81 The Obvious Answers I (2/2)

”I'm fine,” she said in a tone that was more like her usual grumpy one. ”Just cold, and hungry, and tired. But so is everybody else.”

In his turn, Leal sounded gruff as he replied, ”Yes, except no one else here is nursing a head injury.”

”Didn't you ask for my help?” Before Leal had the chance to open his mouth again, Hilde went on, ”Who wrote what you just told us?”

There were several beats of silence in which Leal debated whether or not to allow her to change the subject. Recalling that the matter of ”letting” and ”allowing” had been a thorny one just now, he made the obvious choice.

”He claimed to not have written it so much as unearthed and 'recounted' it for modern readers. The man is called Sennet, Marquis of Galane.”

Leal caught the subtle way that Hilde became more alert upon hearing his answer.

”He's still alive?” she asked.

He decided to also let that one pass for the moment and said, ”Barely, from what I last heard.”

”What do you mean? Is he sick?”

”No,” Leal replied levelly. ”He's in prison and is… likely to be executed.”

Hilde took a moment to digest this. Then, she snorted out a brief, humorless laugh while glancing heavenwards. ”Figures,” she said under her breath.

Leal had been finding her responses thus far difficult to understand. Of all the controversial details she could focus on, why did she seem interested only in the one who'd written them?

”Would you also like to know what he's convicted of?” he asked, thinking to sound her out. But someone else had cut in.

”Crimes of sedition, I'd wager,” said Captain Judda. He did not bother to disguise his contempt. ”I've never heard anything so blasphemous in my life – he claims that the royal lines of Arnica and Lys have the same origin, and more, that it was Ellanher's actions that were the cause of our nations' endless conflicts.”

Leal didn't even bat an eyelid. Matter-of-fact, he nodded. ”That,” he said, ”and the death of a queen.” He paused. ”Our queen.”