The Silent Shield (Kingfountain #5)(75)

“I owe you some answers,” he said, folding his arms.

“I think you do,” Trynne agreed.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined us being here together,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s so much of the North that I long to show you. The falls. The ice caves where our parents found Drew’s sword. There’s a man here named Carrick. He’s Fountain-blessed—a hunter. I learned that he was called on to investigate your father’s disappearance. I was wroth that he kept the secret for so long, but eventually I wheedled it out of him. Don’t blame him, Trynne, he was forced between his duty to me as his duke and to his loyalty to your family. When I came to Gannon’s funeral, I brought him with me so he could show me the place where he’d found the evidence. He stayed at a farm outside Ploemeur.

“That’s why I didn’t want you to bring me back to Kingfountain when you offered. There were no more bootprints, obviously. I just wanted to see it with my own eyes. There is something about that cave, Trynne.” He shook his head, gazing downward, his arms still folded.

Then he looked at her, meeting her eyes without flinching. “I should have told you. My heart was hurting because of what happened to your brother. I was sure Dragan was behind it, and it made me sick to think of him walking free after everything he’s done. But how does one catch a thief who can turn invisible? Well, I’ve thought about that for a long time. The answer was greed. Dragan loves to steal, and the harder the target, the more it interests him. So I built a trap for him in my treasury. I commissioned a very expensive champion’s medallion and hired someone to build a trapped box to contain it. I kept it a secret, but I knew that workmen talk. I counted on it. The gate was installed so that if someone lifted the box, the trap would be sprung and the gate closed. I couldn’t care less about the treasure. I wanted to capture Dragan. I knew he would strike while I was at Kingfountain participating in the Gauntlet. He’s been trapped here for days, his power dwindling because there is no one to steal from. I only found out I’d caught the rat in my trap after arriving here with Morwenna. We’ve fed him prisoner’s rations through the bars so he won’t die, but it’s not expected he’ll live long now.”

Trynne gave him an encouraging smile. “That was fairly clever, Fallon Llewellyn.”

He shrugged but seemed to enjoy the praise, as his cheek twitched. “There’s more. I think Morwenna was behind the plot to kidnap your father. I’ve often wondered how she became so powerful so quickly. She knows things that a young woman her age . . . shouldn’t possibly know. While she says it comes from reading The Vulgate, I’ve had my doubts. I think she’s allied with the Wizrs of Chandigarl, and the men in the silver masks were coming here at her bidding. I even disguised myself as one to try and ferret out who was behind the plot. That ended disastrously,” he said with a snort, shaking his head with embarrassment. Then he looked at her. “When I heard she was taking you to Chandigarl . . .” He stopped again, sighing. “I cannot tell you how it tortured me. I feared I would never see you again. I had to trust that you’d remember the warning I gave you about Morwenna before, and that you’d be on your guard because of it. Now, there are two more reasons I wanted to bring you up here.” He reached out and took her shoulders, and for a dizzying moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he turned her around until she was facing away from him.

“You are too clever by far, Trynne,” he said, lowering his voice but bringing his mouth near her ear. “One of your maidens must have told you about my soldiers. She told you correctly, and I disavowed it because it needs to be a secret still. I have ten thousand men up in the heights with a hundred thousand spears. Probably not that many, but it’s sufficiently vast. They’re awaiting my orders to start hurling them down at Gahalatine’s army after it arrives.”

The pieces fit together in her mind. “That explains why you were so coy about it,” she said, nodding and turning around. “Can they see us?”

He shook his head. “It’s too dark. They are living in snow caves they’ve dug themselves. They can’t stay up there forever, but hopefully long enough to strike hard at Gahalatine and throw him off. The lanterns are to be the signal. They let them shine at the changing of every watch, always from a different place. That way we’ll know they are still there and they are ready.”

“You’re brilliant,” Trynne told him, feeling her heart swell with pride. She turned and hugged him, grateful that he had finally revealed himself to her. Part of her longed to question him about the clothes she’d found in Morwenna’s room, but she could not bear to ruin the moment by mentioning it.

He seemed surprised by her sudden embrace, but after another moment passed, he put his arms around her shoulders and rested his cheek against her hair. She felt so short compared to him, yet so warm and protected too. She savored the moment, drowning in it.

“I’ve told you this because I trust you completely, and I know that you are truly loyal to the king. I’ve harbored doubts about Morwenna for some time, and she proved herself a traitor this evening by accusing you of her treachery. My Trynne.”

He pulled back a little and lifted her chin so she could look up at him. The silver moonlight revealed his expression of hunger and torment and fierce protectiveness. The wind blew hair across her face again, and this time, he cleared it away before she could.