Chapter 6
The first arrow struck the doorframe.
I ducked.
Lucien pulled Adrian inside.
My mother fired back without hesitation.
A man cried out beyond the trees.
"How many?" Rowan shouted.
Helena listened.
"At least twelve."
We had six guards.
Bad odds.
Adrian drew his sword.
My mother looked at him.
"No."
He stared at her.
"No?"
"You are the heir."
"So?"
"So heirs who die in caves accomplish little."
Lucien almost smiled.
"She talks to everyone like that."
"I noticed."
Another arrow shattered the window.
I grabbed the short blade my mother kept above the hearth.
She looked at me.
"What?"
"You brought a gown to a siege?"
"I didn't expect a siege."
"Always expect a siege."
"Wonderful advice to mention now."
For one second, her mouth twitched.
Then gunfire-like cracks from crossbows struck the walls.
Rowan shouted.
"They're moving left!"
The hidden house had been built for defense.
Of course it had.
My mother opened a trapdoor beneath the table.
"Tunnel."
Adrian shook his head.
"I'm not running."
Lucien looked at him.
"Neither did I the first time."
Adrian frowned.
"What?"
Lucien pointed toward a scar near his neck.
"Harrow's men found us when I was twelve."
Adrian stared.
My mother snapped, "Argue later."
We entered the tunnel.
Rowan's guards stayed behind long enough to slow the attackers, then followed.
The passage climbed through the mountain.
At the top, we emerged onto a narrow ridge.
Below us, armed riders surrounded the house.
Their leader stepped forward.
Lord Estevan.
The royal finance minister.
His name had been all over the red ledger.
He shouted.
"Helena Vale!"
My mother peered down.
"Still ugly."
I blinked.
Lucien whispered, "She hates him."
"I gathered."
Estevan called again.
"Give us the princes!"
Princes.
Plural.
They knew about Lucien.
Adrian stepped forward.
My mother yanked him back.
"Do you have a death wish?"
"I can't hide forever."
"You've hidden for six minutes."
Lucien laughed unexpectedly.
Adrian stared at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
It was strange.
Even under attack, something was happening between them.
A recognition.
A familiarity older than memory.
Estevan's men began climbing toward the ridge.
Rowan assessed the slope.
"We can't hold this."
Helena nodded.
"We won't."
She pointed toward a rope bridge spanning a gorge.
"We cross."
I knew that bridge.
My mother had trained me there.
Of course.
Everything had been preparation.
We moved quickly.
Lucien crossed first.
Then Rowan's men.
Adrian followed.
I was halfway over when an arrow struck one of the ropes.
The bridge jerked.
I grabbed the side.
Below me, water crashed between rocks.
"Elara!"
Adrian turned.
"Keep moving!" I shouted.
Another arrow hit.
The rope snapped.
The bridge tilted violently.
My feet slipped.
For one horrible second, I hung over the gorge.
Then a hand grabbed my wrist.
Adrian.
He had crawled back onto the broken bridge.
"You idiot!" I shouted.
"Romantic."
"This isn't romantic!"
"I disagree."
He pulled.
I caught the rope with my other hand.
Lucien grabbed Adrian's belt from the far side.
Together they hauled me across.
We collapsed on stone.
I was breathing too hard to insult him.
Adrian smiled.
"Speechless."
"Give me a minute."
My mother cut the remaining bridge ropes.
The structure fell.
Three pursuing men barely jumped back.
We had time.
Not much.
We reached a second shelter by afternoon.
There, Helena finally explained everything.
Lucien sat across from Adrian.
I sat beside my mother.
Rowan guarded the entrance.
"Harrow poisoned Queen Marianne first," Helena said.
Adrian went still.
"My mother died from fever."
"No."
He looked away.
Another stolen truth.
Helena continued.
"She discovered Harrow was buying council members."
"Why?"
"To control succession, military appointments, taxation."
Lucien leaned forward.
"Why not simply overthrow the king?"
"Because ruling behind a throne is safer than sitting on it."
My mother looked at Adrian.
"He intended to shape you."
Adrian gave a humorless laugh.
"He did."
Pain moved through me.
His arrogance.
His cruelty.
His distrust.
How much had been his nature?
How much had been carefully encouraged by the man who raised him?
Helena continued.
"When Marianne confronted Harrow, she became ill."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"Then he targeted Father."
"Yes."
"And you discovered it."
"Yes."
"Then why take Lucien?"
"Because Harrow planned to kill him and blame foreign agents."
Lucien stared at the floor.
Helena's voice softened.
"You were four."
Adrian looked at him.
"I thought you were dead."
"I thought you forgot me."
Adrian's eyes snapped up.
"What?"
Lucien smiled sadly.
"I was little."
"No."
Adrian moved closer.
"I looked for you."
Lucien froze.
"For years."
Adrian's voice cracked.
"I searched rooms after everyone slept because I thought maybe they had hidden you."
Lucien stared at him.
"I used to leave bread under my bed because you always said you were hungry at night."
Adrian laughed through tears.
"I hated crust."
"I remember."
The brothers embraced again.
This time, nobody looked away.
Afterward, my mother took my hand.
"You're angry with me."
"Yes."
"Good."
I frowned.
"Good?"
"Anger means you still expect something from me."
I swallowed.
"You lied to me my entire life."
"I protected you."
"Those aren't always different."
"No."
Her eyes softened.
"They aren't."
I wanted to forgive her.
I wasn't ready.
But I understood.
That mattered.
A scout arrived before sunset.
Bad news.
Estevan had returned toward the capital.
Worse, Duke Harrow had escaped custody.
Adrian stood.
"What?"
The scout nodded.
"Supporters inside the palace freed him."
My mother didn't look surprised.
"Of course."
"He has taken control of the western gate and several council chambers."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"The king?"
"Still alive."
"And Harrow?"
The scout hesitated.
"He announced that Prince Adrian has been abducted by Helena Vale."
I laughed bitterly.
"Predictable."
The scout continued.
"And he announced Lady Elara helped arrange it."
"Also predictable."
Then he said the part that silenced us.
"Harrow has called an emergency coronation."
Adrian stared.
"For whom?"
The scout looked toward Lucien.
"He claims the true Prince Lucien has returned."
Lucien went pale.
"Returned?"
Helena stood.
May you like
The scout swallowed.
"Harrow has produced a man claiming to be him."
