Chel felt the cold grip of an old fear, thought banished, and tried to calm himself. His heartbeat thrummed against his ribcage, sweat cold on his back. An armoured host? That sounded like more than the ragged remains of some free companies. And Corvel himself? How could things have turned so fast? He thought again of Nadej’s words. They said it was like a storm. Razed the port and sank the Norts. He needed to sit down.

The Keeper sniffed. ‘Arowan does not accede to … demands. We will inform his delegates that you are currently our guest, and invite them to return through the pass.’

‘And … and if they refuse?’

‘They shall be coerced. Korowan does not suffer the unwelcome.’

‘Exalted, what I said before, about the alchemy – the like of which—’

‘You have borne witness to these alchemical weapons, highness? Faced them in battle? Can speak of their measure?’

‘Well, no, not in so many words. But we’ve seen their effects, and the stories—’

‘Korowan has been breached three times in its history, and never in my lifetime. No army has passed it in a century. They shall depart or they shall be destroyed.’

‘That’s what you’ll tell them?’

‘If it’s what they must hear. Once they depart, so must you, but for now will you remain as guests.’ She turned back toward Loveless. ‘Even you, my daughter.’

Relief washed over Chel like a tingling wave.

Wait.

Daughter?

Loveless met her gaze, staring back with onyx-hard eyes.

‘I am not your daughter.’

‘You were the wife of my son.’

‘We were not married, and he had many others.’

‘Yet still you carry something of his.’ Chel followed the old woman’s gaze, seeing the prized blade that hung from Loveless’s belt, peeking from the folds of her cloak.

‘This,’ Loveless said, her eyes never leaving the Keeper’s, ‘is mine.’

‘You carried his child, for a time. You were my daughter then, you remain so now, no matter the intervening.’

‘Not for long, and never since.’

The Keeper inclined her head, her smile small, supercilious. ‘We will talk again later, when you have rested. There is much we should discuss.’ She turned back to Tarfel. ‘Your rooms will be prepared. Your highness, I will notify you when your brother has left our lands.’ She swept away from them, trailing courtiers and retainers. The tall woman remained, her antipathy aimed firmly at Loveless.

‘You said you’d never come back.’

‘How are you, Matil?’

‘You said you’d never come back.’

‘And I meant not to. Yet here we are, so let’s grin and bear it, shall we?’

‘Don’t expect me to smile, Rai.’

Lemon was chewing at her fingers, eyes locked on the women in front. ‘Brother of shite, that’s Matil. That’s the last scion.’

Chel stared, trying to process everything that had happened. ‘She doesn’t look much inclined to marry Tarfel,’ he managed.

‘No, indeedy.’