The Duke's Treason: A Kingfountain Prequel (The Poisoner of Kingfountain Book 4) by Jeff Wheeler

Author:Jeff Wheeler [Wheeler, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Published: 2024-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

Ankarette’s fingers were deftly sewing another series of decorative lines in John Thursby’s tunic. The weakness and fatigue were fading now. Her Fountain magic was trickling in to replenish the lost stores, but she didn’t feel anywhere near ready to face the Duke of Glosstyr. Using her magic to restore John Thursby had cost her much. Although she didn’t regret it, it put her at an unfortunate disadvantage.

A little knock sounded on the door, and she rose from the bed to answer it. She’d locked the door after John Thursby had left, not wanting to be caught off guard by anyone. She imagined he’d returned, but it was Davern instead.

“Is there a message from the duke?” she asked worriedly. It had been many hours since he’d come to her. Now he was conducting a siege and preparing to possibly face Glosstyr’s army.

“I was just checking on you, my lady,” he said, looking a little embarrassed. “Can I get you anything?”

What she needed was solitude and time to think about the situation. Her best insights usually came when she was working with her hands.

“I still haven’t finished what was brought earlier,” she said, gesturing to the tray atop the bedsheets. “But maybe you can help in another way. Come in.”

He brightened at that and entered at once, looking around the room. He scratched his arm and then sighed. “I’m sorry for what happened to Matthew and Balmor.”

“Are you still interested in joining the Espion?” she asked him with genuine curiosity.

“More than ever,” he said. “Even the little I did to help…I really enjoyed it.”

“It’s dangerous work.”

“I know,” he said with a grin. “I’m not afraid to die for the king.”

Gazing at him, she saw the same exuberance and ambition she’d once had. She’d been called into the service of the Duke of Warrewik when she was practically still a child. She’d been enmeshed in a conflict for the throne that had led to Eredur’s fall and rise—twice. Davern had been little more than a child when she’d first been sent to Pisan to study. Now, all these years later, she felt the prickling of regret. She didn’t get to visit her mother regularly. She’d broken off her relationship with John Thursby because he’d wanted too much from her. The sacrifices she’d made to protect the king had taken an awful toll on her body and her heart.

“If you stayed in the duke’s service, you could have a normal life,” Ankarette said.

His lips pressed together. “Maybe that scares me the most,” he confessed. “Bennet started teaching me how to disarm someone. How to yank on someone’s littlest finger to break it. I’d never even thought of that. They don’t teach such things in the training yard.”

“They do not,” Ankarette said, smiling. “I’ll tell you this, Davern. When I go back to Kingfountain, I’ll tell Master Nichols that I was impressed with you. It’s taken time to cull Warrewik’s lackeys from the Espion. We need more young men to join.”

Davern beamed. “Thank you, my lady.

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