“If they will not fight for her, what makes you think they might fight for me?” she asked, her voice low but still laced with resentment.

“Because they believe in you. They know that you are fair and that you would never expect them to do anything without proper compensation.”

“What if I can’t? What if the reason my mother isn’t paying them is because we do not have the funds?” Was it possible the queen was just in a difficult position because of the failure of the crops in some provinces and the depletion of the mines in others?

“I don’t think that’s the case. With a proper army,...