Page 5 of A Kingdom Restored

“It’s hot in here,” said Leonora in a hard voice.

Now he was close, Heath could feel Leonora’s power curling out from her. She had the ability to control the temperature, at least within her immediate area. She seemed to be doing nothing more objectionable than cooling down the air around her and Jasmine.

“Regardless, My Lady,” the guard started, but Jasmine cut him off.

“If His Majesty can’t keep his castle at a livable temperature, then he should expect that we’re going to do what we can to make ourselves more comfortable. Any of his subjects would do the same.”

“But, Lady Jasmine,” the guard said helplessly. “You know the law says that you’re not to exercise your powers except under the king’s direction.”

“What are you going to do?” Jasmine challenged him. “Lock her up in the dungeons and execute her, too? Just for cooling down the air?”

Heath deemed it time to intervene. “Is there a problem here?” he asked mildly, stepping up behind his cousins.

“Lord Heath.” One of the guards gave him a small, stiff bow. “Lady Leonora was breaching the king’s orders, and we—”

“Was she?” Heath raised an eyebrow. “How would you know, given only power-wielders can sense power?” He leaned close, furrowing his brow as if in conspiracy. “You’re not hiding forbidden magic, are you?”

“Of course not.” The guard looked irritated. “But our orders are to—”

“Report any unsanctioned use of power, I’m guessing,” Heath finished for him. “But how you can be sure magic was at work here rather than just an errant breeze, I can’t imagine.” He looked at Leonora, who was petite, and looked younger than her nineteen years. “If you’re comfortable condemning her to a night in the dungeons based on a mere suspicion…”

The guards exchanged a glance, then gave stiff bows. “As you say, My Lord,” one of them told Heath. “Perhaps we misunderstood.”

They marched off down the corridor, leaving the sisters to stare suspiciously at Heath.

“Why did you say it wasn’t magic?” Jasmine challenged.

“Yeah,” Leonora agreed with a frown. “We’re not trying to hide it.”

“Don’t worry,” Heath told them. “They knew it was magic. They just took the offered way out of having to actually punish you for it. Couldn’t you see how uncomfortable they were? They didn’t want to lock you up for something so trivial.”

“I didn’t see any discomfort,” said Leonora. “But if being locked in the dungeons is what it takes to show the king that we won’t let our magic be stamped out, then I’ll gladly do it.”

Heath suspected that she might feel differently had she spent as much time in the dungeons as he had since Percival’s imprisonment. But he refrained from saying so.

“Don’t you think beating the heat of the day is a bit of a flimsy thing to take such a stand on?”

“It’s not about the heat,” said Jasmine, scowling. “It’s the principle.”

Heath ran a hand through his hair. He understood exactly what she meant, but he’d been getting a pretty close view of what Percival was experiencing, locked in the filth-strewn dungeons for weeks now, uncertain of how many more days he had left to his short life. He didn’t want to see his gentle cousin experience any part of that.

“When did you two stop being the easygoing peacemaking ones?” he asked ruefully.

“When our cousin was sentenced to death for a weak excuse!” Leonora said passionately. “We all know the king just wants to be rid of him because of his magic. How can you act so casual, Heath? He’s your brother!”

“And if you think I’m not doing everything in my power to get him out of this fix, you don’t know me!” Heath burst out.

“We didn’t mean that,” said Jasmine quickly. “We know you’re upset, too. It’s just…”

She hesitated, and Heath raised an expectant eyebrow.

“Well, no offense,” she said quickly. “But it’s hard to know if you’re really quite as invested as we are. Given, you know…”

“My lack of power?” Heath said dryly.

It was all so ridiculous, given the breadth and strength of his late-developing magic. But the fact that his uncertain power made his family question his loyalty caused him to be stubbornly persistent in his reluctance to tell everyone what he was learning to do.

“Percival is my brother,” Heath said flatly. “And I won’t let him be killed for a crime he didn’t commit.” He considered his two cousins, frowning slightly. “But you’re wrong if you think it’s just a weak excuse. I was there when King Matlock almost died, and I’ve been trying exhaustively since then to prove who was behind the attack. I know for a fact it’s not Percival. But even I have to admit it looks that way. I have no doubt King Matlock genuinely believes it.”

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