The Shadowed Throne Read Online Free PDF

he’ll be on the throne and ye in a dungeon by the end of the week.”
    â€œI already thought of that,” Laela said evenly. “I ain’t so stupid as I look. Only question is, what do I do instead?”
    â€œYe could marry
my
son, perhaps.”
    â€œHe’s
twelve
.” Laela waved away Iorwerth’s protests. “I can’t rush into this. Whoever I marry’ll change everythin’, an’ I want it to be for the better.”
    â€œBetroth yerself to my son,” Iorwerth persisted. “When he’s older, ye can marry. My family’s a strong one—ties with us would make all the difference. It’d put a lot more people on yer side.”
    â€œI see that, but . . .”
    â€œYe need to be strong, my lady,” Iorwerth said. “And ye need to become strong fast. The common people love ye, but ye can’t ride on that forever.”
    â€œI know.” Laela grinned and punched him in the side. “Lucky for me I got my strong right arm here.”
    â€œI gave my life to King Arenadd,” said Iorwerth, unsmiling. “Not to Saeddryn. He wanted me to be yours after his death, and so I am. I was the King’s man once, but now I’m the Queen’s, through and through. Ye can trust that as ye trust the Night God herself.”
    Laela felt humbled. “I always will, Iorwerth. That’s a promise.”

2
Ravana
    S omething had to be done about Saeddryn.
    Laela paced back and forth in her room, shoulders hunched and face locked into a scowl. When she’d first taken the throne, she had thought removing her father’s cousin would be easy. After all, Laela had heard her talk about her plan to steal Arenadd’s throne with her own ears. By rights, as Queen, she should have been able to simply throw her in prison or have her exiled.
    But Saeddryn had been too quick for her. The very day of Laela’s coronation—before she could even return to the Eyrie—the High Priestess had sent her daughter away to wherever her son was already hiding. Laela had no idea where they were now, but she couldn’t make herself forget the gleam in Saeddryn’s eye when she told her that Arddryn had left Malvern like her brother Caedmon, who had vanished somewhere before Laela had come to the city. She hadn’t needed to say anything else; the threat was clear enough. If anything happened to Saeddryn, her offspring would be ready and waiting to avenge their mother. Caedmon and Arddryn were Taranisäiis—there were plenty of people out there prepared to support them rather than this half-breed newcomer now sitting on the throne.
    For now, Saeddryn seemed content to smile and bide her time, plotting who knew what with who knew which allies. Even her famously honest husband could well be in on it.
    Laela couldn’t trust anyone, and whether she liked it, or not she needed to keep Saeddryn where she was and pretend they were a happy family.
    For now.
    In the meantime, she had a country to run, and only a handful of people she knew could give her the kinds of advice she needed.
    Silently, she thanked the gods for Iorwerth. Him she knew she could trust. Her father had trusted him, too, and he’d already proven himself worthy of that trust—he had been one of the people entrusted with the secret document Arenadd had written naming his daughter heir to Tara’s throne. When Laela had returned to Malvern and announced herself, he had come to her side at once and supported everything she said.
    Ever since that day, he had been her rock, and if she ever doubted him again, she remembered what her father had told her.
    Now that’s a man you can trust to the ends of the earth.
At the time, she’d noticed the way he said it—loudly and firmly, as if it were important. Now, looking back, she knew why.
He was already plannin’ for all this. He wanted me t’know who to trust.
    Laela cheered up slightly. She