Page 96 of A War of Crowns

But she dreaded sharing the bad news—the fact that she was engaged to Drakmor again. The marriage alliance her father originally forged was once again secured.

She was now simply betrothed to the wrong Hargrave.

Accepting aid from the footman who opened the carriage door for her, Seraphina climbed inside and slid herself into the corner of one bench.

“I’ll ride with Sir Dacre to the cathedral,” Olivia called out as Duchess Edith climbed into the seat next to her. Duke Percival wedged himself on the bench opposite.

“I’ll see you soon,” Seraphina promised Olivia before the carriage door snapped shut against the whining protests of Rogue, left to lope along next to the coach outside.

Alyx gave a great stretch of her feathered wings, mussing Seraphina’s hair, when the carriage rumbled into motion.

Seraphina sighed and tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ears. “It will be good to be home,” she commented, simply to fill the silence. “There is so much to be done.”

Duke Percival rumbled his agreement and rubbed his left knee. “At least now we have a bit of light in the darkness. The summit went well…all things considered.” After a beat, he added with a glance flicked her way, “You should be proud of yourself, Your Majesty.”

Seraphina thinned her lips and glanced out the window, watching the city shift and change as they approached the gates of the palace.Proud of myself? For what?

Certainly, she'd secured for Mysai the military aid her people needed. But at what cost?

The memory of the Crow of Drakmor’s one dark eye staring at her with all the silent judgment she was used to receiving from none other than the Duke of Coreto himself pierced through her thoughts, sapping what little joy remained in her victory.

She still hadn’t worked out how to rid herself ofthatunfortunate development. But at least she now had time to riddle it all out.

Chapter twenty-seven

Seraphina

The gallery was alive with an air of palpable excitement when Seraphina entered a short time later. The scent of the sea still clung to her like a perfume, and she longed for nothing more than to take a proper, warm bath for the first time in weeks.

But that comfort would have to wait for another time.

She had already dismissed her ladies-in-waiting and Duchess Edith so they could enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation on her behalf. Only Duke Percival and her Queensguard marched at her side when she returned to her court of Elmorian vipers.

Her Privy Council, minus Olivia and Father Perero, rushed forward to greet her in a flurry of bows and murmured greetings.

Her Lord Exchequer was the first to reach her. “We prayed most earnestly for your safe return,” the Count of Wellane murmured while bowing low over her hand. He pressed a chaste kiss there. “And what happy news you bring. Thank you for the honor of serving as your Steward, Your Majesty, but I will be more than happy to return to my numbers now.”

His smile was a self-deprecating thing when he stepped back and combed his fingers through his thinning hair. “I do not envy your position in the slightest.”

But Seraphina’s brow furrowed when she echoed, “Happy news?”

Before Wellane could clarify his meaning, the Duke of Coreto stepped forward. Those frosty eyes of his sought to pin her in place with all their usual severity when he declared, “Yes, congratulationsdo seem in order, Your Majesty. Rumor has it you have returned most triumphant.” The older man’s gaze searched hers with a fresh scrutiny. “Not only have you secured for us a fresh treaty, but a husband as well.”

Coreto might as well have slapped her across the face with those words.

Seraphina swiftly racked her mind for every member of the court who had accompanied her to Nerina Reef. Desperately, she tried to think of just who might have been playing spy for Coreto all along.

Before she could even think of the questions she would need to ask to discover that answer for herself, her Lord Constable, Sir Easome, stepped forward and tossed in his own thoughts in the way of, “To think I might have the honor of one day fighting alongside the Crow of Drakmor himself! I did not realize he and Aldric Hargrave were the same. Nor that Aldric Hargrave was stillalive after all these years. Terribly clever, Your Majesty. Terribly clever.”

“Yes,terriblyclever,” Coreto drawled in quiet agreement, his eyes still searching her face.

As Sir Easome’s words fully snapped into place, Seraphina froze. Her heart skipped a full beat.

He was here. Aldric Hargrave washere.

“And just…whereis His Highness now?” Seraphina delicately questioned, skimming a glance across the gallery. Her courtiers glittered all around—a sea of painted faces and bright jewels. She even spied Lord Tiberius among the throng, as handsome as ever. He hazarded a smile when their eyes locked. But she looked past him, still desperately hunting for any glimpse of black leather and a scarred visage in the crowd. “It would seem we became separated at the docks.”

Thedocks.

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