voice dropped and he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “You hiding from everyone for two years did not make me blind. What happened to you—”
“Was what I deserved and what I needed.” Savoy shoved himself away from the desk. “I went from hooligan to master swordsman. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, Connor. And sure as hell don’t do it under my flag.”
“Verin—”
“Saved my life.” Heated blood rose to Savoy’s face and he locked eyes with Connor, daring him to so much as consider contradicting.
Connor held up his palms. “Forgive me,” he said softly, and dropped his face down before turning to the window. Outside, the wind ruffled golden leaves. The transition from summer heat to autumn chill had been as gradual as a cliff. “I heard the Crown recalled the Seventh.”
A peace offering. Savoy swallowed, accepting the change in conversation and letting his heart reclaim its normal beat. His men were coming. Verin had handed him the stack of documents that morning, including permission for the Seventh to lodge at the Academy’s guest barracks. For all his words at the year’s start, Verin knew a unit worked best when whole. “Under guise of ‘inspection and training.’ ” Savoy replied, and allowed a smile at Seaborn’s snort. “Should be here toward autumn’s end.”
“A mission?”
“A precaution.” Savoy stretched his shoulders. “The Madam ordered the Queen’s Day attack. She is unlikely to give up after one bout.”
CHAPTER 14
O n the sand floor of the salle, Renee leaned into a stretch and shuddered against the chill of the morning. Beyond the window, red maple leaves lost their grip on branches and drifted to cover the stiff yellowing grass. Despite Alec’s grumblings that she was wasting time learning moves she’d never use, Renee still returned to the salle each dawn.
Kneeling a pace away, Savoy bound his forearm with a string of thin lead weights. Healer Grovener had promised to skin him alive for overworking the joint, and Savoy swore to do the same to Renee if she reported him.
The weights unwound and slid to the sand. Savoy growled.
Renee rose to help, but he shook her away.
“Very well, struggle on.” Remembering herself, she added, “Sir.”
His face rose from his task, the corners of his mouth twitching, but then he cocked his head and frowned at the opening door.
Despite the early hour, Master Seaborn appeared in a dress uniform, his face set in grim lines. “Servant, cadet.” He offered a small bow to each of them.
Renee tensed at the formality.
Savoy rocked back on his heels. “Skip the horse shit, Connor.”
Seaborn sighed. “As the guardsman overseeing the investigative team, Fisker is charged with presenting the findings on the Queen’s Day attack to the Board of Inquiry this afternoon.” Seaborn handed a sealed parchment to each of them. “Your presence is mandated.”
“Our presence?” Renee looked from one man to the other. She and Savoy had already been interviewed. Ad nauseam. “But we did nothing wrong.”
Savoy glanced at her, his brows raised. “A room full of bodyguards lose control of the situation to a maid, and the royal family gets near massacred in the Crown’s own palace. Do you
not
see a problem?” He turned back to Seaborn. “What else?”
Seaborn sighed again. “I’ll be the magistrate running the proceedings.”
Savoy chuckled.
“You think Fisker questioning you is funny, Korish?” There was something in the way Seaborn said the second “you” that caught Renee’s notice. “Or that I wish to administer such an inquiry?”
A darkness passed over Savoy’s face as the two men exchanged a glance that she could not interpret. Then Savoy shrugged and, taking up his blade, stepped toward the center of the salle. “It is as it is. De Winter and I have time to make something useful of the day yet.”
Renee’s shoulders tightened from the rising tension. Shaking herself, she slid away from
“Was what I deserved and what I needed.” Savoy shoved himself away from the desk. “I went from hooligan to master swordsman. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, Connor. And sure as hell don’t do it under my flag.”
“Verin—”
“Saved my life.” Heated blood rose to Savoy’s face and he locked eyes with Connor, daring him to so much as consider contradicting.
Connor held up his palms. “Forgive me,” he said softly, and dropped his face down before turning to the window. Outside, the wind ruffled golden leaves. The transition from summer heat to autumn chill had been as gradual as a cliff. “I heard the Crown recalled the Seventh.”
A peace offering. Savoy swallowed, accepting the change in conversation and letting his heart reclaim its normal beat. His men were coming. Verin had handed him the stack of documents that morning, including permission for the Seventh to lodge at the Academy’s guest barracks. For all his words at the year’s start, Verin knew a unit worked best when whole. “Under guise of ‘inspection and training.’ ” Savoy replied, and allowed a smile at Seaborn’s snort. “Should be here toward autumn’s end.”
“A mission?”
“A precaution.” Savoy stretched his shoulders. “The Madam ordered the Queen’s Day attack. She is unlikely to give up after one bout.”
CHAPTER 14
O n the sand floor of the salle, Renee leaned into a stretch and shuddered against the chill of the morning. Beyond the window, red maple leaves lost their grip on branches and drifted to cover the stiff yellowing grass. Despite Alec’s grumblings that she was wasting time learning moves she’d never use, Renee still returned to the salle each dawn.
Kneeling a pace away, Savoy bound his forearm with a string of thin lead weights. Healer Grovener had promised to skin him alive for overworking the joint, and Savoy swore to do the same to Renee if she reported him.
The weights unwound and slid to the sand. Savoy growled.
Renee rose to help, but he shook her away.
“Very well, struggle on.” Remembering herself, she added, “Sir.”
His face rose from his task, the corners of his mouth twitching, but then he cocked his head and frowned at the opening door.
Despite the early hour, Master Seaborn appeared in a dress uniform, his face set in grim lines. “Servant, cadet.” He offered a small bow to each of them.
Renee tensed at the formality.
Savoy rocked back on his heels. “Skip the horse shit, Connor.”
Seaborn sighed. “As the guardsman overseeing the investigative team, Fisker is charged with presenting the findings on the Queen’s Day attack to the Board of Inquiry this afternoon.” Seaborn handed a sealed parchment to each of them. “Your presence is mandated.”
“Our presence?” Renee looked from one man to the other. She and Savoy had already been interviewed. Ad nauseam. “But we did nothing wrong.”
Savoy glanced at her, his brows raised. “A room full of bodyguards lose control of the situation to a maid, and the royal family gets near massacred in the Crown’s own palace. Do you
not
see a problem?” He turned back to Seaborn. “What else?”
Seaborn sighed again. “I’ll be the magistrate running the proceedings.”
Savoy chuckled.
“You think Fisker questioning you is funny, Korish?” There was something in the way Seaborn said the second “you” that caught Renee’s notice. “Or that I wish to administer such an inquiry?”
A darkness passed over Savoy’s face as the two men exchanged a glance that she could not interpret. Then Savoy shrugged and, taking up his blade, stepped toward the center of the salle. “It is as it is. De Winter and I have time to make something useful of the day yet.”
Renee’s shoulders tightened from the rising tension. Shaking herself, she slid away from
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