Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale - Colin McComb

I among them. I had seen what I wanted to see, and it was only through accident that I discovered
their true nature. With one stroke my part in their plot became clear.”
“But what does this have to do with the girl?”
“The trap was to have been sprung on the equinox. We had slowly gathered allies across
the reaches of government, telling them the king would be put to exile. Instead, the traitors would
assassinate the king and his family, and the conspirators would take their place. I was to have
been one of these assassins.”
“But?” I asked.
“But I arrived early to a meeting, and I heard the man who claimed to be my friend tell
his companion what was to become of the assassins. ‘Broken toys,’ he said, ‘tools now useless.
Once they have betrayed one oath, the rest of the betrayals will come more quickly. We will
arrange for them to be seen, if possible captured and executed, and thus expose the rest of the
knighthood as corrupt. If they cannot be captured, why, that will be proof that the knighthood is
not willing to provide justice to its own.’ I left silently and returned at the appointed time. They
acted as ever and gave me no clue that they were planning to betray not only me, but the
knighthood as well.”
“What did you do?”
“On the night that we were to spring the trap, I traveled to the nursery and...” He
swallowed here, remembering. “I went to the nursery where the king's daughters slept, and took
what child I could. I could save only one before the reinforcements came. I took my courser and
sped west. This is Caitrona, the only surviving member of that family. I take her to safety and will
act as her guardian until such time as she is ready to assume the throne.”
“Are you saying that the king is dead?”
“He must be. Those who slew him are already taking power. I could not warn the other
members of my order; I had already betrayed them in my heart and in deed, in carrying details of
the Council of Knights to Athedon. Forsworn as I was, my words would have been seen as more
treachery. Instead of acting, I tried to think my way through the plot, and instead of telling my
brothers, I chose to wait and see how things would unfold. At the end, when it was far too late, I
raised my voice to my captain, and when he commanded me slain, I discovered that he too had
been forsworn. As for the rest of my order, I can only hope that they escape before the
conspirators’ trap closes on them.”
“What if the princess doesn’t want to rule? What if the new king proves to be a better
ruler than the last one?” I could barely think of the questions—too much was coming at me, too
fast.
Colin McComb Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale
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