Page 51 of A Dagger in the Ivy

As Torbin stands up straight and checks his surroundings, his eyes don’t find me, but his gaze meets the curious and shocked faces of the onlookers. He falters for a moment before straightening his clothes and squaring his shoulders. He swallows hard before he speaks. “This man has committed treason, and the punishment is death. If anyone dares speak ill of the king or queen, the consequences will be the same.”

Torbin turns to face his father, who remains in his chair as if the entire incident didn’t just happen. Beside the king, Queen Eleanor stands, her face pale and her gloved hands pressed against her mouth.

“Guards,” the king calls out, placing his wineglass on the table. “Dispose of the body at once.”

The king’s men do as he says, and Torbin pulls on the lapels of his suit as he watches. The crowd parts to give them room, but they can’t stop staring. Once the body is taken away, Prince Torbin scans the room again, but I have already slunk back through the crowd. When he is turned the other way, I slip out undetected.

CHapter

Twenty

I pace my room, my stomach still queasy from the sight of the lord’s bloody pulp of a face. My nerves are on high alert, my mind struggling to accept the fact that Torbin had so much violence within him. I understand that he is passionate about defending his family, but he went extremely too far.

And of course, no one would question his actions, since he is the prince. Even the king seemed to approve of Torbin’s extreme means of dealing with, as he put it, a traitor.

I suspect the king would have resorted to the same measures if given the chance.

I shudder at the thought.

But there is a sliver of uncertainty worming though my thoughts. Torbin genuinely looked shocked at what he had done, as if he hadn’t known his own strength. He did attack the man, but I can’t be completely certain that he meant to kill him.

From the adjoining door, Nadya emerges. I jump up, my heart caught in my throat.

“Nadya, where have you been?” I rush to her, and my anxiety pushesme to wrap her in my arms. “I thought something might have happened to you.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you distress.” She steps back, her hands cupping my elbows as she studies my face. “You never used to worry if I spent the evening with someone.”

“That was back at the Garrison, where you and I knew everyone. I knew you would turn up eventually.” I push my hair back from my face. “It’s different here. I don’t know whom to trust, if anyone. And from what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t put it past anyone to do something irrational that might endanger you.”

“‘From what you’ve seen’?” Her brow scrunches up. “What did I miss?”

I huff a breath and return to my pacing. “Something horrible happened at the queen’s birthday. One of the lords said something disrespectful about the king, and Torbin…” I shake my head, the words getting stuck in my throat.

“What? What did Torbin do?”

My voice is a whisper. “He beat the man to death. In front of the entire court.”

Nadya’s jaw drops open, her eyes so wide, I fear they might fall out of her head. “No.”

I press my lips together and nod solemnly. “It was horrible.”

“What did the man say?”

“The man, Lord Alistair, he said that the queen deserved a better man than King Silas. Torbin called him a traitor, claimed he was no true supporter to the crown.”

Nadya watches me pace, wringing her hands together. “Okay, well, um, you know… Kings do horrible things, violent things, all the time. Especially to ones they consider to be enemies. I mean, even your father—”

“Not helping, Nadya.”

“Sorry.” She is quiet for a while, most certainly trying to come up with the right thing to say to me.

But even I know there’s nothing she can say. “He was defending hisfather. And I’m sure if it hadn’t been Torbin, the king would have ordered one of his guards to deal with the man.”

“Celeste, are you okay?” Nadya approaches me and takes my trembling hands.

“I don’t know.” I try to calm myself, allowing Nadya’s presence to comfort me. “Torbin has been nothing but sweet to me, and I’ve never even seen him lash out before. Verbally or otherwise.”

“Are you afraid of him?”

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