Lucien nodded. "King Alden is holding court in two days. The topic...Petra's border incidents. Disappearances. Smuggling."
"Then it's about the same girl," Liora whispered.
"Maybe," Lucien said. "Or maybe they already suspect I know something."
He turned to Rowan. "Prepare my travel gear. We ride at first light."
Rowan hesitated. "And Lady Liora?"
Lucien looked at her. For a second, something unreadable crossed his face. "She comes with me. If this court is about Petra, she has every right to stand there."
Liora swallowed. "And if they question me?"
"Then speak what's safe. I'll handle the rest."
In a quiet chamber not far from the king's study, Queen Dowager Lilian sat before a long table. Candles flickered across its polished surface, reflecting the faces of her allies...an aging nobleman with a hawk's gaze, a veiled woman from the desert court, and a young man in ministerial robes.
"The ledger has been recovered," Lilian said calmly. "They'll return soon."
