his weight, allowing her to sit up. Star reached into her cloak and brought out the letter. “Do you know of a Fallon Leer?”
The prince’s face fell into grave lines as his features grew too complicated for Star to interpret. His eyes were dark in the shadows. “I do, yes.”
“Here.” She handed him the letter with the broken seal.
“But the seal is broken, you must have—”
“My superior had me delivering secret letters to this man. They were not processed, and so I suspected foul play. It was a decision I had to make.”
“My letter to Vespa went unprocessed. Did you read that as well?”
Star was insulted by his assertion. “No, I certainly did not.”
The prince seemed disappointed and his expression confused her even more.
“But I did see her reaction, and what a reaction it was.” She wanted to ask why he called off the engagement, but it wasn’t her place, so she said nothing more.
“That, I did expect.” He found a candle and set it aflame, bringing flickering light into the room. Holding the letter close to the candlelight, he read silently as Star watched and waited.
“This is serious news indeed,” Valen replied after a long moment of reflection. He looked at her with gratitude. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
Star could tell the letter weighed heavily on his emotions. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but could not find an appropriate gesture. “It was nothing.”
Valen pocketed the letter. “Once again, you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty.”
“That’s not all.”
His eyebrows quirked. “Have you saved our kingdom while you were at it?”
Brightening his spirits made Star immensely pleased. “Not quite. But I do have something that just might help.”
* * * *
As Star brought Valen to the parapet, she told him of her struggle with the Elyndra, the breach in the fortress and the spy tunnel. Valen listened, pursing his lips with a wrinkled brow. When he did speak again, it was not what Star expected.
“You should be more careful. Slaying beasts, scaling walls and sneaking into the castle just to deliver a letter to me?”
“It was an important letter. You needed to know.”
“But what if something happened to you?”
He sounded like her mother. A rising strain of frustration boiled in her veins. “Now that you have the information, you can capture the traitor and put an end to this.”
Indeed, Valen had already sent his most trusted soldiers to retrieve the assassin and guard the hole in the garden where Star had resurfaced. Valen made certain to relay the orders before they left for the tower’s edge. Relief already washed over her like a warm bath. Now she knew he would be safe.
Star crossed her arms, wondering why she had to defend her actions to the prince she’d just saved. “I couldn’t chance anyone killing you or the assassin escaping. There wasn’t enough time and I had to make a decision.”
Valen grew quiet, and Star wondered what thoughts crossed his mind. Perhaps he thought her foolish, impulsive or reckless, or a combination of all three. Star couldn’t win this battle no matter what she said.
He put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her on the stone steps leading up to the battlements. “Promise me you’ll be more careful.”
“I can’t promise you anything.”
Her words seemed to sting his soul. Star watched as his face turned from concern to discomfort. She felt guilty for being so harsh but had no response at her disposal. They walked the remainder of the way in silence.
Star found her rope tied exactly where she’d left it hours before, marking where the beast lay. Fortunately, the archer had failed to notice the rope when he returned to his post. She touched the knot and turned to Valen. “Scaling the wall is the fastest way to retrieve the beast.”
Valen looked at her as though she were a wayward child asking to play at midnight. “No, no, no. Why don’t we open the drawbridge and drag
The prince’s face fell into grave lines as his features grew too complicated for Star to interpret. His eyes were dark in the shadows. “I do, yes.”
“Here.” She handed him the letter with the broken seal.
“But the seal is broken, you must have—”
“My superior had me delivering secret letters to this man. They were not processed, and so I suspected foul play. It was a decision I had to make.”
“My letter to Vespa went unprocessed. Did you read that as well?”
Star was insulted by his assertion. “No, I certainly did not.”
The prince seemed disappointed and his expression confused her even more.
“But I did see her reaction, and what a reaction it was.” She wanted to ask why he called off the engagement, but it wasn’t her place, so she said nothing more.
“That, I did expect.” He found a candle and set it aflame, bringing flickering light into the room. Holding the letter close to the candlelight, he read silently as Star watched and waited.
“This is serious news indeed,” Valen replied after a long moment of reflection. He looked at her with gratitude. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
Star could tell the letter weighed heavily on his emotions. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but could not find an appropriate gesture. “It was nothing.”
Valen pocketed the letter. “Once again, you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty.”
“That’s not all.”
His eyebrows quirked. “Have you saved our kingdom while you were at it?”
Brightening his spirits made Star immensely pleased. “Not quite. But I do have something that just might help.”
* * * *
As Star brought Valen to the parapet, she told him of her struggle with the Elyndra, the breach in the fortress and the spy tunnel. Valen listened, pursing his lips with a wrinkled brow. When he did speak again, it was not what Star expected.
“You should be more careful. Slaying beasts, scaling walls and sneaking into the castle just to deliver a letter to me?”
“It was an important letter. You needed to know.”
“But what if something happened to you?”
He sounded like her mother. A rising strain of frustration boiled in her veins. “Now that you have the information, you can capture the traitor and put an end to this.”
Indeed, Valen had already sent his most trusted soldiers to retrieve the assassin and guard the hole in the garden where Star had resurfaced. Valen made certain to relay the orders before they left for the tower’s edge. Relief already washed over her like a warm bath. Now she knew he would be safe.
Star crossed her arms, wondering why she had to defend her actions to the prince she’d just saved. “I couldn’t chance anyone killing you or the assassin escaping. There wasn’t enough time and I had to make a decision.”
Valen grew quiet, and Star wondered what thoughts crossed his mind. Perhaps he thought her foolish, impulsive or reckless, or a combination of all three. Star couldn’t win this battle no matter what she said.
He put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her on the stone steps leading up to the battlements. “Promise me you’ll be more careful.”
“I can’t promise you anything.”
Her words seemed to sting his soul. Star watched as his face turned from concern to discomfort. She felt guilty for being so harsh but had no response at her disposal. They walked the remainder of the way in silence.
Star found her rope tied exactly where she’d left it hours before, marking where the beast lay. Fortunately, the archer had failed to notice the rope when he returned to his post. She touched the knot and turned to Valen. “Scaling the wall is the fastest way to retrieve the beast.”
Valen looked at her as though she were a wayward child asking to play at midnight. “No, no, no. Why don’t we open the drawbridge and drag
Similar Books
