Page 21 of Court of Vipers (The Lady of Innislee)

“We will not,” Riona snapped.

“If it comes to it, we’ll fight,” Prince Domhnall said, setting a comforting hand on her shoulder. He turned to his father. “Do you truly believe the Emperor and his sons didn’t plan this? They knew that if something like this happened while Drystan and Auberon were your guests, it would give him every right to demand a betrothal. I didn’t think he would risk his own son’s life to further his political goals, but one can never overestimate the cruelty of an Erdurian.”

Could it be true?Riona’s tutors had taught her about the Emperor’s ruthlessness, but she had seen the genuine terror on Auberon’s face. Her hand still ached from how tightly he’d been clutching it. Nicholas Comyn had been a master of deception, but even he wouldn’t have been able to fake the fear she had seen on Auberon’s face.

Do not be taken in by his act. He is the enemy. Everything he does is in service to the Empire—he said as much earlier.

“Prince Auberon had the poison’s antidote in his bag,” Riona said, and the king stopped pacing mid-step. All three of them turned to stare at her. They’d been too distracted by the chaos to notice that Drystan had retrieved that small wooden box for his brother. “It seems too fortunate to be mere coincidence, but I saw the terror on Prince Auberon’s face, and I don’t believe he knew of the poisoning beforehand. Still, they cannot be trusted. The wisest course of action would be to send them back to Erduria as soon as the prince is well enough to travel.”

King Domhnall sank onto his throne. “If I had the evidence to support that claim, I would have both princes thrown onto their ship tonight, peace treaty be damned. Whoever organized the attempt on Prince Auberon’s life chose a perfect time to strike. There were so many people in attendance tonight, it would have been easy to slip poison into a goblet or onto a plate without anyone noticing. Unless we find undeniable proof that this was a plot by the Emperor himself, we must act as if the poisoning were genuine.”

They continued discussing the events of the night, but Riona hung back, frowning. Something about what the king had said troubled her. The Empire had always been more powerful than Rivosa; it was the most powerful country in the northern continent, and they were already at war. If Emperor Hyperion wanted to invade, he wouldn’t have risked his son’s life in the process. He would have simply attacked.

Doubts filled her mind, but she held her tongue. Whether the Emperor had been behind Auberon’s poisoning or not, she wouldn’t protest if the king decided to send the princes back to the northern continent. Once they were gone, she would only have to rid herself of the other two suitors.

“Whatever comes of tonight’s interrogations,” King Domhnall said, “speak of your suspicions to no one. For all intents and purposes, we—”

Shouts rose from beyond the closed doors, and the king rose as a Rivosi guard rushed into the room. “Your Majesty, it’s Prince Drystan. He says—”

“Let him in.”

The man bowed and pulled one of the doors open wide. Prince Drystan stormed in, flanked by more than a dozen Erdurian guards. Rage rippled off him with every step. A contingent of Rivosi royal guards rushed in after them and made to form a line between the prince and their king, but King Domhnall held up a hand to stay them. Riona edged closer to her father and cousin, fearing that the night would end in further bloodshed.

“Not one day in the city, and my brother is lying in the infirmary, fighting for his life,” Drystan spat. “Is this how you welcome all your guests into your home, Your Majesty, or just the Erdurian ones?”

“Prince Drystan, what happened to your brother was terrible, and we’re praying for his swift recovery,” the king said, gazing down at the prince with a calm, level expression. “We will find the person responsible for this attack and he will be punished accordingly.”

“I expect so. I also expect, Your Majesty, that certainconcessionswill be given during the negotiations to make up for this breach of trust.”

“We will discuss that when the time comes,” King Domhnall replied coolly. “For now, let us focus our efforts on finding the attacker and praying for your brother’s survival.”

Drystan’s gaze slid to Riona, and she stiffened, bracing herself for his demand for their marriage. Hatred for him, for his brother, for the Emperor, burned within her.I will never become your wife,she silently vowed.

Instead, he turned to the king. “According to your healer, Osha’s Kiss is only effective when administered orally, and it kills its victims within fifteen minutes of ingestion. Have your guards question the people who were pouring and serving the wine. You’ll find the would-be killer among their ranks.”

Domhnall nodded to one of the Rivosi guards, who bowed and left to pass on the orders. With that, Prince Drystan turned on his heel and walked out of the room, his guards falling into step behind him. As soon as they disappeared into the hall, the king waved away the remaining men and turned his back on the room, shaking his head. The tension in Riona’s chest gradually eased, and she sucked in what felt like her first full breath since the prince had barged into the room. He hadn’t demanded her hand in marriage. Thank the Creator for small miracles.

“Lachlan, speak to the commander of the city watch and have them increase patrols,” the king said. “Domhnall, help Master Kaiden organize the royal guard, and see if you can calm the nobles while you’re at it.”

“Yes, Father.”

“And Riona, get close to the princes and see what you can learn about them. They’re eager to impress you, and that will loosen their tongues. Just…be cautious.”

She curtsied and followed her father and the Crown Prince out of the throne room. Once the doors swung shut behind them, her father turned back and kissed her temple. “Go back to the house and get some rest, my dear. Domhnall and I will oversee the interrogations.”

“I want to help,” Riona said. She needed to find Ophelia and her other helpers, see if they had witnessed anything that would aid in the search for the would-be assassin.

“As much as I would appreciate that, we’ll have a hard enough time calming the courtiers without the sight of the blood covering your dress,” he said, nodding to the red-brown splotches marring the once pristine silk. “It’s late—go home and rest so you can help tomorrow. I’ll send Amaris home soon, as well. She stayed behind to help Blair with the little ones.”

“…Fine.”

She bade them farewell and started down the corridor, trying to ignore the cold brush of the bloody gown against her skin as she walked. Her already low mood plummeted. It seemed silly to mourn for something as trivial as a gown, but the dress was one of the few things she owned that tied her to her mother.

She turned the corner into the great hall and paused when she saw Prince Drystan sitting with his head in his hands on one of the benches that lined the room. His guards lingered near the entrance, giving him a moment of privacy to compose himself.

“It’s the middle of the night, Your Highness,” Riona said as she approached, and he looked up at the sound of her voice. “You should go to your guest house and try to sleep.”

Drystan shook his head. His face was bloodless, his hair unkempt. “Healer Barra said that Auberon should pull through, but…there’s still a chance he could die. I don’t want to sleep in case something happens. I just needed a moment away from that cold, sterile infirmary.”

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