‘I thought you would say that, general, and I have already organised an escort. I sensed this man is important to you.’
Stracker was surprised. The boy showed intuition. The useful kind. ‘Very good. What is your name?’
‘Leak, general.’
‘I will remember you, Leak. Go fetch Kirin Felt and bring his wife also. Do not brook any argument,’ he said, returning to the Denovian language that Loethar had always insisted upon. ‘And one more thing: I want you to fetch someone else for me, too.’
As soon as he was inside the deceptively large chamber, Kirin appeared to crumple in on himself. All the bravado and courage deserted him and he sat on the bed staring at the straw on the floor.
Lily waited, unsure at first. Then she sat alongside him and took his hand. Cradling it between her palms, she rubbed it softly. ‘I’m so sorry about Freath,’ she began gently.
He shook his head. ‘How can it be? I should have stayed with him. Perhaps I could have —’
‘Kirin,’ she cut in, determined to stop the wave of recrimination that she sensed was coming, ‘no amount of blaming yourself can convince me that Freath didn’t know he was living on borrowed time.’
He turned to stare at her with damp eyes. ‘What do you mean?’
Lily raised his hand and kissed it softly, briefly. ‘From everything you’ve told me about courageous Freath, he has been risking his life since before you even came to the palace. He hadcommitted himself to his double life, knew the risks, accepted the consequences. In a way, he’d already given his life to the Valisars.’
Kirin looked broken. ‘He often said that. He would tell me that death was not something he feared because death walked alongside him each day.’
Lily nodded. ‘He truly was a brave and loyal man. Leonel owes him so much.’
‘He was on his way to meet with the king. I just don’t see how things could have gone wrong.’
‘I imagine we’ll hear the details soon enough. For now you must accept that nothing you do can bring him back. You have to concentrate on protecting your life… and mine.’
He gazed at her for a moment, unblinking, and then nodded. ‘You’re right. We haven’t time to spare for grieving. We have to get away from here. That’s the main task.’
‘What are you planning? Where shall we go?’
‘Where we go is the least of our problems. Right now we just need to get as far from General Stracker as possible. The man is mad and has always hated us Vested. With Freath I enjoyed a certain amount of protection simply because he was so close to Loethar. But his death will signal a change, especially with the emperor not even in the palace. Loethar might have tolerated Freath’s association with me but I doubt very much if he’ll lose any sleep over hearing that I met with an accidental death on the end of one of Stracker’s swords.’ He gave a grim smile. ‘And even if he doesn’t kill me he’s almost certainly going to pack me off to wherever the hell they were taking all those other Vested.’
‘Right,’ Lily said, nodding, desperate to be optimistic in her trust of Kirin. ‘What can I do?’
He began opening drawers. ‘Pack whatever you think we might need. Keep it light. There’s some medicines in that cabinet over there,’ he said, pointing.
Lily made a scoffing sound. ‘We don’t need those. I am a walking medicine cabinet, please trust that.’
He nodded. ‘Fine. Help me with this floorboard then.’ Quickly he inserted a thin letter opener into a crack between two boards, raising one of them slightly.
She squatted opposite him. ‘Is this where you keep your money?’
‘I’m afraid so. Not very creative, am I?’
She smiled and pulled on the lifted board. It sighed and then with a soft creak gave way. Beneath it was a sack. Kirin lifted it out and opened it for her to look inside.
Lily raised a shocked gaze to him. ‘Kirin, that’s a small fortune in coin.’
He shrugged. ‘I’ve never had need for money but Freath insisted on my receiving a stipend from the Crown. I’m not sure whether Loethar or Stracker even knew about it. We’ll split it up between us, just in case we get separated or robbed. It’s too noisy for one person to carry anyway.’
Lily nodded, still amazed at the amount of money before her. They busied themselves stashing the coin in pockets and little pouches that Kirin produced, stringing the pouches around each of their necks and two each from their waists.
‘There,’ Kirin said at last, satisfied. ‘Whatever we now need we can buy.’
‘Then let’s go. What’s the plan?’
He bit his lip. ‘It’s too risky to try and organise horses. We’ll have to leave on foot and worry about transport later. We can leave by one of the side gates. I think it’s best if we head down to the chapel. It’s probably the quietest area of the palace complex and at this time will likely be deserted. There’s —’
A loud banging on the door interrupted him. Both Lily and Kirin froze. ‘Master Kirin?’ a voice enquired.
Lily melted into his side as Kirin put a protective arm around her. He nodded encouragement when she stared at him, terrified, and then called out, ‘Who is it?’
‘It’s Leak, Master Kirin, General Stracker’s messenger.’
She felt Kirin straighten and knew her own body had stiffened at the mention of the barbarian.
‘Don’t panic, Lily,’ he whispered. ‘We just have to continue playing our role.’
She nodded, swallowing. Her father had always cautioned that there was no good to be had in the cities. She’d been aware that he had always avoided any contact with the capital in particular; even at festival time when it seemed as though everyone except themselves would travel to Brighthelmstone to enjoy all the merrymaking, she and her father had remained deep in the woodland. When she was younger, Lily had resented their isolation.
But now, sensing Kirin’s fear, knowing that General Stracker was a thug, she realised that life in the woods with her father, and more recently with Kilt, had been so wise. How had Kirin and Freath lived with such constant anguish all these anni?
‘Just a moment,’ Kirin called out and he looked her way.
They had no choice. She nodded.
Kirin opened the door. ‘Yes, what is it, Leak?’
‘General Stracker wishes to see you immediately, Master Kirin.’
‘Immediately?’ Kirin repeated. ‘I thought the general was away.’
‘He returned a short while ago, Master Kirin.’
‘I see. And why the urgency? I have only just returned from a long journey myself. My wife and I are weary, keen to —’
‘I’m sorry, Master Kirin. I was simply asked to fetch you. I have a soldier escort waiting.’
Lily felt her throat go dry as she watched from behind as Kirin peered into the hallway.
‘Since when do we use armed escorts around the palace?’ he demanded, his voice even tighter. ‘What is going on?’
Lily stepped up to her husband and linked arms; she had to convey to him that she would be brave and he must do whateverhe had to in order to keep up the front they had constructed. As frightened as she was, and she knew Kirin must be, it sounded as though facing the general was his only option now. Escape would have to wait.
‘Forgive me, Master Kirin. I am just doing as bid by the general. Can you please come with us now.’ The messenger’s voice