I felt useless, my resolution that I would prove myself by finding a way to defeat Sierra seeming nothing more than foolishness now. Despite my nineteen years, I kept imagining myself as a child pretending to be a capable adult while all the true adults smiled indulgently. Except this was no game, and it was my kingdom that stood to suffer when Sierra’s final plan was unleashed.
I had actually accumulated some wages by now, a fact that made me surprisingly proud. With a churning in my gut, I even contemplated taking it and running for Lanover. I could let Celine and Oliver save Eldon, as they had done before.
But everything in me rebelled at the idea, and every day, I lingered. If I truly believed I had the qualities of a princess Sierra lacked, then I would prove it by finding a way to protect my kingdom from the political disaster she was ensnaring us in.
I was getting less and less sleep, the nights absorbed in useless, circular thoughts as I tried to work out what I had missed. There must be some clue somewhere that would make sense of Sierra’s schemes.
One midday walk, at the end of the two weeks, Philip ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“Everything seems to be returning to calm. Perhaps whatever these attacks were, they’re over now.” But he sounded more frustrated than convinced.
I looked away, trying to hide my tension. Unlike Damon, Philip still didn’t know of my personal connection to this, beyond the two attacks. He didn’t know that, for me, there could be no return to normal until I found a way to expose Sierra.
“I’m sorry,” Philip said, apparently picking up on some part of my emotions. “I didn’t mean to suggest your attackers should go unpunished.”
He tried to clasp my hand, but I whisked it away, pretending not to have noticed his attempt. He gave a soft sigh and didn’t try again. It was his first attempt at physical contact since we had danced together, and I was proud of myself for sticking to my resolutions this time. I just wished my success didn’t leave me feeling weary and empty inside.
Each day I had watched for Damon, but he never came. Had he forgotten me in his new role? Surely the daily sight of Sierra would remind him. Perhaps he didn’t mean to keep his promises.
That night, I returned to my cupboard immediately after the evening meal, my steps heavier than usual and my mind weary. I pushed open the door and stepped into the tiny space only to collide with another person.
I screamed, but a hand clamped over my mouth, strong arms encircling me. For a moment I thrashed, my mind panicking. Then my captor’s words made it through the haze of fear.
“Elle! It’s me, Damon! Calm down.”
I stilled, the tension leaking out and normal thought resuming. I could feel his broad chest pressed against my back, and his arms wrapped around me were strangely comforting. An exhausted part of me wanted to sink back into them and let someone else carry my burdens for a while.
But true sanity returned a moment later, and I pulled myself away just as he let go. I slowly turned to face him.
“You’re not going to scream or try to bite me or something, are you?” Amusement lurked in his face.
I rolled my eyes. “You deserve such treatment for hiding in my room. But no.”
“It’s not my fault that your room appears to be a cleaning cupboard.” He looked around the tiny space. “I was expecting a bit more room in here.”
“Ha! That’s what I said.” I sat beside my pillow and gestured for him to take a seat at the foot of the bed. “But what are you doing here at all?”
“I thought it might be a good idea to meet somewhere a little more private,” he said. “Because of Sierra.”
Given what had occurred last time we spoke, I couldn’t fault his wisdom.
“I would have invited you to my rooms, but that seemed fraught on multiple levels,” he added. “I don’t think anyone saw me arrive here, and you can check the corridor before I leave.”
“Have you found something, then?” Sudden excitement flooded me, sweeping away my previous malaise.
Damon nodded. “It took me longer than I’d hoped due to the chaos of the viscount’s papers, but I stumbled on a collection of records quite unlike the others.”
“What did they say?” Eagerness made my voice quiver. Finally we had some evidence.
I realized I was leaning further and further toward him and straightened before I toppled over.
“The old Lord Chamberlain was a highly factual man,” Damon said. “And he wouldn’t allow conjecture to find its way among proper records. So he kept a separate group of papers where he recorded every little suspicion or hint that he was still working to substantiate. He had accounts of misdemeanors of various merchants, nobles, and even craftsmen and laborers. When he discovered something untoward within the course of his work, he would carefully build a complete picture and then present it to the relevant authorities.”
“Sierra,” I breathed.
Damon nodded. “The picture was not as complete as old Edgewaring would have liked, and he never got the chance to finish it and present it to the king.”
“Because she found out and poisoned him,” I finished for him. “We should go to the king immediately!”
Damon shook his head. “I’m still checking and sorting. There may be more. I need to have it all in order first. I just didn’t want to leave you waiting any longer.”
I frowned. “Don’t make the same mistake as the viscount! We have to warn the Arcadians!”
“Of course we must, and I don’t suggest we delay long.” He hesitated. “It’s just that Sierra is not the only thing Edgewaring wrote about. I think he had found some hints of who is behind Sierra.”
“What?” I slammed a hand over my mouth, lowering my voice. “Who?”
He watched me closely. “If Sierra sailed away from our island in an Eldonian ship, can you tell me how she might have ended up in contact with my father’s kingdom—with Rangmere?”
“Rangmere?” I stared at him. “What could Rangmere possibly…” My eyes widened. “Wait! Last year a Rangmeran delegation visited Eldon. They spent weeks with the royal family and moved freely through the palace and the city.”
Damon drew a deep breath. “That is a helpful piece of information to present to the king. But this isn’t like the accusation against Sierra. This is a very serious matter, and we need to have everything as clear and ordered as we can make it.”
“Gracious, yes.” I felt the blood draining from my cheeks. “Princess Alyssa and Prince Max are close to Queen Ava from what I hear. They would take an accusation against her very seriously indeed.”
“I’m not accusing the queen,” Damon said quickly. “There’s no evidence of such a thing in the papers. It may well be rogue forces within her kingdom. But it seems that someone in Rangmere wishes to destabilize Arcadia. The viscount made a number of notes referencing that it wasn’t the first time.”
I nodded slowly. “Twelve years ago. Before Max and Alyssa were married. I’ve heard stories about it.”
“The viscount suspected that Sierra wasn’t who she claimed and that her crimes here were intended to undermine relations between Arcadia and Eldon, as well as Arcadia and Lanover.”