Arthur took the berries and grinned:

– Do you pretend you don't understand? So you've got your eye on her yourself. What can you give her? Will you make her your mistress? I won't let you do that.

Robin took the berries back and slowly popped the strawberries into his mouth, still looking the Bear in the eye.

– I'm delighted, – Edward said. – You've known this person for about two days, and you're already ready to bite each other's throats because of her. It is true that women are the best means of discord.

– You'd think you'd have nothing to do with it, – Arthur snapped and shot a quick glance at the young man, who couldn't stand it and turned away.

On their return, the king and his entourage were busy all day, and the Countess of the Rhine was not allowed to leave the palace and was forced to spend time among the ladies of the court. Towards noon she was informed that she was to come to the king's supper. After listening grimly to the footman, she replied with an affirmative nod and went in search of Augustus, the great-grandson of her friend, which was not successful.

In the dining room, waiting for the final preparations, Edward and Arthur stood not far from each other. The King, as he often did, was looking out of the window. None of the three men spoke. It was exactly six o'clock, and Countess Anna Raine came in through the open door, still dressed in her green ball gown. She curtsied and followed the footman to the table. After that, everyone joined in for dinner. Robin stared at her intently. This time her face was an impenetrable mask. The girl was cool and collected. The white, austere tablecloth, the gleaming silver of the appliances, and the stony faces of the young men made the atmosphere in the dining room tense.

– How was your day, Lady Raine? – the king broke the silence.

– Thank you, Your Majesty, quite passable. I've been waiting for your permission to return home.

– Are you in such a hurry to leave us? What is it? – he asked in a cold, ironic tone.

– I don't want to distract you from important matters.

– Is that so?

There was a pause.

– Why were you sentenced to death, Lady Raine? – The Falcon's voice sounded like a bolt from the blue.

Arthur and Robin flinched, but Anna remained unperturbed. She smiled faintly as she poured herself a glass of water.

– For treason to the crown, – she said, as if she had just reported a change in the weather.

There was silence for a few moments.

– And why are you still alive, madame? – Robin asked, equally evenly.

– There are many reasons for this, Your Majesty, and they are long to tell.

– Well, I'm in no hurry, and I'm ready to listen.

– As you command. It would certainly be better if you learned about everything from the secret archives. But, as I understand it, you have not yet managed to break the protection.

Arthur choked, and Edward glanced at the door.

– I was first accused of having an affair with the Arenian king.

– In what connection exactly? – Falcon asked.

– The one you just thought of. The second was the accusation of the transfer of the County of the Rhine and the Duchy of Oden to the side of the enemy power. And then there are the little things: passing on the secrets of magical inventions over the past three hundred years, debauchery, and an attempt to poison the monarch.

– Uh – huh, – Robin said, automatically pouring himself a glass of wine. – And you admitted all this?

– My confession wasn't required. I was immediately promised a scaffold and placed in a Cold Tower to wait for the end.

Raven didn't notice the red wine spilling out of the glass and spreading across the snowy tablecloth.

– Have you been to the Cold Tower, madame?" And how long did you manage to stay there?

– Then I was told that it had been three weeks. Time flies by there, the Countess of the Rhine said indifferently.

– And you signed your charges?

– No. According to the laws of Adenia, the estate of an aristocrat who pleads guilty is transferred to the crown, and a more worthy owner is chosen by the council. As a result, my people could be enslaved again, and the heir to the Order could be placed under new guardianship. And guardians rarely need heirs, so children do not live long. However, the heirs do not only interfere with the guardians Isn't that right, Your Majesty? – She glanced pointedly at the king, who was glaring at her.

– That's a lie, – said Arthur distantly. – A woman can't survive the torture of the Cold Tower.

– I won't dissuade you, – Anna said. – You know, – she said, suddenly looking at the Falcon. This was a common scheme in those days. The widow Ereman, who had earned a reputation as a flighty coquette, was asked to marry. Many suspected her lack of brains, but she quickly realized how it would all end for her son. Her refusal had unfortunate consequences. The Duchess of Eremann managed to avoid the Cold Tower only because if she was recognized, the estate would still pass to her brother, to whom she later left the heir to the Osborn province – the future head of the Falcon clan. Soon after, her brother and your uncle, my lord, died under mysterious circumstances.

Edward turned almost as white as the tablecloth.

– How did you manage to avoid the same fate? – The king asked hoarsely.

– My friends helped me. The head of the chancery, who had been buried the day before, and who then held an insignificant post, showed unprecedented courage and presented evidence of my innocence.

– Which, of course, helped you at once, – the king chuckled.

– Yes, those papers didn't help me. But what his support meant to me in that icy hell, you have no idea. He smiled at me, saving not only my life, but also my soul. At the risk of everything, the Minister of War's family took my side. His wife and I have been friends since we were young. But they changed their mind about executing me at the last minute, thanks to Countess Rogneda of Rhone, with whom we grew up together.

– And how did she do it? – Arthur asked curiously.

– She started a riot in three provinces. The castles of the four most powerful nobles in the kingdom, including the king's brother, were destroyed in a matter of minutes. It was a powerful argument. I was immediately released and even apologized. The two provinces of Oden and the County of Rhone were left alone and allowed to exist peacefully by law, and my desert – the county of the Rhine remained free.

– Why suddenly began to claim your land, where nothing grows? It's winter at night and hot summer during the day.

– You use outdated information, Your Majesty. So it was fifty years ago, when the people who came and all the undesirables were sent there, my parents did not look for ways to return. Remembering the precepts of their ancestors, they began to refine this hellish territory. The strength, perseverance and knowledge of the people did their job. Gradually, the situation there improved. I continued what my parents started, and after surviving several droughts and famines, we managed to turn this land into a real paradise. The fruit I gave you is now growing there.

– So, technically, your county is not part of the kingdom?

– That is so," Anna replied to the monarch. – I only came to the palace because I am related to Auden, and because I honor my friendship with Gray Lisbourne, who is now dead.

– As a healer, I can see that you are only fifteen or sixteen years old, how is that possible? Will you again claim that you did without magic? – Falcon asked.

– It's impossible by your standards, but it's a common occurrence for our people. Life expectancy in the former Wasteland is four to five times greater than yours.

There was an awkward silence at the table.

– Your Majesty, – Anna was the first to break the silence. – I have answered all your questions without reserve. Now, please answer my question.