To his surprise, nothing changed in the world. He still stood alone on the crest of the cliffs, overlooking a countryside so vast that he felt like a mere speck on the flanks of a giant creature. Shouts snapped him out of his reverie, and then a strong arm clamped onto his elbow. He tried to fight free of that grip, but it was like iron. “Listen to me if you want to live,” a familiar voice hissed.

“You,” he spat, turning sharply toward the voice that was attached to the arm that held him in place. “Did my father send you? Tell me. I command it!” He lunged at the man’s throat, but the assassin calmly held him away. It was a stark reminder to Tomas that he was no warrior. His father had never encouraged him to take up weapons training, instead always pushing him to educate himself on the art of war, politics and power. Even in the throes of anger and sorrow, Tomas was better suited to sermonizing on the pros and cons of levying taxes on the middle class. Kings do not become soldiers, they command them, his father liked to say.

“Your father?” the assassin said. “How would he benefit from Queen Echevaria’s death?”

Tomas blinked, eyes trying to pierce the shroud that cast the man’s face in shadow. “He is a patient man. He has long wished ill tidings on my mother. He could’ve planned this, a long time ago.”

“And put your life in danger in the process? You’re his only heir. The crown prince to his own throne.”

Tomas hated the relief that bubbled up inside him. Hated it because he shouldn’t be allowed to feel relief right now, not when his mother was… “If not him, then who?” he asked, trying to tame his scattered emotions.

The assassin threw back his hood to reveal a much younger face than Tomas had expected. Not a single scar marred his youthful expression. A slash of fear struck him. What kind of assassin would reveal their identity? They wouldn’t, he thought. Not unless they planned to kill the person they’d revealed it to. “You think there aren’t others in the nobility who wish for war with Kinkalla?” the assassin said.

Tomas’s mind raced. He couldn’t discount the wisdom in the man’s words, but they provided no comfort in his current situation. Still, having a puzzle to solve helped distract him from his fear. “House Gideon has long mongered for war in my father’s courts,” he said. “Their expansionist desires have garnered increasing support for more than a year now. And House Skinner would benefit financially from a war as they control more than half of all iron ore mining operations in the north.”

“You’ll have time to think about all that later,” the assassin said. “Time to go.”

“You’re coming with me after what you did?”