I almost let him die just to prove I could stay hidden.
The training grounds smelled of sweat and iron. Soldiers moved through drills under the gray morning light. Lord Varen stood alone near the far racks, checking the balance of a long blade. I watched from the shadows of the colonnade for a full minute before I stepped out.
He looked up. “My queen. This is not a place for you.”
“I know.” I kept my voice low. “There is a second trap waiting for you today. The sparring partner they assigned carries a blade coated with a slow poison. One cut and you would not last the night.”
Varen’s scarred face went still. “How do you know that?”
“Does it matter?”
“It matters if you are sending me into someone else’s game.”
I stepped closer. “I am trying to keep you alive. Last time I failed. This
