“I’ve told you everything I know.”
“Then tell me again.”
“I don’t see the point.”
“You don’t have to.”
Adrina’s eyes narrowed cannily. “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?”
“I’m sorry, I’m being very remiss as a host. Can I offer you some wine?” He turned his back, reaching for the jug on his writing desk.
“Don’t avoid the question, Damin. What’s happened?”
He poured the wine and turned back to her. “The Medalonians have been ordered to surrender.”
Now why had he told her that?
Her face was a portrait of shock. He doubted even Adrina could fake such a genuine reaction. “In the name of Zegarnald, why? They’re winning!”
“I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call this stalemate winning,” he said as he handed her the wine. “But they certainly aren’t in danger of imminent defeat.”
“I don’t understand it.”
“Neither do I. That’s what I wanted to see you about. Could this have anything to do with Setenton’s absence from the front?”
“It might,” she nodded thoughtfully. “I thought it a little odd that Jasnoff sent Cratyn to the border without Terbolt. But the Kariens are very big on honour and distinguishing themselves in battle. I always supposed he wanted to give Cratyn a chance to prove himself to the Dukes.”
“If he’s behind this sudden turnabout, that would explain it. What about the treaty with your father?”
Adrina hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “What I told you before was the truth, or most of it. Father agreed to invade Medalon from the south come summer, and to supply the Kariens with cannon.”
“Cannon? Are they really as devastating as they claim?”
She nodded grimly. “The truth? They’re proving more trouble than they’re worth. They blow up when you least expect it, only work sometimes and we still haven’t found the right sort of alloy that won’t split after a few shots and kill the men manning the guns. My father’s cannon are as much the result of clever rumours as they are fact.”
“I see. And what does Hablet get in return for all this?”
“Gold and timber. Lots and lots of it.”
“I know your father’s greedy, Adrina, but there has to be more to it than that.”
“The prize is Hythria, Damin,” she said softly. “I thought you’d already worked that out for yourself.”
He stared at her for a moment, wondering why she had chosen this moment to reveal Hablet’s plans. “Hablet doesn’t need the Kariens to invade Hythria.”
“No, but he needs the Defenders occupied. You know as well as I do how futile it’s been, trying to attack Hythria over the Sunrise Mountains. There are only a few navigable passes and they can be defended by a handful of men against the entire Fardohnyan army. A naval invasion would be just as futile. Your ports are too well defended. Hythria’s only vulnerable point is the border with Medalon. If the Medalonians had territorial ambitions, you’d have been overrun a century ago.”
“So Hablet plans to turn south, once he reaches Medalon.”
“And you’ve made the job even easier for him. Your province borders Medalon. You’re supposed to be Hythria’s first line of defence.”
Damin really didn’t need Adrina pointing out his tactical error at that point. He was more than capable of punishing himself for being so arrogant.
“Did your father know anything about the Karien plans for Medalon?”
“If you mean, was he expecting them to surrender, of course not. His entire strategy is based on the Kariens keeping the Defenders off his back. Hablet doubts the Defenders would care if he invaded Hythria, one way or the other, but they’re likely to take a very dim view of him marching through Medalon to do it, particularly since they allied themselves with you, Damin.”
That was the second time today she had called him by name. He wondered if she realised that she was doing it.
“And if Medalon surrenders?”
“Jasnoff will have time to wonder what my father is up to. The Kariens are religious fanatics. It’s bad enough the entire southern half of the continent is devoted to pagan worship. They certainly don’t want it united under one crown. Hablet will invade Hythria and Karien will follow to stop him. Either way, Hythria will lose. Your only hope is to keep me safe from the Kariens.”
Damin smiled. It was amazing the way she could twist any situation to her advantage. “Exactly how would that make a difference?”
“Any child of mine by Cratyn would have a claim on Hablet’s throne. With Medalon defeated, if Hablet ruled Fardohnya and Hythria, the Kariens would own the entire continent on his death.”
“A death that would be sooner, rather than later, knowing the Kariens.” Damin shook his head at the vast scope of the Karien plans for world dominance. Or perhaps they were Xaphista’s plans.
And the demon child, the only one who could stop him, was probably dead.
“An heir and a spare – and I too become surplus to requirements,” she reminded him grimly.
He studied her for a moment, wondering if he was seeing the real Adrina for the first time. The woman whose life depended on staying one step ahead of the men who controlled her. Her father. Her husband. Even him. Every one of them was trying to use her to further their own ambitions.
“Is there anything else you haven’t told me, Adrina?”
She sipped her wine, looking at him over the rim of her cup. “Haven’t I told you enough?”
“That depends on what critical piece of information you’re holding back.”
She lowered the cup and smiled. “You’re the most suspicious man I’ve ever met.”
“With just cause, around you.”
“Well, I hate to disappoint you, Damin, but you know just about everything I do.”
“It’s the ‘just about’ that concerns me.”
“I’ve nothing to gain by lying to you. If Medalon surrenders, I will be returned to Karien. I would rather die.”
Oddly, he believed her. If what she had told him was true, the Kariens would allow her to live long enough to produce the requisite heir – and not a moment longer. She had already betrayed them once. They wouldn’t be so lax in their vigilance a second time.
Then something else occurred to him, which changed his opinion of her rather radically.
“Cratyn’s impotence was all your fault, wasn’t it? You didn’t want to give him an heir to your father’s throne.”
The question startled her at first, then she smiled smugly. “As you pointed out the first time we spoke, my Lord, an inexperienced Karien princeling is no match for a court’esa-trained Fardohnyan princess.”
“It seems I’ve misjudged you, your Highness.”
“Something else I warned you about.”
He refused to acknowledge her reprimand. “More wine?”
“Thank you, no. I’ve learnt the folly of consuming too much Medalonian wine on an empty stomach.” She held out her empty cup. “I should be going. Was there anything else you wanted?”
He took the cup from her outstretched hand. “Untie your shirt.”
“What?”
Damin smiled. “Untie your shirt.”
“You have got to kidding.”
“I’ve never been more serious. Untie your shirt, or I’ll do it for you.”
She glared at him, but to her credit, she didn’t back away. “You lay one finger on me and I’ll —”
“What? Scream?” he finished with a laugh. “You’re in the middle of my camp, Adrina. Who’s going to come to your rescue?”
“I’ll gouge your eyes out if you touch me.”