Seeds of Betrayal by David B. Coe Page A

gave up, lapsing into a brooding silence that troubled him nearly as much as her relentless questioning.
    Seeing Castle Solkara, however, seemed to embolden her again.
    “It’s not too late for us to dispatch one of the guards as a messenger, my lord,” she said. “It would probably only delay us a short while.”
    He nodded, not even bothering to look back at her. “Perhaps. But I’m not willing to delay at all. We’ll ride to the city gates. That will give the king ample time to prepare for our arrival.”
    The minister kicked at the flanks of her mount so that she caught up with him. She had bundled herself in her riding cloak, though she still looked cold and weary. She was tall for a Qirsi and uncommonly graceful. But on a mount, she appeared uncomfortable, even awkward. No doubt she had little desire to make this journey, but at no time had she complained of her discomfort. It was not in her nature to do so. She deserved more from him than he had given. Yet, he couldn’t rid himself of the suspicions planted in his mind by his late-night talk with Tebeo.
    “My lord, please!” she said with a fervor he had rarely seen in her. “If I’ve done something to give offense, tell me and be done with it! But don’t punish me by endangering your own life!”
    “Is that what I’m doing?” he asked.
    “It seems so to me.”
    “I’m not angry with you, First Minister, and I’m not trying to punish you.”
    “Then why suddenly won’t you answer my questions? Why do you ignore my counsel?”
    Because I don’t trust you
. “I’m not ignoring your counsel. I’m just not heeding it. There’s a difference.”
    “There’s more to it than that. You refuse to speak with me. You’ve told me almost nothing about why you wish to speak with the king.”
    “Must I explain myself to my ministers now? Is that the duty of an Aneiran duke?”
    “Of course not, my lord. But my duty is to advise you, and I can’t do that if you won’t talk to me.”
    It was a fair point, though Brail was not willing to admit it just then. “What would you have me say?” he asked instead.
    “You could begin by telling me what we’re doing here.”
    “We’re going to see the king, of course. There are matters I wish to discuss with him.”
    “What matters, my lord? What is so important that we have to brave this cold and the dangers of the wood?”
    “That’s between the king and me.”
    Fetnalla sighed heavily and shook her head. “Very well, my lord. Do as you will. I won’t trouble you with questions any more. But I will say this: your dissembling does an injustice to both of us, as well as to House Orvinti. By treating me this way, you not only dishonor our friendship, you also serve your people poorly.”
    “You forget yourself, First Minister!” he said so sharply that the soldiers riding ahead of the company turned to look back at him. “I will not be spoken to that way, especially not by a Qirsi!”
    The minister’s face reddened as if he had slapped her. She turned away, looking straight ahead. After a few moments, she dropped back into place behind him.
    Brail let out a long breath and cursed his temper. If she hadn’t betrayed him yet, she would soon. He had given her every reason to. He almost called her back to his side so that he could tell her everything. But his fears wouldn’t allow it.
    Instead they rode, covering the remaining distance to Castle Solkara without speaking another word. Reaching the city walls, they turned eastward until they came to the nearest of the gates. There they were stopped by the king’s guards in their red-and-gold uniforms, the panther crest on their baldrics.
    “My Lord Duke,” one of the men said, bowing to Brail, his sword drawn and raised to his forehead. A gold star on his shoulder marked him as an officer in Carden’s army, perhaps a captain. “We weren’t told to expect you.”
    “The king didn’t know I was coming.”
    The captain raised an eyebrow. “You