"Finagale?"

I sat up with a start. Kassia was leaning against the bars of our cell, flanked by two large Deorans. How they had managed to sneak up on me, I had no idea. Castin looked just as startled, and Kovin was still asleep. I got to my feet and walked over to the bars, stopping just far enough that she couldn't touch me if she reached through. She wasn't going to fall for an act, so I didn't bother with one.

"Finally decided to come deal with me?" I asked, crossing my arms.

The guards on either side of her bristled, and Kassia smiled. Her bright, fake smile. "Finn, remember what I told you last time about watching your tone?"

"What do you expect me to do? Bow and call you 'my lady'?" I asked. "Or would Kel Kassiandra be more appropriate?"

"Kel? I'm not a woman knight," she said, waving away the suggestion. "No, Lady Kassiandra is about as accurate as you can get in Teltish. In any case, I don't care about what you call me. I care about your tone. I can forgive your rudeness, because I think it has its charms. Kalvahi and the king aren't going to feel the same way. You might not believe it, but I don't exactly want you see you tortured and executed."

"Not when Castin and Kovin are here to threaten," I said.

She nodded. "Accuse me of being cruel if it makes you feel better. It isn't my fault we're on opposite sides of this war. If King Zianna interrogated a Deoran prisoner, you'd probably consider it just, wouldn't you?"

She was wearing a red dress made of some sweeping, airy material. Jewellery sparkled at her neck and around her wrists. Her hair was draped over her shoulder in elegant waves. She wouldn't dress up to impress me, and suddenly her appearance and her words clicked together.

"You're taking me to the king?"

"Imagine that," she said. "A nobody thief meeting with not one, but all three monarchs. When the king heard that my prisoner had been in meeting rooms with both King Zianna and Queen Navire, he insisted he have a chance to meet you as well. He'll be disappointed, I expect. You're not the noble folk hero the stories make you out to be."

I tried to ignore the fluttery fear in my stomach. I didn't want to meet the king. Queen Navire had made me nervous enough, and she had been nothing but friendly. King Deorun wasn't going to be friendly. I grasped desperately at the only idea that came to me. "Maybe you shouldn't take me to him. I don't think you really want him to see who ruined your plans in Zianna."

She titled her head and tutted. "Finagale, I'm not that vain."

"Take me." Castin appeared at my side. I flinched, only to mentally curse at myself for it. Castin could move quietly, but he shouldn't have managed to surprise me.

Kassia was still looking at me. I suspected she recognized my flinch for what it was. "Go sit down, Castin. This has nothing to do with you."

"Your king can torture me." Castin's voice was hard and steady. "He'll never know the difference. We're both nobody thieves."

The situation was quickly getting away from me. I saw interest spark in Kassia's eyes, and I saw the determined set of Castin's jaw. The fear I was feeling blossomed into panic. "No." I didn't sound nearly as firm as Castin had. "Kassia, no, leave him alone."

With one finger, Kassia beckoned him closer. I reached out, but he stepped past my arm without pause. Once he was close enough, Kassia slipped an arm through the bars and plucked at the pair of cords around Castin's neck. The pendants slipped out from under his tunic, and Kassia let them settle on his chest. One was the carved Tros and Anniva amulet I had given him in Zianna. The other was a chip of white stone, rough and unpolished, hastily wrapped and attached to a cord.

Kassia touched the white stone. "Is this your marriage stone?"

Castin was standing so still it almost looked like he wasn't breathing. He hadn't looked away from her, and his gaze didn't waver as he nodded. "Yes."

Kassia toyed with the stone for a moment. "It's very admirable that you're trying to throw yourself in front of Finn like this, but it does make me wonder what Stria would think."

He wasn't as easily rattled as she expected. "If doing it meant Finn got home safely, Stria would be proud of me."

"And your... what was it Finn said? Daughter?" She shook her head. "No, it's a son, isn't it? You would abandon Stria and your son for Finn?"

His eyes narrowed. "I've accepted that you're not letting me go home. I'm going to die either way, so all I can do now is try to protect my brother. Your king wants a Native thief to torture? Take me. You don't want to hurt Finn, anyway."

"Castin." His name came out shaky, and I couldn't think of anything else to say. The image of Tannix, beaten and exhausted, tied to a chair, flashed through my mind. I had accused him of taunting Kalvahi, to keep the prince away from the rest of us. With sudden clarity I understood his desire. I understood how taking the abuse himself was the only way he could protect us.

Neither of them bothered looking towards me. Castin's voice was steady and his arguments were good. The king wouldn't know. Kassia didn't want to hurt me. Helplessness and desperation made it hard to think. I wasn't good at protecting other people. Stria was going to hate me. Gale was never going to remember his father. Baisan was-

"Kassia," I said her name without any idea of what to say next.

"Kassia," Castin interrupted me. "I can take it. I can take it longer than Finn can, and I can make it entertaining."

His marriage stone slipped from Kassia's fingers. She drew back her hand and blinked. "I'm not a monster."

"No, you're not. But won't King Deorun enjoy the show?"

Thinking wasn't working, so I moved. I pushed between them, as if getting Castin away from the bars would make them both forget the whole conversation. I might have called for Kovin, or maybe he just understood what I wanted. He stepped in and easily wrestled Castin into the back of the cell. Despite Castin struggling, it seemed nearly effortless for Kovin to pin him against the wall, with one arm across Castin's chest and his other hand trapping both of Castin's wrists.

They were arguing, but I paid them no attention and turned to Kassia. With Castin physically out of her reach, I felt the wheels in my mind start up again.

"I'm more valuable to your king if I'm unhurt, isn't that true?"

The whole exchange had shaken her, but her sweet smile slipped back into place when her eyes focused on me again. "That depends on Tandrix."

Pretending to be courageous was easier when we were talking about me. "Well, I trust him. And, you may not believe this, but I trust you. So I'm not afraid of meeting King Deorun, as long as you're there." I was terrified of meeting King Deorun, but it was true that I would feel better with Kassia nearby.

She picked up on the sincerity in my words. For the briefest moment, her fake smile almost looked real. And sad. "We'll see how you feel after this meeting." She spoke in Deoran, and one of her soldiers pulled out a key.

Before stepping through, I glanced back at Kovin and Castin. Whatever threat or insult Castin had been hissing at Kovin faltered when he realized I was looking at him.

"Finn," he said, pleading with me in a way he hadn't with Kassia. "It's my job."

I shook my head. "I'm sure Tannix was paying you very well, but-"

"You know that isn't what I mean."

"Cast, I know it's a gamble." I turned and stepped through the gate, but not before seeing him slump dejectedly against Kovin's arm. I didn't look back as Kassia and I started to walk down the hall, followed closely by the two guards.

It wasn't until I heard Baisan's whistle echo down the hallway that I was sure Castin had understood my words.

We made a brief stop before going to meet the king. Kassia wanted me presentable, so I was shoved into a room with a basin of water and a wooden comb. I rinsed off my face and hands, and tugged the comb through my hair, but it couldn't have really improved my appearance very much. At least the temporary distraction was nice, and I did feel a little better when I rejoined Kassia and the guards in the hallway.

Although Kassia had trusted me to follow along as we walked through the prison, when we stepped outside the guards grabbed both of my arms and lead me between them. I didn't protest the treatment, too distracted by inspecting the area around us. Deorun was organized in typical mainland city fashion, with three rings of walls. As always, there were slight variations. Deorun's prison seemed to make up part of the wall that surrounded the castle grounds. I knew that the exit the knights and I had used previously had led into the upper city, but the exit Kassia chose opened into the castle grounds.

I was marched down a cobblestone path, past wide fields. They probably used to be pastures for horses, now tents had sprung up and the grass was trampled to dirt. We attracted some attention, but most people ignored us. Even as we walked into the castle, guards moved out of the way for Kassia.

Inside, the castle looked very much like the castles in Zianna, East Draulin and Navire. Only the way it was decorated really stood out to me. Zianna and East Draulin were decorated by Telts, with large paintings and tapestries. Navire had been decorated in gold and warm colours, with gauzy curtains, statues of the gods and decorative vases with well-tended plants. Comparatively, Deoran's castle was bare. The hallways looked like someone had moved through them taking down art, but had forgotten to put up their own decorations afterwards. In a few places, fluttery red curtains still protected the windows, but there were no statues or vases, no paintings or tapestries. Just cold hallways and rooms, and the occasional Deoran flag hanging on the wall.

As soon as I stepped into the throne room, I understood where the art had gone. The walls were covered in curtains and tapestries, overlayed so that it was hard to see any complete pictures. Statues were crowded in corners. Vases and other tabletop decorations were piled on tables, any plants they had one contained were dry and dead.

The room was stifling and hot. The only air came from windows high on the walls. Important people stood in little clumps around the room, talking quietly. Many of them fluttered fans near their faces. I doubted I would ever understand why rich people felt the need to hover around throne rooms when there was nothing to do.

Crisp, familiar Teltish cut across the room, and I realized Mayah was standing at the far end, talking to...

My gaze finally settled on King Deorun. He sat in a huge, gilded chair on top of a three-tiered dais. His chair sat on the highest level. He was the largest man I had ever seen. Not big like Mandell, who was tall and muscled and looked like he could hoist a mountain onto his shoulder if he had to. King Deorun was round. His expensive red tunic barely fit over his bulging stomach. His pudgy fingers were adorned with more rings than Tannix had, but they looked so tight I doubted he could take them off. A thick, heavy looking crown sat on messy hair. The man looked like he ate more food in a day than I had in my entire life.

Queen Navire was elegant and stately. I had seen her wear a sword and hadn't doubted for a second that she knew how to use it. Tandrin was charming, filled to the brim with youthful energy. I knew he could handle a sword, even if he wasn't as good as Tannix. The other two monarchs had been riding with their armies, fighting with their armies, camping with their armies. Compared to either of them, King Deorun was nothing. I immediately understood why the Deorun people disliked their king.

To his right and a step lower, Kalvahi stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He wasn't wearing a crown like his uncle was, but he still managed to look more like a king. His clothing was fine and neat, his hair and beard were trimmed, a large sword hung from his hip. He looked competent, disciplined, and angry. I wondered if King Deorun could feel Kalvahi's hatred.

On the king's left, another Deoran was standing. He lacked Kalvahi's professional bearing. Unlike other guards around the room, the young man was dressed in expensive, leisurely clothing. His hair was loose around his shoulders, unlike Kalvahi's, which was neatly tied back. As we made our way across the room, the king carelessly waved and the young man picked up a tray to carry up to him.

"-demands will be ignored without proof of my wellbeing." Mayah was speaking firmly, but the king didn't seem to care. He picked up a treat from the young man's tray and popped it into his mouth. "I did warn you. King Zianna will not place me above the good of the kingdom, particularly if he is unaware-"

Kalvahi's expression suddenly brightened and he spoke over her in Deoran. The only thing I recognized was Kassia's name. She replied, and they spoke back and forth for a moment before Kassia finally said, "Let's not be rude. Our guests speak Teltish."

"Very well, my dear." Kalvahi acknowledged her words with a brisk nod. When he turned to the king, his gaze hardened and he snapped something in Deoran.

The young man winced and started to back away from the throne. With surprising speed, the king's hand clamped around his wrist. The king spoke to Kalvahi, his voice low and grumbling.

The guards holding me dropped me beside Mayah, then backed away. Kassia was a few steps closer to the dais, watching the exchange above us. Nobody was paying me any attention yet, so I cautiously got to my feet. I gave Mayah a quick once-over as she did the same to me. She looked well, and I hoped that meant she was being kept in nicer conditions than we were.

Relief flickered across her face. "You look all right," she whispered. "And the others?"

"Fine, so far."

"So-"

"Shh," Kassia hissed over her shoulder. Then she interrupted the men on the dais. "Your majesties, this is a conversation better had in private, not when we have guests. I did not bring Finn here to listen to a family squabble."

For a moment the three men stared at her. Kalvahi and the servant stepped away from the throne to take up their previous positions. Kalvahi shot the young man another furious look, then settled back into his previous stance. "Yes, our king did request a meeting. My apologies, Lady Talidor. We are not currently interested in hearing your arguments about how to manage this negotiation."

"There is no negotiation," Mayah said. "There will be no negotiation as long as you refuse to give King Zianna any proof that I'm here."

"Yes, well." Kalvahi broke his posture to wave his left hand dismissively. "Maybe we can hang Finagale off of the outer walls. Then King Zianna and Lord West Draulin will know our threats are serious."

"Finagale?" For the first time, King Deorun seemed interested in what was happening. His eyes found me, and his already grumpy frown deepened. "This is thief?" He spoke slowly, his grasp of Teltish obviously not nearly as good as Kassia and Kalvahi's.

Kassia dipped her head in a quick bow. "Yes. Finagale is the thief who prevented me from killing the late King Zianna. He has since worked for Lord West Draulin, provided the current King Zianna with counsel, and negotiated with Queen Navire. All that said, I do not believe he knows anything of use."

I could tell that King Deorun wasn't following, so certainly Kassia knew he couldn't understand. The king waved at his servant. "Vali."

The young man flashed a glance towards Kalvahi before stepping up beside the throne again. He leaned over to whisper in the king's ear. After a bit of discussion, he squared his shoulders and stood up. In slow, but decent Teltish, he said, "The king wishes to... be sure that this is the thief who ran away from prison."

Kalvahi bristled. "He did nothing. It was Lord West Draulin and the knights."

Vali whispered a translation for the king, who grunted and replied. With obvious reluctance, Vali spoke up again. "Prince Kalvahi, the king asks if-"

Kalvahi snapped at him in Deoran. Kassia was standing near enough that I heard her deeply inhale and sigh. I knew how she felt about the king and Kalvahi. It was clear Kalvahi didn't like the king. I wasn't sure how Vali fit into any of it, except that Kalvahi obviously disliked him. I tucked the thought away. Maybe Kassia could be coaxed into explaining it all to me later.

"Stop," the king said in Teltish. When Kalvahi went quiet, the king continued, "Zianna king will pay for prisoner." He gestured towards us, but it was hard to tell if he meant me, or Mayah, or us both.

Kalvahi scoffed. "Paying for his brother's pet is not going to make King Zianna call off the siege."

Vali winced, and I realized exactly who he was. Kassia had once told me about King Deorun's 'pet'. It was just another one of the reasons the Deorans didn't like their king.

"No," the king agreed once Vali had whispered a translation in his ear. "But, maybe Zianna king and Navire queen will..." he muttered something to Vali, who replied, then continued with, "argue. Broken ally."

A look that might have almost been surprise flashed across Kalvahi's face. "I suppose Queen Navire might not like it if her ally seemed like he was going to abandon the siege over one Native."

"And the Teltans might lose faith in their king," Kassia added. "Remember, they don't condone relationships between men. The army will wonder what makes Finn so important. Rumours will certainly get out. Whether they connect Finn to the king, or to Lord West Draulin, either way their people will turn on the Tandran family."

"True." Kalvahi furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "We can weaken the alliance, and break the Teltans' trust in their king. Simply by announcing that we have Finn, and making sure the army figures out why he matters so much."

I did not like the turn this conversation had taken. I felt like I had in the cell-that moment of panic when I realized I couldn't protect Castin and thinking wasn't going to get me out of trouble. This was a much larger scale. Using me to ruin Tannix and Tandrin's reputation, to shake the alliance with Navire. I shouldn't have been important enough to cause that kind of disruption. It didn't matter how often I was reminded; it still didn't feel right that people cared so much about me. If only Tannix had been anyone else.

Without thinking, I stepped forward and touched Kassia's shoulder. Immediately the guards behind us grabbed me. The movement distracted Kalvahi, who trailed off and went quiet. Kassia turned around.

"What is it, Finagale?"

"I-"

"Oh," she cut me off before I could even form a clear thought. "I told you your ties were going to be a problem, didn't I?'

A fully formed idea popped into my head. I hated it, but I clung to it anyway. "If you want to hurt Tannix, just kill me. But please don't use me to ruin him."

Her voice dropped to a hissed whisper. "If I use you to ruin him, you might get out of this alive. Just shut-"

Vali cut over her. "The king wishes to know what is being discussed."

Kassia's fake smile slid back into place as she turned around to face the king. "Finagale is asking me to free him," she lied smoothly.

The king cleared his throat. "Make it so he will stay. Zianna king will still pay if thief is hurt."

Kassia opened her mouth, but Kalvahi spoke before she could. "There's no reason to take such a risk. Kassiandra captured two other prisoners. Finagale will fall in line to protect them, I'm sure."

Vali whispered to the king. The king's eyebrows shot up and he addressed his nephew in Deoran. Kalvahi replied in the same language. Since I couldn't understand a word of it, I watched Kassia. Whatever they were discussing, she wasn't pleased. She was holding herself stiffly, and her breathing was too steady-like she was thinking about every single breath. If she wasn't pleased, whatever the king and Kalvahi were discussing couldn't possibly be good for me, or for Castin and Kovin.

Mayah startled me by taking my arm and squeezing. She could speak Navirian, I remembered, which probably meant she understood quite a bit of Deoran. Her reaction was just as unsettling as Kassia's was. I tried unsuccessfully to tamper down the pit of fear broiling in my stomach. Being afraid wouldn't help me.

Then Kalvahi spoke in Teltish, and I lost the fight against my feelings.

"Take him to the interrogation rooms."