"Not at all," he said, handing her a plate of food, his charming smile in place. "Cook will only think I've kept a lady friend overnight. Common enough occurrence."
Sienna smiled, then moved her gaze toward the map spread atop the duke's desk. "What is this?"
Friedrich resumed his place behind the desk. "I was showing Nikolai my map here earlier."
She took a sip and set her teacup on the outer edge of the desk, seeming to have recovered from the dark foretelling a few moments before. "And why are these circled in red?" she asked, homing in on the unusual markings right away.
Nikolai edged forward at her side, brushing his fingers against the back of her hand at her side, seeking to comfort her. She flinched in surprise, then let her fingers brush his before she tangled them together, barely casting him a sidelong glance, then focused on the map again. Tension, sharp and bright, charged the air.
Friedrich cleared his throat, eyeing both of them with an arched brow. "All of these villages along the southern border of the northern kingdom have vanished."
That brought Nikolai back to the earlier conversation. "Vanished? How do you mean?"
"I mean, gone. The entire village is completely gone. Not a single soul left, dead or alive. Well, except for livestock."
"But how?" asked Sienna.
"The how I'm not sure of, but I'm investigating. Or at least, I was."
Nikolai shifted partly behind Sienna in a protective stance. The mere mention of danger rose his hackles and an instinctive nature to keep her close. "How do you mean?"
Friedrich combed a hand through his hair, tousling his brown locks, disheveling his controlled demeanor. "My uncle."
Something burned in Nikolai's gut. "King Dominik."
"Yes."
The Varis Empire was divided into four kingdoms ruled by three kings and one steward-King Stephanus in the eastern kingdom of Korinth, King Agnar in the western kingdom of Pyros, Steward Thorwald in the southern kingdom of Arkadia, merely keeping the place of Marius who was supposed to have married the Arkadian Princess Vilhelmina and take his rightful place but did not, and finally, King Dominik, the ruthless ruler of the northern kingdom, Izeling.
Friedrich continued. "My uncle has visited Winter Hill more often than he ever has before. Always some excuse like resting his horses on his journey here or there. But truly, I believe he's spying on me."
"Why would you say that?" asked Sienna.
"I'd say firstly because I relinquished my Legionnaires, who were most probably all under his employ."
"Getting rid of them may have solidified your guilt in his eyes," Nikolai noted.
"Not necessarily. He knows Marius and I were close growing up. But he also knows I am my own man and wouldn't appreciate nursemaids watching my every move, then reporting back to him. Which is precisely what they were doing."
"Did they have anything to report?"
"Besides the fact that I like to feed twice a week and my lovely hosts tend to sleep over, no, there was nothing to report." Friedrich turned a sheepish grin to Sienna. "Pardon my frankness. Purely consensual, of course."
Sienna nodded with a tentative smile. "Of course."
"And what of your courier bringing correspondence to and from Cutters Cove?" asked Nikolai. "Also, I forgot to personally thank you for your gift of the ship and the goods in Hiddleston."
"The least I could do," he said with a nod. "And my courier comes and goes only by night and through a secret passage in and out of Winter Hill. The Legionnaires never knew of it. That is how we'll get you two out of here as well."
Sienna glanced at the map, then back up at Friedrich. "If the Legionnaires are gone, and you say you trust your personal guard, then why all the secrecy?"
"Because anyone can be bought. A servant in the kitchen, a scullery maid, a night guard. I pay them all well, but my uncle has unlimited resources. He could offer a lifetime's coin and jewels in exchange for information of my betrayal."
Nikolai tensed, knowing what that betrayal, if discovered, would cost him. "I am sorry that we came here. I didn't realize you were already under such scrutiny. I wouldn't wish any trouble on you because of us."
Friedrich waved a hand. "Please. I am glad you came. It is safer in here than it is out there." He folded up the map carefully and locked it back in his drawer. "And I do not wish the queen discovering your betrayal, Nikolai. Not for anything."