Chapter 17 #2
The only reason he traveled with Garyn was because he needed a flunkey so that he could stay in the shadows. Not out of fear. Caution.
Now, he had a report to make.
Approaching the castle gates as a centaur, he tugged at the lapels of his military coat to straighten it. The one thing about Meara, she couldn’t abide anyone who wasn’t immaculately dressed.
He inclined his head to the guards as he walked past them and across the drawbridge. He would give the queen credit, even in the light of day, there was order in her capital. No one rushed about. Children didn’t play in the streets. Everyone went about their business in somber silence.
Some would find it appalling. He found it refreshing. The queen kept order. Not chaos. That was sorely missing in the other kingdoms he’d visited.
There was nothing like being home.
As he approached the steps to the castle, he was greeted with a full garrison of centaurs.
“What’s your business?” a captain asked.
“Here to meet with the queen. I have news for her.”
“And you are?”
“Her cousin, Diflyn of Naran.”
His name didn’t register with the captain, but the dark brown centaur was wise enough to accept it as fact. Shooing the others back, he allowed Diflyn to proceed with the captain at his side.
After all, Meara was nothing if not paranoid.
Which was why he was forced to wait in a gilded hallway outside her throne room while the captain went inside and left him to be watched by the eight guards.
All of them dressed in royal livery.
The bay to his right seemed a bit uneasy while the gray on his left appeared amused.
Diflyn would ask why, but he didn’t really want to be friendly with those who ranked below his station.
That being said, he was impatient as minutes ticked by.
At the half hour mark, he was ready to leave. Only the knowledge that by doing so he’d invoke her wrath kept him standing quietly.
Inconsiderate bitch.
She was most likely doing this on purpose. It was what gave her great entertainment. To exercise her power and make others feel their lesser stature.
If only he had the courage to attempt her murder. But he knew he’d never be so bold.
Like everyone else, he feared failure. Because she would exact a brutal retaliation.
When going up against Meara, succeed or die took on a whole new meaning. And to be honest, he admired King Dash for his willingness to confront her.
But he wasn’t stupid enough to think for one moment that Dash would be successful. Dash had a code of honor. Meara did not.
And in war, it was the soulless monsters who won. Morality was for nursemaids and farmers. Mercy for the weak.
Meara understood that. Respect was nice, but fear reigned supreme and kept everyone in line.
“Diflyn?”
He looked at the major domo who called his name. “Here.” He stepped forward.
A dapple gray, the major domo was well dressed in a dark blue jacket that matched his wary eyes.
Diflyn could only imagine the terrors that equine must have seen in his service to Meara.
Without another word, the major domo led him into the queen’s throne room where she rested in sternal recumbency at her desk. Even in that position, she was regal to the core.
Her long black hair was intricately braided around her auspicious gold crown that was laden with rubies and diamonds. She was a beautiful bay with white stocking. To be honest, he’d never seen any female more beautiful.
What a shame beauty of that magnitude was wasted on such a callous bitch.
“Majesty,” he said, bowing low before her.
She glanced up from the papers in her hand to sweep a withering stare over him. “Speak and leave.”
“I’m your cousin, Majesty. Through your father’s sister.”
That caught her attention. She set the paper aside and narrowed an angry glare at him. “Am I to be impressed that you learned some genealogy?”
Had she been paying attention, it would have told her he was a shape shifter. But by the expression on her face, he could tell that she thought he meant the king.
Not her true father.
His gaze went to the two guards standing behind her. This wasn’t the time to let that out. The one thing he knew about the queen, she didn’t like surprises or for anyone to know her secrets.
“Do you have business with the crown or not?” Impatience filled her voice.
“I have your contract, Majesty. The one between you and the High King.”
That got her full attention. Rising to her feet, she stood even in height to him. “Where is it?”
“It’s with my partner. He’s the one who took it from the ataswere who was dying.”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing. How is that possible?”
“Magic, Majesty. And magic guards it still.”
“How so?”
“My partner has betrayed us. Instead of killing the ataswere as you demanded, he’s transferred the contract and is keeping it safe.”
“And you’ve done nothing about it?” Each word was spat out in staccato.
“I wasn’t sure what to do, Majesty. Do you want me to bring the contract to you?”
She cast a furious glower to her men, then met his gaze. “Walk with me.”
Knowing better than to walk at her side as an equal, he let her lead him from her throne room.
Her guards fell in far behind them so that they wouldn’t be able to overhear, but close enough they could kill him if he posed a threat. How well trained they were.
Meara went into her stone-walled garden that held statues of those who’d opposed her reign. It was said that she had a sorceress who made sure she had an eternal record of all her defeated enemies.
Truly creepy. And it said it all about how she relished her cruelty.
Diflyn averted his gaze from them, not wanting a reminder of what could easily become of him.
Once they reached the center, Meara stopped to rake a less-than-impressed grimace over his body. “Fetch me that contract. I need it in my possession.”
“And what of your assassin?”
“Kill them both. Garyn and Gisela. Bring me their heads along with the contract and you’ll be most rewarded.”
Gisela waited until Xaydin was fully asleep before she carefully pulled herself away from him. She hated leaving his side and would have preferred to stay with him for the rest of her life.
Naked in bed. Just the two of them.
If only they could.
How awful that the world wouldn’t leave people in peace. No wonder love was rare. First you had to find the one you wanted to be with, and then you had to win their heart.
That was difficult enough. Then enter a world that was forever trying to destroy the bond between you.
Enemies. Friends. Those who envied the fact you’d found what they could only dream of.
Or those who just liked causing trouble.
The world shouldn’t be like this, and yet it was.
Sighing, she dressed in silence as she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest. The fact he would sleep so soundly with her told her just how much he did care.
He didn’t have to tell her. No one slept like that with someone they barely knew. Someone they didn’t trust. She’d have never done such.
Yet she trusted him.
He trusted her.
I will never betray you.
It was a promise she prayed she could keep. And with that in mind, she headed downstairs to see if any of the others were about.
To her surprise, the inn was empty except for the garrison of soldiers.
Rob sat in the middle of the room with a platter of food. A smile curved his lips as soon as he saw her. He motioned her to take a seat with him.
Normally, she’d have refused, but since she didn’t have anything else to occupy herself with, she accepted and did her best to ignore the curious stares from his men.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
“Being trolls, I excused their normal clientele. They didn’t need to be here while my cousin recuperates.”
She hadn’t thought about that.
“Are you hungry?”
“Famished.”
He handed her a small plate. “Please… I have plenty to share.”
Grateful for his hospitality, she made a plate while looking about the mostly empty room. “Where’s Masakage, Ronan and Candara?”
“Haven’t seen them. They went their ways hours ago.”
Interesting.
Not knowing what to say to Rob, she ate quickly, then excused herself to return to Xaydin’s side. Honestly, she was afraid to leave him alone for long. Since they didn’t know where the imposter had gone, he could return and finish Xaydin off.
She still couldn’t believe he’d been able to do what he did.
Trust no one.
Even the vigilant could fall.
She’d just sat down on the bed when someone knocked.
“Come in.”
Ronan shouldered the door open. But instead of entering, he stood in the doorway. “How’s he doing?”
“Resting.”
“Good.” Ronan hesitated. “May I come in?”
“Sure.”
Still, he didn’t do anything more than come in a couple of steps and close the door.
A tense silence filled the room as she waited for him to speak.
“Is something on your mind?” she prompted.
“Yes… I’ve been trying to figure out how you’re a shifter if Cratus is your father. We don’t just spontaneously come into this world.”
He was right. They normally required two shifter parents to have a child with those abilities. It was rare for even a hybrid with only one shifter parent to be able to transform.
For her…
“My mother’s father was a shifter.”
The surprised expression was quite comical. “Beg pardon?”
“My mother’s not the only one who steps outside the bond of marriage. Apparently, her mother had a voracious appetite herself.”
“I’m trying to make sense of this.”
She couldn’t blame him for the struggle. It was a hard one.
“Who was her father?”
“She’s never spoken of him. All I know is that she lied to me years ago. I didn’t put it together until you mentioned the mark under the tongue.”
“How do you mean?”
“My mother has such a mark. She told me that she had it put there so that we could always tell it was her and not an imposter.”
Ronan went pale. “She said what?”
“I had no reason not to believe her. But…”
“You think Meara’s a shifter?”