‘A man needs his strength, Sir Gilbert, no matter what challenge he faces,’ said John Jacob and returned to the comfort of his stall.

‘You think I was chasing a woman?’ said Blackstone with his mouth full. ‘I did not follow a woman.’

‘And yet I smell her scent on you.’

Blackstone shrugged. ‘I bumped into the man-eater.’

Killbere nearly choked. His glare was more damning than words.

‘By accident,’ Blackstone added.

‘No such thing with a woman whose beauty could turn a man to stone. You propositioned her? Or she you?’

‘We talked about birds.’

Killbere corked the flask. ‘Any more of this and I’ll think I heard you say you talked about birds.’

‘It’s a long story,’ said Blackstone and went back to eating.

*

Blackstone walked along the stables to where Beyard and Lázaro shared a stall. Beyard’s men were bedded down in side stalls as protection. Beyard and the boy were awake; the boy jumped to his feet.

‘Sit down, Lázaro, eat your food.’

‘Sir Thomas, is there trouble? I heard about the men below,’ said Beyard.

‘We’ll stay vigilant. I want to talk to the boy because I have to decide how we travel onward with him.’

‘You think we should leave him at that monastery outside the city?’

‘Whatever chance he has, he has a better one with us. But we travel with the King and a handful of his courtiers and the Moors. I don’t want him to get separated from us if we’re attacked. But now that we are in the King’s court he might identify the assassin without the killer knowing he’s here. We cannot risk the lad taking fright and running, but if those who killed the Queen are part of the court, then best we are forewarned.’

‘What about the captain who helped him escape?’

‘The nobleman? I have had no word or sight of him. He has either left the court or was discovered and killed.’

‘You know the lad has no English. French is best. If he doesn’t understand I’ll explain to him in Spanish.’

Blackstone laid a reassuring hand on the boy’s arm. ‘Lázaro, it is time we talked more of what happened that day they killed your Queen.’

Lázaro’s reaction was less fearful than previously. He shuddered but nodded obediently. ‘Is my lady’s killer here, do you think, lord?

‘I don’t know. They killed her a long way from here, but we will keep you with us surrounded by Beyard and his men.’ He let his words sink in. The boy nodded, willing to help. ‘Tell us again what happened and what you saw.’