Page 132 of Glow of the Everflame

“So you admit you treated him?”

I swallowed. “I assisted the healers on a few occasions.”

“Including on the day of his death.”

“I... yes. Luther asked me to evaluate his condition. The King was very unwell, and we both believed he would pass soon.”

“In fact, you were left unattended with the King in his bedchamber, were you not? Armed with a weapon?”

“If you’re suggesting—”

“And a guard walked in to find you standing over the King’s body with your weapon drawn, isn’t that true?”

The hum of gossip became a roar. Iléana gave a loud, showy gasp and threw an arm in front of her grandmother, as if to suggest I might attack at any moment, while Jean shook his head and gave a low whistle. Even Remis and Aemonn eyed me uneasily.

“It was a misunderstanding.” I was practically yelling to be heard over the chatter. “Luther examined the King’s body personally. He can confirm I didn’t—”

“Where is the Prince?” Marthe asked sharply. “I, for one, would dearly like to know why the man we all believed to be Ulther’s heir saw fit to leave our ill, defenseless King in the company of a violent stranger.” Her eyebrows rose. “A stranger I hear he is now welcoming into his bedroom.”

The room erupted. My Corbois entourage exchanged expressions of shock, confusion, and suspicion. Perthe looked around nervously and edged closer to my side, his knuckles white on the hilt of his blade.

It looked as if my Challenging might come several weeks early.

Across the bond, I felt Sorae pace along her perch, stretching her wings in preparation to crash through the stone walls of the ballroom to come to my side. For a brief moment, I considered letting her.

My gaze darted around the room, instinctively searching for Luther. He would know how to fix this—he always had some clever trick to end unwanted inquiry or some curt excuse to steal me away that no one ever dared to oppose.

But he was gone, cleaning up myothermesses. This was a battle I would have to fight alone.

I painted on a haughty look of confidence and raised my palm high into the air.

“Youdareaccuse House Corbois?”

I spoke so softly the room had no choice but to fall silent as they all strained to hear my words.

Finger by finger, I curled my hand into a closed fist. “You dare accuse House Corbois?” I repeated.

“It is not House Corbois that I am acc—”

“It was House Corbois that sent the King to Fortos to be examined there. House Corbois who chose the mortal healers who treated him for months. Corbois guards who stood at the King’s side, Corbois servants who prepared his food and drink, Corbois attendants who cleaned his body after his death.” I gestured to Remis and Garath. “It was these men, the leaders of House Corbois, who had complete control over the King’s care during his illness.”

The spectators finally turned their eyes from me to the two brothers, who shifted their weight nervously and took a step back from the Hanoverre contingent.

Marthe scoffed. “Even the finest Houses can be tricked by—”

“I wouldn’t want a simple misunderstanding to cause any bloodshed,” I said, calmly but forcefully, “so I’ll ask you again. Does House Hanoverre accuse House Corbois of murdering its own beloved Ulther?”

“That’s not what I—”

“If so, you must believe the Fortos healers to be complicit in this extravagant scheme. Perhaps the Fortos representatives have not yet departed—I’m sure their King would be very interested to hear your accusations against him.”

“I would never—”

“I’m sure you must have simply misspoken. Because if it were discovered that you had invented such a vicious lie, without even a shred of evidence to support it, in order to stir up unrest against your Queen... well, that would betreason.”

Marthe’s mouth snapped closed.

“Let me ask one final time: Does House Hanoverre accuse House Corbois, and the King of Fortos as its accomplice, of murdering King Ulther?”

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