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Require Galbraith and Lovelock to pledge their support if there is war.Kaerius watched Marin’s face, trying to see how much of this she understood.Galbraith owes me his life. He can repay that by supporting you in whatever comes. And Lovelock has no reason to bow to Boravia, does he?

Marin frowned. “I don’t have enough to offer to ensure the support of Severt or Frinta, but I will try, I suppose. Severt has no reason to support a Boravian invasion, and Frinta would have to renegotiate their access to the port if we fell under Boravian control.”

Do not marry that stonefish. His face is the best thing about him, and even that is enough to choke a tiger shark. He is toxic, and his very presence makes me ill. His prettiness is shallow and quickly forgotten when you feel his venom.

“I don’twantto marry him!” Marin dashed tears from her eyes. “But I don’t think I have a choice, if I love my people. I’ll do this, even this, if it means saving my people from a war we cannot win.”

On the day that the Boravian ships are to arrive, let us watch them come into view together. Ralph is probably not lying, because the threat is so easily proven in two days, but I want to see proof of his leverage against you.

I will ask my people if they know of the ships, and if so, I will have them drive the Boravians off.

Brighton watched all this, frowning in confusion. “What?” he said finally. “I got a little of that but not enough to make sense.”

I will ask my people to help. We will watch for the ships together in two days. And I will kill Ralph tonight.He started toward the door.

Marin caught at his arm. “What are you doing?”

How dare that despicable stonefish threaten you! If we fight Boravia, then we fight. But he should die for threatening you, after you have been far kinder and more hospitable than he deserves. I am going to kill him. You have every right to defend yourself with deadly force, and I am both deadly and honored to be of service.Kaerius bowed deeply.

“Wait.” Marin’s voice caught on what sounded like a sob. “I don’t want to kill him in cold blood, even if he deserves it.” She gripped Kaerius’s sleeve more tightly, her eyes wide and tear-filled. “And when the Boravian ships arrive, if Ralph is dead, it will be much harder to negotiate a peaceful surrender.”

“So use tomorrow to gain what support you can from Severt and Frinta. I’ll meet with General Preston and Admiral McDonagh tonight to marshal our defenses.” Brighton sagged, and his wife wrapped her arm around his waist to support him.

Marin held his gaze for a moment. “Thank you,” she said at last. “I suppose we will fall in the end, but I will do everything in my power to save the lives of the good and honorable soldiers and sailors of Eleria.”

There is little use in my seeking my people tonight. They will not hear me. May I listen in on your meetings, Brighton?

The guard leaned more heavily on his wife. “Whatever you think best.”

Chapter 20

The guards at the door were instructed to bring the Elerian military officials for an emergency meeting with Brighton, and one of the princess’s sitting rooms was transformed into a conference room within a matter of minutes. The desk was cleared of ornamental trinkets and the vase of flowers to make room for maps and little wooden cubes of various colors which represented different units and divisions of soldiers and types of ships with their crews.

Eleria boasted only six real warships and a number of fishing vessels which had been outfitted with limited weaponry in previous years and could be called upon at need. When compared with the expected convoy of well-armed Boravian warships, this number seemed small indeed. The Elerian admiral seemed reasonably astute as he planned to deploy his few ships in defensive positions just inside the bay, where they could bombard and perhaps even ram the attacking ships while being somewhat protected from the larger naval forces. Still, they would be badly outnumbered and overpowered.

The situation on land was not much better. The mountains provided some protection, but the Boravian forces were manytimes larger. As the coming spring made more passes usable, the border would become more difficult to defend by the day.

Marin listened to the conversation but had little to add. It was clear to Kaerius that she trusted these leaders, and he imagined they had served her father honorably for years before she had been forced to step into his place. The king listened too, but he said even less than his daughter.

The higher ranking military officers obviously felt they did not have to defer to Brighton, but they appeared to like and respect him, and the few times he said anything, they listened. Officially, he was in charge of the royal guards and the defense of the palace itself, and thus was subordinate to the general. Still, his position was one of great responsibility, and he was also known to be liked and trusted by the princess. For the first half hour, he stood over the map and watched as they moved units around. Then, apparently too dizzy and exhausted to stay upright, he staggered to the nearest chair and collapsed with his head in his hands.

“You ought to be in bed,” said General Preston. “Let the silent prince help you to your room.”

“I’m all right,” Brighton mumbled. “The light… can I have a cloth to cover my eyes?”

Marin found a silk scarf, and Brighton wrapped it around his head like a turban and pulled the folds of cloth down to cover his eyes.

“What’s that for?” asked the admiral.

“The light feels like knives through my eyelids,” muttered Brighton, with an uncharacteristic catch in his voice. “Keep on. I’ll just listen.”

He put his head back against the high back of the chair and drifted in and out of a dazed stupor of pain and fatigue. When one of the other men asked why Kaerius was allowed to listenin, Brighton waved a hand and muttered, “He’ll help protect Her Highness.”

Marin agreed with this, and though Kaerius’s vow of love for the princess was not understood by the officers, he was allowed to stay.

In the darkest hours before morning, they had a rough plan, and the officers departed to convey this plan to their subordinates. Lila and Kaerius helped Brighton to bed.

When Marin was about to retreat to her private rooms, Kaerius caught her hand.Your Highness, I love you.