“I wanted that to be clear between us before you left.” Kieran drank the brandy and set the snifter aside.
“Kieran?” Daemon asked softly. “Do you think there’s any point to this . . . quest?”
“I guess we’ll all find out.” Kieran sighed. “Go home, Daemon. Your being here won’t help your girl.”
He saw Kieran to the door and watched the Warlord of Maghre walk away.
THIRTY-FIVE
Jaenelle Angelline Queen of Ebon Askavi, which made her the most important Queen in Kaeleer.
“And didn’t she know it,” Saetien muttered as she made out the list Butler required before he’d talk to her about Wilhelmina Benedict.
Wore Black Jewels, which is how she became the Queen of Ebon Askavi, then wore a Jewel called Twilight’s Dawn.
Was the ruling Queen when Kaeleer fought a war with Terreille. Kaeleer won.
Saetien paused. Had her father and Uncle Lucivar fought in that war? Was that one of those subjects that came under the “when you’re old enough” rule? If they had fought in the war, they would have been the most important Warlord Princes in the fight, because they were the strongest.
Did Daemonar know about how their fathers fought in that war? Not that she could ask him until he stopped being angry with her about that stupid house party.
Sighing, she went back to making the list.
Originally lived in Chaillot, a Territory in the Realm of Terreille.
Had yellow hair and blue eyes.
She should say “blond” but saying the Queen had yellow hair sounded . . . dismissive, diminishing.
Was that being childish? Maybe. But so was this stupid requirement to make a list of things she knew about someone who wasn’t the person she wanted information about.
Spent a lot of time in a place called Briarwood when she was a child.
Saetien shuddered, remembering her journey through the Briarwood that Witch had created in order to determine the price each girl in the coven of malice had to pay for the lives she had ruined.
Remembering the blond-haired, blue-eyed girl who had been tied to a bed and the blood that had been spilled in that small room. So much blood.
Was Daemon Sadi’s first wife. She was also his Queen.
Was still his Queen. Witch snapped her fingers, and Daemon Sadi obeyed.
She was called Witch, the living myth, dreams made flesh.
Saetien reviewed her list. What else did she need to know about someone she would rather forget existed? Nothing on her list that Prince Butler wouldn’t know, but maybe she did know something about Witch that he didn’t.
Not all the dreamers were human, so her Self is a weird mix of human and animal. She looks unnatural.
Looked monstrous.
“And she’s cruel,” Saetien whispered. Best not to put that in, even if it was true.
Setting that sheet of paper aside, she focused on the information she had about the person she wanted to know about.
Wilhelmina Benedict
Originally lived in Chaillot, an island in the Realm of Terreille.
Came to Kaeleer during the last service fair.
Lived at SaDiablo Hall for a while, then moved to the Isle of Scelt.
Was Jaenelle Angelline’s sister.
So little. And nothing helpful.
Saetien capped her pen and put the papers to one side of the small rectangular table that doubled as a dining table and desk. She called in the journal Jillian had given her the morning she left the sanctuary. Not a cheap thing for scribbling little-girl thoughts—although, to be fair, she didn’t think she’d ever been given a cheap thing that would send a message that little-girl thoughts weren’t worth much.
She opened the journal’s leather cover. It would be a good place to record any notes and any facts she managed to squeeze out of people. She hadn’t expected people to refuse to tell her what they knew about Wilhelmina Benedict, but nobody seemed to know much of anything. Eileen knew something, but Wilhelmina wasn’t a subject the woman would discuss. Why was that? And why was there always a hint of shame when Saetien brought up the name? Maybe not shame. Sadness?
No answers there, and she couldn’t talk to Butler until sunset. What was she supposed to do until then?
*Walkies, Saeti? Walkies?*
She looked at Shelby as the urgent tone registered. Scooping up the puppy, she hurried through the house and got him outside before his control of his bladder failed both of them.
Once the puppy did his business, Saetien cast a look at the house. She didn’t know where Eileen was, even if it was easy to guess that the woman probably would be in the morning room reviewing household accounts and writing letters and doing whatever else she did. But since she didn’t know, not specifically, she decided she didn’t have to tell anyone that she had left, especially since she and Shelby were just walking over to the stables.
Maybe she could go riding, maybe even ride to the village, or over to the house that her father leased here, or even over to the Sceltie school. If she was riding, it wouldn’t take that long to get to any of those places.
The stables were barely in sight of the house and much larger than the stables at the Hall. Which made sense, since her father didn’t breed or train regular horses—and kindred horses made their own decisions when it came to breeding. Just like humans.
Did they make mating mistakes like humans did?
She heard a male voice and thought it was that of Lord Ryder, who was Lord Kieran’s brother, but he hadn’t said much at dinner last night, so she wasn’t sure. The tone was encouraging. Training a horse, a rider, or both?
Lord Kildare, Kieran’s father, walked out of the stables. His hard expression and the stern look in his eyes stopped her. Then he looked past her and said mildly, “Well, at least one of you remembers the rules.”
Saetien looked over her shoulder at the two Scelties trotting toward them.
*Did you tell the Scelties we were going to the stables?* she asked Shelby.
*Yes!* the puppy replied. *It’s a rule.* Wagging his tail, he went to greet the Sceltie witch and Warlord.
“I wasn’t leaving your place,” Saetien protested.
“You don’t hold much to courtesy or simple kindness, do you, girl?” Kildare asked. His words stung, but before she could say anything in her defense, he added, “You get three chances to mess about. You’re down to two now. After the third, you’re on your way home.”
“You can’t decide that.”
“That was my lady wife’s condition for having you here, and Kieran and Prince Sadi agreed. Best you remember it.” He paused. “Did you come down to the stables for a reason, or were you looking to find out where the lines are drawn?”
They were treating her like a child. Well, she’d show them she wasn’t a child. “I would like to go riding, if you have a horse available.”
Considering the size of the stables, how could he not have a horse available? Which made the remark close to being bitchy.
“You know how to ride?” Kildare asked.
“Yes, I do.” Politely spoken, although she wasn’t sure if her expression sent a very different message.
Kildare nodded. “All right. I’ll see who’s willing. You can ride in the paddock over there.” He pointed.
“I was thinking—”