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“Thanks, Hartley,” Brighton managed.

The guard notified the princess who it was, and a moment later they were admitted.

Lord Galbraith was standing before the princess, who sat behind a heavy desk. Two other guards, including Lt. Sanders, stood behind her, and Kaerius was relieved to know that she had not faced Lord Galbraith alone. Sir Vincent was not present, but Kaerius hoped he would return soon.

At their entrance, the Severtian turned and snarled, “There he is!”

Brighton looked immediately at the princess. “Are you hurt, Your Highness?” he said.

“No.” The princess approached, her eyes sweeping over him. “What happened?”

Brighton sagged more heavily against Kaerius, who pointed at a chair with an inquiring look.

“Of course. Please sit down, Brighton.” The princess hurried to pull the chair out from the wall. Lord Galbraith looked on infrustrated anger as Kaerius, assisted by the young, helped lower Brighton into it as gently as possible.

“Your guard,” said Lord Galbraith, with his voice full of fury, “assaulted me, stabbed me in the shoulder, and threw me over the cliff. He should be executed at once!”

Kaerius’s nostrils flared.You idiot! Besides the fact that Brighton would never do such a thing, how would he have been so badly wounded if he were the culprit? It was obviously Ralph.

Brighton merely stared dully at the foreign lord. “What?” he said at last.

“The last thing I remember is that man running toward me!” Galbraith stabbed a finger in Brighton’s direction. “The moonlight caught his face; I saw him clearly. Then the pain in my shoulder and the fall, and I thought I would die there, on the rocks of your horrible salt-crusted village.”

The princess said, in hot anger, “If Brighton attacked you, then he had good reason to, and if he didn’t, your accusations are the most shocking slander I’ve ever heard!”

“Brighton is his name? Well, I will challenge him to a duel if it will convince you my words are not mere slander.” Lord Galbraith’s hands were shaking with rage and his own lingering shock.

Kaerius stood, feeling cold and hot in succession.No. I didn’t save your life so you could kill my friend. Sit down and shut your lying mouth before I rip out your throat.

“What is he saying?” snapped Galbraith. “Does anyone understand the idiot prince?”

Kaerius stalked over to Galbraith, pointed at his wounded shoulder and then at Brighton, and shook his head firmly.Brighton didn’t attack you, you stupid blobfish! He’s far too honorable and far too competent to leave an enemy as you were left. Besides, you smell like Ralph, and so does he.

“What was that sign again?” the princess asked suddenly.

Ralph.Kaerius turned so that she and Brighton could see his hands clearly.Ralph attacked both Galbraith and Brighton.

“Are you sure?” Marin whispered.

As sure as death.

The young guard by Brighton’s shoulder kept his hand on his sword.

“What do you remember, Brighton?” asked the princess.

A taut silence followed these words. Brighton’s steely blue eyes were a little unfocused as he looked toward Galbraith.

“I don’t… I don’t remember,” he said at last.

“He’s lying!” snapped Galbraith. “I defended myself, and that’s why he’s in that state.”

Brighton closed his eyes and winced. He slouched in the chair, as if he could not stay upright, and the posture looked unnatural to him.

Marin said quietly, “If you defended yourself well enough to put him in this state, how did you end up thrown over the wall? And if he threw you over the wall, then how did he come to be in this state afterwards? Even if you saw him, I cannot see how you can blame him for everything.”

The Severtian lord braced one shaking hand on the desk. “Then who was it? I saw an Elerian uniform and his face, and the darkness, and then there was pain in my shoulder. A dagger, I think. You see the blood here!” He gestured at his wounded shoulder.

The injury did not appear serious, in Kaerius’s opinion; the blood stain had not grown larger since he had found the man on the ledge. He tried not to sneer at the man for his whining. Scorning the Severtian’s gutless, cowardly moaning would not help the princess address the real threat.