In the palace meeting room on the day of his father and Beatriss’s bonding day, Finnikin stood with Isaboe and stared at the object placed before them.

“Just tell me he’s alive, Sir Topher,” Isaboe said. “That’s all I want to hear.”

Sir Topher stared at the ruby ring. “This is all there is to prove he was alive in early autumn. The man who brought it to us claims it was given to him as a trade during the events in the Citavita. He thought we might want it back. For a price.”

“And?” Isaboe asked.

“Perri and Trevanion are interrogating him as we speak.”

“Mercy,” Finnikin muttered. “That’s all we need. My father turning up to his bonding ceremony splattered in blood.”

He stared out the window to where their people were setting up the trestle tables. There would be many absent faces today, especially from the Monts. Lucian’s grief was fierce. The loss of his Charyn wife was felt across the mountain, and even Yata had declined to attend Trevanion and Beatriss’s bonding day out of respect for the days of mourning. Finnikin was torn between his joy for Trevanion and his sadness for his friend. He had noticed during his last visit to the mountains that Lucian’s feelings for the Charynite girl had changed. It was in the way the Mont’s eyes had blazed with pride when Phaedra spoke with such ease to those around her and flashed with jealousy when she spoke about the handsome provincaro of Paladozza.

The death of Lucian’s wife had come at the same time as the arrival of a Charynite through the Osterian border claiming to have a ruby ring belonging to the queen. The moment Finnikin and Isaboe had heard those words, they had suspected the worst.

“Have you heard news from the envoys, Sir Topher?” Finnikin asked. “About events in Charyn?”

“Only Celie. She’s returned for the wedding. The Osterians are saying that the king’s First Adviser has taken control of the kingdom with the Nebian army. The Belegonians are saying that a man named Gargarin of Abroi is holding the queen hostage with Paladozza’s blessing. The Sorellians are saying that a Lumateran nobleman has kidnapped the queen. The Sarnaks are saying that she is in the hands of rebel priests in the Turlan mountains.”

“Is anyone saying the same thing?” Isaboe asked.

“Yes,” Sir Topher said. “Everyone is saying that the princess of Charyn is with child. Bestiano, the former king’s First Adviser, has made contact with the Belegonians asking for their acknowledgment of his right to lead the heir. He claims the queen of Charyn is carrying his babe and that she has been kidnapped by Gargarin of Abroi. He says that the last thing Belegonia and Lumatere want is for Gargarin of Abroi to take control of the palace.”

“As opposed to Bestiano, who was the savage king’s First Adviser for ten years?” Isaboe asked bitterly.

“Yes, but appointed after the events of Lumatere, not before,” Sir Topher said. “And that is where our interest lies. According to Bestiano and the Belegonians, Gargarin of Abroi was in the palace eighteen years ago. He was the king’s brightest adviser.”

Finnikin sat before Sir Topher.

“What is he implying?”

“That Gargarin of Abroi was the mastermind behind the attack on Lumatere. That it was years in the planning.”

“Eighteen years ago?”

“Belegonia believes it to be true. Because what did Charyn need eighteen years ago more than anything else in the land?”

Finnikin and Isaboe exchanged looks.

“Women who could give birth,” Sir Topher said. “Gargarin of Abroi, according to Bestiano, believed the curse lay with the women and not the men. What better way to prove that than to invade Lumatere and take its women?”

“Too ridiculous,” Isaboe said. “And heinous.”

Finnikin shook his head. “Not so ridiculous. There was widespread rape here, Isaboe,” he reminded her quietly. “Despite the fact that it led to no births among us.”

“Thank the goddess for the smallest of favors,” she said.

“And you believe this Gargarin is staying in Paladozza?” Finnikin asked Sir Topher.

“According to the Belegonians, yes.”

Isaboe stood and took Finnikin’s hand. “What say you, my love? That it’s about time we go in and get our lad back?”

He thought for a moment and nodded. “And we set a trap for Gargarin of Abroi.”

They walked out into the main hall, where their people awaited them beyond the courtyard doors.

“We’ll speak of this later,” Isaboe said. “I will not have Beatriss and Trevanion’s day ruined.”

Jasmina burst through the doors dressed for the celebrations and they both knelt down and held out their arms to her.

“We do what needs to be done,” Isaboe said quietly before Jasmina reached them. “We kill Gargarin of Abroi.”