by Chandra Ryan
The boy stopped and turned to face the doorway. “What do you mean?”
“If you are right, and your father sees you and listens to you, what is your end goal?” The woman’s voice had changed from hard to warm in a heartbeat.
“He’ll send you away.”
“And, as the prince, that is your right. But”—a slender hand reached out to tuck a lock of the boy’s hair behind his ear—“who will care for you if I am no longer here? It’s a very big castle. It’s easy for a boy your size to get lost.”
“I’m not a small boy.” He stood straighter and puffed his chest out.
“Of course not. In a regular-sized house, I’m sure everybody would be tripping over you. But this isn’t a regular house.”
She held her hand out to the child. It was just one arm silhouetted by the torchlight in the hall. Not much to go by, but it appeared slender. So odd to think such a delicate hand could hold a kingdom.
“Tell me, who was the last person other than myself that you’ve talked to?”
The boy stared at her hand for a moment and then looked down the corridor.
“Besides myself, who was the last person to bring you food or play a game with you?”
Now her voice had passed from warm to sweet. It wasn’t sincerely sweet, however. It reminded Kirin of the magic that had called him to the castle. Now that he was thinking about it, he realized he hadn’t felt the call since he had begun eavesdropping on the argument.
“Sir Naresh. He always checks on me.”
Kirin grimaced at the mention of Lilly’s lost love. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to completely hate the man if he had been checking upon the prince. Lilly might hate the prince for taking her place in the keep, but Kirin understood what it was to be a pawn in others’ games of power. He and this boy shared a bond regardless whether the prince knew of it.
“Okay. Off to your dad with you then. I’m sure the knight will wait on you hand and foot. Whenever he’s not in the practice yard or off waging wars in your father’s name. Of course.”
“I don’t need anyone to wait on me.” The words were brave, but the boy’s posture wasn’t as straight as it had been before
“Of course you do. You’re the crown prince, not some blacksmith’s son.”
The boy took her hand as she spoke. At the touch she sighed heavily.
“I am truly sorry I yelled at you. I have one of my headaches tonight. You know how badly they hurt. The pain is intolerable when anybody speaks.”
“My mother had headaches just before she got sick. Are you getting sick as well?” The fear was thick in his words.
She led him back into the room and shut the door. Whatever they said after that was lost behind the door now that they weren’t yelling. Still, he had heard enough to make an educated guess as to who the mage in the castle was. The prince’s nanny would be invisible to the king. He probably didn’t even know her name. But the position held enough power that she would have access to everything and everyone in the castle. She would even have had intimate access to the queen. And if the queen had indeed been having headaches before she’d taken ill maybe neither pneumonia nor plague had taken her life. Her death might have been caused by more nefarious means…
He stopped the thought before it could form. The queen was dead. And the mage would be joining her in the ground soon enough. It would only hurt Lilly further to know her mother’s death might not have been of natural causes. She would blame herself if she thought she might have been able to stop it but hadn’t.
His mind made up, he started back toward the entrance of the castle. He had made it down only three corridors before the call of magic surrounded him once more. It was every bit as difficult for him to ignore it now that he knew who was responsible, but he did manage. Thankfully, as he made his way through the town and back to Lilly, it became easier to block the call out with each step. Which meant the woman wasn’t a siren. If she were, no amount of distance would have prevented him from returning to her side. It was a comforting realization. Still, knowing he was going up against a powerful mage wasn’t exactly heartening.
He slipped back into the inn and up the stairs without any notice. But, when he approached Lilly’s door, he knew something was wrong. The lock was broken, and the door stood slightly ajar. His heart stopped with fright as he considered the possibilities. When he finally forced himself to push the door open, he glanced at the bed expecting the worst. If someone had broken in, surely Lilly would be lying there in a pool of her own blood.
The bed, however, was empty. Relief rushed through him so quickly it almost made him faint. But all too quickly it was replaced with a different emotion—anger. She had sneaked off without him. Hours before her uprising, and she’d run off to do gods only knew what. And he had only himself to blame. He should have been there guarding her. It was a mistake he vowed to never repeat.
Chapter Six
Lilly had lain in the bed and listened to him get dressed. At first she’d been angry. How dare he try to sneak out of her bed? But, as he stepped through the door and locked her in the room, she became curious. She’d been plotting his death for the past five minutes. Something Kirin had to know she was capable of. It left her wondering what motive he had for slipping out on her. She allowed her imagination to get the better of her for a few seconds but then flung the covers off her body and dressed as quickly as possible. He was up to something. No man would leave her bed without substantial reason. And she would only discover his by following him. It was just a matter of picking the lock and she was free.
She’d been confused as he’d made his way down the stairs and into the common room of the inn. Surely he couldn’t be meeting anyone. He didn’t know anyone. Unless he was somehow betraying her.
The thought made her sick. She didn’t want to believe the man who had just been in her bed would sell her out to her stepfather, but her life in exile had taught her not to trust anyone. And so she continued following him. He would eventually lead her to whomever he was meeting.
As they made their way through the city proper, however, she found her focus split between him and the deteriorating state of the shops and homes that surrounded her. Earlier she’d been so angry at Naresh’s betrayal that she hadn’t paid any real attention to the state of the city—of her city. If she were honest with herself, however, she’d admit she hadn’t been angry that Naresh had married another. She actually found her lack of jealousy toward the wife nothing short of amazing. It was the years she’d wasted being faithful to the man that angered her. Now that she’d worked some of that out of her system, she was free to see what was left of Crown City.
The crumbling facades and the trash that littered the alleyways and the gutters made her feel ill. Her stepfather was a self-centered, indolent ass. That he let the city fall into disrepair wasn’t surprising. But her mother had only recently fallen ill. How had she not seen this?
She shook her head. Her mother had been blind to more than just the state of her city in the recent years. Her choice in husbands was a perfect example. Still, Lilly hadn’t expected her mother to allow her kingdom to suffer. Suffer it had, though. And she hated to think about the outlying fields. If the city were in this state, the fields must be completely overgrown and underworked by now. There was going to be a lot to do once she overthrew the king.
As if the thought drew the man, she looked up to see the castle looming in front of her. She hated to admit it, but Kirin had led her to her enemy. Her heart felt as if it had been pierced, and her lungs refused to fill for a moment. Even seeing her betrothed with another had not caused her this much pain.
She forced herself to take a deep breath. It hurt so badly her head went light with the pain. But once she’d taken that first breath, the second one was easier. And, by the time she took her fifth, she was numb. The detachment ushered in a new methodical plan. She would follow Kirin all the way to the king. Then she could overhear her stepfather’s plan. When Kirin left, she would sl
it his throat before he made it back to the inn. She would turn this to her advantage just as she did with every other obstacle she’d encountered.
Her feet felt leaden as she made her way through the archway into the courtyard, but she forced herself to continue. Thorny weeds had overtaken the gardens, and the topiaries were so overgrown they no longer held the shapes they’d once been painstakingly trimmed into. If she hadn’t spent her youth playing within these walls, she would never have known the beauty and joy they once contained.
She sniffed as the overwhelming sorrow pushed against her resolve. What had happened to the gardeners? Why were the groundskeepers no longer preforming their duty? Where were the guards? She looked around again but could see no one but Kirin. It made no sense. A lazy king should employ more servants and guards, not fewer. And his vanity alone should have been enough motivation for him to keep the grounds tended. Her stepfather craved a lavish lifestyle and enjoyed making others jealous of the treasures he possessed. Something was definitely wrong—more so than she’d originally thought.
“Might I be able to help you, miss?”
The soft words drew her out of her thoughts. She nearly kicked herself when she realized what hermoment of inattention might cost her.
As she turned to face the speaker, she nearly groaned with irritation. The woman was small, and her back was hunched with age. She hated killing fragile old women. It wasn’t very sporting. Still, she couldn’t let the woman go now, as she’d surely give someone in the castle warning.
Unless she convinced the woman there was nothing to give a warning about. She needed to come up with a lie.
“Aye. I’m a servant who’s fallen on hard times.”
“Haven’t we all these days, dearie?” The woman shook her head.
“I was hoping I’d have better luck at the king’s own keep. But it looks as if his gardens haven’t been touched by hand nor sheer in a year’s time.”
“If not more.” The woman sighed heavily. “The king doesn’t do the hiring or the firings around here anymore. Those responsibilities are overseen by the Mistress Silverwood now.”
“They are? I was under the impression that the lady of the keep had passed away recently.”
Lilly was furious that her stepfather had moved some other woman into the castle before her mother’s body was even cold. Her chest burned with the insult, and her fingers twitched for one of the many daggers she’d hidden under her cloak, but she somehow managed to keep her anger out of her voice. It was a small blessing, but one she was thankful for. This woman was giving her the best advantage Lilly could hope for right now—information.
“Oh, she’s no lady.” The scorn was deep in the woman’s voice as she looked around them. “She came on as the nanny to Prince Malak five years ago. Been grabbing power and keeping a close eye on the king’s treasury ever since.”
Lilly relaxed a little. She shouldn’t care who her stepfather was bedding or how long he’d been bedding her, but she did love her mother. It hurt to think of her mother’s husband being unfaithful.
“So she’s the one I should request an audience with?”
“If you have a day you wish to waste, be my guest.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“She won’t hire ya. I’m sure you’re a good servant, and the gods know we could use some young blood, but she doesn’t hire young women. She seems to hate even being in the same room with them.”
Lilly put that fact away to think about later. She looked around, but much to her frustration, she had lost Kirin. There was little for her to gain here now. And every second she stayed, she risked being discovered—especially now that the sun was starting to rise. Still, she couldn’t leave without one more piece of information.
“If only the queen had given birth to a child old enough to rule. Maybe then things would be better for us all.”
The old lady looked around them again.
“Best not to be saying things like that around here.” She stepped a little closer to Lilly. “That kind of sentiment will get you strung up. The king won’t tolerate any gossip about the line of succession.”
Lilly pulled her cloak around her tighter. “Thank you for the advice. I guess I should be moving on to greener pastures.”
“Aye. This kingdom is dying. Has been for nearly a decade now.”
Lilly nodded and then made her way back to the keep’s walls. Now that morning was breaking, there were more people to be seen around the castle. It was comforting to know not all of the servants had been fired or had abandoned the kingdom. She would have to hire a lot of people when she took over, but that would take time. Hopefully there were enough people left to keep the kingdom alive until she could fill the keep again.
But before she could worry about what she needed to do after she took the throne back, she had to figure out why Kirin had been at the castle. She made her way back through the streets of the town. When she reached the inn, she checked her daggers. They were always within reach, but she needed to feel the reassurance of the leather wrapped around their hilts.
She took one last breath before entering the inn and making her way up the stairs. She had left her door slightly ajar. It was now firmly closed. Somebody had discovered her absence. She went to the door and knocked in the appropriate sequence and then walked in as if she owned the room. Confidence and an air of entitlement got her out of more situations than she cared to count. Still, every time she forced herself to walk into an unknown situation, she still felt her mortality.
“Where in the ten hells have you been?” Kirin sat on her bed, his mouth set in a severe line and his arms crossed over his chest.
“When a lover sneaks out of my bed in the dead of night, he loses the right to demand knowledge of my whereabouts.”
She closed the door behind her and then threw her cloak over a chair back.
His eye twitched. “I didn’t sneak out.”
“You most certainly didn’t wake me and tell me you were leaving.”
She sat down on the chair to keep space between them. Her body still craved his touch. It was a development that didn’t make her happy, but there was no point in denying it. Now that they were back in her room together, she could already feel the traces of desire in the pit of her stomach.
“You needed the rest. I didn’t feel it necessary to wake you.”
“Where did you go?” She let her hand rest on the hilt of her dagger. The simple action made her stomach twist painfully. She was an assassin. She could do this. But she didn’t want to. That made him twice as dangerous to her.
He glanced pointedly at her grip on her dagger and nodded.
“You know where I went. Otherwise you wouldn’t be treating me as the enemy.”
Before he could react, she’d drawn the blade and crossed the room so the tip was once more at his throat.
“This is how I treat the enemy. I was giving you a chance to explain your early morning visit to my stepfather’s house.”
“If you don’t trust me, then kill me now.” He lifted his chin to give her a clearer shot at his artery.
Despite the rapid rhythm of her heart and the painful churning of her stomach, she managed to keep a steady grasp on her weapon.
“What were you doing there? And why did you wait until I fell asleep to go?”
“I felt magic. Just as I told you when we entered the inn. I was following it. And I went when you were asleep because I didn’t want you following me into a trap.”
His calm tone served only to infuriate her further. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need to be coddled or protected.”
“Obviously. That you’re alive today is proof of that statement.”
He wrapped his hands around her waist and shifted their weight so she was lying on the bed and he was leaning over her. Her dagger was still at his throat, but he didn’t try to move away from it.
“But I’m still going to protect you. You can try to stop me, but
you won’t be successful.” He leaned forward to kiss her gently.
“How do I know you weren’t informing the king of my plans?” She tried to harden her heart against his onslaught.
He laughed. The deep rumbling noise made her tingle all the way down to her toes.
“Because you know. I did find the mage. In case you were interested. She appears to be the caretaker for the young prince.”
“Mistress Silverwood.”
If the caretaker had magical capabilities, so much of what the elder servant had told her would make sense.
Kirin froze. “What?”
“Mistress Silverwood. She started on as Malak’s nanny, but her authority has grown over the last five years.”
She lowered the hand that held her dagger. There was no point in her holding it to his neck. He hadn’t betrayed her. She had no proof, but he was right. She didn’t need proof where he was concerned.
He sat up and dropped his head into his hands. “This isn’t good.”
“Why? Who is she?”
She was missing something. And it was something he’d figured out. It drove her crazy when he knew more than she did. She sat up so she was next to him.
“I always worried our adventures would come back to harm us one day. It looks like today is that day.”
She took a deep breath through her nose to keep from strangling him.
“Which is a nice sentiment yet doesn’t answer my question.”
“You honestly don’t remember?” He stared at her until she shook her head. “Bishop Thomas has a daughter.”
“But we killed them all. The entire monastery ran red with blood that day.”
He looked up at her and shook his head. “She wasn’t at the monastery. She lived with her mother.”
“Why wasn’t I told of this?” The words were filled with anger.
“Because it wasn’t necessary. We left no survivors. There were no witnesses to tell her what became of her father.”
“Apparently we missed one.” Lilly stood up and started pacing. “She’s come to my kingdom to claim vengeance.”