“Go and rest,” he instructed. “I’m sure Father will want to regroup after the feast, but Scarlet or I will tell you everything if you’re still feeling poorly.”

“Thank you.”

“What does that look mean?” he asked, gesturing at my face.

“Scarlet and I were joking about becoming gypsies, and I’m just wondering if it’s too late.”

He laughed and reached for the door, heading back to the feast while I moved directly to the bed.

Fifteen

“ARE YOU AWAKE?” SCARLET WHISPERED from across the room.

“Barely,” I confessed. I cracked my eyes open to see the stars were now out in abundance on the other side of the window. “How was the rest of the feast?”

“Uncle Reid wants to meet and talk about just that. Do you want me to let you sleep?”

“No, no.” I hoisted myself up. My stomach had settled, and I wished I had something to eat now. It would certainly help. “I want to know everything that’s happening.”

Scarlet came over and took my hand, helping me walk. “You poor thing. That had to be terrifying.”

I elbowed her. “Better people have gone through worse.”

She gave me a small smile, a thing that felt like an absolute gift these days, and we joined the rest of the family.

“Hollis Eastoffe, you clever girl,” Uncle Reid greeted me. “You stayed incredibly calm under pressure back there. I know soldiers who would have broken into tears if His Majesty made any such threat to them. Well done.”

Mother was nodding and smiling but looking smug, as if she already knew I had that in me.

“Well, I suppose the maid who finds the cistern full of my sick won’t have such a high opinion of me, but I’ll take what I can.”

Etan laughed, but quickly silenced himself.

“We’re all proud of you regardless.” Uncle Reid clapped his hands together, looking at each of us in turn. “It seems Etan’s suspicions have been more than confirmed; I had countless people come up to me tonight and ask if it was true that Dashiell and the boys were dead. No one knew until today, and they simply couldn’t believe it.”

“Those who supported Silas as a future king were particularly crushed,” Aunt Jovana added. “I still don’t understand the secrecy.”

“Perhaps he knows he’s gone too far this time,” Scarlet offered. “It’s one thing to threaten a wing of the royal family, and another entirely to attempt to wipe them out.”

Uncle Reid shook his head. “It’s possible, but there’s something missing here. I can’t quite say what it is.”

“All I know is that we have more friends than I thought,” Mother said. “And the Northcott name has more support than ever.”

Uncle Reid sighed. “That’s encouraging. Truly. But it means nothing if we find no proof. No one will act if they could be imprisoned or worse for being wrong. We have to find evidence. Did anyone have any luck on that front tonight?”