“Shavig wouldn’t survive on its own,” I explained. “The reasons for uniting the Five Kingdoms are stronger now than they ever have been. Together we can weather early winters in the north by sending Tallvenish grain and Avinhelle cattle to Shavig. We can use Seaford fish and Oranstone rice to fill in when the crops fail in Tallven and Avinhelle. Oranstone ore mixed with Shavig iron makes a fine steel for swords. Our weavers use Avinhelle wool and flax for cloth. Together our armies can run off conquerors from across the sea or the Vorsag in the south. Alone, Shavig is nothing but meat for raiders.”

“All very nice, I’m sure,” said Kellen, implying by his voice that he meant just the opposite. “So you have no aspirations to the throne, and Shavig is not pursuing independence. Then why did you bring in the dragon? Once it showed itself, you knew that they would follow no other but you.”

My patience for this round of questioning was thinning. He’d been in the hall that night and knew very well why Oreg had come.

“If”—I bit out the words—“the dragon had not shown itself, Orvidin would have left and taken most of the Council with him. It has been too long since great magic was done in our land for easy belief. They had to see one legend to believe in another.”

My temper was rising. Questioning me to ascertain my motivations was fine, but the last question implied that he hadn’t believed my answers. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Axiel was just seating himself.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I said, “I have a lady to mind.” I stood up and bowed, as if we were at court, and strode back to sit on the boards next to Tisala.

I hadn’t made any particular effort to be quiet at the last, and Tosten must have heard something of our conversation, because he patted my leg as I stepped over him where he sat on the boards between Garranon’s and Oreg’s seats.

“Hold on,” I told Tisala as I sat down beside her. “This is a wild ride.”

When we stopped in a cavern where odd formations of rock crystal wept from the roof to the walls and down to drape wearily over dark stone on the shore, Kellen sat forward with an exclamation of surprise at the oddity of the grotto.

Under the cover of the ensuing conversation, Tisala touched her hand to the top of my head and said quietly, “Don’t take offense at his questions. It is only that he has been betrayed so many times. It makes him question everyone.”

I raised an eyebrow and said, “Did you hear it all?”