“Let’s don’t. The important thing now is to get you back to the castle before people find out about the King. If we don’t, all hell will break loose. Kavelin can’t survive another civil war. There’re too many wolves waiting to devour it.”

“You’re right. Absolutely right.” Inger stared into the distance. “Michael, now that it’s fallen on me, I don’t really want it.”

“It’ll be rough. Just as rough as it was for Bragi.”

“He used to say he never wanted it either.”

“He didn’t.”

Liakopulos said, “Your Majesty, when dreams come true sometimes they turn out to be nightmares.”

“Nightmare or not, the kingdom is in your hands,” Michael said.

“I don’t want the responsibility.”

“Then why all the plotting, the duplicity, the dealing with monsters like Lord Hsung and Magden Norath?” Michael demanded.

“It looked different then. I don’t know if you can understand. Anyway, I just did what I thought was best for Fulk. I didn’t ever want to run things myself.” She paused thoughtfully. “I want you to know something. I want you to believe it. No matter what else happened, I loved him. I loved him a lot. And when the numbness wears off, I just might come apart. Stick with me that long, will you?”

“I’ll stay as long as you want. The General too. And Derel. I know you don’t much like us, but we’re willing to help because….”

“I know. I know. For Kavelin.” She rose and began pacing. “Damned pimple of a kingdom. It’s gotten to me, too, a little. I find myself caring. Hating it, but caring. At the same time.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. The General said, “It does seem infectious.”

One of the Queen’s handful of companions slipped in. He was clad as a squatter. “Milady, there’s a man outside shouting for Captain Trebilcock. One of the Palace Guard.”

“Michael?”

“I don’t know. I’ll see what he wants.” He went out the back and round the side of the house while the others went to the front to watch through the ruined windows.

The man was one of the trusted handful who had spirited Inger out of the castle. Michael slipped up close, asked, “What is it, Mark?”

The man jumped. “Sir! I didn’t hear you coming.”

“You look awful. What’s happened?”

“The riots…. Sir, Colonel Abaca announced that the King had been killed trying to attack Throyes. People just went crazy.”

“Oh, damn him! Damn him to hell! Damn me! I should have expected that.

How bad is it?”

“Awful sir. The Quarter is burning. There’s looting. Wessons and Nordmen are fighting each other in the streets. They’re both picking on the Siluro. They all think the Queen is dead too. The Estates have seized the Thing. They tried to break into the palace. We drove them off the first time, but who knows now?”

“Prataxis. Mundwiller. What about them? Can’t they get anything organized?”