underlay every action, every day, rose to the surface. The answer to Osgaard’s most pressing problem, Jaegar had called her a few short weeks ago. Was today the day she discovered what her use was to be?
Yasma opened the door.
Karel stood there. He looked past Yasma to her. Something in his eyes made Britta pushed hastily to her feet. “What?”
“Have you not heard?”
Britta’s heart kicked in her chest. I’m to be bait to catch Harkeld . She hurried to the door, heedless of the half-secured crown on her head. “Tell me!”
Karel’s lips tightened fractionally, the most emotion she’d ever seen on his face. “Jaegar has imprisoned your half-brothers on grounds of treason.”
What? Britta gaped at him, speechless, her fears falling away and new ones scrambling to take their place.
“Their executions are planned for after his coronation.”
Disbelief flooded her, followed by panic. “What? What treason? What executions? They’re children!”
“Half-Lundegaardan children. Jaegar believes they played a role in leaking the invasion plans.”
“What?” Britta stared at him, aghast. But that was my doing! She didn’t dare utter the words; the armsman didn’t know her complicity in that act of treason. “But they’re only six and four!”
“Even so, he plans to execute them.”
“This is absurd! I must speak to Jaegar!”
Karel moved, blocking her way.
“Out of my way, armsman!” She tried to shove past him.
Karel caught her wrist. “No.”
Britta was abruptly aware of the hard, corded muscles beneath his brown skin, the sharp sword at his side, the eyes so dark they were almost black. Fear spiked beneath her breastbone. An image flashed into her mind: Duke Rikard lying beheaded on the floor, Karel’s sword dripping blood.
She lifted her chin, trying not to show her fear. “Release me.”
“No,” Karel said. “If you anger Jaegar, he won’t hesitate to get rid of you too.”
Britta tugged futilely at his grip. “Your orders are to obey me, armsman!”
“My orders are to protect you. And if you go to Jaegar now, if you ally yourself with Rutgar and Lukas, then you’re dead.”
The last word echoed flatly, shockingly.
“Jaegar’s signaling to all Osgaard that he’s decisive and ruthless, and that nothing and no one will stand in his way. Not even his half-brothers. Especially not his half-brothers.”
“But the boys had nothing to do with—”
“No. But their blood is too dangerous. They’re heirs to the throne.” His grip eased on her wrist. “Princess, if you anger him now, you seal your own death and lose any chance to save the boys.”
“Save them? You think they can be saved?”
“Not if you go to him in the state you’re in now.”
Britta stared at him, trying to read his dark, hawk-like face. He’d guarded her for three years, but what did she know of him? Who exactly was he? An Esfaban Islander, one step away from bondservice, wearing the scarlet tunic and golden breastplate of a palace armsman. And not just any armsman, one with the silver torque that marked him as a royal bodyguard. The first islander to reach that pinnacle. An elite fighter. Ambitious.
Whose interests did he have at heart? His own.
And yet Yasma claims him as a friend .
“What do you suggest?” she said.
Karel’s expression relaxed fractionally. He released her wrist. “That we consider your next move very carefully.”
Y ASMA FINISHED BINDING the crown to her head. Britta rubbed her wrist. She could still feel Karel’s hard grip.
Her gaze rose to the maid’s face. Yasma’s skin was as brown as Karel’s, her hair as black, her features as hawk-like. But unlike Karel, she wasn’t threatening. She was slender, fragile, beautiful.
“Yasma... do you trust him?”
“Karel? Yes. As much as I trust you.” Yasma slid the last pin into place. “He would never harm me. Or you. He’s kind.”
Kind? Karel looked as dangerous as Jaegar.
“He paid for the poppy
Yasma opened the door.
Karel stood there. He looked past Yasma to her. Something in his eyes made Britta pushed hastily to her feet. “What?”
“Have you not heard?”
Britta’s heart kicked in her chest. I’m to be bait to catch Harkeld . She hurried to the door, heedless of the half-secured crown on her head. “Tell me!”
Karel’s lips tightened fractionally, the most emotion she’d ever seen on his face. “Jaegar has imprisoned your half-brothers on grounds of treason.”
What? Britta gaped at him, speechless, her fears falling away and new ones scrambling to take their place.
“Their executions are planned for after his coronation.”
Disbelief flooded her, followed by panic. “What? What treason? What executions? They’re children!”
“Half-Lundegaardan children. Jaegar believes they played a role in leaking the invasion plans.”
“What?” Britta stared at him, aghast. But that was my doing! She didn’t dare utter the words; the armsman didn’t know her complicity in that act of treason. “But they’re only six and four!”
“Even so, he plans to execute them.”
“This is absurd! I must speak to Jaegar!”
Karel moved, blocking her way.
“Out of my way, armsman!” She tried to shove past him.
Karel caught her wrist. “No.”
Britta was abruptly aware of the hard, corded muscles beneath his brown skin, the sharp sword at his side, the eyes so dark they were almost black. Fear spiked beneath her breastbone. An image flashed into her mind: Duke Rikard lying beheaded on the floor, Karel’s sword dripping blood.
She lifted her chin, trying not to show her fear. “Release me.”
“No,” Karel said. “If you anger Jaegar, he won’t hesitate to get rid of you too.”
Britta tugged futilely at his grip. “Your orders are to obey me, armsman!”
“My orders are to protect you. And if you go to Jaegar now, if you ally yourself with Rutgar and Lukas, then you’re dead.”
The last word echoed flatly, shockingly.
“Jaegar’s signaling to all Osgaard that he’s decisive and ruthless, and that nothing and no one will stand in his way. Not even his half-brothers. Especially not his half-brothers.”
“But the boys had nothing to do with—”
“No. But their blood is too dangerous. They’re heirs to the throne.” His grip eased on her wrist. “Princess, if you anger him now, you seal your own death and lose any chance to save the boys.”
“Save them? You think they can be saved?”
“Not if you go to him in the state you’re in now.”
Britta stared at him, trying to read his dark, hawk-like face. He’d guarded her for three years, but what did she know of him? Who exactly was he? An Esfaban Islander, one step away from bondservice, wearing the scarlet tunic and golden breastplate of a palace armsman. And not just any armsman, one with the silver torque that marked him as a royal bodyguard. The first islander to reach that pinnacle. An elite fighter. Ambitious.
Whose interests did he have at heart? His own.
And yet Yasma claims him as a friend .
“What do you suggest?” she said.
Karel’s expression relaxed fractionally. He released her wrist. “That we consider your next move very carefully.”
Y ASMA FINISHED BINDING the crown to her head. Britta rubbed her wrist. She could still feel Karel’s hard grip.
Her gaze rose to the maid’s face. Yasma’s skin was as brown as Karel’s, her hair as black, her features as hawk-like. But unlike Karel, she wasn’t threatening. She was slender, fragile, beautiful.
“Yasma... do you trust him?”
“Karel? Yes. As much as I trust you.” Yasma slid the last pin into place. “He would never harm me. Or you. He’s kind.”
Kind? Karel looked as dangerous as Jaegar.
“He paid for the poppy
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