The people of Medolina moved around the city like ants in an anthill. From the window in Virtus’s room they seemed so small. I focused on a woman selling something from a stall. Bread, or fish maybe. Her dress was blue and her bonnet was white. People would stop and chat with her for a while, and then move on with their day. In the background Medolina harbour was bustling, ships entering and leaving port, sailors running around and street vendors running after them with their wares. Life went on in Medolina.

  For everyone except Queen Reena and her lover.

  I thought back to the moment at my wedding when she touched his chest. More people than I must have seen it. If she was this careless once, she must have been this careless again.

  Virtus had gone to talk with his father as soon as we arrived back. His face had been pale with anger. He had told me to wait for him in his room. I had been sitting on the windowsill for hours. I hadn’t cried. I hadn’t done anything. I just sat there and waited. My dies-in-waiting from Havermark had come to welcome me, and now I suspected they stood in the room just in case I had the crazy idea to jump.

  I had only known Reena for the one week between my arrival in Medolina and my wedding day, but during that week we had spent time together every single day. She was the only person other than Virtus that had been welcoming to me in the court. I had been so excited to have friendship with her and be in the same family. Now she was dead, beheaded and her corpse was desecrated.

  “My darling,” Virtus strode in to the room, tears in his eyes.

  I stood up to meet him and embraced each other tightly. His arms were warm and strong. My face pressed against his chest and finally I started to cry. Big heaving sobs moved through my chest and tears flowed freely down Virtus’s travelling shirt. Snot clogged my nose and some of it even got on Virtus’s shirt. I didn’t care.

  Virtus stood still, like a rock, gripping me firmly until I broke away and looked him in the face.

  “What happened?”

  “My father had them killed. I think you know why.”

  “I know why, but that is insane! Only for an affair? Exile I would understand, but…”

  “Yes, it’s very unjust.”

  “He cannot be fit to rule if he is so unfair and easily angered!”

  “Talia, careful,” Virtus said stone faced, and gestured to my dies-in-waiting standing at the door.

  “Please leave us,” I told them.

  They left and we were alone in the room.

  “You’re right,” he told me quietly. “My father is not fit to rule.”

  “So we must do something about it.”

  “Do what, Talia?”

  “Well…”

  “Please don’t suggest treason to me.”

  “If you could depose him…”

  “I would have to kill him, my own father.”

  His warm brown eyes grew red and filled with tears. I held his head in my arms and he bent down to be hugged by me.

  “Talia, my darling, will you stand by me?”

  “Of course,” I told him.

  “We will have to wait this out. Plinius supports my father as well, there is nothing else to do.”

  “Swallow our morals? Let him get away with this.”

  “It won’t be easy, but he won’t live forever. When we are king and queen we will make things better.”

  I broke free of his embrace and went to sit on the bed.

  “Virtus I’m not sure about this.”

  “Talia, don’t do something stupid on your own.”

  I knew I couldn't do anything for myself. I realized that the only power I could have in this court was any influence I could gain over Virtus.

  “There’s something I don’t understand,” I told him.

  “What is that?”

  “How could all this happen so quickly? We never had any word of this business. No news of the affair being revealed or the trial that sentenced them to death. Did it all happen in the span of one or two days or was it kept from us?”

  Virtus turned to the window.

  “Virtus?” I asked.

  He paused.

  “I knew.”

  “You knew!?”

  I felt as if struck by lightning.

  “Not that she was sentenced to death!”

  He turned to me, now fully crying.

  “I knew about the affair being revealed, and a trial starting. Like you I thought exile would be a fair punishment, imprisonment perhaps. I thought we could finish our honeymoon and then speak on her behalf when we came home. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you. I didn’t want to ruin our honeymoon.”

  “You let our friend die because you didn’t want to ruin our honeymoon!?” I shouted so loudly that the people waiting outside must all have heard it.

  “I had no idea she would die!”

  “When did you find out?”

  “Right after Aloria.”

  “That was six weeks ago! She was killed yesterday! We could easily have saved her!”

  “We don’t know that…”

  “I know it!”

  I stormed out, I couldn't stand to look at my husband. I felt that he was spineless and hopeless.

  I ran back to my room, smmed the door and y on the bed. I felt alone in the world.

  ***

  “Your Highness?”

  It was three days ter. I had not left my room since that fight with Virtus. I had taken every meal in there, and only had books brought in and out. Both to read and write in. I had not spoken to anyone, not even my dies-in-waiting from Havermark.

  The voice outside was familiar, and it spoke to me not in the High Tongue, but my own nguage. It was Alvar. My heart skipped a beat. I tiptoed to the door, unsure about whether to open it.

  “Sir Alvar?”

  “Yes, it’s me. I’m alone.”

  I opened the door. The sight of him struck me. His golden eyes met mine with a deep passion. He was even handsomer than I remembered, standing in his golden armour.

  “I wanted to see you as soon as you came home, but I didn’t dare push to be your guard because.”

  “Of course,” I told him.

  When everything had been going well between me and Virtus I had intended to end things with Alvar as soon as I came home. But seeing him now, and being so angry at Virtus… I wasn’t sure any more.

  His broad shoulders, his strong jaw, his golden eyes. The intensity behind them.

  “I was so angry, Talia. I wanted to kill that horrible king, but there were too many guards between me and him.”

  “Alvar, come inside,” I whispered.

  He slid into the room and closed the door behind him. Before I knew it his lips were on mine, rough, warm, intoxicating. The metal his breastpte pressing against my silk dressing gown. His leather gloved hands stroked my lower back, mine lightly nded on his armoured sides. I pulled away.

  “I know,” he said. “We must be careful, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

  “I have to ask you something.”

  “What is it, Your Higness?”

  “Would you still take me to the Midway Isles? If we could make it look like I died?”

  “For you, Your Highness, I’ll do anything.”