Chapter 20 #2
“Watch yourself, Cassius,” he warned. “I might not be inclined to gut you, but I’ll do it if I have to.”
That fact still surprised me because I really had assumed he was the kind to dole out violence and death easily, but his words couldn’t be a lie in this place.
Even after a curse had caused the death of the men he’d brought with him and the treasure I’d promised him was now untouchable, he hadn’t attempted to kill me.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that and I didn’t really want any pointless feelings of gratitude to colour my actions now, so I focused instead on the task at hand.
I considered him, figuring out the best way to play this and settling on the simplest one. Temptation.
“I suppose you're right,” I sighed, cutting my gaze away like I was dreaming of the things I would try to claim with that power if I had control over it.
“You could have your own empire if you desired it…” I trailed off, letting that sink in for a second.
I had a plan. A crazy plan. One that could either bring even more hell down on my kingdom, or potentially give me one single chance at saving it.
It was fucking insanity, but it was all I had left so I was going to run with it and hope for the best.
“I could be an emperor?” he mused, his eyes lighting up with the idea and I supressed a smug grin because I knew I fucking had him.
“I suppose it would be easier if you could simply take an existing empire. That Blessing or whatever she called herself said you can only make commands for yourself, so you couldn't take control without actually seizing power from an existing emperor. You can’t use her magic to make anyone accept you as their leader. But if you were a legitimate ruler…” I shrugged, turning away from him and he caught my arm.
“Wait, I have an idea,” he said, his onyx eyes flashing with a hunger so potent I could practically feel it myself.
I bet you do. My heart pattered harder as excitement built in his gaze.
“I could marry the princess,” he announced and even those words spilling from his tongue sent a flash of white-hot rage through my chest. But I schooled my expression, not allowing my feelings to be shown on that matter.
“She needs a husband to rule the empire for her, and though I’d never really thought of myself as the marrying kind, I’d bet I could get behind the idea. ”
Not on my watch. But you're sure going to try, thief.
He knew I prized the royal family and that I wouldn't just let Princess Austyn fall into his thieving, unworthy hands. Besides, I couldn't lie anyway, so I had to keep choosing my words with care.
“You're not really fit for that. You aren’t rich enough to pay the dowry for one,” I pointed out.
“I could be though. If the girl inside that coin is as powerful as she claims, then I’m pretty sure she could make me richer than the emperor himself. Then I could enter the pageant as a suitor,” he said even louder.
And fail in the contest.
By Osaria, I was good at this manipulating bullshit.
Maybe I should have joined The Forty for real.
But I'd save that for the day I abandoned my morals, my hygiene and my own self-respect. In the meantime, I was going to make my way back into the palace alongside this selfish thief, and when he was beaten fighting Kahn or one of the other arseholes who came to try and buy their way onto the royal throne, I’d take the coin from his battered body and find a way to destroy it.
While I was there, I’d work to expose the empress for what she was too, and the entire kingdom would finally have a chance at prosperity again with her gone.
And the icing on the cake would be that Magdor’s execution would free Princess Austyn.
Yes, I’d almost certainly die in this endeavour, but her freedom alone would be worth the sacrifice.
I had been honed and crafted to protect the empire, so protect it I damn well would.
I frowned at Drake, carving my fingers over my short hair.
“You won't pass as a suitor unless you act appropriately. You don’t know how to behave in polite society, you don’t know how to talk, move, or act.
I doubt you even know the correct protocols for greeting upper Fae of varying rank…
” I tilted my head as I looked him over, the assessment obvious and a sigh escaping me as I shook my head.
“No, it won't work. I can't see them accepting you no matter how much money you paid the emperor to enter the pageant. There may be no official law against a commoner entering, but I guarantee they want a man of good breeding.”
Drake’s eyes flashed with an indignant kind of challenge at that assessment, and he strode forward before cupping the back of my neck, his eyes gleaming with an idea. “Lucky I have a royal guard to teach me then, isn’t it mate?”
I shook my head though he was playing right into my trap, and he hadn’t even seemed to notice. “I can't allow you to become an emperor, Drake. I couldn't see someone sit on the throne who wasn't good to my kingdom.” I frowned seriously and a smile tugged at his lips.
“I'll do the orphanages thing, I swear it. Whatever else. I just want the money, the palace and all that shit. And the princess, you said she's beautiful right? I’ll be a good husband to her. I can make a woman come more times than she can count given a full night in her bed – by the end of our wedding night she’ll be so in love with me and my cock that she won’t even remember her own name.
I wasn’t joking about the sex Affinity.” He winked and I had to work damn hard not to punch him there and then as acid poured down my spine.
I nodded slowly, biting my tongue hard enough to draw blood and fighting the rage building in my chest at his tone like a pool of burning hot magma against an iron wall.
A possessive beast reared its head inside me and I clenched my jaw, not liking the way he was speaking about Princess Austyn one bit and having half a mind to knock his fucking teeth out for it.
But the monster settled down as I reminded myself that he'd never get that far anyway. He wouldn’t lay a single, undeserving finger on her because he’d fail in the pageant long before he even got close to my princess – I mean the princess.
Oh Drake, you are so fucked, you have no idea.
Kahn was twice his size with fists like sledgehammers and a temper that could rival a fire drake caught in a snowstorm.
No one stood a chance against him in the brawls.
And no doubt the other suitors who were travelling from every corner of the empire would be equally well trained and intimidating.
Each of them more than a match for some street thug trying to rise above his station.
But evidently, Drake hadn't heard of Kahn - or if he had he was actually fool enough to think he stood a chance anyway.
And that was all the better for me. Because Drake was going to get me back into the palace.
And once I was there, I'd cut the kingdom's problem off at the root.
Magdor wouldn't see me coming. And I’d deal with her halfwit son before he tried to tarnish the princess with his unworthy hands too.
If I couldn't take this coin out of the world, then I was going to take the empress and her vile son out of it instead.
When I figured out a way to expose her for what she was, the emperor would take care of the execution and Kahn would be outcast from the kingdom at the very least. I just needed to get in and find out exactly what it was that Magdor was up to, gather evidence of her foul deeds and present them in front of the royal court. Not simple, but possible.
“What does the princess look like? I know you lied to my gang.
But you can't fool me,” Drake demanded and the truth met my lips as the magic of this damn place forced me to give it to him.
I tried to hold it back, desperate to keep that knowledge for myself but it spilled out anyway, refusing to stay locked away inside me where I had wished to keep it for myself.
“She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.
Her hair is silver as if it's infused with the light of the moon itself, her eyes are amber; two shining gemstones in a circle of darkness. Her lips are full...and so-” Don't say it.
Don't you dare fucking say it, Cassius Lazar.
“-enticing, I haven't been able to sleep a night without dreaming of them since. I thought of her often before I saw her face, but now I think of her unendingly.” Stop, you arsehole, stop!
I managed to shut up and heat blazed up my spine as I carved a hand over my face.
I had been grappling with those blasphemous thoughts for too long now and where I’d expected this possession in me to lessen with time, it had only grown keener.
But I could not think of her that way. She was the princess, her blood royal, and one drop of that blood was far more worthy than every drop of mine combined.
I had made oaths that bound me to serve her and the empire which made me nothing but a brick in the walls of the palace.
The idea of desiring her was as ludicrous as me plucking a star from the sky and calling it mine.
And regardless of all of that, she was far too young for me.
No, if I’d wanted marriage and children then I should have claimed that long ago, but like most guards, I hadn’t burdened a woman with a life I was barely present in.
Sure, some of them spread their seed carelessly, but few made honest men out of themselves for the women they got pregnant.
And that to me was worse than choosing to remain alone.
At least I had my honour. Though I’d just done a good job of disproving that by the forbidden words which had left my mouth.
If I’d voiced them in front of my old captain, he would have had me hung.