Traitor's Moon

by his own hand. What on earth could—?”
    Seregil held up a placating hand. “This will take some explanation. You know that your sister and Barien were lovers?”
    â€œI’d always suspected, though I never understood why they kept it such a secret. She was devastated when he died.”
    â€œWere you aware of any new tension between your mother and Phoria after his death?”
    â€œI suppose so, though neither of them would speak of the reason. Why are you dredging all that up now, and at this hour?”
    Seregil sighed inwardly; so much for his hope that Idrilain had confided in her daughter before Klia’s departure for Aurënen. Who’d have guessed there’d ever be reason to?
    â€œMy lady, Phoria and the vicegerent unwittingly betrayed the queen. Barien had a nephew, Lord Teukros. Several years before Barien’s death, Teukros was duped into treason by the Lerans. This came out when we were tracking down the woman who nearly killed you and Alec.”
    â€œKassarie.” Klia touched the faded scars on her cheek, eyes darkening as angry disbelief set in. “Barien and Phoria were involved with
her
? With those filthy insurrectionists?”
    â€œUnwittingly, I promise you.”
    â€œWhat we must tell you now was known only to Nysander, Seregil, Alec, and myself,” Thero assured her. “Nysander had it from your mother and Phoria just after Barien died. He confided itto us because it directly impacted the work Seregil and Alec were carrying out for Nysander.”
    â€œSeregil was in prison when Barien died,” said Klia.
    Seregil gave her a sheepish grin, studiously not looking at Thero. “Not exactly. Thero here kindly gave me the loan of his body, and kept mine company while Alec and I looked into things—”
    Klia held up a hand. “Just get on with it.”
    â€œWe found the forger who’d made documents that led to my arrest and the execution of other Skalan nobles whose blood was less than pure. We also stumbled onto evidence of a deeper plot to discredit your mother. Three years earlier, certain Leran sympathizers had lured that young fool Teukros into accruing massive debts, knowing that the vicegerent could be manipulated into protecting him. Barien turned in desperation to Phoria, who aided him in the rerouting of a treasury shipment to cover the debt. They used forged copies of Queen’s Warrants to do it, documents forged by the same man Alec and I tracked down. Neither Phoria nor Barien had any idea who was behind the plot, I assure you. Teukros had handled all that. The moneys were to be repaid as soon as possible and everyone thought they’d seen the end of it, never knowing that the misplaced gold had gone directly into the coffers of the Lerans. When Alec and I cornered this forger, it all came out. Barien couldn’t bear the shame and killed himself. Phoria confessed all to your mother and Nysander.”
    Klia’s hands clenched on the arms of her chair. “And no one thought I might need to know of this?”
    â€œIn all honesty, no, my lady,” Seregil assured her. “The few of us who knew were sworn to secrecy by Idrilain and Nysander. We expected to take the story to our graves. What we hadn’t counted on was someone among the queen’s enemies knowing the secret.”
    â€œThat’s where I come in, my lady,” Alec said, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “I got word today that Ulan í Sathil was holding a secret parley at his house, and that certain khirnari who support you or seem like they’re leaning in that direction were the ones invited. Forgive me, but I disobeyed your orders and spied on them.”
    â€œWith my permission,” Seregil added quickly.
    â€œGo on,” Klia sighed.
    â€œSomehow Ulan í Sathil came into possession of one of these forged warrants, and the secret about Phoria’s involvement,” Alec continued. “I saw the documents myself. He had some other papers, too, but I was too far away to tell what they were. At any rate, heused them to put Phoria in the worst possible light—you know what store the ’faie set by honor and family. He made Phoria out to be untrustworthy, a traitor almost, and a threat to deal with. He also suggested that your mother had lacked judgment in not casting her out of the line of succession.”
    â€œThat’s the least any khirnari would do, if not outright