I turned to look back at Vargan, who had paled to the shade of new-fallen snow, but in the absence of Humfrey declaring any orders, Vargan said, “I have a treaty here signed by Jaron not one hour ago.” He focused on me. “This was a clever trick, hiding the king in these walls. But none of it matters. If you had bothered to read the treaty, you’d know that it gives sole control of Carthya to Avenia. Mendenwal gets nothing. Jaron signed away everything to me.”
I smiled back at him. “You require spectacles for reading, but don’t want people to see you using them. Some might consider that vanity. I consider it foolish. You should have read my signature.”
Vargan grabbed the treaty and squinted to read it. While he worked at it, I sat on the desk, crushing a corner of the papers beneath me and said, “I wouldn’t sign so much as my toenail clippings over to you.”
Kippenger pushed his way forward and scanned the treaty.
“What did he write?” Vargan asked.
Kippenger suppressed a grin — I could’ve sworn he did. Without looking at anyone, he said, “Jaron wrote, ‘You’ll get nothing from me, ever, you dog-breath, rotted corpse of a king.’ ”
Vargan glowered at me. In return, I smiled and looked around the room, rather proud of myself for that.
King Humfrey addressed his soldiers in the room. “Send out word that Mendenwal has reunited with our longtime friends in the kingdom of Carthya. Any Avenian who continues to fight will now face Mendenwal’s blades.” Then he turned to Vargan. “Unless you wish to surrender.”
“Never!”
“Your Majesty, it’s over,” Kippenger said. “Let’s make our peace and save what lives we can.”
Vargan shook his head. “I will lose every last man in my army if it means Jaron falls. Kill him!” Kippenger locked eyes with me but neither of us moved. He only studied me with a newfound respect.
Vargan noticed the exchange. With a snarl, he muttered, “I’ll do it myself, then!”
He raised his dagger again and advanced on me, but Kippenger moved faster. His sword pierced the king from behind. Vargan fell to his knees, turned up his head with a face etched in pain, and then crumpled to the ground, dead by his own commander’s hand.
It had happened so fast, none of us who remained in the room were sure of what to do next. Humfrey was looking at me, but my attention was locked on the commander.
Kippenger stared at his fallen king and slowly nodded his head, as if convincing himself that he had done the right thing. Then he knelt before me and placed his sword at my feet. “Avenia surrenders. Enough blood has been spilled.”
“On all sides,” I agreed. “So who rules Avenia now?”
Kippenger shrugged. “I do, I suppose.”
“That won’t work. You hate me.”
“Less than I used to.”
That was good enough. And I felt even better about him when he reached into his pocket and withdrew my father’s ring — the king’s ring — and held it out to me. He said, “I had thought by taking this that I would remove any traces of your nobility. But I could not take the royalty in your heart.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “For the record, I’m very glad you didn’t try to take my heart.” I took the ring from him and replaced it on my finger, grateful for the return of the now-familiar weight.
Then I looked back to Commander Kippenger — though, I supposed he was king now. “Your men will leave their weapons here. But I will allow you to collect your wounded men, and Tobias will provide you with any help we can offer in their care. Other than that, I want you and your soldiers out of my country immediately. Do not return again ever to make war against us.”
Kippenger stood again, but his sword remained on the floor. “Yes, King Jaron. I’ll see to it at once.”
I tilted my head to excuse him, and he left the room. Next, the remaining soldiers deposited their swords at my feet, then heeded Kerwyn’s order to remove Vargan’s and Conner’s bodies from the room.
Once they were gone, King Humfrey walked forward. “Lord Kerwyn convinced me to come here on the promise that I would have to see what became of the incorrigible boy who once challenged me to a duel. I believe that you are every bit as difficult now as you were then.”
“You’re wrong,” I said. “I’m far worse now than I ever was.”
He chuckled, and then with more seriousness said, “I was wrong about you. Forgive me.”
Forgiveness would come in time. For now, it was enough to hear Humfrey’s men in the great hall, shouting Mendenwal’s new orders. Swords clanged to the floor and the grunts and cries of men at war were very quickly turning to silence, to peace.
I said to Kerwyn, “I’ll return soon, but please watch over the retreat and help our wounded.”
Kerwyn started to ask me where I was going, but as I opened the door to the passages, he only smiled and said, “Your lady is inside these walls, waiting for you.”