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

“You claimed the king as your friend, some months ago. News today has it that he has
been severely wounded.”
It had been a long time since I’d seen someone keep such perfect control. His voice and
hands shook only slightly as he said, “How?”
“One of the King’s Chosen, they say. The queen has disappeared, and one of the nobles is
claiming the crown… temporarily, of course, to keep order.” I don’t think I was successful in
keeping the cynicism out my voice, but I don’t think he noticed.
“So it's started,” he said. “We should be on the watch for assassins. If they had the
audacity to kill the king, what paltry thing would it be for them to come for me?”
“I said wounded, not dead. And who is they? I said it was one of the King’s Chosen who
did it, not a group of them.”
The look he turned on me was pitying. “This is a conspiracy, and the conspirators will be
rewarded with an empire. I think he's dead, and they're holding the announcement to let Duke
Athedon settle comfortably into the regency, to preserve appearances. If the king isn’t dead, it’s
only because they need to show him to the crowd and let him name his successor publicly. Maybe
they’ve got the queen someplace as a hostage for his good behavior. But no. No, I think he's dead,
and Terona will never see his face again. So I’ll be staying here, I think. I’m not done learning
this shepherd trade yet. And you know, I think I'd like to know more about what you're doing in
those caves.”
“But—”
“Dark times are about to come to us, Ysabel. Lawless times. We may be seeing the end of
everything we know. I don’t see any hope now.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded and backed out the door. As I closed
the door behind me, I heard him mutter, “You didn’t have to kill him, you bastards. He was
nearly dead already.”
I watched the barn door from the cottage, and he didn’t come out for more than an hour,
after the sun had set.
I didn’t expect to see him the next morning, and I admit I gave a start of surprise when he came
right on time. He didn’t look like he’d slept much. I gave him a nod, and he nodded back, and we
got back to the routine, but I watched him walk up the western slope, and he walked like he’d
Colin McComb Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale
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