Page 38 of White Raven

“The original name . . .” He glanced back at me. “Was Silverguard.”

“What?” I blinked, my mouth parting. “Silverguard?” The name stirred something in my memory, but I couldn’t grasp where from or why.

“Your father never told you about it?” He set the scythe down, propping it against the wall in front of him. “Or learned it in those fancy books of yours?”

“Why would he?”

“Because this was once King Vorian’s tower.”

“My father’s? I don’t understand.”

“Then I’m gathering the best tutors in the land haven’t told you that this entire area, since we crossed into the Rift, used to be Day territory at one time. This was the original guard post at the border when the Day territory used to reach all the way up here. Before the Rift began to expand, claiming the land between the Night border and the Day.”

“The Day Realm used to go all the way here?” I knew the Shadow Rift had slashed between the old Silvervalian border and the north, but that happened soon after the battle. Yet, my mind struggled to imagine all this land we traveled used to be part of Silvervale. “Maybe way before the Battle of Blood.”

“No, up until recently.”

“What?” I shook my head. “No. I don’t believe you.”

“You can believe me or not, doesn’t make it not true.”

“Okay, when did this supposedly happen?” I folded my arms.

“About twenty years ago.”

“Twenty?” I sputtered. If true, it was before I was born, but it was still very recent, something I should have learned. Heard about. But not one person in our kingdom ever mentioned it.

My mind calculated how far we had ventured since crossing into the Shadow Rift. At least fifty or sixty miles. All this territory used to be ours? The notion unsettled me. Why would they keep that from me?

“Let’s say I believe you.” It came out as patronizing. “What happened to the Day Ravens living here then?”

“Most fled, but some had families here, children with those who were on the other side of the border in the Night Realm,” he replied casually. “Stallard had many of them hung.”

“Hung?”

“Your king looked upon them as treasonous. Disloyal to the crown. He had his soldiers go into villages around here and pillage them. Murder his own people.” He kept his eyes on me. “Burn their homes, slaughter the offspring, and rape the women.”

My head shook vehemently. “My father would never do that! He would never order them to murder children or rape women.”

“Never?” His head tipped. “To you, people outside your land are nothing but cold-blooded savages, right? It is what we deserve?”

My shoulders prickled in defense, my chest rising. “No, that’s just you.”

“You saw the children back there. The ones with blue eyes or blond hair? They were born from those first mixed families. And now they all live as pariahs, not fitting in anywhere. A constant reminder of what happened here.”

Clenching my teeth, I said, “It’s possible you are making all this up.” I heard the pitch in my tone, unsure and reaching. Apparently so did he, because a demeaning smile hinted on his full lips.

“Tell me. Would the Night King do any different?” I continued. “Wouldn’t he fight to keep his land by whatever means necessary?”

“I never said the Night King wouldn’t. I’m stating that your father is guilty of it too. Kings will claim everything they can as theirs when they are trying to win the war.”

“We’re not at war.”

His full focus fell heavily on me. “We’ve never not been at war. Strategic, slow, like a game of chess. Not as obvious as straight-on combat.” He drummed his fingers against the sickle. “But don’t mistake it, kanin. From even before the Battle of Blood, that’s all this realm has been doing. It just changes its enemy.”

He faced back toward the window. “Now, come here.”

His demand set my shoulders back. “Excuse me?”