“William, wait.” Kyle frowned as William turned back to him, his eyebrow raised. “How has Alex taken the King’s acknowledgement of his title as the Fourth Child?”
William shook his head. “We’ve had several conversations about it while you were sick; even Alex noticed the new clothing that appeared in his wardrobe. As you’d imagine, he is not happy, but is taking it better than I expected. He hasn’t had a yelling match with Father over the decision. Yet.”
Kyle grimaced at William’s response, knowing Alex not being happy was an understatement. “You will speak to him about this, right? I can’t report to you and the King tonight as Fourth’s Blade and blindside Alex that way.”
William nodded. “Yes, I will speak with him now. He’ll be wearing his new clothes, displaying his rank. Father felt it best, rather than an official announcement; Alex always has been the Fourth and doesn’t need the King’s acknowledgement before he can assume the role.”
Kyle walked into his massive wardrobe and stared at the racks upon racks of clothing. The contents of his closet had been multiplying as the new formal clothing with the Crest of the Fourth was being added. Walking out, somewhat frustrated, he pulled a small rope he knew rang a bell in the servants’ waiting area.
His door opened with a promptness that startled him, and Bennett walked in with a tray containing a selection of baked items, fruits, cheeses and sliced meats from the kitchen and placed it on the table.
“Afternoon, My Lord, I prepared a tray for you. With His Highness’ visit, I guessed you’d be calling. Is there anything else you need, My Lord? Should I prepare your bath while you eat?”
Bennett was an active, wiry man; his servant since, it seemed, forever, although he was not much older than he was. He was by all reports a cousin’s illegitimate son who had begged service off his Lady Mother. His mother had not only granted his request but seen that Bennet’s mother was taken care of with a nice cottage of her own and regular deliveries of supplies. She was not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but she didn’t want for anything, which lent weight to the rumour regarding his parentage. Bennett was good with a blade and more than capable of seeing to Kyle’s household with expanding responsibilities.
“Thanks, Bennett. I need to pay an official visit today to Lord Vannen. Could you pull out a set of my court clothes—the new ones with the Crest of the Fourth on them? Seems I will wear them sooner than I thought.” Kyle saw no surprise from Bennett, who only nodded and walked through the wardrobe and dressing rooms into the bathroom beyond.
What seemed like hours later, Kyle was looking in the mirror, tugging at his tunic while the ever-present and capable Bennett fussed and made sure he looked perfect. Standing back, he assessed his handy work with a small satisfied smile and a nod before heading back to the weapons rack, which had its own place, taking up one whole section of his wardrobe. Bennett came back with his hands and arms full of an assortment of blades. The ones that would be on ceremonial display caught Kyle’s eye; they were new.
As Bennett dumped the weapons on a nearby table and assisted him in arming up, Kyle plucked one of the new daggers up and assessed its weight. Despite the glossy new Fourth’s Crest embossed on the hilt and the sigil of the Shadow, as well as the Fourth’s Blade etched into the blade itself, it was finely balanced. Kyle flicked his eyes to Bennett in the mirror and raised an eyebrow in enquiry.
“His Majesty and your father commissioned and paid for them, My Lord. I believe they bickered about who would pay for your wardrobe and outfitting, and settled on a compromise.” Bennett’s lips twitched, although his tone had been bland.
That Bennett was admiring the appearance of his lord was not lost on Kyle. He well knew that Bennett slept with men, not women. His servant also knew his master was into women—Bennett had walked in on Kyle with partners in the morning often enough. He had helped more than one lady discreetly to her own rooms. He’d never put a foot out of line with Kyle or any other man, to Kyle’s knowledge. Kyle had even set his servant up a few times, making recommendations on bedmates not only in the servant’s ranks but in the ranks of the lords.
If any had thought they could pump Bennett for information about his lord, they soon discovered the error of their ways. Bennett was loyal not only to the Strafford family but to Kyle, in particular. Bennett was discreet and few knew his inclinations. He’d left more than one lady who’d been trying to extract information about his Lord, confused as to why their wiles hadn’t worked.
“So will I pass muster?” Kyle kept his tone light and bantering.
Bennett took the question seriously and appraised him openly, a slight smile tugging at the edges of his lips.
“Yes, My Lord, you do. The ladies are a mystery but I have noticed a, shall we say, similarity in their tastes. Cool, competent, powerful—the sigil of the Shadow. You mix civilised and refinement with dangerous. The ladies will fall all over you if you let them. Lord Vannen will be terrified if that is your intent.”
Kyle saw his own eyes narrow.
“Good. A terrified lord major would be my intent. If he’s smart, he will understand the message I have to deliver and, given who it is from, take heed. Thank you, Bennett, you might as well take the night off, if you choose. I have orders and, dressed like this, will be palace-bound this evening.” His servant bowed and walked toward the door before Kyle added as an afterthought, “I don’t think you’ll have to usher any ladies out of my bed in the morning. At least, I’m not planning it.”
He grinned as he surprised a laugh out of Bennett. “You never do, My Lord. I will check anyway. Still, it will be easy for a lady to get back to her rooms unnoticed should she spend the night with you here, unlike in the case of your previous suite.” With that last parting shot, Bennett departed his Lord’s rooms, intent on his own pursuits.
Kyle knew precisely which wing Lord Raymond Vannen was housed in when he was at the palace. While he was a lord major—and wealthy—at least now he knew where the wealth came from. He was in one of the more remote wings of the palace since he wasn’t particularly influential. Or at least on the surface, he had never appeared to be. Now, given what he’d found out, he wondered if Lord Major Vannen had more influence on some lords than he’d known of.
Kyle approached the door and observed the household guards, without weapons, outside the door, surveying with some alarm the approach of an armed lord with Elite in tow. Kyle didn’t pause as he approached the door, giving a flat stare to the guards, who looked likely to object.
“I wouldn’t if I were you.”
Kyle didn’t wait for an answer; he simply walked past them, opening the door and indicating that James and Matthew could remain outside. Both men acknowledged his order and took the wall opposite the household guards, who looked panicked to be facing off against the Fourth’s Elite.
Kyle entered the small reception room without ceremony only to see a house girl who squeaked in alarm and dropped the glass of wine she’d been carrying, its red liquid spreading all over the floor.
Kyle smiled at the symmetry of the spreading wine and the likelihood of blood spilling if the lord didn’t like the message he received. Assessing the room, he moved and sat in what he determined was the most comfortable chair and the one that Lord Vannen had claimed as his own.
“Tell Lord Vannen his presence is required.”
Kyle kept his gaze flat, his tone commanding. The hapless serving girl looked at him wide-eyed, mumbled something that sounded like “of course, My Lord” and almost ran inside the inner doors to the bedroom.
There was some loud commotion in the bedroom, then Lord Vannen came strutting out with a hunting blade strapped to his waist. It didn’t match his dress and wasn’t something he should be seen wearing in the court, given it would be deemed treason. The lords and their guards had to hand in their weapons to the armoury on their arrival at the palace. Only certain lords had the permission of the Crown to bear arms in the Royal Palace. Lord Vannen wasn’t one of t
hem. Kyle smiled humourlessly.
“James!” Kyle’s voice was just loud enough to carry through the doors to the guards beyond.
James entered the room with what sounded like a slight scuffle outside. Kyle glimpsed Matthew through the door holding a blade to the throat of one guard before the doors closed; by the sound of booted feet drumming down the hallway, extra guards were on their way. Kyle smiled; his guard knew him well enough already, it seemed. Then the doors closed, with the competent Elite Guardsman James Caldwell on his side of the doorway.
“My Lord?”
While James addressed Kyle, his eyes were on Lord Vannen and the knife he carried at his waist.
“James, I think the Lord forgot to declare weapons he might have. If you could be so good as to seize the dagger and alert the King’s Guard. They may want to consider a search of the Lord’s rooms, goods and people for other contraband.”
Kyle appeared relaxed, but he was watching the lord for any sign he might do something stupid, like attack James rather than hand over his weapons. While he knew and trusted James’ skill with both hand-to-hand combat and the blade, he still stood ready to intervene.
James turned his attention to the lord, who swallowed nervously, having not thought out his course of action.
“By the command of the Fourth’s Blade, you’ll draw your blade, slowly, and drop it on the ground, Lord Vannen.” James was all business, not taking his eyes away from the lord as he slowly drew his knife and dropped it as instructed on the floor. “Now take two steps backwards, turn slowly and place your hands where I can see them on the wall.” James watched calmly as the terrified lord followed instructions. “Stay still Lord Vannen, I will retrieve the knife. If you move I will kill you, I don’t want to do that. So please just stay put until you’re given permission to do otherwise.”
James moved forward when the lord complied with his instructions. Without taking his eyes off the lord, he retrieved the dagger from the floor.
James backed up and passed the blade through the door to the guards beyond then, with a determined glare, shut the door, staying inside. Kyle almost groaned out loud before indicating for James to move to the far side of the room. James looked determined but complied; however, he withdrew his sword from its hilt.
“Sit down, Lord Vannen.” Kyle’s voice did not betray even a hint of emotion.
The shaken lord pushed himself off the wall and turned. He paused, looking at Kyle, his eyes occasionally darting up to focus on the King’s Elite in the corner of the room. He licked his lips and stepped forward, perching on the edge of the nearest chair facing Kyle. Kyle let the silence last, watching as the unnerved lord cringed.
“The King is most displeased, Creswell. You know having any connection at all to a plot to abduct a Prince of the Royal Blood is treason. Right?” Kyle kept his voice calm without even the slightest edge of emotion, his eyes on the lord.
“I-I don’t know what you mean, My Lord, I haven’t committed treason. Um, I don’t think.” Lord Vannen looked so befuddled and confused that only strict control stopped Kyle from laughing outright.
Kyle appraised the quivering lord and handed over the list that William had given him.
“You deny owning these premises?”
The lord edged forward and reached across the intervening gap, his hand shaking as he took the list from Kyle. Raymond’s eyes scanned down the list of local houses of pleasure and gambling dens. As he read down the list, he went even paler than Kyle thought was possible.
“Yes, they belong to my family. They have for generations. I have little to do with them, my house staff administer them. It’s a legacy from my Lord Grandfather’s day.” Lord Vannen looked like he was almost pleading for understanding.
“It matters not, Creswell, you will quit your interest in those businesses. You have been found to be closer than the King cares for in the plot to abduct Prince Alexander. The two women who drugged the Prince and myself and the male who drugged Lady Jessalan have proven to come from one of your houses of pleasure with connections to the League of Skulls. If you do not comply, your whole family will be found to have committed treason. As a family line, you will cease to exist.”
Kyle didn’t wait for an answer, taking the written note from the shaken lord’s fingers. He walked from the apartment, James following behind him, not bothering to close the door. The King’s Guard, who were waiting outside, allowed Kyle to get clear before entering the room to begin their search without being told. Kyle walked down the hall without giving it a second thought, both James and Mathew falling in behind him.
Kyle vowed to never wear the Fourth’s court gear again unless he was ordered to, then grimaced as he realised that wouldn’t be possible. While he usually could pass through the courtiers without hindrance, this evening he found himself in the middle of a gaggle of ladies and lords who seemed to be with him no matter where he moved. His only consolation was that Alex, up on the main Dias for once near the King and his brother, the Crown Prince, looked equally miserable, although he doubted any but he or Jess could tell.
Jess looked calm but was dealing, it seemed, with a never-ending supply of lordlings who seemed to think that with Alex out of the way, stationed by the King, and Kyle being contained by his own followers, they could partition the lady for her favour with no hindrance.
Kyle paused briefly on his way across the courtroom; if he hadn’t been surrounded by a gaggle of ladies trying to gain his attention, he would have smacked his forehead as he suddenly understood that together the three of them seemed way too formidable to go near. It looked like the courtiers felt they stood a chance only while they were alone. All of them had noticed the Fourth’s Crest, and he’d been deflecting or just plain ignoring questions from his peers about it and Alex all evening. Kyle realised that he was out of practice since the healers had exempted him from official duties while he had been sick.
Fed up with being polite, Kyle excused himself and waded his way through the crowded ballroom toward the King. Reaching the stairs, the King’s Elite parted to let him through, leaving the unwanted entourage behind. Kyle could almost feel the guards’ amusement; they had just observed everything and likely been warned of the events in the hapless Lord Vannen’s apartments just before the dinner.
Kyle pushed aside his irritation as he approached the King. He drew his blade and bowed his head, placing the hand containing the dagger against his heart, dropping to one knee.
“Your Blade reports.”
Kyle said the honorific words so only those on the dais could hear, but knew the whole court was whispering, watching, taking in every detail.
“Report to our King, Fourth’s Blade,” Alex replied, as was customary, which caused even more whispers.
Knowing his face was not visible to any of the court behind him, he grinned at the King. “My liege, you have a very shaken lord major. I think he will divest himself of any interest in the businesses you stipulated. He claims it was his grandfather who had the primary association with the businesses in question and that his staff were the ones maintaining them. He will bear watching though. I don’t believe him. As pathetic as he may seem, he came out armed to meet me. He didn’t draw on me. Otherwise, you’d be down one lord to a major house.”
Kyle saw the King, William and Alex stiffen at that last piece of information and all their gazes tracked across the ballroom to the location where Kyle was sure the Lord Vannen was standing.
“He’s still alive.” William’s eyes were wide as he looked at the lord.
Kyle couldn’t help but grin at the incredulous tone in William’s voice. “Well you told me not to kill him. I took that as an order from His Majesty.”
Kyle didn’t turn to look at Vannen but was sure that there were Elite Guard near him, called in by his own guard after the discovery of one of the lords bearing arms without the King’s prior approval, in a severe breach of protocol. Kyle grinned again and drew the attention of the three back to him.
&n
bsp; “Let me guess, when the three of you looked from me over to him he nearly collapsed in a dead faint?” Kyle was feeling amused despite the circumstances.
“You would be correct, Kyle. What on earth did you do to the man or is he that spineless?” William looked back to the Lord then back at Kyle.
Keeping his voice low so only those on the Dias were party to the conversation, Kyle couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips.
“That’s just it. I didn’t do much except inform him you knew about his involvement. James disarmed him, Matthew held his guards at bay. I think there is a fair amount of posturing in him. Still, I think he was shaken to have his interests uncovered.”
“You must appease your Lady Mother, she looks a little distressed. While the rumours about you being The Shadow have been circulating in the court for years, it seems this official public acknowledgement of your status has upset her.” The King looked concerned, and Kyle had to force himself not to break protocol to turn around and look.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I still don’t quite get why everyone is so shocked. I’ve been permitted to carry my blades in the court for years.” Kyle looked a little perplexed, and the King laughed.
“Perhaps they hoped it was just my favour due to your friendship with my children? Although in Gwen’s case, I think your mother is more upset about the acknowledgement of your title. You know ‘The Shadow’, ‘Fourth’s Blade’—the assassin thing. You may have been trained in blade work since you were old enough to hold a dagger, yet it is still a shock to a parent.” The King’s tone was dry.
Alex gave his friend a tight smile as he continued to scan the room. “So, do you think your assassin friend will work out who you are now?”
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