...
Rogue spent his time walking and inspecting the corridors and grounds of the palace, once he had also bathed away the dried-on blood of battle. The palace was a rabbit warren, but from what he could tell, it was secure. There were guards posted everywhere he would have placed them.
That pleased him, because he planned to tell Jasmin that night of his plan to travel back to his homeland and continue the search for the people who had tried to kill her. He hoped she would understand.
When he got to the great hall, he found he was the last to arrive. A seat had been kept for him next to Jasmin and as he walked the length of the table, he looked at the faces of those who had already taken their seats.
Jasmin sat at one end, patiently waiting to eat. At the other end of the table, Lady Grant was talking quietly to Magistrate Benton. Next to him sat Alonso, and next to him, the bulky figure of Yosef, who nodded to him as he walked past. On the other side of the table, Rogue was surprised to see Lilly, who smiled up at him shyly as he passed by her and Marcos. He slipped into the empty seat and nodded to Jasmin. “Your Majesty,” he said and bowed his head.
“Don’t call me that. Those blasted women keep fussing around me calling me that. I haven’t been able to shake them off once since...since the king died.” She leaned in to whisper. “They are like leeches in a swamp. Once they latch on, they never let go.” She shuddered at the imagery.
“Very well, Lady Jasmin it is then.”
“Indeed, and I believe you have a name too, one that is true but maybe not as fitting as Rogue.”
“I do.”
“Mendris Fox.”
“That is indeed my name, and despite my not using it for years, it’s a name I’m proud to wear.”
“Can I keep calling you Rogue?”
“Of course. As long as I can call you Your Majesty? The lack of formality doesn’t sit well with me.”
“Very well,” Jasmin said, then after a second’s hesitation, “Mendris Fox it is then. I’m sorry, but I don’t want those close to me fawning around calling me stupid names. I might be queen, but I am still Jasmin, just as I was before.”
“Jasmin, I need to talk about something with—”
“No, Mendris. Allow me to speak first. While I was bathing and trying to stop those peculiar women from washing me—” She flicked her eyes toward the two ladies who seemed to have assumed responsibility for Jasmin. “I spent a great deal of time thinking about you. I have had a difficult journey to get to where I am now. When I first saw and heard of you I thought you nothing more than a bar brawler, a man of little worth, and now, while I have your attention, I want to say how wrong I was, and I need to thank you properly. Without you I would probably be a rotting corpse in a hole in the ground somewhere.” Jasmin gulped and put her hand to her throat.
“I understand your gratitude, of course, and you should thank your mother. If she hadn’t shown me great kindness in the past, I would probably have never known of your plight.”
“I have already spoken to my mother about that and thanked her profusely. To solidify my gratitude, I have a request of you, or rather an offer for you. I want you to stay here in Evermeir and lead the Queen’s Guards. You are obviously a man with much to offer in that role and I hope you will consider it.”
Rogue wiped sweat from his brow. He was always uncomfortable in social situations and this one was no different.
“Jasmin, I appreciate the offer very much, but I am not the kind of man who would take living in such confinement as the palace well. I prefer to be out, on the road, doing what I do. I also have unfinished business to attend to back in my home kingdom, rooting out whoever was behind the scheme to steal your throne. I won’t be staying long in Evermeir. Once my horse is rested enough—”
“Is yours that nasty roan that tried to nip anyone who came close while we traveled back?”
“It is, yes.”
“Then it is an apt horse for you. Carry on.”
“Once he is rested I’ll be heading to Oshva. The men who are responsible for all the attacks on your family are there.”
“Are you sure you need to go? I could use you here. Without you I’d never have become queen.”
“I do have to go. I have a feeling this was just the start of a campaign to take your realm from you, and I won’t rest until it is stopped. As for the guards, there are two men sitting around this table who would fit the role you need admirably.” Rogue looked along the table to Marcos and Alonso. “I think you have already engendered a deal of loyalty from those two. Make use of it. And Yosef is a strong and honorable man who knows how to help run a kingdom. Between him, Magistrate Benton, and your mother, you’ll have plenty of wisdom behind you. But don’t be afraid to make changes. As long as you do things that make the people’s lives better, you will be respected.”
Jasmin nodded sagely, considering his words.
“If you are sure, then thank you again. I’ll be sure to ask Marcos and Alonso. I shall also ask Yosef to arrange a ship to take you home. And if you need anything in the future, I am in your debt.”
“Thank you, Que—I mean Jasmin.”
Magistrate Benton walked up. “Pardon my interruption, Queen Jasmin, but I do need a moment of your time.”
“And it’s time for me to be off. Rule well, Queen Jasmin,” Rogue said before turning and walking out of the room.
He found Raiya waiting for him outside.
“Did she convince you to stay?”
Rogue shook his head. “She gave a half-hearted attempt, but she knows the best place for me now is in Oshva. For her kingdom and ours, we need to deal with King Dehalle.”
Raiya grinned. “Good. Oshva can use a man like Rogue.”
Rogue shook his head. “No. Rogue will die today. Oshva doesn’t need an angry warrior looking for revenge. It needs shadow warriors. It needs the Shadow Brigade. Together, you and I will build a new brigade and take the fight to King Dehalle.”
Raiya leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips. “That is the Mendris Fox I remember.”
Author Notes
Thank you for reading Rogue, the first of the Shadow Brigade novels. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review here.
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Rogue Page 21