“Lady Patience, you’ll have to leave now,” the guard attempted to break in. She ignored him.
“-you went crazy in grief over Verity’s death, and killed the King and Serene and Justin, and they don’t know what you’ve done with the Queen, and no one can-”
“You cannot speak to the prisoner, madam!” He spoke with conviction, but she paid no mind.
“-find the Fool. Wallace, he’s the one, he said he saw you and the Fool quarreling over the King’s body, and then he saw the Pocked Man, come to carry his spirit away. The man is crazy! And Regal accuses you, too, of the low magic, of having the soul of a beast! That’s how he said you killed the King. And-”
“Madam! You have to leave now, or I will have to have you taken away.”
“Then do that,” Patience spat at him. “I just dare you to try. Lacey, this man is bothering me. Ah! You dare to think of touching me! I, who was Chivalry’s queen-in-waiting! Now, Lacey, do not hurt him, he’s only a boy. A mannerless boy, but a boy nonetheless.”
“Lady Patience, I beg you ….” A change in tone from the guard.
“You can’t very well drag me away from here without leaving your post. Do you think I’m so stupid I can’t see that? What will you do? Attack two old women with your sword?”
“Chester! Chester, where are you?” the guard on duty bellowed. “Damn you, Chester!” I could hear the frustration in his voice as he yelled for his partner, who had taken a break. He was probably up in the watch room off the kitchen. Drinking cold beer. Eating hot stew. A wave of dizziness passed over me.