since your ascension to the throne. So much has changed.”
“I’d still like to be your friend, Keziah. That hasn’t changed at all.”
“But you can’t be. That’s why I concealed all this from you. Until we’ve defeated the conspiracy, we have to make it seem to everyone who sees us together that we’re suspicious of one another, that while we appear to be working together, neither of us is happy about it.”
“But surely in our private conversations—”
“There can’t be many of those. Occasionally we can contrive an opportunity for one. I can give offense in some way, and you can summon me here. It will seem that you’re reproaching me for my behavior. But we can’t do that too often, or Marston and others will wonder why you haven’t banished me from the castle.”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “Is this what it’s been like for you since Paegar died? Lies and contrivances?”
Keziah looked away, a sudden pain in her chest making her breath catch. “It hasn’t been so bad.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I have to believe it,” she whispered. “Or else it’ll kill me.”
“Have you been able to speak with anyone about this?”
“Gershon, Cresenne, Grinsa while he was here.”
“Cresenne?”
She smiled, glancing at him once more. “Yes. She and I have become good friends.”
“And you trust her to keep this secret?”
“She doesn’t speak with anyone else, and since she turned against the Weaver she has no reason to betray me.”
“So you could trust a traitor with this, but not me.”
She winced. “Your Majesty—”
“I understand, Keziah. Truly, I do. But we’re living in . . . difficult times.”
“You said that you had spoken to Gershon, and that you had a sense of how dear a price I’ve paid for all this. If that’s so, then you must also realize that I still love you, that I’ve never stopped loving you.”
The king nodded, as if suddenly unable to speak.
“Good.” She made herself smile. “As long as you know that, as long as you remember it when I seem to be defying you or offering questionable counsel, the rest will be easy.” She laughed, though it sounded forced, almost desperate. “Well, easier.”
Kearney looked skeptical, but Keziah actually believed this to be true. Either the Weaver would kill her or he wouldn’t. Either she could learn something of value, or she couldn’t. But at least she no longer had to live with the fear that Kearneyhated her, that she had destroyed beyond hope of repair all that they had once shared.
“But this Weaver—”
She shook her head. “Don’t. Please. The less I tell you about all this, the better for both of us.”
“You said before that he had hurt you.”
“Not as much as he has others.”
“I’ll kill him if he does again.” He looked off to the side, a rueful smile on his lips. “I suppose that sounds terribly foolish.”
“Maybe a little foolish, but I’m grateful anyway.”
They fell into a long silence. Keziah knew that she should leave him, but she couldn’t bring herself even to stand. And Kearney seemed content to let her remain there.
“Perhaps I should be going, Your Majesty,” she said at last, pushing herself out of the chair.
“Yes, all right.”
She started to walk past him, but he caught her hand and their eyes met.
“You know that I love you, too. And always will.”
“Yes,” she murmured, unable to say more. It seemed that the hand he held was ablaze.
They stood that way for a moment. Then he let go and looked away, as if frightened by what had just passed between them.
Keziah hurried from the chamber, afraid as well.
Marston was just stepping into the corridor when he saw the archminister emerge from Kearney’s presence chamber. Ducking back out of view and then peering cautiously into the hallway, he watched her make her way to the next tower and disappear into the stairwell. Only then did he step into the corridor himself and walk to the
“I’d still like to be your friend, Keziah. That hasn’t changed at all.”
“But you can’t be. That’s why I concealed all this from you. Until we’ve defeated the conspiracy, we have to make it seem to everyone who sees us together that we’re suspicious of one another, that while we appear to be working together, neither of us is happy about it.”
“But surely in our private conversations—”
“There can’t be many of those. Occasionally we can contrive an opportunity for one. I can give offense in some way, and you can summon me here. It will seem that you’re reproaching me for my behavior. But we can’t do that too often, or Marston and others will wonder why you haven’t banished me from the castle.”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “Is this what it’s been like for you since Paegar died? Lies and contrivances?”
Keziah looked away, a sudden pain in her chest making her breath catch. “It hasn’t been so bad.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I have to believe it,” she whispered. “Or else it’ll kill me.”
“Have you been able to speak with anyone about this?”
“Gershon, Cresenne, Grinsa while he was here.”
“Cresenne?”
She smiled, glancing at him once more. “Yes. She and I have become good friends.”
“And you trust her to keep this secret?”
“She doesn’t speak with anyone else, and since she turned against the Weaver she has no reason to betray me.”
“So you could trust a traitor with this, but not me.”
She winced. “Your Majesty—”
“I understand, Keziah. Truly, I do. But we’re living in . . . difficult times.”
“You said that you had spoken to Gershon, and that you had a sense of how dear a price I’ve paid for all this. If that’s so, then you must also realize that I still love you, that I’ve never stopped loving you.”
The king nodded, as if suddenly unable to speak.
“Good.” She made herself smile. “As long as you know that, as long as you remember it when I seem to be defying you or offering questionable counsel, the rest will be easy.” She laughed, though it sounded forced, almost desperate. “Well, easier.”
Kearney looked skeptical, but Keziah actually believed this to be true. Either the Weaver would kill her or he wouldn’t. Either she could learn something of value, or she couldn’t. But at least she no longer had to live with the fear that Kearneyhated her, that she had destroyed beyond hope of repair all that they had once shared.
“But this Weaver—”
She shook her head. “Don’t. Please. The less I tell you about all this, the better for both of us.”
“You said before that he had hurt you.”
“Not as much as he has others.”
“I’ll kill him if he does again.” He looked off to the side, a rueful smile on his lips. “I suppose that sounds terribly foolish.”
“Maybe a little foolish, but I’m grateful anyway.”
They fell into a long silence. Keziah knew that she should leave him, but she couldn’t bring herself even to stand. And Kearney seemed content to let her remain there.
“Perhaps I should be going, Your Majesty,” she said at last, pushing herself out of the chair.
“Yes, all right.”
She started to walk past him, but he caught her hand and their eyes met.
“You know that I love you, too. And always will.”
“Yes,” she murmured, unable to say more. It seemed that the hand he held was ablaze.
They stood that way for a moment. Then he let go and looked away, as if frightened by what had just passed between them.
Keziah hurried from the chamber, afraid as well.
Marston was just stepping into the corridor when he saw the archminister emerge from Kearney’s presence chamber. Ducking back out of view and then peering cautiously into the hallway, he watched her make her way to the next tower and disappear into the stairwell. Only then did he step into the corridor himself and walk to the
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