Three weeks after the departure of Captain Rocas and his two thousand men, the High City came under siege.
Galenten Grij entered the council chambers. “Lords, the outer wall has been breached!”
“What?” Akus asked. “How did this occur?”
Galenten hesitated, looking at the lord keeper.
“You may answer the lord justice’s question, vice-captain,” she said coldly.
“It is unknown, Lords. Something must have prevented the gates from being closed,” he surmised. “Had the iron plates dropped into place…”
“Yes,” Eelura said. “Something or someone kept those gates open. Have you any thoughts on how this might be, Lord Justice?”
“I cannot envision it,” he answered. He hid his dismay and hurt at her tone. Since the night he stayed in her chambers, she had not spoken a kind word to him. At first, h
