Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
Gerard stared out the window, gazing up at the sky. He held a teacup in his hand. In just a few more days, he’d marry Elias. And surprisingly, he no longer feared it. In fact, he actually looked forward to it.
He thought of Elias dancing in his arms, smiling up at him with his messy hair and smudged make-up that showed the world he’d clearly just been fucked. Gerard had seen the glances and heard the whispers as they swirled across the dance floor together.
But Gerard did not care that he was the cause of the stares and whispers. Not this time. It was amazing what a difference a few weeks could make.
“Look at that! Gerard is actually smiling!” Luther laughed.
Gerard turned towards Luther, who, along with Senta and Konrad, watched him. His siblings sat with him in the sitting room, part of the section provided for the royal family of Draconia. They, like himself, sat on brightly coloured cushions.
Their father had requested a family meeting. But the king had yet to arrive.
“Oh, look! Gerard is back with us now.” Luther laughed. “Were you thinking about a certain pretty lightning prince, perhaps?”
Senta shoved Luther. “Leave him be.” She looked to Gerard. “We’re all just pleased to see you smiling properly again, Gerard.”
Had I stopped smiling properly?
“And Prince Elias definitely looked like you’d thoroughly pleased him at the ball the other night.” Luther wiggled his eyebrows. “At least you won’t have trouble consummating the marriage.”
This time Senta laughed.
“Prince Elias isn’t the brightest,” Konrad said. “But he seems nice enough. I am happy that you are happy, Gerard.”
Gerard cleared his throat. “Well, actually, he is not as foolish as he first appears.”
Konrad raised a brow. “Really?”
Senta gave Gerard a look. Her eyes sparkled, and she pressed her lips together. Clearly, she thought Elias a fool too.
“At first, I did not think him very smart. But then—”
“But then you started fucking him and suddenly his intelligence improved?” Luther asked.
Gerard flushed as his siblings laughed.
He wanted to push. He wanted to say that there was much more to Elias. But honestly, he still had trouble understanding the different sides he’d seen of the man.
There was a watchfulness in Elias’s eyes and a quickness to his mind. He was far more than just a pretty face. Gerard wanted to try to convince his siblings of that. But clearly, they wouldn’t believe him. They’d just think him cock struck.
“I like Elias!” Senta proclaimed. “I think he is wonderful for you.” She patted him on the knee.
“Me too.” Luther gave a sharp nod.
The two looked at Konrad. He stared back at them, then turned to Gerard. “Well, at least we know he can’t be the one working against the peace treaty. He doesn’t seem intelligent enough.”
Gerard bit his tongue. He wanted to argue that Elias was indeed intelligent enough. But he didn’t think that would go down well. He didn’t want to make it sound like he was suggesting that Elias was one of the plotters.
Their stepmother and father entered the room. The siblings straightened, and the laughter stopped.
King Alaric’s gaze flicked around the room. “Good. You’re all here.”
“You did summon us,” Konrad pointed out.
Their stepmother sat down on one of the cushions. The king looked around, clearly not wanting to lower himself onto a fabric cushion on the floor. He turned to the corridor. “Bring me a chair,” he commanded.
A servant promptly brought one in. “And close the door.” The king sat as the servant left. Their father turned towards them. “Has anyone noticed anything suspicious?” the king asked, not wasting any time.
Senta and Gerard shared a look. They regularly met with their father to discuss this sort of thing. But it seemed their father wanted to bring the others in on this conversation too.
Gerard cleared his throat. “As you know, we have spies amongst the servants of most of the different kingdoms. The reports continue that a lot of people are paranoid and watchful, wondering who was working with Warden Flint.”
“Do you have any more information on Warden Flint’s daughter? On Warden Jade?” the king asked.
“Many think she was plotting with her father,” Gerard said. “The two were close, and she would have been heir to the throne of the Grey Mountains if her father’s plan had been successful.” Gerard leaned forward. “And her behaviour has definitely changed recently since—”
“She’s grieving!” Luther interrupted. “Of course her behaviour has changed!”
King Alaric shot Luther a cold look. Luther fell silent.
Gerard nodded. “Warden Jade is withdrawn and avoids others, spending much time in her room. As Luther stated, that could just be the natural behaviour of one grieving.”
“Onyx does not think it is her,” Luther said, voice calmer this time.
King Alaric stared at the wall as he thought, not engaging with what Luther said. “Continue to have her watched.”
“Of course,” Gerard said.
Luther bristled.
“We are watching and suspecting everyone, Luther,” Senta said. “It’s nothing personal.”
“Anyone else?” the king asked.
Gerard rattled off those they had considered and were watching closely, including Prince Florian of Botanial, who’d assisted his aunt in attempting to kill King Alaric, the queen consort, and Lord Barrett Morton.
He was back in Botanial now, having been sent away by his mother.
But he could be working with someone from there.
“Unfortunately, there is no one we truly suspect,” Gerard finished.
King Alaric nodded, as if he’d expected that much. Unfortunately, all Gerard’s reports had ended similarly.
“You said you have spies amongst the servants of most of the different kingdoms. Which do you not have spies in?” Konrad asked.
Gerard glanced at their father. “Necros. They are very particular about selecting their servants, and it has been difficult to infiltrate them.”
Konrad sat up straighter and turned to King Alaric. “See. I told you!”
Gerard did actually suspect several of the necromancers, and if he were just talking to his father or Senta, he’d have said as much. But he didn’t like to bring up the necromancers and his concerns about them around Konrad. Konrad tended to fixate on them and only them. It derailed conversation.
Gerard cleared his throat. “I—”
A knock sounded on the door.