TO KAILLEN’S credit, he did not ask Nikolaus if he was sure he wanted to see the duke. Kaillen just said he would go with Nikolaus. Nikolaus didn’t want to see Umber and wouldn’t if he didn’t have to, but having Kaillen there would make the visit bearable. And Nikolaus knew Kaillen was aware of those things, and he was grateful, not for the first time, for Kaillen’s understanding and his presence.
Since Umber had been confined to a small set of rooms in his house, he’d refused to speak to anyone, except to demand he be released and proclaim how he insulted he was. Marcus, a perpetually calm man, had been visibly frustrated after several attempts at questioning Umber. That was when Nikol6 realized he was going to have to speak with Umber himself.
He and Kaillen rode to Umber’s home in the
