25

Mare wrung her fingers in her lap. Outside the locked doors of the king’s chambers, the sound of galloping horses, marching soldiers, and the scurry of servants filled her ears. The servants who had been charged with serving the surviving members of the Hermot Phynally’s family had finished cleaning the rooms and were now moving in droves with armed soldiers to be led to Phynally’s castle to retrieve the family’s belongings.

From what little she could grasp from the floating conversation, the castle had been invaded in the dead of the night, and when the lord was slaughtered in his bed the Kronos invaders had set fire to the castle.

Mare knew what that meant. They were sending a message to Vallezarii, a message of war.

So why had the king ordered that she be put in his chambers?

She looked at the soldiers, three of them stationed inside the chamber to guard her. They said nothing to her and neither acknowledged her presence with even a stare.

She had to leave. She needed to know more.