“Only luck saved you this time, Your Majesty. You are too public a figure here. Your schedule is known, your routes of travel are known. Against assassins with swords or pistols, I can stand between you and harm, but this . . .” She shook her head. “Sooner or later, they will succeed.”

“Then we have to track them down before they do.”

“That’s a race I’m not sure we can win,” Sothe said. “And if Maurisk is involved, what then? He has the Patriot Guard in his pocket.”

“If we could find proof, we could take it to the deputies.” Raesinia knew that sounded weak, even as she said it. The Deputies-General had come more and more under the thumb of the Directory as the war had grown closer.

“Finding solid evidence could take weeks, maybe months. You’d be vulnerable the whole time.”

Raesinia scowled. It did make sense, from a certain point of view. But it felt too much like abandoning her post. Not to mention letting whoever planted the bomb get away scot-free. Everyone who’d died for wanting to stand near their queen deserved better than that.

But Sothe is right. As long as I stay in the city . . .

An idea tickled the corner of her mind. As long as the queen stays in the city . . .

“You’re right,” she said slowly. “The queen should go to her country estates, to ensure her safety.”

Sothe had spent enough time around Raesinia to know that it couldn’t be that simple. “And?”

“The queen will go to the country,” Raesinia said, “and I will stay here.”

There was another long silence. Sothe stared thoughtfully at Raesinia, who shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.

“It’s nothing we haven’t done before,” Raesinia said. “And if no one knows I’m here, they won’t be looking for me.”

“And if they try anything in the country, they won’t get anywhere,” Sothe said, considering the problem.

“It would also let me ‘return’ without taking the time for a round-trip. I imagine that would be quite a surprise to Maurisk.”

“Not a bad card to have up our sleeves,” Sothe said. “Provided we can fool them.”

“You fooled Orlanko for more than a year. I’m sure you can manage it.”

Sothe’s eyes narrowed, and Raesinia felt her heart jump. “You mean for me to go?”

“I’m sorry,” Raesinia said in a rush. “I can’t think of any other way. We might be able to fake a ride to the country, but even if we tell people I’m closeted in mourning, someone will have to keep up the facade.”

“Not to mention taking care of any spies that come poking around.” It was logical, and Sothe knew it, but Raesinia could see the hesitation on her face. “But the last time I left you alone, you walked right into an ambush, and Orlanko nearly had you.”