s, sire?

”
“What were you going to tell me about the girl?” Kamran turned his gaze up to the sky,
studying the stars through a web of branches. “You say she is not a spy. Not a
mercenary. Not assassin nor turncoat. What, then?”
“Your Highness.” Hazan was squinting against the rain, clearly convinced the prince had
lost his mind. “Perhaps we should head back to the palace, have this conversation over
a warm cup of—”
“
Speak
,” Kamran said, his patience snapping. “Or I shall have you horsewhipped.”
“She— Well, the Diviners—they say—”
“Never mind, I shall horsewhip you myself.”
“Sire, they say her blood has ice in it.”
Kamran went deathly still. His chest constricted painfully and he stood up too fast,
stared into the darkness. “Ice,” he said.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You are certain.”
“Quite.”
“Who else knows about this?”
“Only the king, sire.”
Kamran took a sharp breath. “The king.”
“He, too—as you know—had been convinced there was something unusual about
the girl and bade me report to him my findings straightaway. I would have come to you
sooner with the news, sire, but there were a great many arrangements to be made, as
you can well imagine.” A pause. “I confess I've never seen the king quite so
overwrought.”
“No,” Kamran heard himself say. “This is terrible news, indeed.”
“Her collection has been set for tomorrow evening, sire.” A pause. “Late night.”
“Tomorrow.” Kamran's eyes were on a single point of light in the distance; he hardly felt
a part of his own body. “So soon?”
“The king's orders, Your Highness. We must move with all possible haste and pray no
one else gets to her before we do.”
Kamran nodded.
“It feels almost divine, does it not, that you were so swiftly able to identify her?” Hazan
managed a stiff smile. “A servant girl in a snoda? Lord knows we might never have
found her out otherwise. You've most assuredly spared the empire the loss of countless
lives, sire. King Zaal was deeply impressed with your instincts. I'm sure he will tell you
as much when you see him.”
Kamran said nothing.
There was a tense stretch of silence, during which the prince closed his eyes, let the
rain lash his face.
“Sire,” Hazan said tentatively. “Did you come upon cutthroats earlier? You look as if you
came to blows.”
Kamran placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Within moments his horse came
galloping toward him, the stunning beast rushing to a reckless halt at his master's feet.
Kamran placed a foot in the stirrup and swung himself onto the slick seat.
“Sire?” Hazan shouted to be heard over the wind. “Did you meet with anyone out here?”
“No.” Kamran grabbed the reins, gave the horse a gentle nudge with his heels. “I saw
no one.”