside, so soft-looking that Ria’s fingers itched to touch. Her father had bought many fine fabrics for nobles, but she’d still never seen something so rich. Did they have a skein of that hidden somewhere? If so, she would surely use it on their wedding outfits, even if it meant a redesign.

“Are you going to look at thebook?” Toren asked, a hint of humor in his quirked brow.

With a sheepish smile, Ria stepped closer and forced her attention on the ancient tome settled atop the velvet like an offering. Even largely untrained, she could feel the layers of protective magics preserving the book within. Should she lift it free, or did it need to remain inside?

“You’ll have to open it within the box,” Toren offered before she could ask.

Ria nodded, but she hesitated to lift the plain leather cover. What page did she need? RRK…223. Or was it 232? She nearly sought out the other book again, but she supposed it didn’t matter. If the first number was wrong, she need only check the second. She didn’t have time to hunt down other texts.

So with trembling fingers, she opened the ancient tome, and as she settled the leather gently against the lining, the sumptuous velvet brushed against her skin. Ria shivered—but she couldn’t linger on the sensation. Instead, she had to focus on turning the thin, age-worn pages until she reached the one she thought she needed.

Page 223.

Upon the failure of the first crown prince to sire an heir upon his estranged wife in the two hundred years before his untimely death, I, the first king of the Eyamiri line, do set forth this rite as completed in my seven-hundred-and-twenty-eighth year. Through my own vast store of power, the first queen and our daughter, the next ruler of this kingdom, have merged into law each stipulation regarding succession. Only the magic of our blood can alter the deep oaths binding us all, and as such, a proper heir must be ensured.

Ria stared down at the text. What was this? It was mere description, not a rite or ritual as such.Howhad the queen and their daughter merged this into their laws? Would a trained mage understand something she was missing? If Ria hoped to use her alteration magic to change the law allowing Ber’s challenge, she had to have a better understanding than this. Gods, she prayed the next paragraph would give more details.