“Silas. And he wanted to tell his father, but I begged him not to.”

Etan shook his head. “He must have loved you tremendously. That is very important news. And it explains a lot. Quinten was counting on passing the crown to an heir of his own, and he’s never been sure how long Hadrian would live. He’s clearly abandoned his hope in Valentina, and now his hope is that Phillipa will conceive quickly. That’s why this wedding is happening now.”

If this was true, all I could think about was poor Valentina, trapped in a loveless marriage to the cruelest king in memory. If he had no hope in her, what would he do? Divorce seemed like the merciful option these days. If he could kill off Silas for standing in his way, what would keep him from doing it to Valentina?

I moved my eyes to Hadrian’s bride. I watched her intently, and though she spoke warmly to anyone who came to meet her, when her focus was turned to Hadrian, it was hard to find anything more than indifference in her eyes. Not disdain or sorrow. It seemed more an acceptance of what she must do and of the person who’d come attached to the duty she’d been raised to complete her whole life.

I wasn’t sure if I admired her resolve or pitied her. Beyond most of that, I felt a chilling sense of worry. If she failed, too, what would happen to her?

The sound of heavy footsteps pulled my attention away. Six men wearing dirty Isolten uniforms were running into the banquet hall. “Let us pass!” one shouted. “News for His Majesty the King!”

Crowds parted, and the men ran through, all falling to a knee before the head table, one all but collapsing from exhaustion. “Your Majesty, we must report that another battalion has been attacked by the border with Coroa. We are the only ones to survive.”

I gasped, covering my mouth in shock. They were all so young.

“No,” Etan whispered. “No.”

“We came to tell you of this atrocity,” the soldier said, “and ask for more men to come with us to defend our land.”

“Jameson,” Etan muttered under his breath, as if it were a curse.

I swallowed. It was hard to explain my lingering allegiance to Jameson. Perhaps it was because Coroa, for better or worse, would always be my home. I stayed silent, afraid to even attempt to comfort him. Any semblance of peace between us might be gone tonight in that single word.

“I will go and fight!” a man called out from the crowd.

“So shall I!” another cried.

The king shook his head, raising his hand to silence the room. “I will not waste our precious blood for that villain of a prince!” he yelled above the guests. He sank for a moment into his throne, mumbling to himself. Phillipa looked to her fiancé, as if to ask if this sulking was normal, and Valentina sat on the farthest side of her chair as physically possible. Once his anger had finally settled, he called out into the hall. “Where is that girl?”