Berin gripped his shoulders tight, giving him a little shake. “Don't be sorry, boy. This wasn't your fault. The Skarlans were the ones who brought death to our city. We should never have let them through the gates.” Letting go of Ren, Berin spat on the floor.

“Skarlans can never be trusted,” Niklas said.

Ren smiled. In a way, they were all bastards. Berin and Niklas were both born in Skarlan, of Skarlan blood, but they had as much dislike for their neighbours to the west as any true-born Fraynean. Ren would trust both of them with his life. “What's happening at home?” Ren asked.

Berin and Niklas exchanged a look. It was Berin who spoke first. “Halvard is marrying his daughter to Thais.”

It took a moment for the words to process in Ren's mind. He had almost forgotten about the Skarlan princess Evalyne. At the party, she had seemed quiet and reserved.

“Everyone was saying that Halvard would offer his daughter to Hellic,” Ren said, his breath catching painfully when he spoke his brother's name. “Why this? Hel… He was the crown prince.”

Berin sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, sitting down opposite Ren on Anik's untouched bed. “Thais doesn't come of age for another four years. I think this was Halvard's plan all along. A marriage between his daughter and Thais means that Halvard can step in as regent of Frayne until Thais can become king, all in the name of protecting the nation.”

“He put on a grand performance in the courtyard this morning,” Niklas said. There was poison in his tone. “Announced to everyone how he was doing it to help protect the young prince and keep the nation safe. Complete bullshit.”

“Did the court believe it?” Ren asked, looking between the two of them.

“They don't have to believe it,” Berin said with a sigh. “Halvard just needs to be able to point the finger at you. According to him, the fact that you ran only adds evidence to your guilt.”

Ren braced his elbows against his knees and let his head hang. His mind was so full of so many different emotions, he felt it might explode. Four years. Something told him Thais would never make it to twenty.

“So what now?” Niklas asked quietly.

Ren shook his head. Callun had relatives in Aleria, but the king hadn't been born into the royal family. He had married Ren's mother around the time Ren had been born, and now that he was dead, his family would all be stripped of their titles.

“What about my uncle?” Ren asked, the thought striking him suddenly. He raised his head. “Lord Tyke, in Stag's Run. He's the queen's brother, so he has a claim to the throne. If he returned to Aleria, he could claim regency in Halvard's stead.”