Page 108 of Waking Roslyn

A long sigh sounded from inside. I guessed it was from the king, because he spoke next. “I value the peace we enjoy in this kingdom. So when I encounter accusations that I cannot substantiate, it’s dangerous to pursue them. I’m grateful Talia warned you. She was”—his voice was a bit strangled and he had to pause—“the very best of women. But our men never found anything to warrant action, and I stand by my decision.”

“How can you say—”

“Let me finish,” King Terius snapped. “That was before. But things are different now. Of course we will investigate further. Your men and mine will work together. You have my full support, and we will investigate until the perpetrator is found and brought to justice.”

My own relief was mirrored in the sigh that I heard the duke blow out. This family had been left to defend themselves with no support for far too long. I just hoped the king was as sincere as he sounded.

King Terius didn’t stay for long after that. He was the king, after all; I was sure he had things to do. But two of his soldiers stayed and were led away by Captain Sterling.

When the duke came out of the drawing room and saw me standing just outside, he looked surprised at first. I did not usually stray from Roslyn’s side. However, his confusion quickly cleared and a corner of his mouth twitched. “Let me guess,” he said. “My wife wants a full report.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Why don’t you go join the other soldiers? I’ll be certain to give Her Grace every detail,” he said as he left to go back upstairs, his voice holding just a little amusement. Then halfway up the stairs, I heard him mutter to himself, “Saints, I love that woman.”

I was starting to understand why Roslyn was such a remarkable person. She had remarkable parents.

As the duke disappeared from sight, I headed toward the study, which the captain had turned into a temporary war room.

I hated that they called it that. I hated that this truly felt like war. When I’d gone against Magistrate Reeve with Rowan and the others, I’d thought that was like war. But I’d been wrong. No one had tried to kill us then. Capture us, yes. Hurt us, yes. But I’d never felt like my life was in real danger.

The room was chaotic and loud, yet there was an order to things. I stood back and listened, knowing I wouldn’t have much to offer. I’d never done any investigating or interviewing.

As I listened, it became clear that there would be two areas of focus. Firstly, flower sellers and delivery boys would be tracked down. We still had all the arrangements that had been sent, so if we matched each delivery to the person who delivered it, we could narrow our search considerably. Then there were the apothecaries. The moon thistle had come from somewhere, and if we found the seller, we could find the buyer. Unfortunately, since the making and distributing of powdered moon thistle was looked down upon, the apothecary who supplied it might not want to admit to it.

“Offer money,” the captain said simply when someone brought up that concern. “If someone seems reticent to speak, loosen their tongue with a few coins. Remember, I have no interest in capturing or punishing unwitting participants. A delivery boy in prison does the young lady no good. I want information, as much as you can get, until it leads us to the true culprit.”

Men were dispatched, orders were given, and the room emptied for the most part. Dinner was brought in for the few remaining soldiers, and I took my portion. Just as I was finishing my meal, the duke came in to speak with the captain and I decided to return to Roslyn’s room.

As I approached her door, I couldn’t help the irrational hope that suggested I might open the door and find her with her eyes open. But of course they weren’t. She was just as still as she’d been for nearly two days, and no answers were forthcoming.

Who had done this? Would they try again? Who could we trust? If she survived, what then? How could we ensure her safety? So many questions plagued us all.

And yet, even with all the questions pounding through my mind, all I cared about was seeing her open her eyes. If she would just wake up, we could handle the rest.

I sank into a chair and clenched my fists, suppressing a groan of agony, wishing for something, anything that I could do. If there were a foe in front of me that I could confront, I’d gladly do it. Give me a staff or a sword and point me toward her enemy and I would bring them to their knees.

Instead, I could only sit and watch and hope. But even that futile effort was interrupted. The duchess was no longer content to sit by Roslyn’s side. Instead, she stood and walked, and tugged on the covers, and touched Roslyn’s hair, and talked in a voice of false hope.

The duke returned when it was fully dark outside, and as soon as the duchess saw him, tears poured down her face. Despair filled his eyes as he placed a tentative hand on Her Grace’s shoulder and swallowed.

“Come. Let us rest. I’m certain John will watch over her.”

I nodded, knowing that anytime the duke and duchess were not here, I certainly would be.

“I won’t leave her,” the duchess said. “Not again. If this is to be her last night on this earth, I will not abandon her.”

The duke’s chin trembled, but he swallowed down his emotions for his wife’s sake. “Very well,” His Grace said. “Then we shall spend the night watching over her.” He looked around, and I realized he was looking for a chair.

I quickly stood and moved the chair I’d been sitting on so that he could use it. He took it and placed it right beside his wife.

As much as I wanted to be there to watch over Roslyn, I looked to the door, wondering if I should leave them alone. The captain stood in the doorway and beckoned me out into the hallway. I complied, closing the door behind me.

Captain Sterling shifted his weight from foot to foot as he rubbed at his jaw and looked back at the door we’d just come through. “The duchess does not look well.”

“She’s not. She’s falling apart, and watching it is making me…” I cut myself off and sucked in a breath as I pushed my fingers into my eyes. No need to admit just how affected I was by this whole situation.

When I looked back up at him, he no longer looked agitated. Instead he looked like he’d just figured something out.