The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani (story reading .TXT) 📕

was nothing reasonable about my punching Bren, and there’s nothing reasonable about any of the rest of these choices. I raise my eyes to glare at him. “Don’t you do it again.”

He grimaces. “No.”

“And I never gave you that name to use, either.”

He flashes me a pained smile. “No.”

“Stop looking so beautiful about it, then,” I snap. He blinks at me and grins—which is that much worse. I shouldn’t have said that; I must be more frazzled than I realized. “Find my friend and I’ll see about forgiving you,” I say, so we’re clear.

“As long as you don’t fear me,” he says, stars glimmering in his eyes again. Gah!

“I don’t trust you,” I say, and give up waiting for him to leave. I need to get back to the royal wing to meet Matsin and go see Kirrana’s family. All the rest of this mess can wait till later. I stand up, nod to him, and stump off without another word.

Chapter

45

Matsin is waiting for me in the guard room at the top of the back stairs, but not for the reason I expect. “The princess wishes to see you,” he says. “At once. The other attendants have already been called in. I’ll wait till you’re done.”

I nod and hurry on to her suite. Whatever this is about, at least she must have received my note by now. I open the door to find the king poised to leave, and Kestrin sitting beside Alyrra on the sofas opposite him, their expressions hard. Arrayed to the right, standing against the wall, are Mina, Zaria, and Jasmine. To the left stand Kestrin’s own attendants.

“I will leave you to this, then,” the king says to the royal couple. “Should you require my presence, you have only to send for me.”

Alyrra dips her head. “I am grateful for your support, verayn.”

I step hastily to the side and curtsy deeply as the king strides toward the door, his gaze sliding past me and then snapping back. “Kelari Amraeya?”

“Tarin.”

He pauses a moment longer, then nods once and continues. There was something he wanted, though I can’t say what, and he clearly decided not to pursue it for the time being. I straighten from my curtsy as the door closes.

“Rae, please stand to the side here,” Alyrra says, indicating the wall where her remaining attendants stand. “My mother should be in shortly. We will be discussing last night’s events. You are all here merely as witnesses. Even if she speaks to you, don’t answer. Just look to me.”

“I understand,” I say, glancing once toward the small hexagonal table set next to the sofa where Alyrra sits. My note lies there, unopened. She doesn’t know. “Zayyida—”

A knock sounds behind me, at the door.

“Quickly, Rae.”

I hurry to take up a position beside Mina. Alyrra waits until I am in place, then calls out in a carrying voice.

The foreign queen sweeps into the room, followed by the noblewoman who attended her from Adania. With a curious glance about the room, she says in almost perfect Menay, “It is rather early for morning visits, don’t you think, child?”

Alyrra gestures to the couch. “Won’t you sit? We have much to discuss.”

The queen makes no move to seat herself. “I have not even had breakfast, child. Tell me what it is and let’s be done.”

Seated by Alyrra, Kestrin goes utterly still, his eyes glittering with fury. But it’s Alyrra’s reaction that makes my blood run cold: she laughs, a gentle chuckle that puts her visitors on edge. The queen may pretend affection for her daughter, but it’s clear she does not truly understand her.

I glance to Mina beside me, but she remains still, expression neutral. What is it that’s happening here? Attendants by and large aren’t expected to stand attendance, lining the walls like sentinels. Eight of us together provide a gauntlet of witnesses for whatever Alyrra has planned.

“As you wish,” Alyrra says, the ring of steel in her voice. “I require two things of you. First, my brother shall be removed from the succession and sent into exile. Second, Lord Daerilin shall be stripped of his rank, title, and lands, and also exiled, though not with my brother. As I imagine you will not have the least argument with these demands, you are welcome to go eat your breakfast.”

The queen stares. “Whatever do you mean by this, child? I am hardly going to exile my own son or my most trusted vassal.”

Beside her, the Adanian noblewoman’s face has paled almost to gray.

“You know,” Alyrra says quietly, “that my brother has never respected either my person or my life.”

The queen sends a poisonous look toward me. I didn’t even realize she’d noticed me. “If this has anything to do with that lamentable incident with that attendant of yours—”

“It seems my relationship with each of you has been characterized by one lamentable incident after another,” Alyrra interrupts, her voice light and cutting. “Do you know how traitors are punished, Mother?”

The queen narrows her eyes. “Certainly. You made that clear with what you did to Daerilin’s daughter. Who do you think has betrayed you now?”

Kestrin’s hand slowly curls into a fist. Just as slowly, he flattens it out once more, but the fury does not leave his eyes. Now that I know he carries a magical talent, I am both frightened by his anger and amazed at his control.

“Last night, an attempt was made on my life. I will spare you the details, since it is still before breakfast.” There is no mistaking the edge of sarcasm to Alyrra’s voice. “However, we have traced the chain of those involved back to Daerilin, who bribed one of my maids to betray me. Daerilin would not have acted without the explicit approval of my brother, if not yourself. I wonder, do you know anything of what I speak?”

“Certainly not, child. It sounds like some strange conspiracy you have concocted. You have not even said what was done!”

“Last night, a venomous snake was placed in