Desperate Fire (Angel in the Whirlwind Book 4)
Page 42
The king nodded. “I’ll watch for your message,” he said. “And thank you.”
Kat nodded. “Please drop me off at the Admiralty,” she said wryly. “I can find my own way from there.”
“Of course,” the king said. “We wouldn’t want more rumors, would we?”
The palace, King Hadrian had often thought, was a gilded cage. He had been its prince, then its king, but he’d always been trapped within its walls. He’d never been allowed to leave, save for short periods where he’d always been closely supervised. His father, the most imposing man the young Hadrian had ever known, had never been willing to allow his son to endanger his life. There was only one heir, he’d said. Hadrian could not be risked.
He strode through the uppermost levels, feeling alone even though he knew there were servants only a call away. He’d never been friendly with them, not even the maids who’d flirted shamelessly with him as he’d grown into adulthood. His father had encouraged him to remember that he was the prince, the man who would be charged, one day, with ruling the Commonwealth. But he’d never had any real friends, let alone outside experience. He knew much, but it was all theoretical.
Kat would accept his offer, he was sure. No one could quibble over her qualifications or connections. And he could use her presence as a lever to winkle two or three of the other old fogies off the privy council. His father might have ensured the bastards would stay there, as long as they chose to remain, but Hadrian didn’t have to fire them to get them out. And then it would become easier to set his own agenda.
And if there is one thing the lords and the commoners have both forgotten, he thought as he strode into his private chamber, it is that my family built this kingdom.
His father had been a great man, Hadrian admitted. It wasn’t something he could dispute, even if he wanted to. King Travis had guided his homeworld through the aftermath of the Breakaway Wars and then had started building the Commonwealth. But Hadrian wanted to be great too, to have his name remembered along with his father’s. And he would, he promised himself; he would be great, whatever the cost.
And the war had provided the perfect opportunity. His power—direct and indirect—had expanded with the Commonwealth, with the colossal growth in war production, and opportunities for patronage. With the war over, the gateway to greatness lay open, beckoning him. He was not going to waste the moment.
And whatever the cost, he was going to win.
End of the First Arc
Kat Falcone Will Return.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Christopher G. Nuttall became an avid reader of science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers at an early age, checking Tom Clancy novels out of the library before his tenth birthday. Chris began a prolific writing career in 2005. As an indie author, he has published more than fifty novels through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, including the nine-volume Ark Royal series. He has also published twenty-nine novels with independent presses. These novels make up The Royal Sorceress series, the Bookworm series, and the eleven-volume Schooled in Magic series. Chris now lives in Edinburgh with Aisha, his partner, critic, and muse. Visit his blog at www.chrishanger.wordpress.com and his website at www.chrishanger.net.