Part 6 (1/2)
”Suspiciously sudden. Anyway, I found this.”
She almost pushed him aside in her eagerness.”How did you get it?” He raised an eyebrow.”Secrets of the Wise, Claudia. Let's just say a friend in the Academy went searching in the archives.”
As he went to the windows she read the text eagerly...
As for the arrangement we spoke of before, it is unfortunate, but great changes often require great sacrifices. G has been kept aloof from others since his father died; the people's grief will be real but short-lived and we can contain it. It barely needs saying that your part will be beyond value to us. When my son is King I can promise you all I...
She hissed in annoyance.”Is that it?”
”The Queen has always been very careful. We have at least seventeen people in the Palace, but evidence for anything is rare.”
He slid the last window down, closing out the stars.”That took a lot of finding.”
”But it's so clear!”
Eagerly she read it again.”I mean ... grief will be real ... When my son is King ...”
As he came over and lit the lamp she looked up at him and her eyes were bright with excitement.
”Master, it proves she killed him. She murdered the King's Heir, the last of the Havaarna dynasty, so that his half brother, her own son, could have the throne.”
For a moment he was still. Then the flame steadied and he looked up at her. Her heart sank.”You don't think so.”
”I thought I taught you better than that, Claudia. Be rigorous in your argument. All this proves is that she intended her son to be King. Not that she did anything about it.”
”But this G-”
”Could be anyone with that initial.”
Remorselessly he stared her down.”You don't think that! You can't...”
”It's not what I think that matters, Claudia. If you make an accusation like this, you need proof so complete, there can be no question of any doubt.”
He eased himself into a chair and winced.”The Prince died in a fall from his horse. Doctors certified it. His body lay in state in the Great Hall of the Palace for three days. Thousands filed past it. Your own father ...”
”She must have had him killed. She was jealous of him.”
”She never showed any sign of that. And the body was cremated. There's no way of telling now.”
He sighed.”Don't you see how this will look, Claudia? You'll just be a spoiled girl who doesn't like her arranged marriage and is willing to rake up any sort of scandal to get out of it.”