“Well,” Raisa said, leaning against him, “I managed to kill one on my own.” It all seemed so long ago, on the far shore of a turbulent sea of events. “We were on our way north when we ran into Gerard Montaigne’s army on its way into Tamron. A Tamric patrol showed up, and I escaped in the confusion.”

“I knew you had gone north, I could feel it,” Amon said. “Since you were spotted during the skirmish, I thought you’d likely gone to Tamron Court.”

She shook her head. “I decided to go on home since I was halfway there.”

“I should have kept a closer eye on you at Oden’s Ford,” Amon said. “We knew you’d eventually run into the Bayars.”

Raisa shook her head. “No. Stop. That was my fault too. It was my letter to my mother that gave me away.” She swiped away a tear that had somehow leaked out.

“What letter? The one your father mentioned?”

“I persuaded Hallie to carry a letter from me to Queen Marianna, via my father,” Raisa said. “I wanted her to know why I left, and that I was coming back. I should have known the Bayars would be watching everyone close to me in case I tried to get in contact. That’s how they found out I was at Oden’s Ford. It wasn’t a random sighting at all.” She swallowed hard. “And it may have been my letter that caused her to change the succession the way she did.”

“Well.” Amon considered this. “Maybe otherwise she’d have disinherited you entirely.”

“But she might still be alive,” Raisa said.

“But for how long?” Amon said. “Once Mellony was set to inherit, they’d want to make it happen and put Micah on the throne.”

Long enough for me to see her again, Raisa thought.

They sat in silence for a while. Finally Raisa spoke.

“Your turn. I thought…When your father told me you were in Tamron Court, and Montaigne had the city under siege, I was afraid I’d never see you again.”

He squeezed her hand, but said nothing.

“So what happened?” Raisa said. “Captain Byrne said you intentionally gave out the story that I was in the city in order to keep Montaigne occupied.”

Amon grunted.

“Weren’t you afraid of what Prince Gerard would do when he found out you’d fooled him?” Raisa said.

Amon shrugged, looking down at their joined hands.

“Will you say something, please?” Raisa said, exasperated. “What were you thinking? How did you get away?”