“Then what are you going to do about it?”

“Do?”

“Yes, Dell.” She laughed. “If this woman means something to you, there must be something you can do to help her.”

Talk from the table beside them froze both Dell and Catjsa.

“Have the rebels contacted us?” one of the mercenaries asked.

“Yes,” another affirmed. “And we turned down their offer.”

“There have been rumblings,” a low voice growled. “Within the royal army itself.”

The first snorted. “That’s why you never make an oath of infinite fidelity. Then you don’t have to break it. They’re faithless.”

Catsja leaned closer to Dell. “Never thought I’d see the day the royal army turned on the king.”

“What’s going on?” Dell asked.

“The last few weeks, we’ve had a lot of mercenaries in here. Seems there are rumors the royal forces may be tiring of the king’s wars like the rest of us.”

Dell tried to cover his intense interest in the subject by shifting his gaze to the table. “And the mercenaries don’t like this?”

“It’s the principal. A mercenary is ruthless, but on the rare occasion you get them to give their word, they won’t break it. Ever. Killers, but loyal killers at least.”

The information took hold in Dell’s mind. He needed to talk to Edmund. Did he know of the shifting loyalties of the army? Or the danger it posed for the royal kingdom? The army was the king’s power.

“Do you think the mercenaries will join forces with those who wish the king ill?” he asked. As owner of an alehouse, Catjsa knew more of the realm’s happenings than most.

“No,” she said with conviction. “Mercenaries have rules they live by. One such rule is they don’t fight within Madra. They won’t support civil war destroying the kingdom.”

His shoulders relaxed. That was a relief at least.

Catsja pushed herself up from her chair. “Remember all I’ve said, Dell. If you care for the woman at all, you will fight for her.”

A serving woman arrived with Dell’s lunch, but he barely touched it as he drained the rest of his ale and stood.

Catsja was right.

He had to find Len.

And there was only one way into the palace.

He was going to a ball.

As the skies continued to dump misery down upon the city, Dell ran through the streets. Flashes of lightning lit his way, and thunder rang at his back as if it would rip the world in two. He spotted Agathe in the window of her bakery but ignored her frantic waving to get him to stop. He only had a few hours before the ball.