Royal Assassin

Tell her she should come to me and speak of it. I wish to know more of what she has gleaned. Verity's thought quivered with excitement. It unsettled me.

"I think you should take your idea to the King-in-Waiting and discuss it with him," I dutifully suggested to her.

She was silent a long time. When she spoke, her voice was pitched very low, for my ears alone. "I think not. He will consider it another one of my foolishnesses. He will listen for a bit, and then begin to look at the maps on the wall, or move things about on his table as he waits for me to finish so he can smile and nod and send me on my way. Again." Her voice hoarsened on the last word. She brushed the hair back from her face, then brushed at her eyes again. She turned from me to look out over the sea again, as distant as Verity when he Skilled.

She's crying?

I could not conceal from Verity my annoyance that this surprised him.

Bring her to me. Now, at once!

"My queen?"

"A moment." Kettricken looked aside from me. With her face away from me, she pretended to be scratching her nose. I knew she brushed at tears.

"Kettricken?" I ventured the familiarity as I had not for months. "Let us go to him now with this idea. At once. I will go with you."

She spoke hesitantly, not turning to look at me. "You do not think it is foolish?"

I would not lie, I reminded myself. "I think that as things stand, we must consider any possible sources of aid." As I spoke the words I found I believed them. Had not both Chade and the Fool hinted, no, pleaded for this very idea? Perhaps Verity and I were the ones who were shortsighted.

She took a shuddering breath. "We shall do it, then. But ... you must wait for me outside my chamber. I wish to fetch several scrolls to show him. I will be but a short time." She turned to Patience, spoke more loudly. "Lady Patience, might I ask you to finish these plants for me as well? I have something else I wish to attend to."

"Of course, my queen. I should be pleased to."

We left the garden, and I followed her to her chambers. I waited for more than a short time. When she emerged, her little maid Rosemary was behind her, insisting on carrying the scrolls for her. Kettricken had washed the soil from her hands. And changed her gown, and added scent and dressed her hair and was wearing the jewelry Verity had sent to her when she was pledged to him. She smiled at me cautiously as I looked at her. "My lady queen, I am dazzled," I ventured.

"You flatter me as wildly as Regal does," she proclaimed, and hastened away down the hall, but a blush warmed her cheeks.

She dresses so just to come to speak to me?

She dresses so to ... attract you. How could a man so astute at reading men be so ignorant of women?

Perhaps he has had little time ever to learn much of their ways.

I clamped my mind shut on my thoughts and hastened after my queen. We arrived at Verity's study just in time to see Charim leaving. He was carrying an armful of laundry. It seemed odd until we were admitted. Verity was wearing a soft shirt of pale blue linen, and the mingled scents of lavender and cedar were lively in the air. It reminded me of a clothes chest. His hair and beard were freshly smoothed; well I knew that his hair never stayed that way for more than a few minutes. As Kettricken advanced shyly to curtsy to her lord, I saw Verity as I had not for months. The summer of Skilling had wasted him again. The fine shirt belled about his shoulders, and the smoothed hair was as much gray as black now. There were lines, too, about his eyes and mouth that I had never noticed before.

Do I look so poorly, then?

Not to her, I reminded him.

As Verity took her hand and drew her to sit down beside him on a bench near the fire, she looked at him with a hunger as deep as his Skill drive. Her fingers clung to his hand, and I looked aside as he lifted her hand to kiss it. Perhaps Verity was right about a Skill sensitivity. What Kettricken felt battered at me as roughly as the fury of my crew mates during battle.

I felt a flutter of astonishment from Verity. Then: Shield yourself, he commanded me brusquely, and I was suddenly alone inside my skull. I stood still a moment, dizzied by the abruptness of his departure. He really had no idea, I found myself thinking, and felt glad the thought remained private.

"My lord, I have come to ask a moment or two of your time for ... an idea I have." Kettricken's eyes searched his face as she spoke quietly.

"Certainly," Verity agreed. He glanced up at me. "FitzChivalry, will you join us?"