Free The Price of Valor by Django Wexler

guards—”
    â€œSo the guards are in on it.”
    â€œAt least some of them must be either complicit or suborned, yes. But that by itself doesn’t implicate Maurisk.”
    Raesinia scowled. She had to admit her own bias; the dislike between herand her former companion had come to run both ways.
Still. The way he looked when I came in was as good as a confession.
    â€œThe problem,” Sothe went on, “is that we have something of a surplus of enemies.”
    â€œThere’s an understatement,” Raesinia muttered. “Orlanko, for certain. Borelgai spies, the Hamveltai Komerzint, Murnskai fanatics. The older noble families hate me for surrendering royal powers to the Deputies-General, and the Radicals hate me for not abdicating in favor of a republic.”
    â€œNot to mention,” Sothe said, “the Priests of the Black.”
    â€œYou think they wouldn’t bother with
bombs
,” Raesinia said.
    â€œRevealing your secret to the public would be just as effective as killing you, as far as Elysium is concerned.” Sothe glared. “As I tried to explain earlier.”
    â€œSo either Maurisk is trying to kill me, because he doesn’t know he can’t, or the Priests of the Black are trying to blow me to bits in front of witnesses so everyone can see what happens.” Raesinia cocked her head. “If they did blow me to pieces, do you think the missing bits would grow back, or would you have to gather them up for me?”
    â€œYour Majesty—”
    â€œSorry.” Raesinia took a deep breath. “Maurisk told me he wants me to leave the city. Hide out on a country estate until the danger’s passed.”
    Sothe pursed her lips. “It
would
make it easier to keep you safe. There are too many unknowns in the city.”
    â€œNo. I will not be run to ground like a frightened rabbit. Besides, if Maurisk
is
involved and I leave him alone in the city, I might as well hand him the crown and be done with it.”
    â€œYour Majesty . . .”
    Raesinia looked at her, surprised. “You don’t really think I should leave, do you?”
    A frown creased Sothe’s normally placid expression. She spoke slowly and deliberately. “If you do not, whoever was responsible for this attack will try again, and I am not confident in my ability to protect you.”
    That
made Raesinia blink. For Sothe to be less than confident in her ability to do
anything
was as rare as a summer ice storm. “You’ve done a fine job so far.”
    â€œOnly luck saved you this time, Your Majesty. You are too public a figure here. Your schedule is known, your routes of travel are known. Against assassins with swords or pistols, I can stand between you and harm, but this . . .” She shook her head. “Sooner or later, they will succeed.”
    â€œThen we have to track them down before they do.”
    â€œThat’s a race I’m not sure we can win,” Sothe said. “And if Maurisk is involved, what then? He has the Patriot Guard in his pocket.”
    â€œIf we could find proof, we could take it to the deputies.” Raesinia knew that sounded weak, even as she said it. The Deputies-General had come more and more under the thumb of the Directory as the war had grown closer.
    â€œFinding solid evidence could take weeks, maybe months. You’d be vulnerable the whole time.”
    Raesinia scowled. It
did
make sense, from a certain point of view. But it felt too much like abandoning her post.
Not to mention letting whoever planted the bomb get away scot-free.
Everyone who’d died for wanting to stand near their queen deserved better than that.
    But Sothe is right. As long as I stay in the city . .
 .
    An idea tickled the corner of her mind.
As long as the
queen
stays in the city . . .
    â€œYou’re right,” she said slowly. “The queen should go to her country estates, to ensure her