Page 30 of When Wishes Bleed

The scowl the Queen had fixed on me deepened, and she flinched with each of her husband’s words.

I expected him to chastise me for hanging one of their citizens in front of hundreds of others. If I weren’t seated, his words would have knocked me off balance.

The Queen spoke. “You truly believe someone wishes Tauren harm?”

“I don’t simply believe it,” I answered. “I know it to be true.”

“Then I think,” the King began, “that your visit couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” I asked, glancing at Tauren. He sat rigidly beside me, regarding his father.

“It means that your presence is crucial. Not only can you protect my son, you can help us in other ways. The Circle has been very… stubborn in the recent negotiations we’ve had with them. Perhaps, your being here and reporting back about the way you are welcomed and treated, would ease tensions somewhat.”

If he thought my grandmother would listen to anything I had to say, he was sorely mistaken.

“Why have you spoken to the Circle at all? What were you negotiating?”

Queen Annalina took control of the conversation. “The Circle would like for us to find another way to send exiles to the wild lands, instead of routing them through Thirteen. But, you see, there simply is no other way. Thirteen is the final Sector, and the only one that completely encircles the Kingdom – with the exception of the area where the sea extends inland. Exiles must pass through somewhere.”

“They always have. Why is there an issue now?” I asked.

“The Circle believes that many of the persons being exiled should be put to death. That their crimes are heinous enough to warrant execution instead of banishment,” she said.

“Are they?”

“We don’t believe in taking lives, though I know your stance on the matter is rather different.” She daintily sipped from her wine glass.

“Why can’t you sail them to the wild lands?”

Tauren asked, “Yes, Mother. Why can’t we sail them to the wilds?”

Has he already suggested the same?

“Because it would be costly to do so,” she snipped.

“Surely, there aren’t that many people being banished each month.”

“There have been recently,” the King confirmed, his harsh tone effectively ending the conversation. A sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. I almost asked if he was feeling well, but was interrupted when our entrees were served.

The gentleman who brought mine lifted the silver dome with a flourish. Roast beef, string beans, and carrots. A pale sauce lay over the meat. “Can you eat it?” Tauren whispered sheepishly. “I should have asked whether you had dietary restrictions.”

“I have no restrictions, but thank you.”

His eyes flicked to Brecan and Mira.

“They’re fine, too.”

Mira was already savoring a carrot while Brecan stared between me and Tauren.

“Why the shift?” Brecan asked bluntly, bringing up the sore subject again. “Why are there more being banished than ever?”

“Laws haven’t changed, nor has our enforcement of them. However, it seems that more are choosing to break them than ever,” Tauren gently explained.

“Because there isn’t punishment severe enough to deter them,” Brecan replied.

The King sat his utensils down and leveled Brecan with a glare. “Mr. Brecan, why exactly are you here? Who are you to Miss Sable?”

“Her escort,” he answered shortly.