Aveline did not sleep.
She tried. She really did.
She lay in the enormous bed the palace had given her and stared at the ceiling until she started counting the cracks in the plaster.
There were seven.
Or maybe eight.
She had counted one of them twice.
"Wonderful."
She rolled onto her side.
Five minutes later, she rolled back.
The room was too quiet.
That was the problem.
At home, there was always some noise. Mara coughing in the next room. A pot being moved. Someone arguing in the street. The neighbor's goat making that awful sound it made whenever it wanted food.
She almost missed the goat.
Almost.
Aveline sat up.
"Enough."
She got out of bed and opened the door.
A guard stood outside.
He straightened immediately.
"Miss."
"Do you ever sleep?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm on duty."
"That's unfortunate."
The guard blinked.
Aveline looked down the corridor.
Two more guards stood near the stairs.
"Has anyone gone in or out?"
"No."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
She studied his face.
He looked tired.
"Do you know what's happening?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"That means yes."
He said nothing.
Aveline sighed.
"Fine."
She started to close the door.
Then stopped.
"Wait."
The guard looked at her.
"Is the king all right?"
He hesitated.
"He's alive."
Aveline frowned.
"That's a terrible answer."
"I'm sorry."
"You should be."
She shut the door.
Then stood there for a moment.
"Alive."
That word wasn't helping.
She opened the door again.
The guard looked alarmed.
"I forgot something."
"What?"
"I don't know yet."
She went back inside.
The guard stared after her.
Aveline smiled to herself.
At least someone else was having a bad night.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at her window.
Aveline stopped.
Another knock.
She slowly turned toward the curtains.
The palace guards were outside her door. Nobody should have been at the window.
She picked up the little knife she kept beneath her pillow.
Another knock.
Aveline pulled the curtain aside.
Alaric stood on the balcony.
She stared at him.
He stared back.
"What are you doing?"
"Can I come in?"
"How did you get out there?"
"That's not really the important question."
"It is to me."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Can I come in?"
Aveline opened the window.
He climbed inside.
The first thing she noticed was the dirt on his sleeve.
The second was his hair.
"What happened to you?"
"I fell."
"Where?"
"The garden."
"Why were you in the garden?"
"I was trying not to be seen."
"By who?"
"Everyone."
She stared at him.
"You're a prince."
"I've heard."
"You're not very good at it."
"I've had a difficult evening."
She looked at the dirt on his sleeve again.
"Clearly."
He sat down.
Aveline shut the window.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then she sat opposite him.
"Why are you here?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"Because of the attack?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
"Me neither."
Alaric looked at her.
"You should try."
"So should you."
"I know."
"You say that a lot."
"I know."
She gave him a look.
He smiled.
She tried not to smile back.
It didn't work.
Then she remembered the message.
Her smile disappeared.
"Alaric."
He waited.
"Do you think they're going to kill me?"
He looked at the floor.
Aveline waited.
"I don't know."
She nodded slowly.
"Okay."
"I wish I had a better answer."
"I know."
He looked at her.
"That's my line."
She shrugged.
"I stole it."
He smiled.
Then the smile faded.
"I won't let them hurt you."
Aveline looked at him.
"Don't promise that."
"Why?"
"Because you don't know what will happen."
"No."
"And if something happens anyway, you'll feel like you failed."
He was quiet.
Aveline looked down at her hands.
"I don't need you to save me."
"I know."
"I just…"
She stopped.
"What?"
She shook her head.
"Nothing."
He didn't push.
That was one thing she liked about him.
He was finally learning when to stop talking.
A bell rang somewhere in the palace.
Both looked toward the door.
Another bell.
Then another.
Alaric stood.
"I have to go."
Aveline stood too.
"Where?"
"I don't know yet."
"Then why are you leaving?"
"Because that's usually how these things work."
She stared at him.
"That's a terrible answer."
"Probably."
He went toward the window.
Aveline caught his sleeve.
He stopped.
"Be careful."
He looked down at her hand.
Then at her.
"I will."
She let go.
He climbed onto the balcony.
"Alaric?"
He turned.
"Yes?"
"If you fall again, I'm going to laugh."
He smiled.
"That's comforting."
"Good."
He disappeared over the railing.
Aveline closed the window.
Then stood there.
"Idiot."
She wasn't sure whether she meant him or herself.
By sunrise, the palace had become a very expensive prison.
Guards stood at every entrance.
Servants were being questioned.
Nobody was allowed into the western wing.
Aveline had been told not to leave her room.
She lasted until breakfast.
Then she left.
She made it halfway across the courtyard before Alaric found her.
He came toward her with the expression of a man who had already dealt with too many problems before breakfast.
"You."
Aveline smiled.
"Me."
"What are you doing?"
"Walking."
"You're not supposed to be walking."
"Then why did they build paths?"
He stopped.
"Aveline."
"Yes?"
"You're supposed to stay inside."
"Why?"
"Because someone is trying to find you."
"I know."
"And because I don't want you wandering around."
She folded her arms.
"That's a better reason."
He sighed.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"Somewhere with fewer opportunities for you to get yourself killed."
"You're very romantic this morning."
He looked at her.
"That wasn't meant to be romantic."
"I know."
They started walking.
Aveline glanced sideways at him.
"You didn't sleep either."
"Neither did you."
"I look better."
"No."
She stopped.
"What did you say?"
He kept walking.
"You heard me."
She hurried after him.
"Take it back."
"No."
"Alaric."
"You asked."
"I didn't ask you to insult me."
"I wasn't insulting you."
"You said I looked worse than you."
"I said you look tired."
"That's worse."
He laughed.
She tried to stay annoyed.
She couldn't.
"You're getting brave."
"Maybe I've spent too much time with you."
"That sounds like a complaint."
"It might be."
They turned the corner.
Then shouting came from the western side of the palace.
Alaric stopped.
A guard came running toward them.
"Your Highness!"
"What happened?"
"The western gate."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Someone tried to get through."
"Did you catch them?"
"No."
Alaric's face hardened.
"How did they escape?"
The guard looked uncomfortable.
"They didn't."
Aveline frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The guard pointed toward the gate.
"They left something behind."
There were six guards around the bag.
That seemed excessive to Aveline.
It was just a black leather bag.
One of the guards opened it.
Inside were clothes.
A woman's dress.
A child's shirt.
And a red scarf.
Aveline stopped.
She knew that scarf.
Or thought she did.
She stepped closer.
"Can I see it?"
The guard looked at Alaric.
Alaric nodded.
The guard handed it to her.
Aveline ran her fingers over the fabric.
It was old and faded.
There was a small tear near one end.
She stared at it.
"I remember this."
Alaric looked at her.
"You're sure?"
"No."
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
She closed her eyes.
For a second, something came back.
A cold night.
Smoke.
Someone holding her.
A woman's voice.
The scarf around her shoulders.
Then it was gone.
Aveline opened her eyes.
"My mother."
The king arrived with several guards.
He saw the scarf.
He stopped.
"Where did you find that?"
"At the gate, Your Majesty."
The king took the scarf from Aveline.
His fingers tightened around it.
For a long moment he said nothing.
Then he handed it back.
"Burn it."
Aveline stared at him.
"What?"
"Burn it."
"No."
"Aveline."
"No."
She pulled it against her chest.
"This is the first thing I've remembered."
"It could have been left there deliberately."
"I don't care."
"You should."
"Why?"
"Because whoever left it wants you to find it."
"Then maybe I want to find out why."
The king sighed.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with."
"Neither does anyone else."
That silenced him.
Aveline looked at the scarf.
"I've spent my whole life with people telling me that my parents are dead. Now everybody suddenly knows something."
She looked at him.
"I'm tired of being the last person to know about my own life."
The king didn't argue.
"Keep it," he said finally. "But don't wear it outside."
Aveline nodded.
"Fine."
The king turned to the guards.
"Search the road."
They moved immediately.
Aveline watched them leave.
Someone had put the scarf there.
Someone wanted her to find it.
She was beginning to hate that feeling.
Later, she found Alaric in the library.
He had papers spread across almost every table.
Books were piled on chairs.
One book was open on the floor.
He was reading another one.
Aveline stood in the doorway.
"You've made a mess."
He didn't look up.
"Good morning to you too."
"What are you looking for?"
"Anything about the Valemonts."
"And?"
"Nothing useful."
She walked over.
"How long have you been here?"
"Since before breakfast."
"You missed breakfast?"
"Yes."
"That's serious."
He looked at her.
"Very."
She held up the red scarf.
"I found this."
His expression changed.
He set the book down.
"Where?"
"The western gate."
She told him what had happened.
When she finished, he reached for the scarf.
Aveline gave it to him.
He examined the torn edge.
"My father knew it."
"Yes."
"He wanted it burned."
"I know."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
He looked at her.
She smiled.
"Don't."
"What?"
"Don't say it."
He almost smiled.
"I wasn't going to."
"You were."
"I was thinking it."
"That's bad enough."
He handed the scarf back.
Aveline sat down.
"Have you found anything?"
"No."
She picked up a book.
"What about this?"
He glanced at it.
"That's a cookbook."
She opened it.
"Maybe your ancestors were hiding messages in recipes."
"Page ninety-three."
She flipped through it.
"Stew."
"Exactly."
"Maybe the stew is important."
"It's not."
"You don't know that."
"I've read it."
"You read the whole thing?"
"Unfortunately."
Aveline laughed.
He smiled.
For a few seconds, the room felt normal.
Then she noticed something.
"You really want to find out what happened to me."
Alaric looked at her.
"Yes."
"Why?"
He looked down at the papers.
"I don't like not knowing."
"That's not the whole reason."
"No."
She waited.
He didn't say anything.
Finally:
"I don't want you finding out something awful and having to deal with it alone."
Aveline looked at him.
"That's better."
He nodded.
She picked at the corner of the scarf.
"Thank you."
He looked at her.
"You're welcome."
Then he reached for another book.
Aveline smiled.
"Still annoying."
His eyes stayed on the page.
"You were doing so well."
Duke Lennox appeared without knocking.
Aveline looked up.
"Does anyone in this palace use doors properly?"
Lennox stopped.
"I used the door."
"You didn't knock."
"I forgot."
"You always forget."
"That's because nobody likes being interrupted."
Alaric looked up from his book.
"Go away."
Lennox ignored him.
His attention went to the scarf.
"So it's true."
Aveline looked at him.
"What?"
"The scarf."
"You've seen it?"
"Not that one."
"Then what do you mean?"
Lennox pulled out a chair.
Alaric sighed.
Lennox sat.
"I remember your mother."
Aveline leaned forward.
"You knew her?"
"Not well."
"What was she like?"
Lennox thought about it.
"Annoyed."
Aveline blinked.
"That's all?"
"Mostly."
She laughed.
"That's exactly what I'd expect."
Lennox smiled.
"She didn't like the palace."
"Neither do I."
"Then you're doing well."
Alaric gave him a look.
"Can you be serious for five minutes?"
"I'm serious."
"You don't look it."
"That's my face."
Aveline laughed again.
Alaric shook his head.
Lennox looked at the scarf.
"I remember seeing it once."
"When?"
"At a winter banquet."
"You were there?"
"I was twelve."
"And my mother?"
"She was speaking with the king."
Aveline waited.
"Did she have the scarf?"
"No."
"Then why do you remember it?"
Lennox frowned.
"Someone else was wearing it."
"Who?"
"I don't remember."
Alaric leaned forward.
"Try."
"I am trying."
"You don't look like it."
Lennox gave him a tired look.
"Do you want me to invent an answer?"
"No."
"Then stop asking."
Aveline watched him.
There was something strange about the exchange.
Lennox seemed irritated.
Not guilty.
Just irritated.
Still, he had remembered the scarf.
That mattered.
"Did my father come to the banquet?"
Lennox thought.
"I don't know."
"Did you see him?"
"I can't remember."
Aveline sighed.
"You people are unbelievably unhelpful."
Lennox stood.
"Welcome to the palace."
He walked away.
Alaric watched him leave.
Then looked at Aveline.
"Something's wrong."
"With Lennox?"
"Maybe."
"What makes you say that?"
"He remembers more than he's saying."
Aveline nodded.
"I thought so too."
That evening, Aveline returned to the old chapel.
This time Alaric came with her.
"You know," he said as they entered, "most sensible people would stay away from the place where someone secretly followed them."
"Good thing I'm not most people."
"That's becoming a problem."
She looked back at him.
"You came."
"Someone has to keep you alive."
"You could've stayed in the palace."
"And let you come here alone?"
"Yes."
"No."
She smiled.
They walked to the hidden compartment.
Alaric examined the wall.
"There has to be something else."
"That's what I thought."
They searched.
Nothing.
Aveline checked the floor.
Alaric checked the walls.
He knocked against one section of stone.
It sounded different.
"Wait."
"What?"
He crouched.
There was a small iron ring hidden beneath a loose stone.
He pulled.
A section of the floor lifted.
Aveline stared.
"You've got to be joking."
"I'm not."
"How many secret rooms does this place have?"
"Too many."
They climbed down.
The passage was narrow.
Aveline went first.
Alaric followed.
"Watch your head."
"I am."
"You nearly hit it."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I ducked."
"You bent."
"Same thing."
"No."
She smiled.
"You're annoying."
"I've heard."
The passage ended at a wooden door.
Alaric pushed it open.
Inside was a small room.
There was a broken chair.
Three wooden boxes.
Dust everywhere.
And names carved into the wall.
Aveline stepped closer.
Her smile disappeared.
Cassian Valemont.
Elara Valemont.
Then—
Aveline.
She stared at her own name.
"Why is that here?"
Alaric stood beside her.
He didn't answer.
There was another line underneath.
If she survives, protect her.
Aveline touched the words.
"Who wrote this?"
"I don't know."
She looked at him.
"Don't say it."
He looked at her.
"What?"
"That you don't know."
"I wasn't going to."
"You were thinking it."
"Maybe."
She shook her head.
"Hopeless."
She opened one of the boxes.
Nothing.
The second had old clothes.
The third contained a few letters.
Aveline picked one up.
It was sealed.
Alaric took it from her.
"Don't open this."
She stared.
"Why?"
"It might be dangerous."
"So is everything else."
"Aveline."
She took it back.
He sighed.
"Fine."
She smiled.
"Thank you."
"I didn't say you could open it."
"You didn't stop me."
"That's because I was trying to be reasonable."
"Poor choice."
She slipped the letter into her pocket.
Then they heard footsteps.
Both stopped.
Someone was coming down the passage.
Alaric drew his sword.
Aveline grabbed the broken chair leg.
He looked at it.
"Seriously?"
"It's heavy."
"It's part of a chair."
"People have been killed with worse."
"That's not reassuring."
The footsteps came closer.
Aveline gripped the chair leg.
The door opened.
A guard stumbled inside.
"Your Highness!"
Alaric lowered his sword.
"What happened?"
"The palace gates."
"What about them?"
"They've been breached."
"By whom?"
"We don't know."
"How many?"
"Three."
Aveline looked at Alaric.
"Three people got inside?"
The guard nodded.
"They're gone."
"Did you catch them?"
"No."
Alaric sheathed his sword.
"We need to go."
The palace was chaos.
Guards were shouting.
Servants were being pushed toward the safer parts of the building.
A tray had fallen in the corridor.
Silver cups rolled across the floor.
Aveline nearly stepped on one.
Alaric caught her arm.
"Careful."
"I'm fine."
"You nearly fell."
"I said I'm fine."
He let go.
"Fine."
She looked at him.
"You really need to stop saying that."
"You say it too."
"Yes, but I do it better."
He laughed.
They reached the council chamber.
The king was there.
His sleeve was stained with blood.
Again.
Aveline stopped.
"You're hurt."
"It's nothing."
"You're doing it too."
The king looked at her.
"What?"
"'It's nothing.' Everyone keeps saying that."
He gave a tired laugh.
"Perhaps we're all bad at admitting when things hurt."
Aveline didn't know what to say to that.
So she didn't.
Alaric looked around the room.
"Where are the attackers?"
"Gone."
"Again?"
The king nodded.
"They weren't here to kill anyone."
"Then what did they want?"
Nobody answered.
Aveline felt the sealed letter in her pocket.
She looked at Alaric.
Then the king.
Then Lennox.
Something wasn't right.
Too many things were happening.
Too many clues were being left where she could find them.
She pulled out the letter.
"I think I have something."
Alaric turned.
"What is that?"
"I found it downstairs."
The king's face changed.
"Give it to me."
Aveline hesitated.
Then handed it over.
The king opened it.
He read.
Once.
Then again.
He folded it.
Alaric stared at him.
"What does it say?"
"Nothing."
Aveline looked at him.
"That's a lie."
The king looked up.
She didn't back down.
"You just read it twice."
Nobody moved.
Alaric stepped closer.
"Father."
The king sighed.
"There is someone inside this palace."
"We know that."
"No."
He looked at Aveline.
"Someone who was here when your family disappeared."
Aveline felt cold.
"Who?"
The king looked toward the door.
Then back at her.
"Lady Seraphina."
Aveline remembered the first time she'd seen Seraphina look at her locket.
The woman had smiled.
Then the smile had disappeared.
Aveline had thought she'd imagined it.
Apparently not.
Alaric looked at her.
"You've spoken to her."
"Once."
"What did she say?"
Aveline shook her head.
"She asked about the locket."
The king closed his eyes.
"Of course."
Alaric looked at him.
"You know her."
"Yes."
"How well?"
The king didn't answer.
Lennox suddenly spoke.
"We need to find her."
Alaric turned.
"You think she's still here?"
Lennox looked toward the corridor.
"I think she knows we're looking."
As if someone had been waiting for those words, a door somewhere outside the chamber closed.
Everyone turned.
A guard ran toward it.
"Wait!"
Footsteps hurried away.
Alaric drew his sword.
"Stay here."
Aveline grabbed his sleeve.
"No."
He looked at her.
"I'm coming."
"Aveline—"
"I'm not sitting in another room while everyone else decides what's happening to me."
He stared at her.
Then nodded.
"Fine."
Lennox followed them.
The three hurried into the corridor.
It was empty.
Too empty.
Aveline looked down.
Something lay on the floor.
A small piece of paper.
She picked it up.
There were only three words.
Ask the king.
She turned around.
The king was standing at the end of the corridor.
He had followed them.
Aveline held up the paper.
"Ask you what?"
The king stopped.
Nobody spoke.
Aveline waited.
"What happened to my mother?"
The king looked at her.
For the first time since she'd arrived at the palace, he looked genuinely afraid of the answer.
Then he said:
"She didn't die."
Aveline stared at him.
"What?"
The king looked away.
"Elara is alive."
Nobody moved.
Alaric looked at his father.
Lennox's face had gone blank.
Aveline could barely speak.
"Where?"
The king didn't answer.
"Where is she?"
Still nothing.
Aveline stepped toward him.
"You've known?"
The king finally looked at her.
"I thought she was dead."
"That's not what you said."
"I found out three years ago."
Aveline stared.
"Three years?"
The king nodded.
"And you never told me."
"I didn't know where she was."
"But you knew she was alive."
"Yes."
Aveline laughed once.
She wiped her face.
"Of course."
Alaric stepped toward her.
She moved away.
Not because she didn't want him near her.
She just couldn't bear anyone touching her.
Not now.
Not after that.
She looked at the king.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The king opened his mouth.
No answer came.
Aveline nodded.
"Right."
She turned and walked away.
Alaric followed.
"Aveline."
"Don't."
He stopped.
She kept walking.
Then she turned around.
"Just… give me a minute."
He nodded.
She disappeared around the corner.
Lennox watched her go.
Then looked at the king.
"You should have told her."
The king said nothing.
Lennox shook his head.
"That was cruel."
Alaric looked at his father.
"How much more don't I know?"
The king didn't answer.
Alaric stared at him.
Then walked away.
The king remained in the corridor alone.
And somewhere else in the palace, a door quietly opened.
Then closed again.