"That's doubtful," Apollo replied, and he would have believed this statement to be truth but weeks ago.

However, Maddie was vulnerable now.

He would have to have a word with Frey and Finnie, Lahn and Circe. At the Gales, they would need to keep an eye on his Maddie and a.s.sist him in keeping her away from those who would cause harm, either intentionally or not.

"Men do what they will and what others think matters not," she returned. "Women are not made that way."

Apollo shook his head. "I have had the unique and exquisitely pleasurable experience, madam, of learning with great fullness how each woman is quite unique. I'm certain there are some who are not made that way. I'm also certain there are those who are."

She clamped her mouth shut and at that moment, thankfully, the door to his study opened and Frey strode in.

He took one look at his mother, his face hardened but his lips muttered, "Brilliant."

Valeria's back shot straight before she snapped to her son, "Is that how you greet your mother?"

"I would say it is, since it was how I did," Frey replied, and Apollo fought back his smile as he looked to his boots.

"With the welcome I've received from the two of you, I'm uncertain I wish to relay the crucial message that's been given to me," she announced.

Frey stopped five feet from her and crossed his arms on his chest.

"I suppose you could make that decision. However, word has been received that father has wasted no time in pet.i.tioning the queen for a dissolution of his union to you. Should that happen, unless Calder is feeling generous, you'll need to fall back on your own House to absorb your upkeep. As you've been rather unfriendly to them over the decades, it's doubtful they'll be keen to do that. And if I have a word with Calder, I fear he won't be feeling very generous. So, in the end, you must hope Malcolm Turnish will take you to wife. But I a.s.sume your sojourn at Brunskar means Turnish has not offered you welcome."

Apollo looked from his boots to Frey's mother to see her eyes were aimed at her son and they were slits.

"What, precisely, have I done to you that you feel it's appropriate to treat me in this manner?" she asked.

"Precisely, nothing," Frey answered immediately. "And a mother who does nothing is no mother at all. Thus, I have no qualms treating you in this manner."

She stared at her son a moment before she swallowed.

Frey spoke on.

"Now, why are you here with bird nor man bringing news you would be?"

"My message was too sensitive to trust to bird or man," she answered.

"And your message?" Frey prompted.

She drew in breath through her nose, looked to Apollo, then back to her son and declared, "Antoine has perished."

"f.u.c.k," Frey muttered as her words made Apollo straighten from the desk.

Frey looked to him and Apollo shook his head.

Frey turned his attention back to his mother.

"Franka sent you with this message," he stated.

"She did," she confirmed.

"How did he die?" Apollo asked.

Valeria looked to him. "They have had him, and have been torturing him, for a great deal of time. There is only so much a body can take. He simply expired."

Apollo raised a brow. "And they shared this directly with Franka?"

She shook her head. "As she would, during her discussions with them, Franka demanded to see him again to ascertain his condition. It was a coincidence, and I daresay a grave error...theirs...that when they opened the mirror to show him to her, he took his final breath."

At that, Apollo felt something he thought he would never in his life feel.

Sorry for Franka Drakkar.

He then felt Frey's gaze and turned his eyes to his cousin.

"They no longer have anything to hold over her," he noted.

"And therefore she'd have no reason to act for them," Apollo replied.

"True," Valeria put in and both men looked to her. "But Franka is a Drakkar. As you bid, she shared with them that you erroneously came to the conclusion that it was Kristian who was behind the plot against"-her eyes slid to Apollo-"Madeleine. Also as you bid, she shared that you've imprisoned him and his family in the dungeons of Brunskar to await transport to Snowdon to stand trial for treason. A guilty verdict that carries a sentence from which any sister would wish to save her brother. Although her lover is dead and they have nothing to hold over her, her brother is incarcerated and what he would face if found guilty means she has something to bargain with. And this she's doing. The plan proceeds as hatched, with that alteration."

"Her bargain?" Apollo prompted.

"That once they have done what they wish to do, Kristian and his family will be freed and she, as well as her brother, will be allowed to continue their lives unhindered by whatever malice they intend," Valeria answered. "But, as you wished, she has pressed them to act and do it quickly, now doing so in order to save Kristian rather than to halt the torture of her lover."

"And we're to believe Franka continues to put herself in jeopardy for kin and country?" Frey asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.

Valeria cut sharp eyes to her son. "They killed her lover."

"Indeed," Frey replied. "But this is Franka. I'm certain she'll find something to amuse her that will a.s.suage her grief."

She lifted her chin and held her son's gaze. "It is clear you do not know your cousin well, my son. They tortured then killed the only man she's ever loved. This is not for kin and country. This is for vengeance."

"That, I can believe," Frey murmured.

"Then I bid you to believe it," Valeria retorted. "She was not wailing her despair when she imparted her message on me. But she was determined. Exceptionally determined. And I do believe you know your cousin well enough to know what that means."

It was then Frey lifted his chin.

He knew.

At this juncture, a knock came on the door and Apollo called, "Come."

Lucretia appeared holding a large silver tray on which was tea, to which Valeria said irately, "Finally."

Apollo ignored her and moved, ordering Lucretia, "See to Lady Drakkar."

When she nodded, he looked to Frey but Frey was already moving to the door.

Once outside it, Apollo closed it and followed Frey who'd continued walking.

They stopped some ten feet away from the study and turned to each other.

"Your thoughts?" Frey asked.

"I would like to look in Franka's face when those words were delivered," Apollo answered. "But I cannot think that she spoke false to your mother. Our protections are such that they cannot break them. If she's shared our plan, they'd know it was an ambush and she would not be suggesting we carry on with it as it stands. She'd be altering it."

"Agreed. There are no vulnerabilities to our plans and Franka knows this."

Apollo nodded.

"I'll send a return message through my mother," Frey stated.

"And I'll leave you to do that. I must have a word with my son," Apollo replied and Frey's focus on him intensified.

"All is well?"

"Not close," Apollo confided. "But I'm working on it."

"I couldn't help but note that today, Madeleine spent some time in your study with you," Frey observed.

"At least with that, all is well."

"I'm glad of it, cousin," Frey murmured. "The rift was concerning Finnie. However, she feels she doesn't know Maddie well enough to broach it."

He tipped his head to Frey. "Feel free to share this news with your wife to ease her worries. Now, I must see to my son." He looked to the door of the study then back to Frey. "In order to rest before she again leaves, your mother is welcome to stay the night here."

Frey grinned before noting, "Well done, saying that without wincing."

Apollo shook his head feeling his lips quirking..

"However," Frey went on, "I believe she'll be perfectly comfortable at The Swan."

Frey wanted her under Karsvall's roof less than Apollo did.

"Your choice," Apollo murmured.

Frey nodded and turned toward the study doors.

Apollo moved to the stairs.

He found Christophe in the first place he looked, his room.

His son was sitting at his desk, head bent, quill in hand, scribbling on a piece of paper.

His was so engrossed in this endeavor Apollo leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb and took the time to enjoy watching his son's concentration for long moments before he saw Christophe start and look his way.

"Papa," he said.

"If you're at your studies, Chris, I won't disturb you," Apollo replied.

Chris quickly turned the paper on his desk over as he shook his head and stated, "I'm not at my studies."

He was writing and what he was writing was not Apollo's to see. That was his son's prerogative, it always was and it always would be. Apollo never read Christophe's writing unless asked to do so. Indeed, no one did, unless it was an a.s.signment from his tutor. And Christophe was very particular about who he allowed to read it.

It had heartened him when Christophe had offered that gift to Maddie on the way to Brunskar. However, as things were as they were, he had since reneged.

Still, Apollo took this as an invitation and entered the room.

Christophe didn't move from his chair so Apollo came to a stop several feet in front of his desk.

"I've been told," he started cautiously, not sharing who told him even knowing his son would know, "that you've overhead some servants gossiping."

Red crept into Christophe's cheeks as he looked down to the quill he was still holding, a quill he was twirling in his fingers.

Apollo waited the time it took Christophe to speak.

Finally, he did.

"They said some things about Grandpapa."

"I know," Apollo told him and gained his son's eyes. "This is unfortunate, Chris. Although unfortunate, I wish you to know that I had intended to share this with you when you were older."

A stubborn firmness starting setting in Christophe's face, that same firmness Apollo had seen often whenever it was mentioned he was too young for anything, so Apollo continued.

"Alas, you know of it now. Likely not all of it and I will not take this opportunity to share the rest. You're still too young."

"But-" Christophe started.

"You're too young, my son," Apollo stated quietly. "What I will tell you now is that a long time ago, your grandfather made a decision. It is my opinion that it was the wrong decision. When it's your time to know the fullness of this story, you'll be old enough to form your own opinion. But regardless of either of our opinions, it has all long since happened and there is nothing we can do to change it now."

Christophe held his eyes and declared, "Auntie Lynne was your mother."

"She was, and in the ways she could be, she was a good one."

"You grew up without her."

"I did and I didn't." It was he who held his son's eyes when he shared, "There is much a mother will do to be with her children. My mother did all that."

Christophe looked back to his quill. "You...you had to..." he trailed off and said no more.

"Chris, son, please look at me," Apollo called and Christophe lifted his eyes to his father. "I did not suffer. It was the life I knew and I had her love. I had my father's love. It was not a usual situation but it was mine."

"Is this why Grandmother never comes to see us?" he asked. "Because we aren't hers?"

"It is," Apollo confirmed.

"Is she angry?" he asked.