Tell Lady Trina of what you have learned

"Trina should know of this," you say as you rise from the bed. "Obviously, she cannot contribute to the investigation, but I want her to know that we are finding answers. This matter must be weighing quite heavily upon her."

You are still wearing the black clothes from your pre-dawn excursion; you are about to change, but then realize that you may as well keep them on for your morning ride, as you would then change again afterward anyway (even though you have already had your morning ride in a sense, it seems best to follow your usual routine so that nothing seems amiss).

"By your leave, my love, I shall return to bed for a few hours," Valerie says. "The festival has been exhausting, and sleep is important to maintain a woman's youthful glow."

"If that is so, then you must have spent over three-quarters of your life asleep," you tell her, offering a kiss before Valerie departs to her own bedchamber.

The guard outside your door is not Sir Benedicht, or any other of the Kingsguard. With Mshindi on special assignment and with the festival in full swing, the Kingsguard has been stretched too thin to keep watch upon you at all times, and so some of the regular guard has been given this duty. The man assigned to you this morning is one named Ryan of Dunfield.

"Guardsman, I will be taking my morning ride," you tell him.

"Yes, Sire."

He walks behind you as you descend the steps, then make your way down the corridor which leads to the gate into the courtyard, and the stables. You pass a maid along the way who carries a bowl of fresh fruit, and you take an apple for yourself and one for Steelheart.

You arrive at the stables just as the young boy who tends to the horses through the night is finished brushing Steelheart down; he raises an eyebrow for a moment as you pull on gloves and otherwise prepare to ride, but of course it his not his place to question why you are taking the horse back out again so soon. Ryan bids the boy to prepare a mount for him as well, but you hold up a hand.

"I will ride alone this morning," you tell him.

Ryan hesitates a moment. "Sire, I am not of the Kingsguard, but my duty is to remain beside you. I will obey your command, but I humbly request you reconsider."

"Fear not, Ryan. I go to seek out Lady Trina, and she will take over the duty of guarding the King once I find her. Young Jacques, Lady Trina's horse is not here; do you know to where she rode?"

"She went to the high meadow, Sire," the stablehand says, eyes lowered.

"Thank you. That is where I will ride now as well." You pull yourself up onto Steelheart's back.

"Sire!" Jacques blurts out.

"Yes?" you ask.

His face turns red, and he seems to regret having said anything, but then he goes on. "There are whispers in the castle, Sire. I just wanted to say... Lady Trina did not do what some are saying she did."

"Do you have proof of this?" you ask, allowing yourself a moment's hope.

"N-no, Sire. But, I know it in my heart! She could not have done ****, she would not. Would you... Sire, could you please tell her that I said so?"

"Jacques, it is not your place to ask the King to carry messages for you," Ryan says sternly. "Forgive him please, Sire; he is child to my wife's sister, and she and her husband are perhaps too lenient with him."

"I would not have him punished for asking me to deliver a word which I am only too happy to do," you insist, "and he shows good judgement of character to have such faith in Lady Trina. Jacques' behavior speaks well of his upbringing, and his mother and father should be proud. Young man, rest assured that I will tell Lady Trina that you believe in her innocence. I believe as you do, and I will use all my power as King to defend her honor against those who would wrongfully accuse her."

"Yes, Sire," Jacques says, looking even more embarrassed than before.

"Take heart, my lad. I am confident we will find the one who did this crime, and then Lady Trina will be innocent in the eyes of all. Good day to you."

As the castle is lost in the trees behind you, you find yourself second-guessing the decision to ride out alone. If one of the regular Kingsguard had been on duty, you might not have insisted, but it would seem wrong to ride up to meet Lady Trina with someone else at your side besides one of her own comrades. You do not want her thinking that you are already seeking her replacement. That is all there is to it, surely... it is not also that you would have a moment alone with her, not at all.

As Steelheart has already had a good run this morning, on your way back to the castle after your adventure at Subhi's camp, you allow him to find his own pace through the wood; the only direction you give him is a slight pull on the reins to indicate that he should follow the path to the high meadow. You find yourself wondering more about Abdul's strange actions on the night he was killed. Why did he drink, against the sacred commandments of his God? Why did he take so many women aside, and yet have pleasure with none of them? Why did he leave the feast at the stroke of midnight, and who was this woman he met in the woods? Most perplexing of all, why did she seem to have such power over him that he would do her bidding, even perhaps to the point of his own ****?

The questions turn over and over in your mind without resolving into answers. Perhaps it would be best if you returned to the castle and gave your new information to Mshindi before venturing out to see Trina; only a short ride remains to the high meadow, however.