It had been a day since Sabena had gone out, and Idelle already felt like it had been centuries. Her mind burned with the question about the vial. She was certain it was a vital key to what was going on, but it would be days yet until she could find out just what its secrets were. 

In the meantime, Walliam had reported that the mutual acquaintance between the old king and Reynard was living in a simple cottage now. No traces of the suspicious tax evasion or sudden wealth. It drove Idelle near mad. Reynard was covering his tracks well.

Idelle stomped into the inner ward, hoping to get a breath of fresh air. She'd been in the library, trying to find if they might have a record of magical potions she might be able to reference on her own, but it had been a few hours of searching in vain. Now her back hurt and her eyes felt permanently stuck in a squint. The breeze felt refreshing and she stretched, walking down the rows of bushes, relieved that the gardens were mostly empty at this time of day.

As she rounded a corner, a tree came into view to her right. It had a large base, and unless you were viewing it from her current angle or from the entrance to the castle, it blocked most of the shady view on one side. Which was a relief, because pressed up against the bark was Aelga and Thellamy, locked in an embrace that could be seen by anyone if they happened to be looking.

Thellamy was currently kissing Aelga's jaw, and she laughed softly and took his hands, playing with his fingers between them. He kissed her fingertips and then looked up at her. Idelle nearly choked on her own shock. This was in the inner ward! In broad daylight! Thankfully they were mostly hidden, but not enough to prevent her from seeing them together. Any servant might have stumbled upon them, and the damage of those rumors would be devastating to Aelga's brand new reign.

Idelle sprinted forward, trampling the bushes and flowers in her way instead of taking the long way down the path. She arrived next to Aelga in an explosion of leaves and reached out and hauled Thellamy backward. He stumbled, nearly losing his footing, and Idelle spun on him with her finger pointed at his chest.

"Go to Yseult's chambers right now," she hissed, trying to keep her voice low to prevent anyone overhearing. It was hard not to shout it in his face.

His dark eyes shifted behind her to Aelga, and he must have seen some signal from her because he finally nodded and stepped back with his hands raised. He didn't bother trying to talk to Idelle or explain himself, because he knew it would do no good. He was an enemy soldier seducing the queen, and there could be no explaining that beyond the obvious. 

Thellamy turned his back to them and walked down the path toward where Yseult was being kept under close watch. He slid his hands into his pockets and looked almost leisurely as he ambled away, taking forever to disappear from view. Idelle burned, wanting to run after him and punch him in the jaw, but instead she snatched Aelga's wrist and hauled her behind as she made her way to one of the private meeting chambers.

As they walked through the stone corridors, they passed a page boy who Idelle wrangled over and told to fetch Torran. She tried to make her voice as calm as possible, not wanting to let the castle know that anything was amiss. 

Aelga followed Idelle with her chin up and her small mouth set in a hard line. Her hands bunched in her skirts and Idelle knew, even before they opened the door and stepped into the quiet and empty room, that this was not going to be an easy conversation.

Idelle didn't want to begin until Torran had arrived, so she asked Aelga to sit in one of the chairs, which she did with a heavy sigh. She crossed her arms, staring at Idelle. Idelle paced, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze, but knowing she couldn't show it.

A few minutes later, Torran entered with a quizzical glance, and Idelle took him aside to whisper to him what she had seen.

"She was practically entwined with Thellamy right out in the inner ward," she said, glancing at Aelga who was staring them down from across the room. "There's something terribly wrong with this. She's barely spent any time with him, and she should know how dangerous becoming close to him is. He's directly tied to the woman who killed her brother."

Torran shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's see what she has to say." He turned then and walked to Aelga's side, taking the seat beside her so that he wasn't towering over her.

"Aelga, do you want to tell us why you were with Queen Yseult's personal bodyguard?" he said.

She sniffed and threw back her head. "I was with him because I love him."

Idelle's mouth flew open. Love? It was beyond simply infatuation and into full on love now? How? They were both young, not even into full adulthood yet, and they came from opposing sides. Surely Thellamy could not be in love with the woman he was trying to destroy, and Aelga could not love a man who fought against the people she was sworn to protect?

Torran looked similarly disturbed. "Love, Aelga? He's your enemy, you know that. His allegiances lie with Queen Yseult, not you. If it comes to a conflict between you two, his loyalty will win out over any love he's professed to you."

Aelga laughed. "I know Thell better than you do. He hates Yseult. She's so horrible to him and treats him like a dog. He doesn't want to be her bodyguard, but he has to. He always tells me he'd rather be with me."

Torran stared at her. "And has he made any moves to do such a thing? Has he given you any information on how to defeat Yseult? Has he told her he no longer wants to serve her? Has he asked you to protect him so he can live forever in Wynherst?"

Aelga paused, her jaw working, and Idelle knew she could not answer Torran in the affirmative. Thellamy had never said any of those things because what he had told Aelga was a lie. He was not going to leave his queen for her.

Idelle stepped forward. "Aelga, you're a new queen who ascended the throne after a traumatic death. The people are looking to you as a guide and an inspiration. They need to see someone putting Wynherst above all else, especially with this war still raging. Even more especially because we are going to be forced to reject Yseult's offer of peace, which may seem like a lost hope to some of the people who wish for the fighting to end." She rested a gentle hand on Aelga's shoulder. She did not want to upset the girl, but the truth was just too glaring to keep quiet about. "If they see that you are with a Glastonbex citizen, and one so closely tied to Yseult on top of that, there will be a lot of anger and distrust directed toward you. They will think that you don't care about them, that you are being selfish and silly. It will look to them like you are sitting in your wealth and kissing boys and being girlish while they are fighting in muddy trenches and dying for your privilege."

Aelga swallowed hard, the hardness leaving her face. It dissolved into tears and she buried her face in her hands. "You don't understand! I love him with all my being! He's the only one who cares about me beyond being the queen! He talks to me about normal things and he wants to know what I think and he's so gentle and kind. No one wants to know me, Aelga, instead of their queen. He's the only one."

Idelle glanced at Torran. He frowned and looked at the floor. "Aelga, I know it's hard, but it's far too dangerous for you to continue to see him. We have to put a stop to it, otherwise it might cause war within our country among our own people."

Aelga looked up, eyes bright with tears and cheeks mottled red. "Please don't! I love him so much it feels like I'm going to die! When I see him, my chest feels like it might explode and I'm so dizzy and happy."

Idelle shifted her weight. Torran was merely a few inches away from her, and while she also felt a bit lightheaded around him, she couldn't understand how Aelga could feel like dying. Not when she had only known Thellamy for so little time. That felt like a bond that was forged through much history and a partnership that strengthened both of them, not little tristes that had been happening for only a few minutes each night.