Once they did, she picked out a silhouette against the cherry tower. Rozalind turned toward her, and the dawn light brushed over her face, made Akeylah’s breath catch in her lungs.

The queen looked more beautiful than ever, even despite her frightened eyes, the harried, hunted look to her. For a split second, Akeylah’s heart wrenched in sympathy. Until she remembered everything the queen had put her through.

She hoped the Talons who’d been stalking her for two days made Rozalind feel even half the suffering she’d put Akeylah and her sisters through.

Her grip tightened on the bloodletter. She stalked toward the queen. Paused a couple paces away, near enough to see the whites around Rozalind’s eyes. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t chain you where you stand,” Akeylah said softly.

“I didn’t kill your father, Akeylah.” Rozalind held her gaze, voice low and pleading.

“I saw you curse him,” Akeylah hissed.

“I was trying to save him.” Rozalind raised her hands, palms empty. No weapons. Not yet, anyway. “I wanted to heal him, stop the curse, the way you did. But I was too late; I couldn’t… I didn’t know what to do…”

“Then why did you run? If you were so innocent.” Akeylah loaded the word innocent with sarcasm.

Rozalind laughed, an unhappy sound. “Think about it, Akeylah. You were calling for menders, who’d bring Talons with them. If I was found next to him like that, covered in blood, a Vulgar Arts scar on my thigh? People already hate me here.” Her voice dropped lower, so low Akeylah had to lean in to hear. “Even you thought I did it. I saw it in your eyes the moment you entered that room. If even you could think me capable…”

Akeylah stepped back, expression hard. She wouldn’t fall for this. Not again. “You were arguing with him before he collapsed. Half the Great Hall servers heard you.”

“He asked me about the child.” Rozalind ducked her head. “He… wasn’t happy I hid it from him. I can understand that. But we were only talking, I swear. And suddenly his face went slack. He started shouting, as though there were someone else in the room. I begged him to call a mender, but he acted like I wasn’t even there.” She closed her eyes, grimacing with what seemed like genuine regret. “I should have summoned the menders myself. But I didn’t understand what was happening.…”

Akeylah stared.

She wanted to believe this story. She wanted to believe it so badly, and yet, given what Rozalind had already hidden from her, a secret as huge as her pregnancy… how could she?

“What was he saying?” Akeylah asked, voice carefully neutral.