"Do you have a reply to the accusation, Princess Meredith?"
"My aunt is not perfect, but she loved her brother. I believe that with all my heart. If she discovered who killed him, her wrath would be the stuff of nightmares. None of her guard would have dared such a thing."
"Are you sure of that, Princess?"
"I think you might want to ask yourself, Mr. Cortez, Mr. Shelby, what King Taranis hopes to gain by this accusation. In fact, you might wonder what he might have gained from my father's death."
"Are you accusing the king of your father's murder?" Shelby asked.
"No, I am simply saying that the Seelie Court has never been a friend of my father's family. Whereas one of the queen's guard killing my father would have earned them a death by torture. I think if King Taranis could have plausible deniability of the deed, he would reward his own guard for it."
"Why would he kill Prince Essus?"
"I don't know."
"Do you believe he was behind the assassination?" Veducci asked. That fine mind was all there in those eyes.
"I didn't until now."
"What do you mean by that, Princess?" he asked.
"I mean I can't see what the king hopes to gain by the accusation against my guard. It makes no sense, and it makes me wonder what his true motives are here."
"He seeks to pide you from us," Frost said.
I looked at him, studying that handsome, arrogant face. I knew now that the cold arrogance was his mask when he was nervous. "Divide me from you how?"
"If he could plant such an ugly doubt in your mind, would you ever trust us again?"