“I’ll admit I’m curious to know more about these,” Cecily said. “She even had a thin dagger—that one—hidden in her corset.”
Ransom stared at the arrangement in wonderment. “Put these in a chest and keep them safe,” he said. “I wonder if one of those vials contains a cure for the poison she’s murdered our kings with.”
“I can ask her,” Cecily said. “She might, after some confinement, prove more willing to share her secrets. And Estian’s.”
“We must confirm the truth of her stories before we dare trust her,” Lady Deborah said. “And I, for one, feel we’ve grabbed a snake by the tail. The whole time she was being searched, I feared for my life. She may try to barter those secrets for her freedom.”
“I don’t intend to set her free,” Ransom said. “If she won’t cooperate, then I see no reason to let her live.”
“Seems a pity to send her over the falls too soon,” Cecily said.
“Oh, I’m not going to send her over the falls,” Ransom said solemnly. “If it comes to that.”
Lady Deborah looked confused. “But the king said that was the only way a Fountain-blessed could be killed?”
“I don’t trust him. Who knows how much of what he said is true? Like Alix, he will say and do anything to win his freedom. And hers. I’ll honor the vow to release him after we secure a proper price and the prince’s realm is more stable. Where to keep her is the challenge.”
“What would Lady Claire do with her?” Cecily asked with a cunning smile.
“Probably put her in the burial mounds and seal the door. A dungeon will do. Maybe the queen’s tower if she offers help? But we may need to find another place for her. A place she is unable to escape.”
“You can’t watch her day and night, Ransom,” Cecily said.
Ransom sighed. “I cannot. For now, I want you and Hans Dragan to take turns guarding the poisoner. She must not escape.”
“I have no intention of letting her go,” Cecily said. “The sooner we get back to our stronghold, the better I’ll feel. I miss the Espion tunnels.”
Ransom retreated from the room while Cecily gathered up the poisoner’s tools. The knights had finished their preparations for departure, and they were soon on their way to Kingfountain. Estian rode by Ransom’s side the entire journey. Dawson rode with the prince. The storm had finally ended, and the cool air and orange leaves suggested that winter would soon be upon them.
It was a two-day ride to the palace, but they were met by Lord Kiskaddon’s men before they arrived. Faulkes had done his duty and related the events, and Kiskaddon had come personally with his knights to escort them back to the city. When he saw Estian, his brow lowered and his lip curled in disgust. He was another man who saw the Occitanian king as his sworn enemy.
When they reached the palace to the fanfare of a jubilant city, the streets were thronged with people who cheered for the young prince. The peoples’ cries of adoration were enough to warm Ransom’s heart. But it pleased him even more to learn that the fleet Claire had sent had ravaged Estian’s ships in the harbor. The flag of Legault flew aboard the ships, its beautiful knot pattern rippling in the pleasant breeze. Only three of Estian’s ships had surrendered during the fighting. His defeat was absolute.
As they rode over the bridge, the noise of the falls filled Ransom with a surge of homesickness. There was the palace atop the hill, still standing—forever unbreached. But he could not forget the whispers he’d heard on his last visit.
Part of him feared this was not over, however it might seem.
After disembarking at the palace, he was greeted by the aging Sir Iain, who had come up from Beestone and was preparing accommodations for the upcoming coronation. Ransom carried the chest with the Wizr set into the palace himself, not trusting it to any hands other than his own. He slipped away from the others as soon as he could, retreating to the garden where he used to meet Claire and Emiloh. It provided an entrance to the cistern below the castle. As he paused at the steps, he opened the board once more. All was in order. And there was a new piece coming along the strip of black and white squares from the direction of Glosstyr. Claire. He breathed out a sigh of relief. She was coming.
After closing the lid, he carried the case down the steps to the edge of the water. He felt a ripple of his Fountain magic as he bent low and set the chest into the waters. After straightening, he looked down into the water, but the chest was undetectable. He retreated back to the palace and felt weariness pressing in on him.
As he approached his room, he saw Cecily standing to one side of the door, her back against the wall. Dawson was holding her hands in his, having just lowered her knuckles from his lips. They both turned and smiled when they saw it was him approaching.
“It’s dusk already,” Ransom observed, noticing the torches were all alight now, and the sunlight was fading outside. “Where is she?”
There was no doubt as to whom he meant.
“The dungeon below the palace,” Cecily said. “The Espion all know none of them are to bring her food or speak with her without little dabs of wax in their ears. They know her magic is very persuasive. She’s alone, in her chains, behind an iron door.”
Ransom could sense Alix in the palace, and although the presence was dimmed by distance, he knew exactly where to find her.
“Good. I will speak to her tonight before going to bed. Where is Estian?”
“He’s in the stateroom on the east side of the palace. Six knights guard him.”
Ransom nodded and then looked at Dawson. “I think Dearley might return with Claire and the children by tomorrow. Let Sir Iain know and find out if we can be moved to a different set of rooms so we can all be together.”
“Of course, my lord,” Dawson said. He squeezed Cecily’s hand once more and then departed.
Ransom lifted his eyebrows at her playfully, and she smiled with contentment.
“He’s agreed to wait for my training to be done,” she said. “Not every man is so patient. Shall I join you?”
He nodded. “I don’t want to lose my head either. Why don’t you put the wax in your ears and take the key to her shackles?” He reached into his pocket, felt past the pearl bracelet, and then gave her the key.
They walked together, discussing the news. Simon had returned with them, resuming his old position as Espion master, and he was already hard at work determining which Espion were loyal and which were not. Those sympathetic to Bodkin and his manner of doing things would be let go.
They descended the steps to the cells, and Alix’s presence became more intense. There were two knights at the outer door of the dungeon and an Espion posted just inside.
A different guard unlocked the door. Cecily waited at the opening, wax in her ears, while Ransom walked inside.
Alix sat on a small cot, her cloak off now and covering her knees for warmth. The chains rattled as she moved her arms. Her head was bowed, her golden hair blocking her face.
“Are you going to put me to death, Ransom? Send me over the falls to punish me for my crimes?” she asked him in a weary voice. Again, he smelled the scent of lilac, although it was faded. One of the vials they’d taken from her had obviously contained her perfume.