So I said, “If you choose not to follow me, then you can walk away now, as free Antorans. But I ask you to consider who now sits on the Scarlet Throne. If we allow Joth Tarquin to remain there, what will your future be?”
“What is my future now?” Lore asked. “My brother was among the Ironhearts you attacked as they marched into Highwyn. You gave the Ironhearts there the same promise you’re offering now. Then you and the boy who now sits on the throne killed them all. I don’t know what will happen once I walk away, but I will walk away. I can serve corruption no longer, not you or Joth Tarquin, or Lord Endrick himself. Indeed, my lady, I don’t think there is any difference between any of you.”
Unprepared for that accusation, I recoiled. Had he slapped me he could not have hurt me more. By the time I looked up, only Rosaleen remained.
“You can go too,” I told her. “I want you to go. Your brother is desperate to see you.”
“I vowed to serve the Infidante,” she said. “If she is still there inside you—”
“She’s not.” I withdrew Harlyn’s sword. “I am releasing you as an Ironheart, but as your queen, I have one order that you must fulfill. Find my father, Darrow. Ask him to find me, wherever I am. I do not know if he will come, but he is the only one who would. Then go to your brother.”
Rosaleen nodded and gave me a polite bow before she ran in one direction while I began marching toward the throne room, ready for revenge. Surely in his paranoia, Joth had not left that room all night.
And if there was a price for my victory, Joth Tarquin would dearly pay it.
Early the following morning, all the soldiers who had fought with us returned to Woodcourt to regroup. I was out there with them as each group arrived, exhausted, often wounded, and diminished in spirit. I was little better.
First to arrive were the Brill, with only half their original numbers. Reports had already come in of how the last of Endrick’s Dominion had targeted them with the carnoxen. The Brill’s eventual victory had come at a terrible price.
The effects of the loss were evident in Imri Stout’s face. The Brill were notoriously proud of their beauty, but dark bags hung beneath her reddened eyes now, which appeared to have little life left in them.
“Our country has lost so very much,” she said. “We should have licked our wounds and remained in Brill, rather than come here.”
“I hope you will stay and help us,” I said, “though I understand if you choose to leave.”
“The Brill never leave in defeat,” she said. “We will see this battle through to the end, and leave victorious or we will not leave at all.”
I nodded at her, with deep respect for the honor she showed us.
But the way Imri responded left me confused as to whether she felt the same respect for me. “Word is spreading among my people that you have challenged Joth to a duel for the throne.”
I arched a brow. “How did you hear that?”
“The restored Navan who still remain loyal to him have been sent throughout Highwyn as criers, commanding everyone within the sound of their voice to be at the palace courtyard at noon today, to see you kneel in recognition of him as king.”
I clicked my tongue and felt my hand curl into a fist. He would not have ordered such a thing unless he was certain of a victory.
“We can offer you our technologies,” Imri said. “The Brill have abilities nearly equal to some of what Endrick was once able to do.”
“We agreed there would be no magic,” I said, quickly adding, “Which means no imitation of magic either. The people must see a fair fight between us.”
“And you believe Joth will follow through on that?”
“No.” I had challenged Joth as a lure to draw him out of the throne room. Either by intention or desperation, he would cheat, which I’d hoped would turn the entire population against him. Then I would order a mass attack, one he would not be able to counter.
That had been the plan, until only a handful of his Navan had left me on the floor, so helpless that I’d needed rescuing by Joth’s mother, a fact that stung more than I wished to admit. There was a chance that the coming duel, now only hours away, would end the same. It was likely that I would lose in front of a crowd of onlookers who believed Joth had legitimately earned his victory.
Imri left in one direction while Basil and Trina entered Woodcourt’s grounds from another, with Gabe and Huge not far behind. Gabe briefly locked eyes with me, then shook his head and moved on toward the stables. That was fine with me. I walked over to Basil and Trina instead.
Trina nudged me. “He’s been your best friend for years! Get over there and talk to him.”
I shook my head, angry at her suggestion that this was somehow my problem to solve. “He struck first, Trina.”
“Yes, but to be fair, most of us have felt like hitting you at least once over the past several months. I’m sure Gabe held out as long as he could.”
She had meant it as a joke, but I didn’t take it that way. And when I didn’t smile, she added, “With Tenger’s death, Gabe will probably become the new captain of the Coracks. How can you finish this battle if you can’t even speak to each other?”
“Do you know why he hit me?” I asked. “He’s in love with Harlyn.”
Beside Trina, Basil chuckled. “If that’s true, then surely you understand how Gabe feels.” When I looked at him for an explanation, Basil added, “I loved Kestra. And at first it infuriated me to see she preferred you, because I was the more obvious choice. I was a prince; you were part of a failing rebellion. I offered her protection while you placed her in greater jeopardy.” He smiled. “And I’m clearly more handsome.”
“You’re saying that Gabe is angry because Harlyn is choosing me?”
Basil shook his head. “I thought I loved Kestra, until I saw the way you loved her. I’m saying that you are angry with Gabe because he loves Harlyn more than you ever can.”
I opened my mouth to answer, then hesitated as I absorbed his words. Not so many months ago, Endrick changed Kestra’s memories so that she believed she loved Basil. That had nearly destroyed me. Hoping to restore her memories, I had risked my position with the Coracks, even my own life, and done everything possible to …
A knot formed in my gut. I had risked everything because I was in love with her.
I still was in love with her.
Despite reason and experience and the constant twisting of my heart, I was drawn to Kestra as if she was my next breath. And if my heart twisted with every thought of her, perhaps that was only to hold her in there when everything else wanted to pull us apart. I realized then that, in some form, I always had loved her, even as a young boy. And no matter what consequences might still come to me, I knew that I always would.
Kicking at the ground, I said, “Basil, I owe you a lifetime of apologies.”
“You owe me nothing. I have all that I want,” he said, wrapping an arm around Trina, who nestled in against him. Until that moment, I hadn’t noticed any particular affection between them, but clearly I should have noticed.
“Go and make things right between you and your friend,” Trina said, nudging my shoulder.
I offered my hand to Basil. “You are a better person than I ever was.”