Those people didn’t deserve to die because I found out someone’s secret.”
“Absolutely not,” Rivva said. The footman was waiting outside the door with a parasol for the princess, which he held over her as they walked to the carriage waiting in the brick courtyard. “I’d have done the same thing if I’d been in your shoes. When I first learned of the situation, I was appalled that they were even putting you on trial, but that’s our process, whether someone is justified in their actions or not. It’s behind you now.”
“Not quite,” Jora said. “They’re still waiting to sentence me for my crimes.”
Rivva winked at her. “The paper in your hands should settle that matter. The investigation alone is worth the pardon, let alone whatever else you can do to help us win the war.”
Jora flinched in surprise. “What investigation?”
Rivva held up one finger as a request to wait a moment. The footman helped them both into the carriage, and they settled onto the forward facing seat as before. The carriage lurched forward and began to rumble across the cobbled streets.
“The godfruit smuggling investigation, of course,” Rivva said. A wary look came into her eyes. “That is what my father asked of you, is it not?”
“No. He asked me to leave it be and trust him to put the right investigators on it.”
“What?” the princess said, her voice almost a shriek. “No, that’s not right. You must have misunderstood. He and I talked about this. We agreed the best course of action was to have you investigate it, since you’re the one who knows the most about it. You more than anyone would know where to begin. Those were his own words.”
Jora pursed her lips in thought. The king had been about to ask for her help when the dominee barged in. “He and the dominee did argue a bit, but that was after he offered to pardon me.”
“Dominee Ibsa was there? I thought she’d left.”
“I did, too,” Jora said, “but she came in while King Yaphet and I were talking.”
Rivva looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping her fingers against the yellow fabric of her dress draped over the seat cushion beside her. From the crease between her eyebrows and the way she pursed and unpursed her lips, it was plain the princess was deeply concerned about the turn of events. “Something is wrong,” she murmured.
Jora wondered whether the princess suspected the dominee was behind the smuggling, as she did.
“Listen,” Rivva said, angling her body toward Jora. “I need to ask you to do something, but you must promise this stays between us. No one must know we’ve spoken of this.”
Jora nodded, surprised. “Of course, Rivva. What is it?”
“I need you to investigate—secretly—the smuggling of godfruit to our enemies.”
Jora flinched. “What?”
“You and I both know that the Legion is looking the other way while crates and crates of it are shipped in the dark of night to Mangend and Arynd Ban, and perhaps even to Barad Selegal. What you don’t know is how high up this smuggling problem goes. Am I right?”
“Yes, but–”
“I suspect that some of my father’s appointed cabinet ministers are involved, perhaps even the dominee herself.”
Jora pressed her lips together, both dismayed and relieved that the princess shared her misgivings about the dominee.
“Men and women he trusts are committing this disgrace behind his back. I can’t prove it or I’d have taken the matter to him directly, but I’ve heard enough snippets of conversations in dark rooms and halls that I know something inauspicious is occurring.”
“But the king swore me to silence on the matter,” Jora said. “I gave my word that I would let his investigators handle it.”
“I understand, but listen. He and I had talked about it this morning, mere moments before I came to retrieve you. He was determined to ask you to secretly investigate the smuggling and report back to him what you discovered. The fact that the dominee
“Absolutely not,” Rivva said. The footman was waiting outside the door with a parasol for the princess, which he held over her as they walked to the carriage waiting in the brick courtyard. “I’d have done the same thing if I’d been in your shoes. When I first learned of the situation, I was appalled that they were even putting you on trial, but that’s our process, whether someone is justified in their actions or not. It’s behind you now.”
“Not quite,” Jora said. “They’re still waiting to sentence me for my crimes.”
Rivva winked at her. “The paper in your hands should settle that matter. The investigation alone is worth the pardon, let alone whatever else you can do to help us win the war.”
Jora flinched in surprise. “What investigation?”
Rivva held up one finger as a request to wait a moment. The footman helped them both into the carriage, and they settled onto the forward facing seat as before. The carriage lurched forward and began to rumble across the cobbled streets.
“The godfruit smuggling investigation, of course,” Rivva said. A wary look came into her eyes. “That is what my father asked of you, is it not?”
“No. He asked me to leave it be and trust him to put the right investigators on it.”
“What?” the princess said, her voice almost a shriek. “No, that’s not right. You must have misunderstood. He and I talked about this. We agreed the best course of action was to have you investigate it, since you’re the one who knows the most about it. You more than anyone would know where to begin. Those were his own words.”
Jora pursed her lips in thought. The king had been about to ask for her help when the dominee barged in. “He and the dominee did argue a bit, but that was after he offered to pardon me.”
“Dominee Ibsa was there? I thought she’d left.”
“I did, too,” Jora said, “but she came in while King Yaphet and I were talking.”
Rivva looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping her fingers against the yellow fabric of her dress draped over the seat cushion beside her. From the crease between her eyebrows and the way she pursed and unpursed her lips, it was plain the princess was deeply concerned about the turn of events. “Something is wrong,” she murmured.
Jora wondered whether the princess suspected the dominee was behind the smuggling, as she did.
“Listen,” Rivva said, angling her body toward Jora. “I need to ask you to do something, but you must promise this stays between us. No one must know we’ve spoken of this.”
Jora nodded, surprised. “Of course, Rivva. What is it?”
“I need you to investigate—secretly—the smuggling of godfruit to our enemies.”
Jora flinched. “What?”
“You and I both know that the Legion is looking the other way while crates and crates of it are shipped in the dark of night to Mangend and Arynd Ban, and perhaps even to Barad Selegal. What you don’t know is how high up this smuggling problem goes. Am I right?”
“Yes, but–”
“I suspect that some of my father’s appointed cabinet ministers are involved, perhaps even the dominee herself.”
Jora pressed her lips together, both dismayed and relieved that the princess shared her misgivings about the dominee.
“Men and women he trusts are committing this disgrace behind his back. I can’t prove it or I’d have taken the matter to him directly, but I’ve heard enough snippets of conversations in dark rooms and halls that I know something inauspicious is occurring.”
“But the king swore me to silence on the matter,” Jora said. “I gave my word that I would let his investigators handle it.”
“I understand, but listen. He and I had talked about it this morning, mere moments before I came to retrieve you. He was determined to ask you to secretly investigate the smuggling and report back to him what you discovered. The fact that the dominee
Similar Books
