The Adamantists (The Crown Prophecy Book 2)

by M. D. Laird

  “It’s fine,” he said plainly.

  “I should try to sleep.”

  Thomas stood to leave.

  “Will you stay with me?” she asked softly.

  He nodded and lay on the bed beside her.

  “Can I hold you?”

  “If you wish.”

  She lay her head on his chest and put her arms around him. Within a few minutes she was sleeping, and Thomas felt himself starting to doze.

  He was woken once again by the princess, and she was kissing him. Her mouth was on his as her hand roamed down his body and started to slip beneath the band of his underwear. Initially, he felt excited, but he groaned, pulled her hand away and shook her shoulder. “Princess, it’s Prince Thomas, not James.”

  The princess tensed when she realised what she was doing. “Prince, I’m sorry,” she said. She began to cry. “I keep forgetting he’s dead. It feels like it’s been a terrible dream.” She lowered her head to his chest and held him tightly as she sobbed.

  It is going to be a long night, Thomas thought as he realised he was unlikely to get any sleep.

  The next day Thomas was sat at his desk as he drafted a letter to Verrine Prince Nathaniel. Ramiel entered his office.

  “Your Highness, the princess has requested to see you.”

  Thomas nodded. “Take a tray for two to her room and tell her I will be along shortly.”

  Ramiel bowed and left the office. Thomas finished his letter. He was requesting Nathaniel to attend the guild to discuss the king’s behaviour and the awkward situation he now found himself in with the princess.

  How he regretted his impulsiveness in marrying her. Why had he not thought through the consequences? He did not know what to do with her now.

  Thomas sent the letter by lolite and left his office and headed towards the east corridor to join his wife for tea.

  The princess looked tired, her unsettled night reflected heavily on her eyes which were red and ringed with black circles, that or she had been crying again. She gave him a weak smile. “Thank you, Prince,” she said.

  He took a seat opposite her and poured them both tea. “What did you want to see me about?”

  She glanced down at the table and began to fiddle with the cord of her dress. “I…I wanted to apologise and say thank you,” she said.

  He shrugged his shoulders and sipped at his tea.

  She smiled softly and blushed. “I’m sorry you had to bathe me. I’m sorry I kept you up all night, and I’m sorry for kissing you.”

  Thomas shrugged again. “I like being kissed.”

  She blushed redder. “Thank you for not taking advantage of me and for just…for just being there.”

  “I’m not sure why you feel the need to thank me for not taking advantage of you. Surely it is an expectation rather than a favour.”

  She smiled. “I suppose you’re right.” She sipped her tea. “My father has always been a horrible man,” she continued, “but I have never known him to be as evil as he was last night. I never imagined him capable of what he did to James. Though I should have guessed, he does not keep his throne through benevolence. Every time I picture James I… I just can’t believe he’s gone.” The princess’ eyes began to redden again, and she sipped quickly at her tea to disguise it. Thomas could not have missed her melancholy, the room reeked of her sadness.

  He lifted his teacup and said, “I’ve invited Prince Nathaniel to the guild to talk to him about what happened. I think the king is playing some game with us. Marrying you to me and then behaving as he did is very odd and he must, as you said, be plotting something.”

  “But why?”

  “He must have learned of your affair before marrying you to me, and this has all been some elaborate method of revenge for your betrayal.”

  “It’s all my fault,” she said sadly. “James is dead because of me.”

  “I’m quite certain it was the king who gave the orders.”

  “Because of me.”

  “People experience disappointments frequently, but they don’t usually resort to such depravity to resolve them. It will be the king and his men who will be judged for their actions.”

  “You saved me from my father. He was going to whip me, and you stopped him.”

  “It would be against my decree to allow him to whip you. The same would apply to any member of my guild. Discipline is permitted, but it forms part of a strict code, and the king’s methods would have breached it. I have a duty as a prince to keep my guild members in line but protect them from abuse.”

  “What is the code?”

  “They have first to be given a warning for their behaviour, if they commit the same foul I will speak to them and ask them to account for their actions. If I deem them to be at fault, I will decide on their punishment. They can be given between six and twenty lashes depending on the severity of the offence. I would then instruct my second to administer the punishment. They would then usually spend an agreed period of time in the dungeon before they are released. Subsequent breaches would result in them meeting with High Prince Sonneillon and may mean they are returned to Hell. As you can imagine it is enough of a deterrent, and my demons rarely fall foul of the rules. They did when we first arrived in Axandria, but incidents are very infrequent nowadays.”

  “Would you ever whip me?”

  Thomas thought for a moment.

  Would I? I haven’t considered it.

  “I haven’t thought about it,” he said, “but you are an anomaly and not subject to the decree—I’m not sure what rules you could break. However, it would be very unlikely that I would ever have you whipped. When demons are whipped, any pain or wounds have vanished moments later, but you would take time to heal. If I ever did punish you, it would have to be proportionate. I cannot foresee a situation where I would need to. I am not responsible for your behaviour.”

  The princess sighed, a hint of warmth flickered in her eyes. “I never wanted my father to marry me to anyone, but I am glad it was to you.”

  Thomas grinned. “You must have had some foul choices if you would prefer marriage to a cold-hearted demon.”

  She gave him a small smile. “You may be cold, but you are not cruel,” she said softly. “If I had been married when I was first offered, then I would be married to Lord Calises. Do you know who he is?”

  “Yes. He is a loathsome man.”

  “I’ve heard some stories about him and what he likes to do to women. I would not have suffered as much as his victims as the face of his guild and the mother to his heirs, but it is unlikely my marriage to him would have been pleasant. I imagine I would have been raped and beaten for the rest of my life. My father was happy to let me go to him, even before my affair with James. I mean nothing to him, I’m just like coin or land that can be exchanged for a few favours.” She poured more tea, and the sadness settled thickly around her. “Still…if I had married Calises, then James would still be alive. Part of me wishes I could go back and tell my old self to shut up and obey my father.”

  “Surely it would be easier to tell yourself not to have an affair with the farm boy.”

  “I suppose,” she said. “I’m going to make my father pay for what he has done. I am going to let him live long enough to see his throne taken from him and then I will make him suffer.”

  “Is there something wrong with your wings, Thomas?” asked Prince Nathaniel, entering Thomas’ office the next day. “Or has your marriage into the line of succession given you a penchant for summoning people.”

  Thomas grinned. “Neither,” he replied. “I invited you here to talk to you in case you have questions for my wife.”

  “Why would I have questions for your wife? The only time I have questions for thorian is when I ask them where they want me first.” Nathaniel grinned wickedly. “Is that it? You’re planning a treat for your wife? It has been a long time since we—”

  “No, Nathaniel. That is not it.”

 
“Pity. I don’t think I’ve had a princess. There was that time... No, that probably doesn’t count.”

  Thomas rolled his eyes. “Tea?”

  “I fly all this way, and you offer me tea? I thought we were friends.”

  Thomas laughed and summoned Arakiel to fetch them some wine before he informed Nathaniel of everything that had happened with the king.

  “Do we have any powers to remove him?” Thomas asked. “We have some obligations to Axandria, could I use that to remove the king without breaching my decree?”

  “Why do you want to?” asked Nathaniel, puzzled.

  “Because he’s using me and I don’t like it.”

  “Why not just give the princess back?”

  “I can’t. She’d be in danger if I sent her back and that would breach my decree. I’m stuck with her.”

  Nathaniel laughed. “You must have seen enough marriages fail on decree to realise it was a bad idea.”

  “Very amusing,” snapped Thomas. “Are you going to help me?”

  Nathaniel groaned. “It’s thousands of years since I read the Michælis. I don’t remember everything. We’ll have to go through it to search for ambiguities. You could ask your friends in Arkazatinia, they’re the revolutionaries.”

  “I’ve thought about that, but the Imperator they took out was risking exposure to Lycea. He had plans, though nothing definitive, to invade Lycea and the thorian lord and alchemists working with him were committing treason—we always have powers against treasonous acts, but nothing for revolutionary acts as far as I’m aware.”

  “What about the Procnatus lord from years ago?”

  “Which one?”

  “Malia.”

  “She could midspace and was capturing humans as slaves and drinking their blood.”

  “That wasn’t why the Guild of Asmodeus intervened, they responded to a request from the fae to save their realm. Their involvement had nothing to do with Lycea.”

  Thomas considered Nathaniel’s words.

  “You’re chummy with Calab now, aren’t you? You could ask him?”

  “I’m not chummy with him,” snorted Thomas. “I actually find him quite laughable. Did you know he works as a librarian?”

  “No.” Nathaniel smirked. “Though you may have to suck it up and speak to him or your hopes will rest on us reading the Michælis.”

  “Even if he tells me what he did, we may still fall foul if we did the same. From what I hear, Hallward has broken the decree several times in recent years and has received no punishment for it.”

  “Perhaps it’s because he had feelings and he could just break the rules if he felt like it.” Nathaniel gave a mocking yawn and stretched his arms before resting them behind his head. “So.” He winked, his onyx eyes gleaming. “The princess. What is she like?”

  “At the moment, she is wrought with anguish as her father decapitated her lover before her eyes—you know how sentimental thorian are. Usually, aside from the frequent complaints and demands, she is okay. I actually like talking to her.”

  “Do you want to keep her if you get rid of the king?”

  “Yes, though she may not want to stay. The king forced her to marry me, and she is a little touchy about it.”

  “I can imagine that would be a thorny issue,” said Nathaniel, sipping his wine. “Why did you marry her?”

  “In hindsight, it was a mistake. She resents me for it. I thought I was playing the king by agreeing to it. Instead, I played into his hands. And, of course, now I have this person who I must look after and provide for. She takes up more of my time than all of the demons in my guild.”

  Nathaniel grinned. “Some of that is fun, though? It must be handy to have a woman available whenever the mood strikes you.”

  “Unfortunately not. She has not consented.”

  “And you still want her around? I can think of no other reason to have a wife. So, who is warming your bed?”

  “No one.”

  “You’ve gone soft, Thomas.” Nathaniel laughed. “You’ve been spending far too much time in Arkazatinia.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Perhaps it is as well. She is a succedent. The risk is far too great. You should have married an antedent.”

  “I have taken precautions.”

  “What precautions?”

  “Her father had an opal implanted under her skin.”

  “How do you know it will work?”

  Thomas shrugged. “Thorian use them all the time.”

  “So, how did the king learn of the princess’ affair?”

  “I don’t know. He never said.”

  “Does the princess have any idea?”

  “I haven’t asked her. She is wrought with anguish, remember?”

  “Right. You should probably speak to her and find out everything she knows. It might help to learn why the king is targeting you.”

  “To get revenge on the princess.”

  “That seems unlikely. He knows many cruel and interesting ways of making people suffer and marriage, as excruciatingly painful as it seems, is not renowned as a method of torture.”

  “At least that would make some sense. His targeting of me makes no sense.”

  Nathaniel glanced at the time. “I may as well stay for supper.” He yawned. “I’ll dine with you and your princess.”

  Eleanor was dozing when she heard a knock at her door.

  Six o’clock. It’s nearly supper already.

  She stood to answer her door and found Prince Thomas standing there. She smiled at him. “Hello, Prince.”

  “Prince Nathaniel has arrived and has requested to take supper with us. Will you join us in the parlour at seven?”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  She returned to her room and pulled her call bell to ask Ramiel to bring her some tea. She had been sleeping much of the day and felt thirsty. She took a seat by the fire and gazed into the flames. Her stomach twisted as it did whenever she thought about James, about the pain he must have experienced. He had been so severely beaten and for what? Because they had loved each other.

  Ramiel arrived with her tea tray and placed it upon her table beside the fire and left her after she had given her thanks. She glanced at the time. Six-fifteen. She would have to ready herself for supper with the princes soon. She didn’t really wish to dine with Prince Nathaniel, she was not in the mood for guests, but she had not wanted to refuse Prince Thomas.

  Her feelings for the prince had been a rollercoaster. She had barely known him a few months, and in that time, she had hated him and felt repulsed by him, then she had found his cold manner amusing and entertaining, and now she did not know what she felt. He was her husband, and he had tried to persuade her father to spare her lover from punishment—he had told him it was unnecessary. He told her father he thought his treatment of James was excessive, and then he had stopped her father from whipping her.

  Her father had beaten her before and left her with scars, but he had never used that whip on her. She could not imagine the pain or the scars such an implement would leave, but the prince had stopped him. He would not allow it. And in his cold, matter-of-fact way he had told her she was safe at his guild. That he would never harm her.

  She imagined that her father must have been livid when the prince had protected her rather than beat her. Her father seemed sure that the prince would be angry with her when he revealed her affair with James and had seemed deflated that the prince had shrugged it off.

  Why would he try to provoke the prince?

  It did not make sense. The princess sighed, finished the last of her tea and rose from her chair to begin readying herself for supper.

  “This must be the girl who has made an honest man out of my friend.” Prince Nathaniel grinned. “Pleased to meet you, Princess.” He took Eleanor’s hand and raised it to his lips. “It is a shame you didn’t know him before he was an honest man—he was much more fun. Still, if he ever bores you to
o much you can come and find me.” He winked at her.

  “Are all demon’s perverted or is it just you two?” she said, stepping away from the prince and heading towards the dining table that had been set up in the parlour. Prince Thomas gave her a quick smile, and Prince Nathaniel laughed loudly.

  “I like her already,” he said.

  Eleanor seated herself next to Prince Thomas, and Prince Nathaniel sat opposite her. Arakiel entered the room with the wine and the first course.

  “So, Princess,” said Prince Nathaniel. “Do you know when your father learned of your affair?”

  “Oh,” said Eleanor, startled by the demon’s bluntness. “I honestly don’t know. We were careful. We always met outside the guild, and we were always careful not to be seen.”

  “And in the weeks or days leading up to your marriage to Thomas, did you notice any change in your father? Was he different towards you?”

  Eleanor tried to think back. It seemed like years ago, but it had only been a few months since she had married Prince Thomas. “Not that I can remember, but I tried to stay out of his way. He is always hateful towards me. The last letter I received from James indicated that his father may be suspicious, but I can think of nothing else.”

  “Have you put any spies on the king, Thomas?”

  “No,” replied Thomas. “We can’t spy on our king without breaching the decree. I remember that much from the Michælis. If I send men into his midspace without permission, I could lose my position as a prince of the first order.”

  “It doesn’t cover public buildings,” said Nathaniel.

  “What doesn’t?”

  “The Michælis. It was written before public buildings existed and only covers the home of the Crown.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m quite certain.”

  “You said you hadn’t read it for thousands of years.”

  “I haven’t, but Tarrin told me last year at the bidecadal that the Crown Alliance planned to exploit that when they were taking out the Imperator. They were going to have demons hiding in the midspace in case their meeting turned messy.”