by Zoey Ellis
“Yes.” A nobleman, thickset with graying hair spouting from both his beard and scalp, rose from the far left-hand pew. “I have been asked to speak on behalf of the nobles.” He cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, many of us want to know why you are allowing this criminal a chance to speak. He has committed heinous crimes, including murder, rape, arson, and treason. After twenty years of his reign of terror, we finally have him in our grasp. Why not kill him and be rid of him?”
The king paused for a moment before he replied, his voice relaxed and smooth. “There is no use in cutting off the head of a snake only for the body to squeeze you to death. Maddoc has gained support over the years. We need confirmation of those who’ve aligned with him and have enlisted in his fellowship of destruction. In addition, it is imperative we know how they are operating, how they get supplies in and out of the kingdom, how they coordinate and plan attacks, and most importantly, where they are based. This man can give us everything we need to eliminate his band of ‘Mad Men.’”
The sound of snickering rose throughout the hall at the use of the frequent nickname given to Maddoc’s men, but Ana was too nervous to be amused.
“Do we really need the information that desperately, Your Majesty?” the nobleman asked. “We will find them all eventually. Better that the man is dead.”
The king inclined his head. “We cannot underestimate the reaction of his men when news of his death circulates. It may inspire them to fight harder and longer to avenge him. And consider this, Maddoc came here of his own free will. His men must know he is here. I’m sure they cannot be so foolish that they’re not expecting his demise.”
“I doubt he is here to offer the information you seek, Your Majesty.”
“Too bad for him,” the king said gravely. “He has placed himself in our hands. There is no possible way for him to escape us now. We will get the information out of him, or he will suffer greatly before his execution.”
The nobleman nodded and sat back down, a low hum rippling through the crowd.
Ana swallowed at her father’s words, a hard ball of tension and nausea souring in her stomach. If his men knew he was here then they could be planning anything. It was all very well to mock and belittle them in front of the court—call them a band of mad men like they were incompetent fools—but Ana knew from her reading, and from talking to her father, that they were smart and dangerous and sophisticated enough to cause real damage.
“Bring him in,” the king called.
Silence gripped the hall again as the doors creaked open. Heavy footsteps echoed across the space as a man entered and walked between the crowds seated on both sides.
A dark trembling gloom bloomed in Ana’s stomach at the sight of him.
Huge and thick, he was a towering mass of muscle. A patchwork of mismatched grey, brown, and black clothing covered his bulky frame; heavy leather boots adorned his feet, and a ruby red cloak swayed from his shoulders while its hood covered his head and obscured his face. There could be no doubt he was an Alpha. He was larger than the guards who accompanied him, and he walked with a confidence not even the Alphas of the royal houses possessed. The arrogance saturating the way he held himself made Ana’s stomach plummet—this was not going to be an easy exchange.
He took no notice of the audience on either side of him, his attention remaining on the thrones. When he reached the engraving of the royal crest etched into the floor, a few feet from the platform, he abruptly halted, then removed his hood.
Silence swallowed every last shuffle in the hall. Ana tried to drag her eyes away, to prevent herself from seeing the face of this monster who had been a malignant force against her kingdom for so long, but she couldn’t. He held himself with the poise of a wild animal, waiting to strike its prey when the opportunity arose—deceptively relaxed, watchful, and predatory. He was unlike any other man she’d seen, and no one took their eyes off a creature so dangerous. Black, shaggy hair surrounded his head, and a short beard covered the lower half of his face. He had a strong nose and a gaze so piercing, it made Ana shudder.
“Maddoc.” The king’s authoritative voice cut through the tension. “You asked for an audience with me and you have it. Just know you will be charged here today, so I hope what you have come to say is worth it.”
The Alpha remained still, almost statuesque. The solemn weight of his dark eyes captured the menace emanating from his whole being, and his gaze didn’t waver from the king.
It were as if the entire court held a collective breath, and in that moment Ana sensed the aggression that stifled the room. It was so potent, it would only take one spark, one wrong word, to ignite the proceedings into chaos.
“You think I am that foolish?” the Alpha said finally. Deep and gritty, his rough voice cut straight into Ana, agitating the tremble that was already unnerving her. Surprisingly, his accent was untainted. Usually, the commoners, depending on region, held a slur or tonal dialect that made them difficult to understand, but it helped differentiate their location in Allandis. This Alpha’s speech suggested he was educated—that hadn’t been in anything she’d read.
“I don’t pretend to understand the mind of a criminal,” her father replied, his voice deepening as he leaned forward. “That does not interest me. All I know is your crimes cease today. I hope you have come with the intention of giving up your men.”
“I’ve come with the intention to claim what I am owed,” the outlaw growled. “And you will compensate me.”
A hushed murmur rolled though the court, but King Orick did not move. “You are the one who has attempted to run this kingdom into the ground with your violent, senseless rebellion,” he said, his voice hard. “You have failed. So instead of crawling into the Oakenshire to die, you come here to play the victim? That is your plan?” The king shook his head, disgusted. “You are more foolish that you are given credit for. Tell me the names of your men, or you will be sentenced immediately.”
The Alpha didn’t move. “My men are not at issue. The Royal Promise you owe me is.”
The king stiffened in his chair, and Ana stiffened in hers. The Royal Promise was reserved for commoners who aided the kingdom in such an exceptional way that the royal family had a duty to reward them. It was detailed heavily in Allandis law. Milly had explained in one of Ana’s lessons that since the inception of the Royal Promise over eighty years ago, unrest and dissatisfaction against the crown had dropped drastically. Commoners held the promise in high regard, seeing it as something they could be awarded if they proved their value to the kingdom. However, Ana was disappointed to learn that only one person in history had earned it.
“Why the fuck would you think you of all people would have claim to a promise?” The king’s voice boomed across the hall.
Maddoc’s head tilted slightly, his voice measured and deliberate. “I saved your life a month ago.”
An icy horror breathed along Ana’s upper arms. No.
“I killed the men who were about to murder you on your last hunt… and they would have succeeded. Your guards were fucking ineffective and useless.” His eyes bore into the king. “Much like they are now.”
“You expect me to believe that?” the king snarled. “From a liar and a cheat?”
“It is easy to prove.”
“Of course it is. You will manipulate the truth. It was probably your men who orchestrated the attack!”
The outlaw’s eyes darkened even further. “I would never kill my own men.”
“Don’t pretend as though you have any honor,” the king thundered. “Why you would save my life after all your attempts to end my reign? You are lying!”
“I’m not ready for you to die yet, Orick,” Maddoc said sharply. “You will not die until everything has been stripped from you. Until all the riches you have amassed have been plundered, and the pain you have inflicted has turned back on you tenfold. You are not permitted to die until that has happened.”
Ana had never seen her father so furious. He shot forward again i
n his chair, veins straining at his neck. “You may wish for that, but it will never come to pass. You have one more chance to give up your men before you are fucking executed.”
The outlaw remained still. “So you will not honor the promise?”
The queen inched forward on her seat. “What proof do you have of your debt?” Her posture was relaxed, her face smooth and calm, but Ana recognized the slight twitch in her cheek that betrayed her mother’s worry, and as she glanced around the silent hall, it was clear her mother wasn’t the only one. Each body on every seat—from the houses to the commoners—leaned toward the throne, all eyes examining the exchange, even the guards had turned to watch. And all were silent.
Maddoc moved slowly. His hand lifted to his furs and dipped into a pocket at his chest, then pulled out a bloody, patterned rag that was torn and frayed. “Do you recall that I pressed this cloth against your wound? I tore it in half as your men arrived so you could maintain the pressure.”
From the king’s thunderous face, it was clear Maddoc wasn’t lying.
Ana held her breath along with the rest of the court.
“You can examine my bow and arrows and my sword that you took from me when I arrived,” the outlaw added. “They are unique. You will be able to identify that they are the weapons that killed the men.”
“And how do we know they are not your men?” the queen asked, though her voice shook a little.
“Your people examined them, didn’t they? You should already know they are not my men.”
The queen shifted back in her chair, as regal as when she sat down, but Ana could see the slight drop of her shoulders. “Why would you save him?” she asked.
At that, the outlaw didn’t answer.
“To be owed a promise,” the king spit out. His face had deepened to a dark red and his knuckles were almost white as he squeezed the arm of the throne. If he had the opportunity to kill Maddoc from where he stood with his bare hands, Ana had no doubt he would do it. But the Royal Promise changed everything.
“Your cloth and weapons will be examined,” he said stiffly, as though forcing the words out. “But given your lifelong mission to destroy me, I don’t see why I should honor any promise to you.”
A ripple of gasps and murmurs waved through the court, and prickles of dread attacked Ana’s nerves. The refusal of a promise wouldn’t put her father in a good light, even if it was to this man.
“If you choose not to honor a promise to the man who is the reason for every breath you take,” Maddoc said darkly, “you will have a riot in your kingdom, and you know it.”
“And you will no doubt encourage and incite it,” the king snarled.
Maddoc didn’t answer, but his wiry beard twitched slightly.
The king’s jaw tightened. “And what is it you want as your repayment? What is so precious that you staged this farce? Riches? Gold? Is it land you’re after? Perhaps a pardon for your sorry life?”
“All of those things are irrelevant and unnecessary,” Maddoc growled. “There is only one thing of unmatched value that I want.”
“What is it?”
“Your daughter. For three nights.”
2
The air in Ana’s lungs turned thick. Her chest tightened and her breath hitched in her throat as she tried to make sense of the words she just heard.
“My… What the fuck did you say to me?” her father bellowed, rising to his feet.
Maddoc remained still. The guards watched him closely, tightening their fists on their weapons, but none of them moved.
“I will not negotiate my daughter,” he bellowed again. “You will fucking die before you get in a room with her.”
Ana gripped the arms of her chair, trying to find a way to take a breath. Her? What could he possibly want with her?
“Three nights,” Maddoc repeated.
“Arrest him!” her father roared.
The royal guards moved in, but Maddoc still didn’t move. His fierce gaze remained on the king, and the way he looked at him, Ana was sure he saw something about her father the rest of them couldn’t see. She didn’t like it what it implied.
“What is worth more to you, Orick?” Maddoc finally said, his gritty voice quiet. “Your daughter’s honor or your throne? If you renege on the promise, your reign is over. You know it. You can arrest me, you can blame me and my men for it. But it doesn’t change the fact that you will be the king who denied a commoner, a man who saved your life, the Royal Promise.”
At that, the court quietened again. Even the guards, who the king ordered to arrest him, stopped when they surrounded him, waiting for the king to reaffirm his instruction.
“I am not asking you to give up your kingdom, your wealth, or your reign. I’m not even asking you to give up your alliances or make use of them for my cause. Just three nights with your daughter.” He paused. “You can understand that an Alpha has needs.”
The heat that rushed to Ana’s head made her dizzy. She lowered her head as her cheeks burned. So that was what he wanted. Of course. How foolish of her not to immediately think of it.
“You are a fucking savage,” the queen said, her face contorted with disgust. It was the first time Ana heard her mother speak in such a way,
A dark leer entered his tone, even though his expression didn’t change. “A savage keen on trying royal pussy, yes.”
A murmur rippled through the hall again, and the queen wrinkled her nose as she turned away. A fresh rush of blazing embarrassment clawed up Ana’s neck.
“That is not an appropriate request,” the king thundered. “My daughter is not—”
“I don’t give a fuck what you feel is appropriate,” Maddoc interrupted, his voice rising above its low tone for the first time. “She is over twenty years old and well over the age of an adult, as set by Allandis law. In some parts of this kingdom, women her age are working, with six or seven children running around their feet while carrying the next. I assure you, your daughter is well-equipped to handle me for three nights—at least we shall see if she is.”
Frantic desperation rose as Ana twisted her fingers around each other in her lap. Father had to find a way to get rid of him. It was not possible for her to spend any time with this man at all. Her father couldn’t allow it. He just couldn’t.
“I don’t care about what is happening elsewhere in the kingdom,” the king stormed. “We are discussing my daughter. She’s not only royalty but an Omega, not some cheap whore you can rent by the half hour. She will not lay with you.”
“Then you are refusing?”
In the silence that followed, Ana dared not to look anywhere else but at her father’s face. Although he was usually impassive at court events, rage had twisted and reddened his face, making him more expressive than usual. His feelings were clear—he didn’t want this man to have access to her, but when he did not immediately answer yes, Ana’s heart began to pound.
“Good,” the outlaw said, gruffly. “The repayment terms for your debt are three consecutive nights with the princess, dusk until dawn, in a room in the palace with an east facing window. I’m sure you have a room suitable.”
With each word from his mouth, Ana’s panic grew. Her gaze remained on her father, unable to believe that he hadn’t outright refused.
“Tonight will be the first night. At dawn after the third night, your debt will be paid.” As Maddoc turned, his dark eyes slid to Ana. At his intense gaze, goosebumps erupted over her skin and a nervous quiver skittered down her spine, but then within a moment, his back was to her as he made his way down the hall.
Although the guards continued to surround him, escorting him out, it was clear who was in control of the situation now.
Everyone remained in their seats after the outlaw exited, which was unusual for the court.
Ana wouldn’t have been able to move, even if she wanted to. It was difficult to draw breath, and a persistent throbbing filled her ears. She rubbed her knuckles into her legs, her eyes on her father as she tried to c
alm herself. Father had to have some kind of plan.
“Explain why you didn’t arrest him?” The same nobleman rose again, breaking the stunned silence that had fallen over the court. “You promised us he would be captured today.”
“Did you not hear what just happened?” another man on the opposite side of the hall shot back. “He’s owed the Royal Promise.”
“So he says,” the nobleman argued back. “Since when do we believe the word of a criminal and outlaw? He could have simply observed that incident. There is nothing to prove he was the one who helped the king.”
“We will know shortly,” the king said, his voice low. The troubled expression on his face fanned the concern in Ana’s gut. “And it will be announced once confirmed. In the meantime, I want the hall cleared. Only the royal court must stay.”
A low babble of noise increased as people rose from their seats. The royal court consisted of the extended household of the royal family as well as nobility connected to them and their advisers.
The commoners and the lesser nobles, who had attended the hearing, filtered out quickly, but those of the royal houses remained. Ana stayed in her seat, avoiding looking at anyone while the apprehension in her chest smoldered.
“You need to discuss this with the houses, not just your court, Your Majesty,” Duke Milo of House Sterling said, as the hall cleared. “This is not just a ruling family matter. It affects all of us.”
“Agreed,” called Duke Aldous of House Redcrest.
Ana tried hard to not look over to where House Redcrest sat. The Alpha she was betrothed to, Duke Ryden, was no doubt in attendance, and although they usually tried to catch each other’s eyes after court hearings, she couldn’t bear to look at him right now.
The king held up his hand as the other houses called out their agreement. “I will discuss with my advisers first and then call for the royal assembly.”