‘You expect us to believe he attacked you?’ Another voice. ‘Killing a crownsworn is a capital offence; you’ll lose your head for this.’
‘No!’ Meilyr heaved himself back to the present with the words, the fear.
Celyn could not die. He could not watch him die.
He tore free from the crownsworn’s grasp and threw himself in front of the prince’s horse. ‘Your Majesty, please, it was an accident.’
The prince looked as though something had physically struck him.
‘Please,’ Meilyr said, as arms grabbed him from behind. ‘He is telling the truth, they attacked the blacksmith!’
‘Hold.’
All of the crownsworn stopped.
‘Let him go.’
Meilyr was let go.
‘What happened?’
His blood pounded, thick in his throat. ‘Majesty, it was truly an accident. My brother was trying to protect Sawel, the blacksmith – trying to protect me. Your crownsworn drew the knife.’ He glanced at Celyn.
Scarred-over agony strained his chest.
Celyn had killed a crownsworn. Theywouldkill him.
Faced with that great, merciless hunger – faced with the beast of Khaim, bearing down upon his family – he knew whose neck he would rather turn towards their teeth.
He would never again watch, useless, unable to save someone he loved.
His gaze settled on the prince. ‘It was my fault, I got between them.’ A blatant lie, but it would only be Celyn’s word against his. ‘If the law decrees someone be punished, take me in my brother’s stead.’
‘Meilyr!’
Meilyr dropped to one knee, bowing with every ounce of supplication he could. ‘Please, Your Majesty. It was my wrong. My life, I will readily forfeit in return for his.’
‘No!’ Celyn struggled fiercely but could do no more.
A beat of silence.
The prince dismounted. A gust hissed through the street, stirring stray petals, agitating hundreds of standards and shifting his heavy white cloak. He drew closer, measuredly.
Meilyr stared at a crack in the dirtied cobbles, where finely polished boots stopped.
Please, gods, he thought.Let Celyn live. Let this be enough.
He could not lose anyone else.
Prince Osian touched Meilyr’s chin and gently lifted his head, a touch that drew him all the way back to his feet. The prince’s eyes were devastatingly blue, brimming with disbelief.
‘There is no need for that. I… have been searching for you everywhere.’
The world tilted off its axis.
The prince took a moment to search for something in his gaze. Seemingly unable to find it, he leaned in as though to kiss Meilyr’s cheek. A brush of warmth beside his ear, and words barely more than a whisper. ‘Follow my lead. If you do, I swear no harm will come to him.’
What…?