SOPHIE'S DEAD, I whispered.

She stared at me, transfixed. Then she moved forward to support me. What has happened? Tell me.

The duke's men have had her all along, Emilie. Sophie has beenhere....Not in Treille, with my enemies, buthere , in the tower, among myfriends.

This cannot be.

Itcan , Emilie. It is the truth. I leaned myself back against the wall. There are no more games to play. No more pretexts. It ends now.

Shouts and pounding sounded at the door I had bolted. What a wretched sight I must have made. My clothes torn, slick with blood, the look of madness in my eyes.

Anne, I muttered. I told you.... She is behind it all. I have to find out why she allowed these men to destroy my family. Stephen'sguard... I chortled, almost a laugh. These are not knights, Emilie. They are scavengers, from the Holy Land. The lowest form of butcher. Even the Turks ran in fear of them. They hunt for relics, spoils. That is why the two knights were murdered. But my family...We had nothing.

The commotion outside the door grew louder. Anne's men were trying to smash it in. Emilie gripped my arm. It doesn't matter now. Anne is not in the castle. She has gone to meet her husband at La Thanay. Come with me.

It is too late. The time for kindness is finished. There is nothing left for me now but to face her men.

She put her face inches from my own. I could feel Emilie's breath on my cheek. Whatever you've done, if Anne is behind this, I will do everything to see justice is given you. But you must come. I can't help you if you're dead.

Emilie hurried me out of the room, down a narrow corridor in the royal quarters. She pushed me into a small chamber and quickly barred the door. I could see she was afraid, and it touched me deeply.

Emilie searched through a drawer and found a heavy brown cloak, which upon clos............