Treacherous Witch

29. Ophelia

"The king is necessary. Maska decreed this. Men wish to dominate or destroy that which they do not control. The king gives men an honourable purpose: to protect."
Interview with Queen Shikra III, as told to Master Anwen

Lord Avon had a certain smug air about him at supper.

"Go on, my lord," she said, dipping a piece of bread into her soup. Firelight crackled between them. "What are you dying to say?"

"How was your day?"

Always the same question. She sighed. "I was having a lovely picnic when Captain Doryn interrupted me."

"How rude."

"Very. He took me to a farmstead outside the city. Then I..." She stopped. She couldn't be pert about her friend's punishment. "I saw Markus. Captain Doryn took me to meet him. He said it was your order...?"

"Yes. How was Markus?"

She smiled thinly. "Alive. I'm not sure why you arranged a meeting."

"You can't think of a reason?"

His eyes flickered in the firelight, amusement dancing across his features. She thought about trying to be coy. She wasn't sure she could manage it.

"I can think of a few reasons. I was hoping I wouldn't have to speculate."

"You were right," he said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. "What you said about us trusting each other. I imagine you think there's some nefarious intention behind this gesture. A threat to ensure your obedience."

"Yes," she admitted.

"Well, you're not wrong. I have been honest with you, Valerie, regardless of anything else. I told you from the start that I wanted you to talk. But I'd also like you to consider that the Empire isn't all bad."

He hadn't given up on trying to lure her to his side. She almost admired his persistence.

"You reward loyalty," she said.

"I'm glad you noticed."

"What about Lavinia? If she returned to Jairah, would you still have her arrested?"

"That depends on you."

"And if I showed you loyalty, you would reward me?"

He spread his hands. "You said yourself we have a common goal."

Of course, the Empire rewarded its rats. That was how it ferreted out the traitors and the rebels. She wasn't fooled.

"I'm not interested in breadcrumbs," she said. "Or rewards."

"Given that you haven't seen your friend for weeks, I was expecting rather more gratitude. Or do you not care about him?"

"I care about him." She exhaled. "But sure, give me back a tiny taste of the things you took from me and expect me to be grateful. That's not what I meant by building trust."

"Then what did you mean?"

She thought for a moment. "What you did for Flavia. That felt honest. Maybe it was calculated, but it was something good. I appreciated that."

"I see."

He fell silent, watching her. Valerie looked down at her soup. In truth, she was feeling antsy and frustrated. She'd done everything she needed to escape the palace, if she wanted to—except she couldn't, because Prince Bakra had ordered her to stay. She'd made contact with Iora and been given nothing but vague assurances. Avon seemed in no hurry to find another silvertree. And in the middle of all this waiting... the sudden intervention from Lady Melody, and then from Captain Doryn, both leading her to people connected to the resistance. Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't pinpoint what.