Page 59 of To Steal the Sun

He nodded at her, gratitude on his face, but she gestured with her head toward Gwen and Easton, who were already surrounded. He should save his gratitude for his future king and queen.

But when Count Oswin appeared, she hurried to his side. He hadn’t been in the line of prisoners who had paraded past her hiding place, so she hadn’t known to expect him there. He must have been arrested separately.

She was glad to see him, though. If he was there, they only needed to convince one person of the rebels’ new role in the day’s events.

The count clasped her hand. “It’s good to see you. More than good. When my son told me he’d had a glimpse of Easton, I hoped…But I wasn’t sure…” He glanced at his grandson and stopped, seemingly overcome with emotion.

“Of course we had to come rescue you,” Charlotte said warmly. “But we’re not just here to save you.”

The count looked at her sharply. “We’re still going ahead with the plan? How is that possible?”

Charlotte grinned. “There have been a few amendments…”

With the help of the count and his son, they got the grateful crowd separated, the servants heading down the corridor in one direction, while the rebels followed Henry and Charlotte several yards the other way.

After they’d explained the situation, the count surveyed the small crowd. “Anyone have any objections? Anyone want out?”

The group stayed silent.

Henry gave the count a disapproving look as he stepped forward to address the group. “We only want people who are actual volunteers. You’ve all had a highly distressing experience, and if you need to withdraw, we won’t take it as a reflection on your commitment to the cause.”

Still no one spoke up.

Charlotte stepped forward as well. “In that case, does anyone have any suggestions about how we can lure the queen into a secure location? Somewhere we can lock her in?”

The rebels who had snuck in from the city gave each other blank looks. But some of the freed prisoners were courtiers whose allegiances had shifted, and several of them narrowed their eyes in thought.

“I have an idea,” Emmett piped up.

His grandfather stepped forward, but Charlotte motioned for him to wait and let Emmett speak.

The boy looked back toward the room they’d just left. “Why not use that?”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “How do you propose we get her in there?”

“She’s already planning to come,” he said, gaining enthusiasm. “I spent the night talking with some of the servants.”

“Captives,” Henry said, and Emmett flushed.

“Yes,” he amended. “The captives. They said the only reason the queen hadn’t slaughtered them already was that she needed them.”

The count scoffed. “That’s what comes of replacing every single one of your servants with captive slaves.”

Emmett shifted uncomfortably, and Charlotte motioned for him to continue.

“Apparently, she was going to come back today and collect some of them so they could finish preparing her big event. The others were going to be left here, under guard.”

“She was going to threaten them in order to make the others comply,” Henry said thoughtfully, clearly turning Emmett’s suggestion over in his mind.

“But will she come herself?” Charlotte looked to the count as the one who must know her best. “Won’t she just send some guards to collect them?”

“She’ll come,” he said confidently. “She’ll want to make a big show to intimidate them, and she won’t trust that to any of her people. It’s one of her weaknesses that she surrounds herself almost entirely with subservient people. The old captain of the guard is more interested in not attracting her attention than showing any initiative. He doesn’t have the personality for chilling speeches or spreading fear by his mere presence.”

His son nodded. “Prince Henry and Princess Gwendolyn have both escaped her grasp. She knows she’s hanging onto the situation by a thread. She won’t want to risk anything else getting out of control.”

“In that case…” Charlotte grimaced. “How well does she know her own guards?”

“I’m going to guess not well at all,” the count said, looking bemused. “They aren’t loyal to her because of a personal connection. Only because she gives them power and gold.”

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