young. He swallowed. 'Madam 'Not a word.' She stared at him, impassive. 'Just move.' For a moment Jared wondered if it would work. And then
an amused murmur came from behind them. 'Oh let her in.
What harm can it do? I wo uldn't want you to miss all the fun, Claudia.'
Faced with a grinning Caspar the footman shrank. The guards stood back.
Instantly Claudia swept past them and through the door. Jared waited, and bowed, and the Prince hurried after her, his bodyguard close as a shadow. Walking behind, the Sapient felt the door click shut at his back.
The Privy Chamber was small, and smelt musty. The seats were of ancient red leather, arranged in a horseshoe, the Queen's in the centre with her coat of arms suspended over it. The Councillors sat, the Sapienti gathered behind them. Not knowing where to go, Finn stood near the Queen, trying to ignore Caspar's grin, the way he leant over and said something in his mother's ear, the way she tinkled a laugh.
Claudia came and stood next to him, her arms folded. They said nothing to each other.
'Well?' The Queen leant forward graciously. 'You may approach.'
The boy in the yellow coat came and stood within the horseshoe. Every eye was on him, but he seemed completely at his ease. Finn looked him over with instinctive dislike. The same height as himself. Brown, wavy hair. Brown eyes. Smiling. Confident.
He scowled.
The stranger said, 'Your Majesty. My lords. I have made a serious claim, and I understand the gravity of it. But I intend to prove to you that what I say is true. I am indeed Giles Alexander Ferdinand of the Havaarna, Lord of the Southern Isles, Count of Marly, Crown Prince of this Realm.'
He was talking to all of them, but his eyes were on the Queen. And just for a bright second, on Claudia.
'Liar,' Finn hissed.
The Queen said, 'I will have silence.'
The Pretender smiled. 'I was brought up among you until my fifteenth year. Many of you will remember me. You, Lord Burgogne. You will remember the times I borrowed your fine horses, the time I lost your goshawk in the Great Forest.'
The Councillor, an elderly man in a black furred robe, looked startled.
'My lady Amelia will remember the day when her son and I fell out of a tree dressed as pirates and nearly landed on top of her.' His smile was warm. One of the Queen's ladies of the Chamber nodded. Her face was white. 'It was so,' she whispered. 'How we laughed!'
'Indeed we did. I have many such memories.' He folded his arms. 'My lords, I know all of you. I can tell you where you live, the names of your ladies. I have played with your children. I can answer any question you ask me about my tutors, my dear bodyservant, Bartlett, my father, the late King, and my mother, Queen Argente.' For a moment then, a shadow crossed his face. But he smiled, and shook his head. 'Which is more than this Prisoner, with his oh-so- convenient memory loss, can do.'
Beside her, Claudia felt Finn's stillness like a threat.
'So where have I been all this time, you will be asking. Why was my death faked? Or perhaps you will already have heard from my gracious stepmother the Queen, how my supposed fall from my horse at the age of fifteen was ... arranged, as a protection for my own safety.'
Claudia bit her lip. He was using the truth and twisting it. He was very clever. Or had been well taught.
'It was a time of great danger. There is a secret and sinister organization, gentlemen, of which you may have heard. It is known as the Clan of the Steel Wolves. Their plans have only recently been foiled, with the failure of their attempt on Queen Sia's life, and the exposure of their leader, the disgraced Warden of Incarceron.'
Now he was not looking at Claudia. He was playing the audience like an expert, his voice clear and steady. 'Our spies have been aware of them for years, and it was known that they planned my death. My death, and the revoking of the Edict. The end of Protocol. They would return us to the terrors and chaos of the Years of
an amused murmur came from behind them. 'Oh let her in.
What harm can it do? I wo uldn't want you to miss all the fun, Claudia.'
Faced with a grinning Caspar the footman shrank. The guards stood back.
Instantly Claudia swept past them and through the door. Jared waited, and bowed, and the Prince hurried after her, his bodyguard close as a shadow. Walking behind, the Sapient felt the door click shut at his back.
The Privy Chamber was small, and smelt musty. The seats were of ancient red leather, arranged in a horseshoe, the Queen's in the centre with her coat of arms suspended over it. The Councillors sat, the Sapienti gathered behind them. Not knowing where to go, Finn stood near the Queen, trying to ignore Caspar's grin, the way he leant over and said something in his mother's ear, the way she tinkled a laugh.
Claudia came and stood next to him, her arms folded. They said nothing to each other.
'Well?' The Queen leant forward graciously. 'You may approach.'
The boy in the yellow coat came and stood within the horseshoe. Every eye was on him, but he seemed completely at his ease. Finn looked him over with instinctive dislike. The same height as himself. Brown, wavy hair. Brown eyes. Smiling. Confident.
He scowled.
The stranger said, 'Your Majesty. My lords. I have made a serious claim, and I understand the gravity of it. But I intend to prove to you that what I say is true. I am indeed Giles Alexander Ferdinand of the Havaarna, Lord of the Southern Isles, Count of Marly, Crown Prince of this Realm.'
He was talking to all of them, but his eyes were on the Queen. And just for a bright second, on Claudia.
'Liar,' Finn hissed.
The Queen said, 'I will have silence.'
The Pretender smiled. 'I was brought up among you until my fifteenth year. Many of you will remember me. You, Lord Burgogne. You will remember the times I borrowed your fine horses, the time I lost your goshawk in the Great Forest.'
The Councillor, an elderly man in a black furred robe, looked startled.
'My lady Amelia will remember the day when her son and I fell out of a tree dressed as pirates and nearly landed on top of her.' His smile was warm. One of the Queen's ladies of the Chamber nodded. Her face was white. 'It was so,' she whispered. 'How we laughed!'
'Indeed we did. I have many such memories.' He folded his arms. 'My lords, I know all of you. I can tell you where you live, the names of your ladies. I have played with your children. I can answer any question you ask me about my tutors, my dear bodyservant, Bartlett, my father, the late King, and my mother, Queen Argente.' For a moment then, a shadow crossed his face. But he smiled, and shook his head. 'Which is more than this Prisoner, with his oh-so- convenient memory loss, can do.'
Beside her, Claudia felt Finn's stillness like a threat.
'So where have I been all this time, you will be asking. Why was my death faked? Or perhaps you will already have heard from my gracious stepmother the Queen, how my supposed fall from my horse at the age of fifteen was ... arranged, as a protection for my own safety.'
Claudia bit her lip. He was using the truth and twisting it. He was very clever. Or had been well taught.
'It was a time of great danger. There is a secret and sinister organization, gentlemen, of which you may have heard. It is known as the Clan of the Steel Wolves. Their plans have only recently been foiled, with the failure of their attempt on Queen Sia's life, and the exposure of their leader, the disgraced Warden of Incarceron.'
Now he was not looking at Claudia. He was playing the audience like an expert, his voice clear and steady. 'Our spies have been aware of them for years, and it was known that they planned my death. My death, and the revoking of the Edict. The end of Protocol. They would return us to the terrors and chaos of the Years of
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