Hours passed. Darkness fell and no one came for him, not even to deliver food. Ren lay on his back on the bed, but he was wide awake. He hadn't eaten since that morning, but food was the last thing on his mind. Each time he closed his eyes for more than a second, he saw blood. Hellic's dead eyes staring up at the ceiling. The gash in his brother's throat. Without warning, tears welled up in his eyes and kept threatening to spill. He'd never sleep again for the rest of his life.

Instead, Ren spent the dark hours thinking about Thais, Niklas, Berin, and Keelan. The royal slaves: kind-hearted Danali who had served the king and demure Avery who was supposed to be a calming influence on Thais, but who had never really caught the rowdy young prince's attention. What would happen to them now? Were they safe? Or were they already dead, their throats slit like Hellic's? More than anything, Ren wished he could turn back time. To that morning, when Hellic had been alive and they had both been happy. Happy and safe.

The next time Ren closed his eyes, he saw a throne room littered with bodies and King Halvard on his family's throne.

A muffled tapping sound disturbed his thoughts and he sat up, eyes wide in the darkness. Fingers fumbling, he lit a candle and carried it with him, tracking the sound to the window facing the courtyard.

Ren could have wept at the sight of a familiar face.

Putting the candle down, Ren quickly pushed the window open and Niklas gripped the frame. He was balancing on the narrow ledge made by the frame of the window below.

“We don't have much time.” Niklas' voice was a tense whisper. His light brown hair was ruffled from sleep. “Berin sent the guards for rounds, but they'll be back in a few minutes. Halvard's men are watching everything.”

Below, Ren could just about make out Berin's large form in the darkness.

“What's happening?” Ren whispered. “Where's Thais?”

“Thais was in shock after…what happened,” Niklas explained, averting his gaze. “Halvard said he wanted to take care of him. He took him to the inner chambers. He won't let anyone in and Berin is afraid to do anything in case they try to use Thais as a hostage. Halvard knows Thais is the only heir Frayne has left, so everyone's hands are tied.”

“What is he planning?” Ren asked. “What's going to happen now?”

Niklas looked over his shoulder at Berin. When he answered, his voice was dark. “Halvard wants to execute you and the slave for murder at dawn tomorrow.”

Ren's heart skipped a beat. It had already been dark for hours. Dawn wasn't far away. “But he can't do that, can he? People don't really think I did it, right?”