The Contract by Sandy Holden Page B

over years wouldn’t be likely to simply give it away. Now that I actually knew Max, I had to agree.
    I realized as I was thinking this over that Max was standing up. I rose as well and he led me off, going all the way back to our room. He went in and shut the door but didn’t bar it. He strode over to the window and looked out.
    “My lord?” I asked finally.
    He turned, looking troubled. “Yes, Katrina?”
    “Is there trouble?” I asked.
    He shook his head. “No. I saw you and your cousin with your heads close together. What did she tell you?”
    I hesitated. His eyes narrowed. “She told me that you weren’t happy at whatever the messenger said.”
    He frowned. “And how would she know that?”
    I shrugged. “She usually knows what is happening about the castle. I’ve never been able to figure out how she does it. Perhaps the very walls speak to her,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
    Max said, “She’s right in this instance, although it bothers me that gossip moves so very quickly.“I waited. Max shoved his hand through his hair, which was actually worn rather long for a warrior, curling slightly about his head. “Sit down Katrina, this may take some time.”
    Worried, I sat at the small table near the window. He took the other chair, turned it so he was sitting on it backwards and leaned on the back of the chair with his arms. “Katrina, what do you know about your father?”
    I frowned, not having expected this. “Papa? Just that he was a good man. He raised me alone because my mama died when I was very young.”
    Max said, “Did he tell you he didn’t always live in Faralee?”
    I said, “He sometimes talked to me about the capital city where the King lives, but I don’t know if he lived there or just visited. I know we didn’t have any family in Faralee.”
    “No, that’s because he went to Faralee when you were young.”
    I asked him a question I’d had for some time. “Max, how did you know my father?”
    Max tapped one finger on his arm. “I met your father one day when he came to see my father, who was lord then. I, as his heir, was present at the time your father made his request. He…wanted a favor, and my father knew it would most likely fall to me to deal with the results of the favor, so I should decide if it was granted. I granted your father the favor he asked.”
    “What was the favor?” I asked.
    Max hesitated. “He wanted protection and…anonymity.”
    I shook my head. “Why? From what?”
    Max sighed. “You understand that the power of the King has always been less here in the areas that are furthest from the King and his armies, right?”
    I nodded. “Papa said that it was important that the King keep the lords out here happy or they’d revolt.”
    “Exactly. Now, my father had taken over another principality when the lord there—Lord Kennsing—was daft enough to try to attack us. Once I took over as lord, I furthered our power by bringing the entire area under my hand. I became the first Regent in some years, and the King made an alliance with me so that he needn’t fear that I would take over the Kingdom and install myself as King.”
    I stared at him. “You were going to do that?”
    “No, I wasn’t, but he didn’t know that. In my opinion the Kingdom as it stands now is too large for one ruler. So, essentially I’ve cut it into two more manageable pieces. In practice, I rule one and the King the other, but actually, the King still rules the whole kingdom. This worked out well until the old king died.”
    “Or was killed,” I said.
    “Right.” Max nodded thoughtfully. “And his brother, an ambitious man if ever there was one, took over. At first all was peaceful, but in the last year he has been sending increasingly strident calls that I come present myself to him at court. I’ve refused.”
    “But don’t you have to?” I asked.
    “According to the King’s law, yes, I do, but it doesn’t seem quite safe to me to put my head on the