As Talon and Erinda downed the antidote, both grimacing at the unpleasant taste, the healer held up the pillowcase full of infected fabric and said, "We shall burn this, immediately."

Soltran clapped Talon on the shoulder. His eyes on Shasta, he said, "Take care of her for me tonight. Tomorrow we launch a full investigation into this matter. This attempt on my daughter's life will not go unanswered."

After kissing Shasta good night, he thanked Talon and the healer again and departed, wearing the somber look of a man who had just realized how close he'd come to losing his most precious treasure.

Chapter Nineteen.

That evening, Lyris remained at Shasta's bedside with Talon. Before her departure, the high priestess had given permission for Lyris to stay the night.

Her words echoed in Talon's mind. "I am aware of the close relationship you shared with Princess Shasta in your former life, Ostryn. It is certain Ithyris has called you to Herself for a reason. You may stay. Perhaps your prayers will indeed invoke the Goddess's protection over our beloved Princess."

Talon lifted one of Shasta's small hands to her lips and kissed it fervently, too overcome with emotion to care what her sister and Erinda might think.

Shasta was resting, and Talon could not resist brushing a stray lock of hair behind the Princess's ear. Her fingers lingered over the soft indentation beneath her cheekbone and trailed down the delicate line of her jaw.

Shasta opened her eyes to look at her guardian quizzically.

Talon quickly withdrew her hand. "How do you feel?" She wasn't supposed to talk unless Shasta spoke first, but this time it seemed warranted.

"My legs and hands are still all tingly. The healer said that was the paralyzing effect of the poison and that it should be gone by morning." Shasta tilted her head. "He also said you were right about the mint. And that it saved my life."

"I got lucky," Talon said dismissively.

"Maybe." Shasta's golden brown eyes searched her face, and for a moment it looked like she was going to say something else, but then her expression hardened and she turned away. "I'm so tired. I'd like to sleep now."

Talon rose to her feet as Erinda arrived with fresh blankets. Talon tossed them on the floor by the bed, then took Erinda's elbow and guided her into the gift-filled sitting room, where their voices would not disturb the Princess.

"Erinda, where did that dress come from?"

"I don't know." Erinda looked as puzzled as she was upset. "I've been in and out of the Princess's chambers all day. Someone must have put the dress on the bed while I was in the privy chamber preparing the bath."

Talon rubbed her temple. It had to have been someone who was familiar with the Princess's activities, who knew she'd be out today. Someone who would know her room. They even chose a gown in her favorite color. Who would... She inhaled sharply. "No. No, it can't be."

"What?" Erinda whispered.

"When we got back, Bria was just leaving the Princess's chambers. She said she'd left some jewelry here. But she wouldn't...It doesn't make sense. Bria loves Princess Shasta like a sister."

Erinda frowned. "Funny, I never heard anyone come in or move about the room. If Bria was here, she must have been very quiet about it. Talon, are you completely sure..."

"My sister would never betray the Princess," Talon said firmly.

Sighing, Erinda laid a hand on Talon's shoulder. "I know you don't want to think of your sister as a traitor, Talon, but if there's even a chance she might put Princess Shasta in harm's way, you have to face it, for the Princess's own safety." She drew her hand away and rubbed her fingers together. "You're still soaking wet. Go change into dry clothes before you catch cold."

Talon nodded absently, but before she could move, Erinda rose on tiptoe. "I miss you, you know," she said and quietly brushed her lips ever so slightly against Talon's.

Talon backed away. "Erinda, we can't. I told you, I made a promise."

Erinda sighed, but she still wore a slight smile. "I know, I know. Far be it from me to try and break a gentleman's promise to his lady." She swatted Talon's backside playfully. "Go on, change and get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Talon wished the chambermaid good night and returned to Shasta's bedside. The Princess was still asleep and Lyris was meditating silently on the cot, her legs crossed beneath her and her lips moving in silent prayer.

Talon did not interrupt her but simply blew out the lamp on the Princess's table and lay down in the pile of blankets on the floor. Tucking one hand behind her head, she stared at the ceiling, unable to stop turning over the events of the day in her mind. Bria's not a traitor, she told herself repeatedly, but the more she thought about it the less she could deny that it was the most logical explanation.

Bria knew the Princess almost as well as Talon did. She knew Shasta loved the color blue, she knew Shasta was out riding that afternoon, and she even knew that the Princess tended to be late for important social functions and was likely to be in such a hurry she wouldn't question finding an entire outfit conveniently laid out for her in preparation for the banquet. Bria even had a perfect excuse for being in the Princess's chambers, Talon thought bitterly, remembering the bits of gold jewelry that her sister had held up at Kumire's prodding. Goddess, she was even wearing gloves to protect herself from the spores. I'd nearly forgotten that.

Appalled, Talon rolled over onto her side. She just couldn't believe Bria would do such a thing. Instinctively she was sure that it was all connected, everything from the moment she and her sisters had arrived at the palace, to the assassin hidden in the Princess's privy, to the poisoned dress today. There had to be a common factor, something that tied all of this together. There was something she was missing.

Suddenly Talon shot straight into a sitting position. Kumire was wearing gloves, too. Fancy white kid gloves, as if he were going to a party, but he hadn't been invited to the banquet that evening. And the box under his arm...she'd assumed that it was for helping Bria carry her belongings back to their chambers, but the only things Bria had retrieved were a few small pieces of jewelry. Hardly enough to warrant a big box like that.

The pieces began to fall into place. Talon could practically hear the clicking noises as they came together in her head. There had been two attempts on the Princess's life within a few moons of each other-then nothing, for several winters. Apparently the assassin had decided that he didn't need to kill the Princess after all. Why would he change his mind and try again after lying dormant for so long?

Again she replayed the memory of encountering Bria in the hall when they returned from their ride. Her sister wouldn't even look her in the eye; she just snuggled up to Kumire and walked away, his hand possessively at her waist.

Talon's heart pounded. It was so obvious. There could only be two reasons why anyone would want to kill the royal twins in the first place-revenge or power. If Soltran died without an heir, who would be next in line for the throne? The house of Rane had dwindled, and the Princess's closest living relatives were her great-uncle, Archduke Fickett, and his son, Kumire. With Daric and Shasta out of the way, the Archduke would have the only legitimate claim to the throne after the King's death, and he was already so old that the title would surely fall to Kumire.

Little wonder that Kumire had taken a position in the palace that allowed him direct access to the Princess. He would have had any number of opportunities to do her harm from that close a proximity. It must have been Kumire who had hired the assassin to attack Shasta after their return from Ardrenn. But afterward, he had spent another two winters as her tutor without any further attempt on her life. Why?

Because he hoped to marry her. The conversation Talon had overheard between Kumire and his father suddenly took on an entirely different light. That was the plan Fickett had been protesting so strongly. If Kumire married Shasta, he would become the next king of Ithyria, and as her husband his position would be far more secure. Fickett and Kumire were not well liked in the government, and if anything happened to the Princess, there would be many among the provincial viceroys who would protest Kumire's right to the throne in spite of his lineage. And that might bring about civil war. By marrying Shasta, Kumire could have achieved everything he wanted without the risk and expense of war. But his hopes had been dashed the day King Soltran ordered his marriage to Bria. What was it Fickett had said in his son's ear that day? Something about going back to the beginning...

Talon crept from the blankets and took the lamp and a small box of matches from the Princess's bedside. She carried them both to the table beneath the window and lit the wick, careful to keep the light dim so as not to disturb the sleeping women behind her. She opened her chest of belongings and pulled her books out until she found the one she was looking for. In the flickering lamplight she paged through it quickly, running one finger down the text until it stopped over the entry she remembered.

Miner's Bane: also called caverot or shadowsbane; a rare fungus, the spores of which contain a deadly poison and are said to have the odor of rotting carrots. Can be infectious through consumption, inhalation, or absorption through the skin. Symptoms may include stomach pains and vomiting, respiratory trauma, or virulent rash, and all methods of contraction result in paralysis of the limbs and death. The antidote- Talon skipped to the end. Her finger underlined the words as she read them in a whisper, "'Miner's Bane is so called because it is only found in the deepest levels of certain coal mines in the northern mountains of Mondera.'"

She snapped the book shut and exhaled, her breath causing the lamp to flicker. The poison came from Mondera province, Kumire's homeland. Though it was not absolute proof, every instinct told her that her suspicion was correct. Kumire had arranged to have the dress poisoned and had somehow manipulated Bria into planting it in Shasta's room.

Talon allowed her gaze to travel slowly over the Princess. Lyris had said the betrayal was not over, and she was right. With marriage no longer an option, Kumire was not going to give up. He would try to kill Shasta again. He had to be taken into custody that very night, and until he was, the palace was not safe for the Princess.

Talon hurried to the cot and shook her sister awake. Lyris's eyes flew open. "What is it?"

"I have to get Shasta out of here."

"What?" Lyris sat up, reaching for her veils.

Talon was already gently shaking the Princess's shoulder. "Highness. Highness, you have to get up." She turned to Lyris. "Your Grace, I need you to go to the barracks and fetch Captain Vaughn."

"Why? Talon, what's going on?"

"It's Kumire. He's been behind the assassination attempts all along. He tried to kill the Princess today and he's going to try again."

Lyris's eyes widened and she stood from the cot, slipping her feet into her sandals. "Are you sure?"

"There's no time to explain, but yes."

"Then I'll go at once."

Shasta blinked sleepily at her guardian. "It's the middle of the night," she complained, but Talon made her sit up and wrapped the dressing robe around her shoulders.

"I know, Highness, but you're in great danger. We have to see your father, right now." Shasta was exhausted and still half asleep, so her protests were feeble. Talon drew her to her feet, helping her with her slippers and robe. Then she strapped her sword belt around her hips. She didn't bother with her uniform jacket, as it was still wet. She led them all to the door and peered into the hall to be sure it was clear.

Lyris put her hand to Talon's cheek. "Goddess save you both," she whispered and hurried away.

Placing her arm around Shasta's waist, Talon propelled her down the hall in the opposite direction, toward Soltran's personal chambers. Shasta stumbled every few steps, having not yet fully recovered from the poison's paralysis. Talon urged her along, regardless. With any luck, the guards would apprehend Kumire while he slept, before he could make another attempt on Shasta's life. Talon just prayed that she was not too late.

The King's bedchamber was empty, the bed turned down but unslept in.

"Lieutenant, what's the meaning of this?" a familiar voice demanded, and Talon turned to see Nurse behind them, looking quite disgruntled at having been roused from her sleep at such an hour. Talon clutched the old woman's arm urgently. "Nurse, where's the King? We have to see him immediately. The Princess is in terrible danger."

Nurse wrenched herself from Talon's grasp and glared. "His Majesty is in his study working on a speech for the celebration. He does not wish to be disturbed."

"This is one disturbance I think he'll understand." Talon tightened her hold at Shasta's waist and hurried away, calling thanks to Nurse over her shoulder.

Soltran's study was only a few doors down from his personal chambers. Again Talon was puzzled to find no guards standing watch and wondered if the King had sent them away. After knocking, she pushed the door open. The King was at his desk, and his eyes widened as Talon appeared in the doorway with the Princess at her side.

"Your Majesty, pardon the intrusion, but this is urgent." The words tumbled out in a rush. "Chancellor Kumire is the assassin. He killed Prince Daric and now he's trying to murder the Princess as well. Since he failed with the poisoned dress he's sure to try again. You must arrest Chancellor Kumire and his father at once." Talon finally stopped to breathe. Shasta gaped at her.

Soltran regarded Talon with a strange expression. "I know."

Talon's mouth dropped open. "You know? But how..."

The door suddenly slammed shut behind them, and Shasta whimpered as several swarthy, unkempt men stepped out of the shadows cast by the bookcases and overstuffed chairs filling the study. Chancellor Kumire was leaning against the door with a triumphant smile, and they moved to his side.

"An excellent bit of deduction, boy," Kumire said with a mocking flourish.

His men bore rough weapons, not only swords and knives but also huge axes and clubs. One had a chain that he was casually swinging in a circle. Talon's hand went to the sword at her side, and Kumire jerked his head at the men standing closest to him. "Take his weapon."

Talon counted five of them, all much bigger than she was and all blocking the door. Even with her sword, she wouldn't have a chance against all of them at once, and she had no choice but to stand still while one of them yanked her blade from its silver sheath and leveled it at her with a mocking grin. Her nostrils twitched. There was something familiar about the smell of them, the foulness of their sweat and breath that inexplicably filled her with a sense of helplessness and dread. She couldn't remember where she'd encountered such an odor before.

Kumire fixed her with a mocking glare as the armed men forced Talon and the Princess behind the desk, beside Soltran. The chancellor clucked his tongue condescendingly.

"Well, now, Lieutenant, I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out. Frankly, I was surprised you weren't calling for my arrest the moment you saw me and the little wife outside the Princess's chamber. But then I realized you probably wouldn't believe your dear sister capable of treachery, at least not until you'd had some time to think about it."

Talon growled low in her throat. "What did you do to Bria?"

Kumire gave a short laugh. "Nothing, dear boy. In fact, the dress was her idea. When she found out what I was up to she couldn't wait to be of help. After all, when I take the throne your sweet little sister will become Queen of Ithyria. You must be so proud."

"You're lying."

Kumire's grin widened so that his pointed teeth flashed, snakelike, in the lamplight. "Think what you will. I knew it was only a matter of time before you figured it out. Of course, I was hoping by then that the poison would have done its work," he eyed Shasta with irritation, "and then I would have the pleasure of deciding whether to frame you for the murder or go after the King immediately."

Talon's gaze slid to the King, who was gripping the edge of the desk with white knuckles, looking like he might just spring right over it and attack Kumire himself.

"As fun as it would be to watch you burn for the death of your precious little milksop, it will be more effective to eliminate King Soltran right away." Kumire pulled a dagger from his belt and began to clean his fingernails with it. "I'm afraid, Your Majesty, that this entire situation is rather your fault. If you'd ordered the Princess to marry me, all of this could have been avoided. She wouldn't even have had to die, so long as she bore me an heir."

Talon was surprised to feel the King's hand suddenly touching her own. Soltran pressed something into her palm and closed her fist around it. He didn't look at her, and Talon squeezed the small, warm object in her hand. She couldn't tell what it was.

Kumire was still playing with the dagger in his hands as he spoke. "So here we are, and it's such a shame. It didn't have to be this way, but I really have no other choice now."

His cold blue eyes snapped up suddenly and his arm moved. Faster than any of them could blink, the dagger embedded itself into the King's heart. Soltran gave a gasp, and his body slumped over in the chair. Talon tensed, but she didn't dare move, and she examined the King's body from where she stood. From the length of the dagger's blade and its precise location in his chest, she knew he was dead. Unthinkable, that such a thing could happen so fast and so unceremoniously.

"No!" Shasta screamed and tried to run to her father, but one of the smelly, burly men wrapped his arms around her. She kicked and shrieked furiously. Talon moved to help her but Kumire held up another dagger.

"Stay right where you are, Lieutenant. Not a step, or the Princess joins her daddy in Ithyris's great temple in the heavens."

Talon ground her teeth but remained where she was. She was weaponless save the small knife in her left boot, and against all five huge leather-clad men, she wouldn't have a chance. Shasta might even get hurt. Instead, she tried to think of a way to keep Kumire talking until she could come up with a plan. "Not many men have aim that accurate," she observed coldly. "Am I right in assuming that you murdered Prince Daric yourself?"

Kumire gave a small, mocking bow. "Why, thank you. Yes, I killed the Prince and would have gotten Princess Shasta too if it weren't for you. At first, I thought perhaps I owed you a debt of gratitude for your little bout of heroics when I realized that marrying the Princess might be a far better option than killing her. But now," he shrugged, "it just seems I've been wasting my time these past few winters."

Shasta stared at the chancellor, her eyes wide. "You killed Daric?" she whispered hysterically. "And then you proposed to me. You expected me to marry my brother's murderer?"

"Deliciously ironic, isn't it?" His lips twisted. "And now I've killed your father as well. But don't feel too left out, Highness. You're next." Kumire stalked over to the King's body and looked down at it with contempt. "First things first, though. There's just one thing I need to seal my claim to the Ithyrian throne." He grabbed the dead man's hand and frowned, then snatched at the other, and a howl of frustration escaped his lips as he spun to stare at Shasta. "Damn you, where is it?"

"Even if I knew what you were looking for, I wouldn't tell you." The defiance in Shasta's eyes did not fade as Kumire approached her, a deadly look on his face.

"The royal signet. He's not wearing it, which means he must have given it to you."

Talon's fist tightened over the little item Soltran had given her, and she finally understood. He'd known. From the moment Kumire drew that dagger Soltran must have known he was going to die and had handed off the heavy gold ring to his daughter's guardian to keep it safe. Without the signet, the sign that the King had willingly chosen Kumire to succeed him, it would be next to impossible for the chancellor to claim the throne without opposition. Kumire knew that, and Talon determined grimly that no matter what happened, she would not let the conniving traitor get hold of it.

Shasta made a face at Kumire. "I don't have it. And I wouldn't tell you if I did."

"Little wench!" Kumire slapped Shasta across the face and Talon lunged forward, receiving a meaty fist in the stomach from one of Kumire's cronies that stopped her short. She bent over, gasping for breath, and Kumire rolled his eyes. "Bring them," he ordered and marched from the room. Talon was too breathless to fight back as two of the burly men grabbed her arms and hauled her roughly behind.

Kumire had them dragged all the way back to the Princess's chambers. The royal chambers were on a private floor, so they did not encounter any guests and the servants were all probably asleep. Talon caught sight of several more ruffians like the ones in Soltran's study standing watch outside various doors and grunting gleefully as Kumire passed. Now she understood why the King's study and chambers and the royal corridors were unguarded. Kumire must have had his men dispatch every guard on this floor.

The chancellor shoved the Princess's chamber door open and commanded three of the men to begin searching the room for the royal signet. The other two held the Princess and her guardian immobile. Shasta was fully awake now, her fury overwhelming her grief and shock.

If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was being lied to, and if she'd thought Talon's misrepresentation of her gender was terrible, this was a thousand times worse. This wasn't even in the same category of evils. Kumire had killed her twin brother. He'd been Daric's assassin all along, and when she thought of the hours she'd spent listening to his voice as he lectured, shrinking from his breath as he leaned over her while she wrote... The man had the nerve to try and seduce her at her birthday party and then actually asked her to marry him, and the bastard had her brother's blood on his hands the whole time.

She'd never really known hate before, but now she felt rage boiling through her veins. Her fists shook with it. Kumire had taken her family from her. He'd just murdered her father in cold blood in front of her very eyes, and for what? So he could take the throne and further his father's selfish agendas across the entire kingdom?

"You'll never rule Ithyria," she sneered, her voice trembling with anger. Her bottom lip felt sensitive, and she tasted blood. Kumire must have split it when he hit her.

The chancellor's eyes narrowed and he moved until his face was a handbreadth from her own. "I beg to differ, Highness. Not only will I rule this kingdom, but I'm going to undo all the damage your fool of a father has done during his reign. Soltran never understood the most basic principles of wearing the crown. Your people must fear you if they are to revere you." He smiled at his own little rhyme.

Shasta shook her head slowly. "My father was ten times the king you'd ever be. And a hundred times the man."

"Is that so?" He moved closer, his eyes raking over her face. "His death is on your hands, Princess. All you had to do was marry me when I asked." He ran a hand up the front of her robe, cupping her breast beneath the soft fabric and squeezing it suggestively. "I would have made it worth your while."

Shasta gasped and spat into his face, causing him to back away with a curse. "I'd rather marry the lowest peasant in Ithyria than endure your foul touch for even a moment."