Page 37 of The Prince's Fealty

“So… he was establishing himself as a more moderate choice?” he suggested. “Would you have pledged your Fealty to him?”

“Not then,” she said firmly. “Although the situation was grave, it was not yet as dire as it is now.”

Tor was nodding slowly. “But the seeds were planted. And then the situation grew more serious with the land.”

Pel jumped in. “And then there was a violent attack which you swear wasn’t you, which exacerbated the situation in Tond to the point that you felt like fleeing was the best option.”

Bav added, “And you tried to flee to the location that had already been set up as your best option.”

“Maybe there was no losing for them,” Pel agreed. “If Father’s attack had succeeded, and the exiles were wiped out, the problem would be eliminated. If you made it to Filon, you would have felt the situation dire enough to pledge your Fealty and strengthen the King.”

“Oh,” Tor breathed. “It’s worse than that. I mean, that’s all true. But if you’re going after the High King, you need people to blame. And I walked right into the trap. I was paired with the one royal I least wanted to marry, and I rebelled. Honestly, anyone could have predicted that.WasTerila Varex’s idea? Or was he guided to the suggestion?”

Pel frowned. “Wouldn’t Bav have made more sense? Why didn’t they send you down here deliberately?”

Tor sighed. “I’m embarrassed to admit that they judged me well. Terila was a flat-out refusal, but I wouldn’t have been impressed with anyone my brother picked out, especially not when it was presented to me as a necessity because I was misbehaving and needed to be brought to heel.”

Yeah, that was pretty much designed to get Tor’s back up.

“But there are still four realms you could have gone to. What if you’d stayed in Lotar with your sister?”

Tor considered this and then nodded. “No, you’re right. They couldn’t have been certain. They might have guessed that I’d get as far away from Vayrin and Alossa as possible. They might have had plans for each realm that I could have visited. Or theycould have had a more general plan, where the issue with the exiles exploded on its own, and I was seen to take advantage of it or accused of fomenting it with letters or secret visits or something.” Tor shrugged. “We’ll likely never know. Because regardless of whatcouldhave happened, I came to Tond. I disappeared for months, and no one ever looked for me or kicked up a fuss. I was just grateful for all the time I got to spend with you.” He flashed Pel a grin. “But honestly, that was probably a bit weird. I was playing right into their hands.”

Pel grimaced. “And that’s why Father pushed so hard after the mountain.”

“Yes,” Tor agreed. “He threw me out because now they needed me gone. Made it clear that he was going to write to my brother so that I’d go and explain myself. And that was why Yomil and Fernila were pushing Varex so hard about punishing me.”

Bav was nodding. “Create a sense of urgency and demand immediate action. Keep people’s emotions up and not give them time to think clearly.”

“Exactly,” said Tor.

Tama asked, “So you think they’re working together, Nostex and Forex?”

Bav leaned forward. “Or what if Father only thought they were? We’ve all agreed this isn’t likely to have been his plot. What if he thought it was going to benefit him, that he was going to get the exiles and the land. Only then the exiles made for Filon, and he realized he wasn’t going to get the Fealty after all.”

Pel blew out a breath. “This is the most complicated plot that I’ve ever heard.”

Tor gave a laugh that almost sounded right. “You’re not wrong. We’re obviously just speculating, but it would explain a lot about what’s happened recently.”

“Including what happened to Father,” Bav proposed. “If this really is as big as we’re theorizing, I can’t see King Nostex letting anything get in his way. He tried to kill Prince Torex and Princess Cala. Why not another king on the way to his real goal?”

They all stared at one another, stunned.

“I would never have guessed Nostex,” Tor admitted. “I’ve never much liked him, but that was honestly because he was so talkative and overly genial. His endless stories were obnoxious.”

Pel had encountered the man now and again. He knew his father considered him a friend, and that had honestly been enough reason to steer clear. But while he hadn’t been as scarred as Tor, he certainly hadn’t thought him adanger.

“I think he might have made exactly the impression he wanted to make,” Pel suggested.

Looking troubled, Tor nodded.

Pel hesitated for a moment, and then he said, “What if it’s not Fernila at all?”

Tor opened his mouth on what looked like an instinctive protest, and then he paused. Finally, he admitted, “I don’t like her, and she’s never liked me, but you’re right, that doesn’t automatically mean that she’s scheming to destroy the United Realms. She’s always seemed to have a genuine fondness for my brother. But if it’snotFernila, then that would mean—”

He cut off abruptly, and it was Bav who said, “It was a match that was set up when she was born, wasn’t it?”

Tor’s words were wooden. “In the aftermath of the war. The concession that Nostex demanded because he wanted to ‘unite their people once and for all.’”