imprinted on Reeve’s mind. “Hang him from the rafters.” Reeve looked at Terin, who’d huddled against Mairi. “I don’t want anyone to forget what happens when someone betrays me.”
Once Roel swung from the beam, displayed for all of the tenants to see, Khane and Alrec walked away, muttering between themselves.
Reeve’s jaw hardened. Roel had served him well in life, and now in death. He didn’t doubt Roel had been involved, though he could be reasonably certain the man hadn’t acted alone. With the critical gaze of the tenants now gone, Reeve said a brief prayer to The Three, thanking Roel for his sacrifice.
Because of it, Reeve had managed to shelter Terin from Alrec, at least for now. He offered a shaken Terin his arm, wondering if she realized how close she’d come to sharing his own mother’s fate.
Reeve offered Mairi his other arm.
Mairi shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes as tears forked their way down the old woman’s wrinkled cheeks.
Anger at her ungrateful behavior coursed through him. He stepped close, using his height to crowd against her, giving her two choices: either look down in subservience, or look up and meet his disapproval. At last their gaze connected. “Save your judgment. You saved my life the day my mother died, I saved yours today. Do not cross me again or you will find my protection absent.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Best Gifts are Those We Don't Expect
For perhaps the millionth time, Emariya found herself wondering how her brother could have fallen so far. As Mairi’s story drew to a close, Emariya couldn’t remember the affectionate yet solemn child he’d been. While he often held his sadness in, he’d never been this hateful, power-hungry dictator that Mairi now described.
“Why didn’t any of the tenants try to stop him? How could they just let him kill Roel?”
“Roel died protecting me, don’t blame the villagers. My child, you must understand, they didn’t have a choice. The tension here had been high for a while, but that night it was clear to all. Warren’s Rest had become a place where we either did as Lord Reeve commanded, or we feared the price.”
“As much as I don’t want to make excuses for him, it doesn’t sound like he was really the one in control,” Garith said.
“Where did he go?” Torian asked. “You haven’t yet said how he came to leave.”
Mairi took a sip of her tea. “I suspect you’re right. I think the older of the two that came with Her Highness from Thalmas was really in command. Or at least, he and your brother are both vying for it.”
The old woman’s tired eyes focused sharply on Emariya. “After they executed Roel, they gathered a few things into packs quickly and then they rode out. I was only able to catch snatches, but I believe they were headed away from the fjord, not to it.”
“They would have been foolish to head there,” Garith said. “Reeve knows that if Oren got a moment to tell his story, all his men would turn against him. How many did he have with him?”
Mairi was quiet for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Just three, I believe. I can’t see any of the tenants going with him. So Khane, Alrec, and Princess Terin.”
“Is it truly my Uncle Alrec with him?” Emariya asked, although she wasn’t sure which answer she was hoping for.
“I heard your brother refer to him as Alrec, but that is all I can tell you. Lady Terin said he was once one of your guards at Castle Ahlen.”
Beside her, Torian stiffened. “One of our own guards? Will the betrayals never cease? I can’t think of any of them that were named Alrec, but in truth, I don’t know all their names.”
While he was talking, the memories from the fire wafted back, burning through her mind as the acrid smoke had that day. “The guard outside my door, the day Khane set the fire. The one you had to reprimand for being disrespectful.”
“I don’t know...He was a fool, sure. But Alrec Roth?”
Emariya nodded, sure
Once Roel swung from the beam, displayed for all of the tenants to see, Khane and Alrec walked away, muttering between themselves.
Reeve’s jaw hardened. Roel had served him well in life, and now in death. He didn’t doubt Roel had been involved, though he could be reasonably certain the man hadn’t acted alone. With the critical gaze of the tenants now gone, Reeve said a brief prayer to The Three, thanking Roel for his sacrifice.
Because of it, Reeve had managed to shelter Terin from Alrec, at least for now. He offered a shaken Terin his arm, wondering if she realized how close she’d come to sharing his own mother’s fate.
Reeve offered Mairi his other arm.
Mairi shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes as tears forked their way down the old woman’s wrinkled cheeks.
Anger at her ungrateful behavior coursed through him. He stepped close, using his height to crowd against her, giving her two choices: either look down in subservience, or look up and meet his disapproval. At last their gaze connected. “Save your judgment. You saved my life the day my mother died, I saved yours today. Do not cross me again or you will find my protection absent.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Best Gifts are Those We Don't Expect
For perhaps the millionth time, Emariya found herself wondering how her brother could have fallen so far. As Mairi’s story drew to a close, Emariya couldn’t remember the affectionate yet solemn child he’d been. While he often held his sadness in, he’d never been this hateful, power-hungry dictator that Mairi now described.
“Why didn’t any of the tenants try to stop him? How could they just let him kill Roel?”
“Roel died protecting me, don’t blame the villagers. My child, you must understand, they didn’t have a choice. The tension here had been high for a while, but that night it was clear to all. Warren’s Rest had become a place where we either did as Lord Reeve commanded, or we feared the price.”
“As much as I don’t want to make excuses for him, it doesn’t sound like he was really the one in control,” Garith said.
“Where did he go?” Torian asked. “You haven’t yet said how he came to leave.”
Mairi took a sip of her tea. “I suspect you’re right. I think the older of the two that came with Her Highness from Thalmas was really in command. Or at least, he and your brother are both vying for it.”
The old woman’s tired eyes focused sharply on Emariya. “After they executed Roel, they gathered a few things into packs quickly and then they rode out. I was only able to catch snatches, but I believe they were headed away from the fjord, not to it.”
“They would have been foolish to head there,” Garith said. “Reeve knows that if Oren got a moment to tell his story, all his men would turn against him. How many did he have with him?”
Mairi was quiet for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Just three, I believe. I can’t see any of the tenants going with him. So Khane, Alrec, and Princess Terin.”
“Is it truly my Uncle Alrec with him?” Emariya asked, although she wasn’t sure which answer she was hoping for.
“I heard your brother refer to him as Alrec, but that is all I can tell you. Lady Terin said he was once one of your guards at Castle Ahlen.”
Beside her, Torian stiffened. “One of our own guards? Will the betrayals never cease? I can’t think of any of them that were named Alrec, but in truth, I don’t know all their names.”
While he was talking, the memories from the fire wafted back, burning through her mind as the acrid smoke had that day. “The guard outside my door, the day Khane set the fire. The one you had to reprimand for being disrespectful.”
“I don’t know...He was a fool, sure. But Alrec Roth?”
Emariya nodded, sure
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