consciousness slip away. “My father’s chamber,” she managed to say again. Then blackness.
She awoke to the sound of bells. Distant, tolling in the city. Her vision was blurred and she didn’t recognize the room. She tried to sit up, but was held to the bed by strong hands.
“What is the time?” she rasped.
“Those are the prior’s bells.” Her father’s voice.
“What day?”
“The same day you rode. The tenth of the waning.”
She took a breath, allowing herself to relax. Slowly, as her eyes adjusted to the candlelight, she recognized the familiar shapes of her father’s quarters. She was lying on her back, so at least one of the arrows had been removed. She put a hand to her chest and then her thigh. All of them were gone.
A pallid face loomed above her, framed by white hair. A healer, one she didn’t know.
“You were fortunate, my lady. The injury to your leg was a smallmatter, but less than half a span’s difference with either of the other two arrows, and you would have died on the moors.”
Diani exhaled slowly, nodded. “Thank you.”
“She needs rest,” the white-hair said, facing her father. “Have some soup brought from the kitchens and keep her still for a few days. I’ve mended the wounds, but her body needs time to heal. She bled a great deal.”
Her father stepped to her bed and took her hand. “All right.”
The man started to go.
“Wait,” Diani said, making herself sit up. The room spun like a child’s top, and she nearly passed out.
The healer frowned. “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
“You can’t leave,” she said, ignoring the question.
“What?”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to remain here until I know who’s responsible for what happened today.”
“But I live in the city. I have family there.”
She glanced at her father. “How many people know he’s here?”
“Only the two of us, and the two guards who brought you to me. After they told me what you’d said, I thought it best to find a healer from outside the castle. They took him out of the city through the sea gate and then around to the south to enter the castle. As long as he’s escorted back the same way, I don’t think there’s any danger in letting him go.”
She looked briefly at the healer. “Forgive me.”
“Of course, my lady.” He started toward the door again.
“I take it you know nothing of the conspiracy?” she said, before he could leave.
“Nothing beyond what I’ve heard, my lady.”
“You know what I’ll do to you if I learn that you’re lying?”
He gave a thin smile. “I have some idea, yes.”
She gave a single nod. “Go, then. Don’t speak of this to anyone, not even your wife.”
“Yes, my lady.”
He opened the door. The same two guards who met her at the gate stood in the corridor, just outside the chamber.
When the healer was gone, Diani lay back down again, closing her eyes and waiting for the dizziness to pass.
“I already have a hundred soldiers searching the moor,” her father said. “But they have little idea of what they’re looking for other than archers. I told them that I’d received word from one of the baronies that thieves with bows had been seen on the roads.” He paused, gazing down at her hand, which he still held. “Did you see the men who did this?”
“Briefly. Tall, shaved heads, wearing riding cloaks.”
“Did they have horses?”
“Not that I saw.” She touched her shoulder gingerly—it was still tender. “You saw the arrows?”
“Yes. Brugaosans?”
“That’s what someone wants us to think.”
“But you don’t believe it.”
“Why would Edamo so such a thing, Father?” she asked, her eyes still closed. “He has no reason. With me dead, power would fall to you, a man with nothing to live for but vengeance. It makes no sense.”
“Maybe he wants war.”
“To what end? His army may be greater than ours, but he must know that under such circumstances, the queen would come to our
She awoke to the sound of bells. Distant, tolling in the city. Her vision was blurred and she didn’t recognize the room. She tried to sit up, but was held to the bed by strong hands.
“What is the time?” she rasped.
“Those are the prior’s bells.” Her father’s voice.
“What day?”
“The same day you rode. The tenth of the waning.”
She took a breath, allowing herself to relax. Slowly, as her eyes adjusted to the candlelight, she recognized the familiar shapes of her father’s quarters. She was lying on her back, so at least one of the arrows had been removed. She put a hand to her chest and then her thigh. All of them were gone.
A pallid face loomed above her, framed by white hair. A healer, one she didn’t know.
“You were fortunate, my lady. The injury to your leg was a smallmatter, but less than half a span’s difference with either of the other two arrows, and you would have died on the moors.”
Diani exhaled slowly, nodded. “Thank you.”
“She needs rest,” the white-hair said, facing her father. “Have some soup brought from the kitchens and keep her still for a few days. I’ve mended the wounds, but her body needs time to heal. She bled a great deal.”
Her father stepped to her bed and took her hand. “All right.”
The man started to go.
“Wait,” Diani said, making herself sit up. The room spun like a child’s top, and she nearly passed out.
The healer frowned. “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
“You can’t leave,” she said, ignoring the question.
“What?”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to remain here until I know who’s responsible for what happened today.”
“But I live in the city. I have family there.”
She glanced at her father. “How many people know he’s here?”
“Only the two of us, and the two guards who brought you to me. After they told me what you’d said, I thought it best to find a healer from outside the castle. They took him out of the city through the sea gate and then around to the south to enter the castle. As long as he’s escorted back the same way, I don’t think there’s any danger in letting him go.”
She looked briefly at the healer. “Forgive me.”
“Of course, my lady.” He started toward the door again.
“I take it you know nothing of the conspiracy?” she said, before he could leave.
“Nothing beyond what I’ve heard, my lady.”
“You know what I’ll do to you if I learn that you’re lying?”
He gave a thin smile. “I have some idea, yes.”
She gave a single nod. “Go, then. Don’t speak of this to anyone, not even your wife.”
“Yes, my lady.”
He opened the door. The same two guards who met her at the gate stood in the corridor, just outside the chamber.
When the healer was gone, Diani lay back down again, closing her eyes and waiting for the dizziness to pass.
“I already have a hundred soldiers searching the moor,” her father said. “But they have little idea of what they’re looking for other than archers. I told them that I’d received word from one of the baronies that thieves with bows had been seen on the roads.” He paused, gazing down at her hand, which he still held. “Did you see the men who did this?”
“Briefly. Tall, shaved heads, wearing riding cloaks.”
“Did they have horses?”
“Not that I saw.” She touched her shoulder gingerly—it was still tender. “You saw the arrows?”
“Yes. Brugaosans?”
“That’s what someone wants us to think.”
“But you don’t believe it.”
“Why would Edamo so such a thing, Father?” she asked, her eyes still closed. “He has no reason. With me dead, power would fall to you, a man with nothing to live for but vengeance. It makes no sense.”
“Maybe he wants war.”
“To what end? His army may be greater than ours, but he must know that under such circumstances, the queen would come to our
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