The King's Bastard - By Rowena Cory Daniells Page 0,167

against Rolencia? As if I would!'

'We have proof, madam queen. Written in your own hand,' old Lord Steadfast announced, stepping forwards. He glanced to Cobalt, who reached into his vest and handed something over.

There was a rustle of something being unrolled.

Steadfast cleared his throat. 'This is a description of the steps King Rolen has taken to ensure the safety of his kingdom. I intercepted it being smuggled out of the castle.'

Lence's honour guards murmured disgustedly.

'Let me see that,' the queen demanded. As she studied the paper Piro caught sight of the wax seal her mother had used on her message to the ambassador only this morning. 'A clever forgery. Nothing more. Rolen knows I would never -'

'The king is not here and Lord Cobalt has been appointed Protector of the Castle,' Steadfast said. 'When I intercepted this, I took it straight to him and insisted he act upon it. In good conscience I could not let a traitor wander loose in Rolenhold.'

'I am sorry, Queen Myrella,' Cobalt said, sounding genuine.

But Piro knew what he was capable of. His spies had intercepted her mother's message and he'd used it to forge this message, then arranged for Steadfast to discover it, knowing that the old man would insist he arrest the queen. Her mother had neat, elegant script. One corner of Piro's mouth lifted. It would be much harder to forge her own handwriting which, despite her mother's best efforts, was barely legible.

Cobalt bowed to her mother. 'The honour guard will escort you to the mourning tower, Queen Myrella. You may take anything you need.'

There was a moment's silence, then the queen spoke. 'Very well. Come, Seela. No... we will not need anything. King Rolen will set me free the moment he hears of this!'

There was some shuffling and then the sound of boots marching from the room. Piro leant against the wall, feeling weak-kneed.

The hide of him! Rage surged through her. How dare Cobalt frame her mother!

'Now, we must find the kingsdaughter,' Cobalt said. 'The message was discovered in her drawing satchel.'

Piro peered through the gap. The four young honour guards stared at Piro's satchel, which contained the sketches she had planned to turn into paintings. How had that got into Cobalt's hands?

'Piro Kingsdaughter?' one of the guards whispered. 'But she's Rolencian-born.'

'You doubt me?' Cobalt countered, rolling up his sleeve to reveal something Piro couldn't see because the men were in the way. 'This is where she scratched me when I tried to question her. She's as wild as a wyvern and as cunning, for all that she looks so sweet. Don't listen to a word she says.'

'They say the apple never falls far from the tree,' the first voice marvelled. 'Who woulda thought it of little -'

'Exactly. Find her. Bring her to me.'

'Not to her mother? I thought you'd want her in the Tower with the queen.'

'What, and give them time to concoct their lies?' Cobalt demanded. 'No. I want to find out who she was meeting and if there are other spies within Rolenhold.'

'Very good, my lord. Come on, lads.'

They marched off.

Piro sank to her knees, dizzy with dismay. She had underestimated Cobalt badly. But even so, how could Lord Steadfast and the others believe this ridiculous concoction?

They say the apple never falls far from the tree, the guard's words returned to her, triggering another memory. The old seer had been right. Cobalt was the bad apple and he was turning the others against them.

She had to get to her father before Cobalt did. Heart thudding in her ears, she scrambled to her feet and backed up until she came to the top of the landing. But she must have made some small noise because Cobalt flung the tapestry open. He stood a mere body length from her.

His eyes widened, then narrowed. 'You heard?'

She nodded.

His lips pulled back from his teeth in a snarl as he lunged.

Piro fled down the stairs with him not far behind. She could not outrun a grown man. What should she do? Already she could hear him gaining on her.

Rounding a bend, she came to the top of the next flight of stairs. No side passages. He'd catch her for sure. Only one thing to do.

She pressed her back to the wall, judged how close he was and, at the last moment, stuck her leg out. The impact jarred her whole body, but he was worse off. His stride broken, he missed the top step and fell heavily, thudding into the wall, bouncing off