Page 71 of Pretense

Edmund nodded. How deep did the conspiracy go? Did Mongavaria simply want to affect Escarlish politics and keep them as dependent trade partners?

Or had it really been a long-term plot to set up a takeover of Escarland, as Mongavaria had just done to Nevaria? It was something that Edmund and the Intelligence Office would have to investigate further, once this current crisis was over.

Julien paced between the desks with a swift, long-legged stride. “Together with Tarenhiel, we now have the power to rival Mongavaria, militarily and economically.”

“Is that why they tried to assassinate Farrendel?” Jalissa stood straight, her face smoothed of anything that would give away her thoughts.

Edmund braced himself against his desk. “Yes. The combined Escarlish-Tarenhieli armies are powerful, as we demonstrated by our swift actions in defeating Kostaria. But Farrendel is basically an army by himself. While he is alive, Mongavaria has no hope of defeating Tarenhiel and Escarland through war, if they should attack us.”

“And if the defense treaty with Rharreth turns out like we hope, the combined might of Escarland, Tarenhiel, and Kostaria would be more than enough to not only turn back a Mongavarian attack, but also take over Mongavaria itself, if we had Farrendel fighting with us.” Averett’s jaw worked. “I have no ambitions for an Escarlish empire, but the Mongavarian king doesn’t know that. He could see Escarland’s growing power as a threat to their national security.”

Perhaps the Mongavarian king feared Escarland was becoming too powerful. But Edmund didn’t think it was merely that. Mongavaria’s takeover of Nevaria and the accompanying name change seemed to indicate that other motives were at work in Mongavarian politics.

“They probably figure eliminating Essie is a bonus. Revenge for her turning down their prince for an elf.” Julien scowled, knuckles going white from his tight grip on his sword’s hilt. “I’m so glad we never let Parliament talk us into a marriage alliance between Essie and the Mongavarian crown prince.”

So was Edmund. If it had all been a set up for a peaceful annexation, Mongavaria wasn’t likely to be content to put those ambitions aside. Had their spies attacked Farrendel and broken into Winstead Palace as a prelude for a less-than-peaceful takeover of Escarland before the treaty with Kostaria could be signed?

“The Sentinel protested Essie’s marriage.” Averett rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Do you think this spy ring aided Lord Bletchly and Mark Hadley back then?”

“I found links between Lord Bletchly and the Sentinel in the tax records.” If Edmund could go back, he would pursue that investigation differently. Would he have been able to save Farrendel and Essie from this second attempt on their lives here in Escarland if he had realized the Sentinel was more than just a gossip rag?

But he was the expert for Kostaria and Tarenhiel, not Mongavaria. Nor had the Mongavarian analysts looked too closely at what the agents specializing in internal affairs were doing. No one person had all the pieces to put the puzzle together, until now.

“But I can’t say for sure. Likely, the spies at the Sentinel supported Lord Bletchly, knowing he would hurt Escarland in the end, and Lord Bletchly supported the Sentinel, thinking they were simply an Escarlish newspaper that shared his beliefs.” Edmund faced Averett. “But their connection doesn’t matter right now. The problem is what that Mongavarian spy took from the records.”

Averett, Julien, and Jalissa stilled, staring at Edmund and waiting.

Edmund leaned even more heavily against the desk behind him. “They looked at the Mongavarian files. We’ll need to warn our entire spy network there. And we’ll want to alert our forts along the border, in case of an attack.”

Rick, who had been gaping, turned back to his desk and started scribbling. Good. They would have everything ready to go as soon as General Bloam gave the official word to send the warning.

Averett gave a grim nod, the weary lines across his face deepening. “I’ll order reinforcements to the border, just in case.”

Edmund grimaced, unable to look at Jalissa. “Not only that, but they took my files. All of them. All my safe houses from here to Estyra. All my established covers in Tarenhiel. And”—he had to take another deep breath to steady himself—“the doomsday plan.”

Now it was Averett’s turn to mutter under his breath. Julien stiffened, his hand falling from his sword.

“Doomsday plan?” Jalissa’s voice was soft and low. Too gentle for the stab of pain it caused.

Edmund wasn’t sure how his voice remained so calm when everything in him felt so shaken. “I came up with this plan long before our alliance while I was spying on Tarenhiel. If we went to war with Tarenhiel and if that war took a turn for the worst, this was the last-ditch plan to end the war quickly before we found ourselves overrun.”

Jalissa’s breath caught. “What was in this plan?” Her voice was tense, low. Far too calm, in that way he recognized as her anger.

Edmund opened his mouth, but his throat tightened too much to speak. This was his plan. At the time, he had thought this was the way to protect his family and his kingdom. When the alliance happened, this plan was put in the drawer, an idea that would never be needed.

Averett heaved a long sigh. “It was a plan to assassinate all the male members of the elven royal family.”

Edmund finally managed to lift his gaze enough to glance at Jalissa. Her face had gone white, her lips pressed into a tight line. Her dark eyes flashed. “And you did not destroy this plan once the treaty was signed?”

“At first, we weren’t sure how the alliance would go. And then, frankly, we forgot about it. It no longer mattered, and it was buried in the bottom of a drawer inside a locked vault.” Averett shrugged, but it was a weary kind of shrug. “Before you get too offended, keep in mind that your brother has a similar doomsday plan for Escarland. And that plan likely involves Farrendel razing a good portion of the kingdom to the ground and performing a few assassinations of his own.”

Jalissa snapped her mouth shut and looked away.

This was the reality of politics. Their families had become close since Farrendel and Essie’s marriage, but their nations were still separate kingdoms that needed to have plans to protect themselves if need be, even against their closest allies.

“My version of the plan was designed to force peace.” Edmund clenched his fists. “But these Mongavarian spies want to weaken Tarenhiel as a way to get at Escarland. I don’t think they will stop at only male members. They might decide to kill your entire family.”

For the first time, Jalissa’s mask cracked. She turned away from them, her shoulders hunching.

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