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When his wife met his gaze in question, he nodded.

Plans would just have to change.

Tes let out a long breath.“That’s not what we had in mind.”

“Leading the charge?” Selesta asked, frowning.

“Yes.” Gods, she didn’t want to give out more information than she needed to. There was little enough royalty could hold onto. “Instead, we intended to blend in with the others to avoid becoming targets.”

Brow furrowing, the duchess shook her head. “You can’t mean that. Your return is the main reason so many are willing to invade the palace. Sure, they would defend against the king if he invaded Aony to force my hand, but that’s as far as most would have gone. If you’re not seen, there are quite a few who will balk.”

“You don’t understand.” She should have known it would be impossible to maintain any semblance of privacy, but there was nothing for it. “I’m with child.”

Selesta’s furrowed brows shot upward with a speed that was almost alarming. “Already? Didn’t you just give birth?”

“Months ago,” Tes replied, her cheeks going hot. “And it’s early yet with the second child.”

Silence fell, only to be broken when one of the guards let out a celebratorywhoopthat nudged the others into subdued but heartfelt cheers. It would have been considered unseemly at court, but she let them have their joy. Even if it meant her whole body burned with embarrassment by the time they were finished.

Sir Owein leaned toward Ber. “So when you were accused of having a woman in your room, Prince Ber, I assume it was your wife you were tupping?”

To her annoyance, her treacherous husband merely smirked.

“We should not speculate about such things,” Selesta said, earning Tes’s immediate gratitude. “The blessed news of a second heir is all we need to hear. However, I still think we should find a way to have you seenandsafe. I’ll consult with the mages.”

They’d considered magical shielding, but that could be broken if not layered properly. Still, any proposal was worth hearing. It would be preferable for her and Ber to lead the army entering the palace. Fewer of the truly loyal would be killed by mistakenly defending against invasion. Once they observed Tes and Ber, her people would see the battle for what it was: a reclaiming.

“Let me know once you’ve spoken to them,” Tes said.

Selesta inclined her head. “Of course, Your Majesty. In the meantime, we’d intended to camp here tonight before making an early start. Did you pack for such a possibility?”

“Yes,” Ber answered. “I’ll set it up while my wife rests.”

One of the guards stirred. “Sire, I’ll—”

“I’ve trained for war.” Her husband stood and grabbed his pack. “I don’t mind performing the task. See to your own tents, and we’ll all sleep sooner.”

Though there was more staring than working at first, it wasn’t long before the camp was set and all but the night watch had excused themselves. Tes finally rose, pausing to stretch her back before following her husband’s gesture toward the tent flap he held open. It was a small canvas structure, hardly what one would expect of royalty. But of course, that was the point.

She crawled between the bedrolls that Ber had unfolded and stretched out to make them a shared bed. He slid in behind her, and darkness closed around them, only the sound of their breathing and the occasional pop from the campfire sounding around them. She tucked her back against his chest and did her best to relax.

Tomorrow was certain to be an exhausting but momentous day. Selesta had told her the army would begin their march several hours before dawn, meeting their small group by midday. After a brief consultation, they would then advance toward the castle. Although the army would set up camp, noneof them expected the invasion to wait another day. Ryenil would insist on Selesta returning to the palace, and she would do so—with her honor guard.

Tes smiled. Of course, the duchess would also arrive with a supposedly dead princess, a prince wanted for attempted regicide, and the rest of the army, too.

And for the lot of it, said princess needed sleep.

Chapter 55

Barred

Sunshine glinted off countless pieces of armor, hurting Tes eyes until she faced forward once more. Now that she wore her breastplate, which they’d carefully packed with the help of weight-reducing spells, it was no doubt difficult for the soldiers to look at her in turn. At least the shield the mages had cast around her was invisible, or she would have been even more of a spectacle.

And a show she was designed to be. Over supple leather armor, she’d donned a thin, flowing dress at Selesta’s prompting. The breastplate had been fastened over the dress and a tiara pinned atop her head. No doubt, she looked like a maiden in a painting out of myth—more so after she’d mounted her horse and arranged her long skirt around her. Hand her a sword, and she’d be ready for a tapestry.

But as much as she’d resisted the idea, she couldn’t deny that it was effective. When their small group had met up with the army, the cheers had pounded against her ears and kicked her heart into a frantic, joyous beat. And although they’d been on the march for hours, no one showed signs of faltering.

There was a purpose that filled the air around them with palpable resolve. In a country that had been at peace forcenturies, they were eager to depose the king. How could her father have grown so unaware of his own people for their fervor to get to this point? It had to be a lack of attention and caring on his part—this level of discontent did not hide well. It made itself visible in countless ways, tiny cracks that could crumble any kingdom if left untended.