Page 33 of The Kingdom's Crown

"I was never even scratched," I said, my words muffled against Owen's chest, Cosmo's fingers digging into my waist and up into the hair at the back of my head.

"You're all right, Cress?" Wendell asked.

"I'm fine. She healed me up quick."

"Thank you," Thao said softly.

"You could've been worse than scratched," Cosmo whispered.

I wanted to argue. I would've been ready to defend myself, even if I'd been alone. Emory had done much worse, the maid had been a comparatively clumsy attack. But arguing was only going to raise everyone's stress, and being cradled in the arms of my men was always welcome.

"I'm sorry I didn't come right away," I said, turning my cheek to listen to the thump of Owen's heart.

"Aric told us you were safe," Owen said, reaching between us to tilt my chin up, kissing me briefly. He smiled and glanced at Cresswell before looking back at me. "We understood the delay."

"And you have your magic?" Wendell asked.

I nodded. I didn't have as much now as I had before healing Cresswell, but I was prepared for another emergency if I needed to be.

"Good, then come and sit down because we've already received word—"

"From Aric?" I asked, pulling away and hurrying back to Wendell.

"No, but from Head Guard Amos." Wendell took my hands and urged me down onto the couch, sitting down to face me. "Your mother's lady Amelia fled the palace with a carriage and her niece shortly after your luncheon ended."

The room stilled around me with a sudden hush, my own mind going blank for a beat as the news sank in.

"No." I don't know why I said it, what Wendell said made a kind of sense. Amelia had been insistent on placing her niece in my court. I didn't know of any direct connection she had with the council, I'd only refused out of the Hunger's jealousy, but it was certainly possible.

"My mother?"

"I'm not sure. I assume she's been informed, but I know they're questioning the maid to see if there's a connection," Wendell said, frowning. "Bryony, are yousureyou want to take on ladies-in-waiting for yourself?"

I gaped around the room, the others drifting closer. Thao wedged himself in at my back, one hand cupped around my side possessively, his chin resting over my shoulder.

"I'm not sure ofanythingat this point," I said softly.

"Even if they have the right political ties, you may be putting them in danger by adding them to your court," Cosmo said carefully.

Ice trickled through my veins, my heart squeezing at the thought of tangling young Nora into the mess of my path to securing the throne.

"There will be no keeping a secret about what took place today," Thao said. "You can be honest regarding the danger and allow them to make their own choice."

My fingers were picking absently at the embroidery on my new dress, and Wendell's hands tangled with mine, squeezing gently. "Speak with your grandmother on it," he said.

I released a breath I hadn't even realized I'd trapped in my chest and nodded. Grandmother would be both honest and cunning. Growing up, I'd been forced to sit through her lectures or to perform perfectly at a tea for her to interrogate me. Now I went to her every day to speak. She'd been as unprepared for the revelations regarding Kimmery as I was, but she had the lifetime ofinterestin our Kingdom that my mother seemed to lack.

"I want to go down and listen to them question the maid," I said, twisting and finding Cresswell back against the wall. He was awkwardly dressed in his pants with only his uniform jacket on, half-buttoned to reveal appealing planes of his chest, but he stood as if he were stationed, and I frowned, reaching out for him.

He stepped forward slowly, glancing at the others as if they might object. No one so much as blinked.

"I can take you down myself. Leave Humphries and Brummer here to watch the suite," Cress said.

"I'll come too," Thao said. "I sat in as our palace guards questioned an assassination attempt on my father. Has it never happened here before?"

"Not that I've known of," I admitted. "But I think we all know that plenty has been hidden from the queen's line in the past."

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