I laugh humourlessly. ‘And abdicated?’
He smiles and shakes his head. ‘No, that was never going to happen. I mean, I would have married you. Do you remember all that time ago, when you came to me for help? I would have made you my queen, and all this unpleasantness could have been avoided.’
‘Then Adler would still terrorise the islands and he would be coming for your neck.’
The King shoots me a vicious glance. ‘Instead it was you who came for it. For my son’s.’
I falter, trying to search his expression for any sign of the truth. ‘What do you mean? I’ve told you: I had nothing to do with what happened to Torin.’
‘You are a liar, just like your father. The moment you had the royal alliance you needed, you tried to kill the Prince, and I have no doubt you would have come for me next, had you not been caught.’
My mind is racing. He honestly believes that I was responsible. He’s not framing me; he’s punishing me. And if that’s the case, then I’ve been wrong too. It wasn’t him who sent the assassin. Which means I have no idea who did.
I step forward, so the only thing separating me and the King is cold steel. ‘I am telling you, I didn’t do it. Whatever you think of me, however much you want to remain on the throne, you must keep Torin safe.’
For a moment I think maybe he believes me, but then his mouth curls into a cruel grin.
‘Your tricks won’t work on me,’ he says. ‘Your desperate grab for the throne has failed. And I thank you for it, truly. You’ve made it far easier for me. Let me tell you what will happen now. Tomorrow you will be executed for your treachery. Torin will remain perfectly safe, his wound is mending and the draught the healer is giving him keeps him adequately nourished, and more importantly unconscious. One day I may allow him to awaken, but not until I’m certain he cannot steal what is not his. And I will remain King long after your name is lost on the wind.’
I try to grab him, but my shackles slam into the bars so that my fingers barely brush him as he steps back, triumphant.
‘You’re the only treacherous one here,’ I shout at him as he walks away. ‘I will make you pay for this. Your blood, not mine, will be spilled!’
The gaoler approaches me with a smile and I meet his gaze. He holds up a key, and all hope drains from me. ‘You think I didn’t know you took this?’ he says. ‘I wanted to retrieve it immediately, but the King insisted it would be more fun to let you believe you could really escape. And he was right.’
My heart starts to race as his grin widens. He unlocks the door and a dozen guards sweep in to grab hold of me. Then the gaoler hangs the key on a hook far, far out of my reach.
‘There’s only one way out of this for you and that’s at the gallows.’
And for the first time since I was imprisoned a hot flush of panic spreads across my skin before being absorbed into my very core. Without the key my cell is impossible to escape from; I’ve tested every corner of it. And I’m too heavily guarded to put up a successful fight. The guards push me out of the cell and we begin our journey back through the dark tunnels towards the spiral staircase that takes us up into the main castle. With every step despair flickers a little higher, a little brighter – I’d felt so confident that I could outwit the King, that this trial was only happening because I’d decided to let it. What a fool I’ve been. I’ve given him everything he wants, and now I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do.
The King thanks both the jury and all those gathered, welcoming their attendance with far more enthusiasm than he did during his wedding speech.
‘I think you’ve all come to know our Viper a little better during the course of this morning,’ he says, as if the revelations have hurt him. ‘But I fear the worst is still to come: tales of her true nature from those who know her best.’
He claps his hands and the double doors are pushed open.
There’s a collective intake of breath from the crowd as Bronn enters the hall and I can’t blame them. He cuts a far more impressive figure than I ever could. Every muscle, every contour reveals his strength, while the mysterious aura that surrounds him is only heightened by the dark hair falling over his face. He is beautiful. He is deadly. He mesmerises all who see him.
My heart can’t decide whether to stop or race faster as he strides towards the King and stands to face me. I have no idea what he’s doing here, but betray no hint of emotion at seeing him, though I want to run to him and disappear into his arms.
Bronn sweeps his hair back as he glances up at me, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly at my ragged state, and as I glimpse his anger I know that, despite sending him away, I’ve not lost him yet.
‘Please,’ the King says to Bronn, ‘would you tell the honourable chosen who you are?’
‘I’m Bronn, first mate aboard The Maiden’s Revenge.’
‘And do you acknowledge this girl …’ The King points at me and spits the word with contempt. ‘Do you acknowledge her as your captain?’ He says it as if this was the most ludicrous notion in the world.
Bronn looks at me, and to all in the room it would seem as if he hates me. ‘No.’
There’s a murmur of shock at his declaration and I realise I’m holding my breath. I have no idea how this is going to play out.
The King, however, is loving every moment. His audience is reacting exactly as he’d hoped.
‘No?’ The King acts surprised. ‘Why ever not?’
‘Because she has done nothing worthy of being Captain. She isn’t even a Snake, not technically. She failed her Initiation.’
The King bows his head, as if this is gravely disappointing to him. ‘Failed. Her. Initiation.’ Just in case anyone missed that little announcement. ‘The very reason her father disowned her and cast her out, is it not?’
‘Yes,’ Bronn says. ‘She couldn’t do what was required of her.’
‘So this girl, who’s not even officially in my service, murdered her father, stole his title and now masquerades as the Viper?’
‘Actually, she didn’t murder Adler.’
‘I beg your pardon?’ The King feigns shock, but there’s nothing insincere about mine.
‘Marianne didn’t kill Adler. He fell. Slipped on the rigging and died as he hit the deck.’
Well, this is an interesting strategy.
The King is trying to hide it, but his glee at having persuaded Bronn to spout such lies is obvious enough to me. ‘You mean there’s no legitimacy to her claim at all? How does she get away with this on board your ship?’
Bronn sighs. ‘Because I let her. The crew accept her merely because I tell them to, and they are loyal to me.’
‘And why do you tell them that?’
Bronn addresses the jury directly. ‘Because she paid me to.’
The King looks disgusted. ‘Paid you? When times are so hard?’
‘Yes, she promised me that when she became Queen, she’d make sure I’d have all the power and riches I could ever wish for. I took the deal.’
‘When she became Queen.’ The King really is enjoying repeating his favourite passages of this damning account. ‘So you believe she had her sights on the throne all along?’