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.