The Remembered Queen (The Mad Queen's Massacre Book 1) by J. Ellen Ross

Author:J. Ellen Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-06-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Tolar – A Memory

After lunch, a servant admitted Einar to Aviana’s apartments. She had been expecting him since early morning, and had grown tense and edgy as she waited for his report. Finally, after two weeks of fruitless searches and speculation, she knew they would have some answers. Seven guards had been rounded up yesterday and taken to the dungeon for questioning. She had watched them being herded across the courtyard, and something had whispered to her. It had no name other than intuition or instinct, but it spoke to her. And it told her one of them was a traitor.

Now, Einar stood in front of her, and she could not disguise her anticipation.

He bowed to her and then to Lovise, bending at the waist in a stiff and weary gesture. Exhaustion had carved canyons into his face, and he looked older than his five decades might suggest. “We did as you asked, Your Highness,” he began. “Steven broke under torture. He said a man in a black tunic told him to leave the Tiercel Gate open before the wedding.”

Aviana felt her heart leap in excitement. The Tiercel Gate stood near the west side of the cathedral. Guests arriving for the wedding had used the gate at the north end, so it made no sense to have the other gates open. Unless this was a clue, evidence along the chain leading to the assassin. “Did he know who the man was?” Aviana asked.

Einar looked confused and then stammered, “The man, my lady?”

The question caught Aviana by surprise. “Yes. The man in black. The one who conspired with the assassin,” she said, slowly as if speaking to a child.

The captain’s eyes darted to Lovise, who sat next to her. Another clue, another hint. Suspicion wormed its way deeper into Aviana’s heart. Could she trust either of them?

Holding out his hands, Einar hesitated before sagging in defeat. “He said he thought it was Roche, the jeweler. But it didn’t seem to matter, so he didn’t report it.”

“In the morning, have Steven executed in the courtyard in front of the men.”

Einar gasped. “My lady, please. He only admitted it under the brand. He’s just a boy. It doesn’t even sound credible.”

“Why would he admit to something that wasn’t true?”

Pressing his lips together, the man shook his head. He chewed at the long hairs from his moustache. Aviana thought it odd; Einar always kept himself neat and tidy, his beard well-trimmed. Not like the Forintines with their strange waxed whiskers.

“What should we do with the other six men in the dungeon, lady? Should we continue to hold them, or let them go?”

Aviana scowled and narrowed her eyes. “Why would we ever let them go, Einar? Unless you know something you’re not sharing with me.”

Panic spread over Einar’s face. Guilt or terror? Aviana added it to the list of questions she needed answers to. Despite his years of faithful service, the captain’s loyalty now seemed tenuous at best. “I’ll decide how to deal with this jeweler,” she said.

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