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ROSE WAS GLAD TO SEE her uncle as he entered into the room. Not only was she glad because her father was finally standing up to him, but his arrival drew attention, and she could breathe more freely without Theo’s scrutiny.
Almost. Behind her, Rose could feel her mother’s gaze lingering on her as she witnessed the awkward exchange with Theo.
Her head was pounding with pain as she relieved the last few moments of her life.
Theo was finally an official knight of her kingdom’s court. She could no longer tease him about becoming a priest, letting herself believe he would always have something else to pursue.
He had earned his right to serve at her side.
Just like Benedict, Rose thought, recalling the legend of Queen Lucia. She had chosen Benedict as her love, once he had proven himself worthy. And then, according to the later part of the story, Lucia had pressured him too much, and he had not only left her, but he had imprisoned her in a genie’s bottle. He would reign over Rhone alone and look for a new queen among the mortals.
Rose glanced over at Theo and thought about their history. He had been in love with her for so long, and she had been waiting for the moment when she could no longer ignore that fact—waiting until she had to make a decision.
And she had rejected him. Just like Lucia.
Was she destined to drive him away? Would that be her downfall in the end?
While Rose was standing there, watching Theo say his vows, in partial disbelief as her father actually knighted him, all Rose could think of was how it was not a matter of whether or not he was worthy. It was a question of her own worth, and she knew he deserved much better than she could offer.
She was glad when Stefanos finally began talking. “Hebert,” he said. “Thank you for agreeing to come and meet us.”
“I’m always happy to be at your service, my brother,” Hebert replied. “But I admit, I am confused. What is this? You do not usually have meetings like this, late in the evening, without your other council members. I would hate to think you had me come here just so you could do something in complete secret.”
Stefanos faltered for a moment, before Rose stepped up. “It’s hardly a secret, Your Grace,” she said. “The council knows I have asked for your departure date several times, and you are in the presence of the king and queen, as well as our newest knight.”
“Thank you, Aurora,” Stefanos murmured blithely, straightening his posture. “Yes, Hebert, I have called you here because I do believe it is time to discuss your departure.”
“I have vowed to stay until Her Majesty is fairly tried.”
“You worry so much about keeping the fairness of the law,” Stefanos said, “I wonder how you would feel if it were applied to you?”
Rose could see the similarity between her father and uncle as Hebert’s gaze hardened. There was an unfriendly gleam in his dark eyes. “Of course I believe you to be a just ruler,” Hebert said carefully. “I would hate to think you would find me an inconvenience in your court.”
“You are not inconvenient, just unnecessary.”
“I was invited here by the queen herself,” Hebert insisted. “She sent me a letter.”
Rose still could not believe her mother had sent for Hebert, hoping that he would help.
“I wanted you to help Stefanos with to keep the nobles assured that there was nothing to worry about,” Leea explained. “But ever since you came, you have been hurting our position more than helping it.”
“I have been trying to protect you,” Hebert said, and for a small moment, Rose pitied him.
While she thought it was undeniable that Hebert was after the crown, it was clear he wanted her mother more. Rose remembered what Rolez had told her before: Hebert had never been a true husband to his sister, because he was in love with someone else. As he looked at Leea now, the anguish in his eyes was palpable.
Leea, for her part, had to turn away from his gaze.
Hebert took a step toward her. “Leea,” he said softly, “if you would have me leave, I will leave. I will leave, and I will never look back. But you are the only one I would allow to tell me to take myself away from your side.”
He glanced back at Stefanos. “Love demands more than the law,” he told Stefanos quietly.
Rose was starting to feel uncomfortable standing there, watching as her parents battled against each other among themselves. She suddenly wondered if she should say something, anything, to get them back to business. After all, Rose thought, why are they worried about love when there is treason to deal with?
“Love has some very strange demands, too,” Stefanos said. “So I think it is best, in this case, that we all abide by the law first.”
“You can’t hold to that standard with me while negating it with the queen,” Hebert demanded. “My heart cannot take such pain, my brother.”
Rose watched as her father’s face, already wan, paled even further. “We’re discussing you here, Uncle Hebert, not the queen.”
“Yes,” Stefanos agreed. “We know there are hired troops at the western border, Hebert.”
“They aren’t mine,” Hebert insisted.
“I have been shown proof,” Stefanos said. “We know that you were conspiring against me.”
Hebert frowned. “What proof do you have? I don’t believe you really have anything.”
Theo stepped forward with the Rose Ruby. “I retrieved this from your contact,” he said. “I was there and I talked with her.”
Leea gasped. “Hebert!”
Hebert turned to face her once more. “Leea, this is nothing,” he said. “It is a fake, I swear.”
“It is not!”
“Even the princess has a ruby like this.”
“My father gave me that when he died,” Leea shouted. “Don’t tell me what I don’t know!”
“Even if it is the real thing,” Hebert said, “there’s no reason to think that I was the one who gave it to the witch.”
“I just told you,” Leea yelled. “I know it is the real!”
“I know it is real, too,” Stefanos said. “You should know better than to try to get me to believe it’s a fake. We both had it before I gave it to Leea’s father!”
“You mean you stole it from me so you could marry her!” Hebert yelled. He took several angry steps forward.
“Stop!” Rose ordered as she stepped into his path. While there was still the table between them, Rose did not want her uncle and father to come to blows.
“I would do as the princess commands,” Theo spoke up. He had his own sword free of the scabbard, but kept it at his side.
“She should not be getting mixed up with this,” Hebert yelled, rounding on him. “And neither should you.”
Rose held her breath as Hebert, only slightly taller than Theo, leaned over him. She was mentally screaming at him to defend himself, but he did nothing.
He looked at Hebert calmly. “You’ve already admitted your guilt,” he said. “There’s no need to make it worse.”
“I admitted to nothing,” Hebert insisted. “You’re just saying that because you’re on his side.” He nodded toward the king.
“How did you know I got the ruby from the witch?” Theo asked quietly.
Rose felt her breath rush out. “That’s right,” she said. “We never said that. You would only know that because you gave it to her.”
“It was your payment,” Theo added, “for her to create a banner for your troops. It would have been laced with Magdust and help you win when they came.”
Hebert looked flustered. “You tricked me!” he said. “I admit to nothing.”
“If you need more proof, Your Majesty,” Theo said, “I have a friend with a seeing crystal. I’m sure he would be able to show us just what happened, if we asked for his help.”
“You can just as easily ask your friend to lie,” Hebert insisted.
“Enough,” Leea said. “You said that if I asked you to leave, Hebert, you would leave. And I am asking you to leave.”
Rose watched as the anger on Hebert’s face crumbled into anguish. “What about us?” he asked. “What about everything we ever were?” He took her hand. “What about everything that we ever could be?”
“There are plenty of mistakes I have made in my life,” Leea said. “But I cannot abandon my daughter.” She glanced over at Rose. “I need you to leave. Graciously.”
“You can forgo the graciousness,” Stefanos called out. He leaned back in his chair with a bored expression on his face. “And while Leea is the one who asked you to leave, you’re still the one who faces punishment.”
“What are you going to do to me?” Hebert asked. “Sentence me to death? You know as well as I do that the nobles in your court would be upset. They’re already upset at you for indulging the princess in her adventure fantasies.”
Rose scowled at him.
“I’m going to offer you a deal,” Stefanos said. “You said you wanted a fair trial for Leea, but now that she’s asked you to leave, I have decided that you can leave, too. If you take her punishment.”
“What punishment?” Hebert asked. “She hasn’t had a trial before the court yet.”
“There’s no need for a trial if the villain steps forward,” Stefanos said. “Claim her actions as yours, and I will let you leave. You will be properly banished, of course, and you will be killed on sight if you step forth in this country again.”
Rose felt shocked at hearing her father.
“What is the alternative?” Hebert asked.
“Death.” Stefanos glared at him. “I have proof of your transgressions, Hebert. I have all I need to drag you through the public courts and smear you as the villain you are. For all your support here, conspiracy against the crown is not taken lightly, especially when we are about to celebrate Isra’s wedding to one of our closest allies. I would hate to send you to the dungeon while all the parties are going on, so you will be sentenced quickly and it will be carried out.”
Rose, along with the rest of the room, turned to see Hebert’s decision.
“Fine,” he grumbled. “I accept your terms, and my punishment.”
“Sir Theo,” Stefanos said. “Why don’t you take him out of the room and see to it that a team of my guards help him pack. I trust your men will cooperate, Hebert, with your orders as well as mine, now that your fate has been decided?”
Hebert said nothing, just glaring angrily at the king as Theo took his arm.
As they reached the door, Rose heard Hebert as he gave Theo a warning. “You’ll pay for what you’ve done,” he said. “One day I’ll have revenge against you.”
“Of all people,” Theo said, “I know how revenge does nothing for the soul. I hope you learn the same lesson I have learned.”
She frowned. What did he mean by that? Rose wondered.
Rose watched as they disappeared on the other side. Once Theo was gone, with her uncle in tow, she allowed herself a moment to rejoice.
That’s one problem solved. For now.
Rose barely listened to her parents as they had their own version of a stilted conversation. She watched as the queen gave Stefanos a loyal kiss on the hand.
Rose felt nothing as her father dismissed her.
She would deal with her father’s illness later, she decided, as she headed out. Hopefully, her mother’s release would give her some time to do just that.
Rose headed out of the room and began looking for Theo once more.
After a few moments, she saw him walking down the hallway toward the stables.
“Theo,” she called. “Wait up.”
He turned around and waited for her, as she requested. Rose knew from his expression he was annoyed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Hebert’s in his room, with several of the king’s men watching over him. I was going to check in on Bachas and Elva, and then go to the stables to see if there were enough groomsmen to get everything together.”
“Do you want some help?”
“I’m fine. I can handle this job, Rose. No need to check in on me already.”
Despite the teasing in his tone, Rose bristled. “I’m going to go and watch him leave from my tower,” Rose said. “I want to make sure he’s gone by morning.”
“Please, Rose,” Theo said. “Don’t worry about it. I can do that for you.”
“There’s no need for you to waste your first task as a knight on him,” Rose argued. “Besides, you’re tired, too. Didn’t you just ride for several days, trying to get here?”
“I feel fine.”
“Well, I feel fine, too.”
“Come on, Rose. I am sure someone else can keep watch for us. Get some rest. You look exhausted.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
“No, you’re not,” he said, the first hint of anger in his voice. “I know when you’re lying, remember?”
“Just because you’re now a knight in my father’s court doesn’t mean you get to order me around,” Rose said as she crossed her arms.
“Knight or not, I wouldn’t dare dream that you would ever listen to me,” Theo said. “You’ve made it perfectly clear you only want to rely on yourself.”
Rose went silent. He was right, she realized.
“I’m going to go and oversee your uncle’s departure. Please excuse me, Princess.”
Rose felt slighted as she watched him leave. He was back, Rose thought bitterly, but there was still a great distance between them.
“It’s for the best,” she said, hating herself more than ever in that moment.