My aunt Stala, seated next to him, shook her head—but I think it was at Oreg and not at me. She was my captain of the guards and my mother’s baseborn sister, a Tallvenish woman who’d taken her destiny in her own hands and shook the world. She bore the scars of those battles gracefully and there was not a man in the Blue Guard who would not die willingly for her, including me. “You forcedme to stay here,” said my brother, “by following me to the capital every time I tried to go, threatening to expose yourself to the possibility that he would decide to enforce his own writ and have you caged in his zoo for unwanted nobles—”

Tosten had been intent on supporting Alizon—something I’d determined was both dangerous and useless. But Tosten was still young and hotheaded; he’d been very close to both of the twins, and Erdrick’s death had hit him hard.

“Unwantedcrazy nobles,” I murmured, taking a bite of stew and relishing the taste of fresh carrots. By the end of winter we’d be out of vegetables. I glanced at Tisala and she sent me a strained smile in return. She obviously agreed with Tosten.

“Unwanted crazy nobles,” Tosten snapped with a wave of his hand. “Now you want to hie off and see what Jakoven’s been up to? You might do well to remember that the last Hurog who stuck his nose in Jakoven’s business got his throat slit.”

“He killed Erdrick,” I acknowledged. “And now he’s after Beckram. I need to find out what’s going on, before we end up with Beckram dead as well.”

Tosten’s fists came down and made the table jump. “And you can look after Beckram’s business so much better than he can?”

It wasn’t the words that got to me, it was the tone of voice that implied simultaneously that Beckram was competent and I was an idiot.

I bit back several things that would have been unforgivable—foremost was reminding everyone that it was Beckram’s affair with the queen that killed his twin, Erdrick. I took hold of my temper and told them the truth as I saw it. “I am Hurogmeten, guardian of Hurog. Beckram is of Hurog blood and thus under my protection. If I cannot or will not protect my own—I am nothing.”

“That attitude would surprise the two other Hurogmetens that I’ve known,” said my aunt dryly, referring to my father and grandfather.

“Metenmeans guardian, and Ward is Hurogmeten,” said Oreg before taking a bite of bread.