Page 96 of The Exile's Curse

The words rang in the way Chloe was coming to recognize as truth. Which meant Silya believed what she was saying. So it seemed forcing a marriage might be acceptable to her, but an outright attack was not. But believing something was true did not make it so.

"You are related to House Elannon, are you not?" Chloe said, and Silya frowned. Perhaps wondering how Chloe knew.

"Elannon used poison against the empress," Chloe continued.

"House Elannon wishes to be restored. Attacking the man who has the power to decide whether that will happen would be foolish," Silya said. "And though I am no longer House Elannon, I can tell you I believe them to be sincere in the changes they have made."

Truth again. Not helpful when she couldn't tell anybody that she knew it was truth. She doubted the seers would take the news that she shared a little of Lucien's power now very well. They already disliked the bond.

Silya had turned her attention to Royve Ava. "Did you use patyiet?"

Ava nodded. "Yes. Which is why he is still alive. That and the bond he shares with Lady Castaigne, I think." She lifted her chin defiantly, as though expecting Silya to argue that point. Chloe didn't care though. She doubted anyone in Andalyssia was strong enough to break the bond against her will. And she believed Ava. Lucien needed the bond, so she would fight anyone who tried to take it from her.

"If not House Elannon," Mikvel said, "then who?"

Chloe studied Mikvel's grave expression. They hadn't yet told him about the man who'd approached her. But she didn't care about protocol anymore. "I've been approached twice by a man who was trying to determine if I shared my late husband's politics, Your Majesty. I don't know where he was from, and I haven't seen him elsewhere in the court or we would have told you sooner, but the second time we met, he used magic that felt similar to what I felt from the servant just before Lucien collapsed.”

“A servant used magic?” Silya said. “That’s impossible.”

“I know what I felt,” Chloe snapped.

“Then it was not a servant,” Mikvel said. “Not one who would be serving drinks tonight, anyway. We do not employ those with magic as a rule. There are exceptions for the healers and some of the guard, but otherwise, no.”

“Then it was someone pretending to be a servant. I suspect he used an illusion in the garden.”

Silya hissed. Chloe held up a hand. “There’s no time for lectures about balance, Sejerin. I know that such an illusion isn’t Andalyssian magic, but this man was Andalyssian. And he did not seem to favor House Elannon being restored. He didn’t like the idea of Lucien and me marrying either, presumably because of Lucien’s role with Elannon. So I suggest, Your Majesty, that you look hard at those houses—or vassals or whomever—that will benefit if Elannon falls."

Mikvel's brows drew down. "I need to know more."

"Colonel Brodier can fill you in. She knows everything I do. You need to clean your house, Your Majesty. Or the emperor will do it for you."

"Chloe!" Honore snapped. "My apologies, Your Majesty. The lieutenant is upset."

"Maybe I am. But that doesn’t make what I said wrong. Aristides is very fond of Lucien. Lucien's father named him for the emperor, after all. Their families have been close for centuries. Even without Lucien being one of his lords and one of his Truth Seekers, the emperor wouldn't have taken this well." She looked back at Mikvel. "Think of Anglion, my lord. The emperor does not interfere in local politics if it does not disrupt the empire. But someone in Anglion began to plot, and that plot stretched to Illvya, and now Anglion has a new queen."

The king's eyes had turned icy. But he was not, Chloe thought, angry at her. "The emperor has no need to doubt my loyalty. I will deal with this."

"Good," Chloe said. She focused back on Honore. "Is the navire at Haalbrod?"

Honore frowned. "It should be. It will be due to leave in the morning if they have kept to the schedule."

"Send a sanctii," Chloe said. "Tell them to wait." It would be too dangerous to try and take Lucien off the mountain in darkness. They would have to go in the morning.

"Why?" Mikvel asked.

"Because I will need it. I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but someone tried just tried to kill my husband. I'm taking him home. Lumia's healers are stronger than yours."

"Lumia's healer's don't deal with firewort," Ava said.

"Well, you and Irina can explain to me what they—and I—need to do to deal with the firewort," Chloe said. “We can keep him alive if you tell me how."

"It may be wiser to stay," Mikvel said.

"Your court is not safe right now, Your Majesty. I am not going to give anybody the opportunity to try to finish what they started."

Honore said, "We need Lucien to complete his investigation of House Elannon."

She shook her head. "Colonel, you are forgetting one point.”

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