Gytha led Reid to their tent. “In you go.”

“Aren’t you joining me?”

“I’m on watch. Once my shift is over, I’ll sleep.”

That explained why Gytha hadn’t been eating with everyone else. Reid suspected Dexter was also on watch. Not that it mattered. But she did file that information away for later. It revealed a lot about the type of leader and person he was.

She stretched out on her bedroll, mulling over her life-changing day. She still couldn’t fathom she was engaged. Not wanting to think about it right now, she focused on her assignment. The Knights wanted her to get close to Dexter and gain his trust. But why? What did they suspect he was doing? She also needed to discover who Henrik had declared his heir, though she assumed it was Dexter. However, it could be Eldon since he was the firstborn. At least Reid understood why that mattered, since title and land could only pass from father to son in the kingdom.

Rubbing her face, she remembered what the king wanted her to do—find the letters proving he was Henrick’s son. She knew he would destroy them the moment he got ahold of them. The problem was she’d already found the letters. Somehow Ackley had stolen them. She didn’t have any proof, but it was the only thing that made sense. When Nara had opened the box, the letters were in it. Then, she’d closed and locked the box right in front of Reid, who then took it and returned home. She hid the box in her room, then Ackley showed up. When she retrieved the box, she’d heard it rattle. Ackley had even made a comment about the chess set in her room. When the king opened the box, one of Reid’s chess pieces—the queen—was inside, but the letters were not.

Ackley had to be responsible for the swap. Although how he’d managed to open the box, Reid didn’t know. Leigh, his mother, had a key, which she’d given to the king so he could open the box. Could Leigh have given one to Ackley as well? Reid had no idea where Leigh stood on the matter. Both Eldon and Gordon were her sons, even if they had different fathers. Both had a legitimate claim to the throne. Which of her sons had her support?

Reid rolled onto her side, recalling a conversation she’d had with Idina. Something about whether Reid could get close to a man in order to gain information. Surely the Knights hadn’t masterminded her engagement to Dexter. That seemed like too big of a stretch. She just happened to be in the perfect situation to find out what he was up to. It was a coincidence. It had to be. Too bad Dexter disliked her as much as she did him. It would make getting close to him impossible.

Chapter Two