Ten Arrows

Chapter 26

I managed to return to my keep by early evening. Despite desperately wishing to find myself a bed, couch, patch of cold ground, bit of unevenly paved street strewn with broken glass, or any other suitable place to curl up and fall asleep, I currently sat in a chair opposite the one Talia occupied. Although my whole concept of time was shaky at best right at that moment, it felt like we'd been sitting there talking for about half an hour thus far.

"So then, you're saying that this morning when I found your cloak all bloodied-"

"With boar's blood," I interjected quickly, raising a single finger between us as I did so. I'm not really sure why I felt the need for the gesture, but whatever... that's what I happened to do.

I began to wonder why Talia hadn't resumed talking at precisely the same moment I realized that I was simply sitting there staring at my finger, which I was still holding up for some reason. Feeling slightly awkward, I lowered it, and motioned for Talia to continue.

Hey, give me a break... I'd been through hell, and hadn't slept in almost two days.

"-the whole reason you couldn't tell me you didn't murder Hartman was because you knew someone was listening in on our conversation somehow?" Talia asked, her expression still somewhat dubious.

"Exactly," I said, gesturing to the writing table that was sitting an arms-length away. "During one of the searches of Tucat Keep a few weeks ago Borshank decided to get a little bit clever, and arranged for several specially ensorcelled gemstones to be planted in various rooms. One was affixed to the letter-opener on the table. I got rid of the rest of them, I think, but I wished to leave Borshank with the impression that I'd missed one, so that he'd pay particular attention to things said in front of it."

Her eyes narrowed. "That couldn't have been part of your plan."

"It wasn't, originally. When I'd set out to do this I knew whatever plan I put together had to be fluid, and capable of accommodating the various complications I suspected would occur over the first few months. Once I'd confirmed that Borshank had someone listening in on me via these gemstone thingies, I waited for the right opportunity to use them. So yesterday, I stood in front of one and asked one of my knights, Roland, to provide me with an alibi for a very specific time. I figured that would be enough to get someone's attention."

"Roland. That was the knight Borshank's men picked up?"

"Yes. I asked him to give me directions to his place so they'd overhear where to find him, and then gave him a note and told him to read it the moment anyone arrived at his door. The note instructed him to admit everything – to tell Borshank and his men every detail of our conversation, as well as my request for his help with an alibi. After all, I didn't want poor Roland to feel he had to lie to Crown Knights on my behalf, or suffer hours of interrogation or anything like that. Then, of course, with reports of Hartman being murdered the exact same time I'd arranged for Roland to be my alibi, they'd believe I was the one who had killed him."

"I'd thought you'd killed him, Vincent! I heard several rumors from the night staff, found your cloak just sitting there, and then when you couldn't tell me that you didn't kill him-"

"The gem was still on the table, right next to where we were talking, so I couldn't explain anything to you without tipping my hand to Borshank. Getting blood on my cloak was a bit of an accident, I'll admit – things got a little messy when I was bloodying up Hartman's bedroom, trying to make it look like a murder had occurred. Once I left Hartman Keep and arrived back here I sent word for Janviel to meet me at the writing table right away, all so I might be overheard plotting to infiltrate the August Foyer. I figured that once Borshank learned of both Hartman's pretended murder and my plan to visit the vault, he would believe I wished to break into it and become prince so I could pardon myself, much as you suspected. In response to that he increased the security around the vault, which was part of the bigger plan. Then, of course, you showed up here in the greeting hall before Janviel did, and I was forced to improvise a little."