“You cannot be sure! And the child, too! If she is dead, then

Mathilda has no rivals in the second generation. I should have slit her throat myself. Now I will never know if she perished.”

Almost, Antonia lost her temper, but fortunately soldiers appeared under the archway that led into the palace.

“Your Majesty! Holy Mother!”

Captain Falco hurried forward, and Adelheid paused beside the mosaic floor. He knelt before her.

The queen touched a finger to her own lips, hissed a breath, and spoke. “What news, Captain?”

“Your Majesty,” he said, for he always put Adelheid first, although it was wrong of him to do so. Afterward, he inclined his head toward Antonia. “Holy Mother. When we searched more carefully, we found where they had left the road.”

“Did they go to the crown?” Antonia asked.

“It’s true there was some disturbance by that path, but it appears they decided not to go that way.”

“Because of the clouds, they could not weave,” said Antonia. “God stymied them.”

“Go on,” said Adelheid impatiently. “What did you find?”

“Two days’ ride down the road we found where they scattered into the woodland. They must have been fleeing from—” He broke off, and glanced nervously at Antonia; it was good that he feared her. “We brought the remains back in wagons, Your Majesty, although I admit we found no stray horses living or dead.”

“What manner of remains?” Antonia asked.

“A tumble of bone, hard to sort out because cast here and there along the ground and amid bushes. We found twelve skulls. Two of them were somewhat smaller than the rest. Belt buckles, metal bits, such things. This as well, among the bones.” He offered her a silver brooch molded in the shape of a panther grappling with a hapless antelope.

‘Austra’s sigil,” said Antonia.

“He was wearing that when he arrived,” said Adelheid breathlessly. Her cheeks became red as she took the brooch from the captain and weighed it in her palm. “Still, why ride south? Why not ride north?”

“He claimed to have been exiled from Wendar,” said Antonia. “So he could not hope to find refuge there. Yet I, too, wonder what they hoped to find in the south.”

“Twelve skulls,” mused Adelheid, “but thirteen went missing.”

She gave Antonia such a look, but Antonia refused to be drawn. There had been no reason to raise a galla to pursue Heribert.

“I left men behind to continue searching, Your Majesty,” said the captain, “knowing you would wish to account for everyone.”

“What if it was Hugh who survived?” Adelheid asked, still studying the brooch. “How can we know? Bones do not speak.”

“Do you wish Lord Hugh dead? Or alive? Your Majesty.” It was said sharply, but Antonia had tired of this conversation which they had repeated a dozen times since the morning four days ago when they had woken to find Lady Elene murdered, and Hugh, Princess Blessing, and Brother Heribert vanished together with nine soldiers including one of Adelheid’s loyal captains.