Page 30 of The Queens and the Kings
The Ladylord
The final flourish on the page was a dramatic, looping scrawl. Britt read it once, twice, and stared at the signature.
Ladylord.
Not Lordlady.
The implication hit like a punch to the gut. “It’s a new leader,” she whispered.
Einar’s head popped up.
“What?”
She shook the letter, seeking Henrik’s concerned stare. On seeing her pale expression, he instantly closed the carefully-curated gap between them. The heady scent of sea spray that twirled off him made her head dance.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“The signature says Ladylord, which means it’s not the same leader as before. A new one has taken power.”
“Is that good or bad?” Henrik asked.
She ran her bottom lip through her teeth. “I don’t . . . I don’t know. I knew the old one, but maybe not this one.” She held it out for Henrik. “It’s as much for you as it is for me.”
Henrik perused it, handed it off to Einar, who read it aloud. Agnes studied it with curious fervor from beneath his arm.
Pedr said, “It’s meant to be a warning.” He stood in the same position, legs braced in front of him as he stared over the water, facing west. A tempestuous storm rimmed the far sea, barely visible on the horizon.
“There’s no warning in there, Pedr,” Britt said.
Pedr’s canny gaze slid to Henrik, who regarded him with the ferocity of a tiger about to pounce. “Maybe not to Britt, but there is for you,friend.”
Henrik’s dangerous stare darkened.
“The Ladylord already knew you defected from Stenberg,” Pedr said, “She said that yourstory had already reached my ears,and now the Ladylord wants you to join their side. There’s a good chance the Ladylord also knows why you’re coming to the mainland, since she mentioned her curiosity. That she wrote the letter at all means something.”
“That’s impossible!” Britt retorted. “We haven’t told anyone why we’re going to the mainland. Henrikjusttold Arvid.”
“The Ladylord is the most powerful person in Elestra for a reason.” To Henrik, Pedr said, “Might want to check your allegiance with Arvid.”
“Not Arvid,” Einar snapped. “He’d never betray us by sharing that information without Henrik’s approval.”
Pedr simply raised his brow. His snarky, twisted lips seemed to ask,then who else?
“Who are the enemies of the mainland?” Henrik asked.
“Hard to narrow that down,” Pedr quipped, though his gaze flickered west. “His Glory certainly ranks amongst their greatest pests. You can bet the newly-positioned Ladylord is preparingfor something, or else there wouldn’t have been a wyvern flying around Kapurnick, nor a message inviting you to chat with her. The events are related—I’ll guarantee it. Be on guard. That’s the best advice I can give. A brand new Ladylord wouldn’t do anything without a reason.”
Chapter Ten
PEDR
Himmel,Arcanist of the Sky, gathered on Pedr’s deck that evening.
Finally.
Midnight painted the sky, spraying stars by the thousands. Their glittering speckles radiated a brilliant white as the bow splashed. While active, arcane coiled and moved through the ship with random bursts of illumination, so subtle only an Arcanist could sense them. Not even Britt mentioned it, despite all her time living with him during her teenage years.
The other passengers slept, oblivious to the horrors and beauties of the night. When dark came, Pedr truly cherished the strength of the sea, the quiet. The power. The teeth of it. The way currents sang through his blood and looped deeper and deeper. With every year that passed, arcane captured him more fully.
