Page 28

Chapter 28

Olivia

S omehow, word of their rescue reached the palace ahead of them. When they rode through the front gates and across the long courtyard, they found Lord and Lady Emerson waiting on the front steps of the palace, along with King Robert and Queen Elsinore. The two monarchs looked tense, and Olivia suspected their hands had been full preventing Marigold’s parents from racing into the city in search of her.

As soon as Marigold tumbled off her horse, her mother scooped her into a hug, and her father turned a furious face on Cade. But Julius leaped down and inserted himself between the older and younger lord.

“We have just rescued your daughter from a warehouse, where she was shackled and held in captivity with another abducted girl. Lord Cade was part of the group that fought to free her and was responsible for working out where she was being held. Without him, she would likely still be in captivity right now. I will not permit any more of the baseless accusations you spewed last night.”

Lord Emerson drew himself up, his eyes flashing, but Julius held his gaze, his face steadfast. Lord Emerson finally relaxed, throwing a single vitriolic look at Cade before turning to his wife and daughter.

But when he tried to embrace Marigold, she thrust him away. “All this happened because of your stubbornness! I wouldn’t have been abducted to stop me marrying the prince if you hadn’t insisted on the betrothal in the first place!”

“That’s why you were abducted?” Olivia asked, realizing that in all the chaos, no one had clarified that point.

Marigold shrugged. “As best I could work out from the occasional comments dropped by my captors. They didn’t bother with a ransom demand because they were planning to hold me until the prince married someone else.”

“I’m relieved you were rescued but devastated you were in captivity for so long,” King Robert said gravely. He turned to Julius. “Well done, son. From what I hear, tales of your bravery are already spreading through the city.”

Julius raised his brows. “And the bravery of the others, I hope.” He indicated Olivia, Daphne, and Cade. “I didn’t do it alone.”

“As to that—” Whatever the king had been about to say was interrupted by the appearance of a man in palace livery.

Olivia recognized the man as one of King Robert’s most trusted aides—the same man who had reported on the response of the crowd the day of her betrothal announcement. She watched as the man whispered in the king’s ear, and whatever he was imparting must have been significant because she could see the traces of strong emotion on King Robert’s face, despite his lifetime of royal training.

When the man finished, the king nodded before turning to the people before him.

“Son, Lord and Lady Emerson, I must consult with you at once.”

“Have the men we captured been questioned?” Olivia asked eagerly, unable to keep quiet. “Have they identified their employer?”

“That is a matter for the guards,” the king said. “I’m sure we will receive a report in due time.”

Olivia’s brows drew together. “But?—”

“I’m afraid you will have to excuse us,” the king said inexorably. “We need to deal with a matter of both urgency and sensitivity.”

Before Olivia could think of anything to say, Lord and Lady Emerson, Marigold, and Julius had somehow been swept inside, leaving Olivia, Daphne, and Cade to wait with the horses until the approaching grooms arrived.

Olivia’s mouth dropped open. She turned to Daphne, incensed. “The abduction of girls from across the capital—and even of the daughter of one of the richest and most influential families in the kingdom—isn’t a matter of urgency and sensitivity?”

Daphne’s eyes narrowed. “What do you think, Lord Cade?”

But when the two girls turned to Cade, he was already halfway up the stairs to the palace door.

Olivia’s mouth fell open again. “Is he going after them? What is happening right now?”

“I don’t know,” Daphne said, her voice uncharacteristically grim. “But I don’t like it. The abductions should be their top priority right now. Unless there’s been an invasion we haven’t heard about or something.”

Despite everything, Olivia laughed. The idea was impossible to imagine. There had been peace between the kingdoms far beyond living memory.

“Come back to my suite,” Daphne said when the grooms finally reached them, and Olivia had given instructions for returning the horses. “You’ll just worry yourself sick if I leave you alone.”

Olivia reluctantly agreed, but she only ended up pacing Daphne’s suite instead of her own.

“Sit down,” her cousin complained. “I’m tired just watching you.”

“You’re always tired.” Olivia paced to the end of the room and back again. “Maybe we should go to the guards’ barracks ourselves. Julius ordered the prisoners brought there as soon as possible, so the first ones might have arrived. We could?—”

“What?” Daphne asked dryly. “Conduct the interrogation ourselves? I suppose you’re trained in the skillful questioning of hostile prisoners, are you? I didn’t realize that was part of the crown princess’s duties.”

Olivia sighed and finally collapsed into a chair. “When you put it like that, I do sound ridiculous, don’t I?”

Daphne smiled, but the expression didn’t last long. “I understand your concern. There is definitely something strange about this situation. They should be hailing you as a hero right now, not leaving you here, excluded and alone to worry.” Her voice dropped. “I expected more from your prince.”

Olivia frowned. “It isn’t Julius’s fault. His duty as crown prince is heavy, and if there’s a legitimate matter of concern to the kingdom, then of course he must attend to it.”

“ If being the crucial word in that sentence,” Daphne muttered.

Olivia rubbed her neck. “It’s nearly time for the evening meal. We’re scheduled to eat with Julius and his parents, so let’s wash up and dress appropriately. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to hear what’s going on over the food.”

Daphne looked skeptical, but she didn’t protest, allowing Olivia to leave for her own suite.

The corridors of the palace were abuzz, but no one stopped her—if anything, they seemed to be avoiding her—and she reached her suite quickly. Inside, she found Mildred out of her usual nest, cowering behind a sofa. It was a comical sight, given the mouse was much larger than the back of the chair, but Olivia hurried to her side, murmuring quiet reassurances.

“Did you pick up on the atmosphere of the palace, girl?” she whispered, patting Mildred’s soft fur. “Don’t worry, you’re safe.” Determination hardened in her voice. “I’m about to find out what’s going on.”

The mouse finally calmed and returned to her nest, and Olivia moved to her bedchamber. But as soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, she froze.

The entire room lay in ruins. Her bed curtains had been pulled down and the bedclothes thrown across the room. All her drawers had been pulled out and their contents piled haphazardly on the floor. The wardrobe doors stood open, and a figure leaned inside, in the process of rifling through her dresses.

“What?” Olivia gasped, too shocked to avoid the loud exclamation.

The man immediately straightened and turned to look at her. Their eyes met across the room, and Olivia’s mouth dropped open.

“Zane!? What in the kingdoms are you doing right now?”

Of all the unexpected happenings of the day, finding Julius’s friend destroying her room was the most unexpected and inexplicable.

Zane sprang into motion, sprinting toward her. Skirting the bed, he leaped over the piles of her discarded belongings.

Too late, Olivia tried to flee. She didn’t make it more than a few steps before he caught her, grabbing both her arms in an iron grip.

“Let go of me!” She kicked at him and opened her mouth to scream.

He dodged, twisting her around and restraining her with a single arm across her middle, her back to his chest and both her arms trapped. It left his other hand free to cover her mouth.

Olivia struggled wildly, but her efforts did little to loosen his hold.

“Where is it?” he growled in her ear. “Where have you stashed it?”

Olivia shrugged, trying to indicate that she couldn’t answer with a hand over her mouth. He seemed to get the point because he slowly removed his hand, although his arm still hovered ready to silence her again.

“Zane, seriously!” she cried. “What are you doing? What are you even looking for? I haven’t stashed anything anywhere!”

But even as she said the words, a thought made her stiffen. She did usually have something stashed in her room. Something she had slipped into her pocket that morning, just in case.

“That’s right,” Zane said. “Where is that Auldanan mirror of yours? And what does it do?”

Cold seeped through Olivia. In all her calculations on whether or not to keep the mirror, she’d never envisaged this scenario. She should have handed it over to Julius long ago.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said stiffly, but Zane only laughed.

“If it isn’t in the room,” he said, “then perhaps…”

He used his free hand to tap at her pockets, quickly finding the bulky shape of the mirror in the second one.

“Aha!”

Olivia broke into fresh struggles, but she was too weak to overpower him, and he wrestled the mirror free.

He held it up in front of him, gazing at his own face. “Now, what does it do?” he asked. “What does it show? Will it reveal places and people far away? Does it let you spy on others?”

“What? No, of course not,” Olivia cried, shocked.

The way Zane was restraining her meant she could see into the mirror as easily as he could, and it showed a face inflamed with anger and furious pride, the emotions overlaid with fear. It was nothing like the languid mask he usually showed the world.

The sight shocked Olivia and made her question every interaction she had ever had with him. Did Cade know of his brother’s true nature?

Several things came together in Olivia’s mind, all at the same moment. Cade’s odd behavior ever since they learned the details of Elisabeth’s ransom demand. The information she had learned in her lessons about the Strathmores’ business interests. And the truth she had just seen in the mirror. Her heart sank all the way down to her toes. She didn’t want to believe it, but she couldn’t resist the words that came out of her mouth.

“Doesn’t your family own the largest glassblowing workshop in Sovar?” she asked quietly. “I don’t suppose you’re in the process of expanding that business? Perhaps even trying to obtain a monopoly on glass distribution?”

Zane’s arm tightened convulsively around her.

“Be quiet!” he snapped.

Energy spiked through Olivia’s system. Lord Emerson had accused Lord Strathmore of taking his daughter, and he had been nearly right. It had been Lord Strathmore’s son who had taken Marigold. But not Cade. It had all been Zane. The abductions. The ransom demands. Did his father and brother know?

But, no. There was no way Cade had known of his brother’s scheme. Even before Marigold had become a victim, he wouldn’t have acquiesced in such a strategy. He certainly wouldn’t have agreed afterward.

But he had grown up alongside Zane. He must have known something of his brother’s true nature. And he would know his family’s business plans better than the rest of them. At some point in the afternoon, he had guessed the whole truth—probably as soon as he heard the ransom demand. Was that how he had known of the abandoned warehouse? It was probably one of the Strathmore properties. No wonder Cade had been both desperate and subdued. And no wonder the Larkins had assured them so many times that they meant to follow the demands to the letter. They had guessed which family it was and knew Cade was one of the Strathmore sons.

But did the king and queen know? Was that the news the aide had brought?

One of the captives might already have talked. If King Robert had just learned that one of the most trusted and influential families in the kingdom was responsible for kidnapping the daughter of someone as powerful as Lord Emerson, she could understand his wanting to deal with it as quickly and sensitively as possible.

She could even understand Julius’s continued absence. Lord Emerson wouldn’t be easy to placate.

“What have you done, Zane?” she whispered.

“Be quiet!” he snapped, giving her a small shake along with the words. “With my foolish brother too weak to advance the family’s interests, it was up to me to advance the Strathmore fortune. I’ve only done what I had to. And then the news that an Emerson would sit on the throne.” The arm holding Olivia trembled. “Unthinkable. I couldn’t allow it to happen.”

“But you were willing to let me marry Julius?” Olivia asked, curious despite herself.

Zane laughed, but it was an unpleasant, cruel sound. “Of course. If the crown is weakened, the Strathmores will rise even stronger. It’s just a pity Cade wasn’t born a girl. He might have done some good for us then. Or if my useless mother could have had another child. We could have seen a Strathmore on the throne instead, and my father could have seen his grandchild as crown prince. But no more equivocating. What does the mirror do? I could have been out of the palace and free by now if I hadn’t stopped to look for it. But if it’s a spy mirror, it will be worth the delay. They’ll never catch me then.”

“It shows the true emotions behind your mask,” Olivia said, unable to keep her voice from shaking. “And it was made by an apprentice, so it doesn’t even always work. It clearly didn’t work the last time I saw you reflected in it. It isn’t as valuable as you think. You’ve delayed your flight for no reason at all.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Zane said in a voice that sent fresh chills down Olivia’s spine. “The mirror might not be what I hoped it was, but I think I’ve found something valuable anyway.”

Olivia swallowed.

“Don’t worry,” Zane said, “if you don’t fight me, there’s no reason for you to get hurt. You know all about the other girls, so I’m sure you already know that. Don’t resist me, and as long as my demands are met, you’ll be freed without any harm. I’m not a monster.”

“I think that’s exactly what you are,” Olivia snapped. “And you must be a bigger fool than I ever dreamed if you think Their Majesties will give you anything in exchange for me.”

“Oh, I’m not thinking of Their Majesties.” Zane’s voice held smug amusement. “I’ve seen the way you and your gallant prince look at each other. I’m willing to bet that Foolish Julius would give up his kingdom to keep you safe.”

Olivia swallowed again, chiding herself for the ridiculous bubble of hope that rose up despite her situation. His words couldn’t possibly be true, could they?

Zane let go of her, and Olivia was so surprised by the unexpected move, that it took her a full second to remember to flee. By the time she tried, he had his sword drawn and the tip hovering at her back.

“I promise I’m faster than you are,” he growled. “Remember, if you cooperate, you’ll come to no harm.”

Olivia nodded meekly while her mind raced. She had no intention of allowing Julius to sacrifice anything to save her.

Zane prodded her lightly, propelling her through the door of her bedchamber and into her sitting room. Mildred was cowering behind the sofa again, squeaking frantically, and Olivia wished fleetingly that she’d befriended a tiger instead of a mouse. But she couldn’t blame Mildred for her nature. It was what had kept her alive for years.

She still looked longingly at the mouse, though, and called her name. But Zane pushed her roughly forward.

“Ignore the ridiculous mouse,” he said. “If she tries to come to your rescue, it will be the last thing she does.”

Olivia gulped and went silent as Zane swapped his sword for a dagger and pressed close behind her, keeping the concealed point against her back. As they stepped into the corridor, Olivia cast a final glance backward, meeting the beady black eyes of Mildred and hearing a final squeak.