She lifted her spectacles and regarded me through them, her eyes narrowing. Then she nodded, dropping her papers on the functionary’s scriptorium. “Very well. I believe you. Come with me. I will convince His Grace to adjust his schedule.”

Lady Savony brought us to the Hall of Victory to wait. This time, there was no array of pastries, which was a shame, as Zaira would certainly have done them justice.

Perhaps ten minutes later, Duke Astor Bergandon strode into the room and flung himself into the chair opposite us, his beard jutting with irritation. Lady Savony entered on his heels, then closed the door and took up a station behind him, notebook and pen in hand.

“This had better be worth it, Savony,” the duke grumbled. Then he addressed me. “You have five minutes until I have to get back to Lord Ulmric. Go.”

To the point, then. I threw out the careful speech I’d been mentally preparing. “Your Grace, there’s a traitor in the palace. One of your own people took the children, and tried to have me kidnapped last night. They’re inflaming Raverra and Ardence against each other, trying to start a war.”

Lady Savony looked ready to stab someone with her pen. “Who?”

At the same time, Duke Bergandon demanded, “Do you have proof of this?”

“We have evidence enough.” I had to be careful; the duke himself could still be involved, and Lady Savony was a suspect as well. I couldn’t tell them how I knew until I was sure they were innocent. “I don’t know who, yet, though we have clues we can trace. But it’s someone within the River Palace. Look among your inner councils for a traitor, Your Grace.”

His knuckles whitened on the armrests of his chair. “If this is some attempt by you Raverran eels to make me not trust my own people …”

Zaira let out a bark of a laugh. “Why would Raverra care who you trust?”

The duke’s eyes fell on Zaira for the first time. A faint frown creased his brows. Then he spotted the jess.

He leaped to his feet. “You bring her in here? Is this a threat? How dare you!”

Zaira wiggled her fingers at him, laughing when he flinched.

“Your Grace! Calm yourself!” I kept my hands folded in my lap, fingers laced tightly together. “Zaira is with me because there was no time to make other arrangements, and I do not flout the law of the Serene Empire. Please, sit down.”

He visibly mastered himself, but kept glaring at Zaira. “You have brought a weapon of war into the ducal presence.”

Zaira snorted. “If you think I have to be in your presence to kill you, you’re sadly mistaken.”