WHAT DO YOU hear from your spy, Cam?" Donelan stretched and set his empty brandy glass aside.
It was late, and at this hour, Aberponte was quiet. Outside the mullioned windows, snow was falling hard. The chill permeated the room, despite the thick walls and tapestries. Donelan slouched in a chair near the fire. Tice, Donelan's seneschal, paced quietly.
"Bits and pieces. We've been at this for a month now, and I still don't have a full picture. It's going to take a while to stitch it together. What worries me most is the idea that we're not just up against one group. The more my spy tells me, the more I'm convinced that there's another power in this. Someone-this 'lord'-is putting money behind the division-ists," Cam said.
"This complicates things." Donelan swirled the dark brandy in the bottle and poured another glass. "And it makes no sense."
"Kev's story is consistent. Someone spending Trevath gold-not exactly common in these parts-is feeding ideas to the divisionists. This Ruggs is bad news. And it doesn't sound like he's working alone-he's telling them that he speaks for a powerful group-led by this 'lord'-who wants Kiara out of Margolan for his own reasons."
Donelan's eyes were worried. "And the obvious suspect is Lord Curane."
"That's the only answer I come up with."
"I had a long talk with Tris about Curane before the wedding. Curane-and Trevath- stand to benefit from unseating Tris. They have no common cause with the divisionists. This whole idea that Kiara would come running home to Isencroft is nonsense. Even if she did, the child is rightful king of both kingdoms. That suits neither Curane nor the divisionists."
Tice stopped pacing and looked up. "Unless Curane's man is playing the rebels for fools. These divisionists are provincial. They want things to stay as they've always been. Curane was a savvy enough politician to keep his head under Jared's rule and come away with a prize, a royal bastard. He's got his eye on taking the throne of Margolan. Jared wanted Isencroft by force or by marriage. Curane's likely to want it, too."
"What if Curane's using the divisionists to keep Isencroft busy while he gets rid of Tris and the Margolan army? The divisionists don't think like that. They won't realize that Curane means to betray them until it's done. If Curane can put Jared's bastard on the Margolan throne with himself as regent, there's only one thing standing between him and Isencroft," Tice looked from Cam to Donelan.
"Kiara and the baby," Cam said.