Chapter 37
Reynard
The opulent royal council chamber held a chill that the winter weather could not explain. Servants rushed past me, setting the fire in the enormous hearth, while I stood waiting for the council members to arrive.
Marble is good for washing away blood, I thought, knowing that some would leave this room in chains or, if they resisted, wrapped in a canvas sack.
So, you’ve finally stopped thinking like a general and started thinking like a king? Cinared said with amusement.
And what does that mean? I asked my dragon, who decided being cryptic was the height of wit.
You no longer want to please them but to rule them. I wonder what brought about that welcome change? Is it thanks to the woman I see in your thoughts?
No, it’s because I have a sarcastic lizard in my head telling me what to think. Through our bond, I sensed his rumble of laughter, but maybe he was right.
When I’d arrived in the capital, the first thing I learned was that my Sanika had taken it upon herself to travel to the enemy’s lands. After I discovered she’d only taken the Master of the Blades, something inside me broke. Now, I was no longer the king who would tolerate traitors in my court.
Cinared decided to add his opinion. If she is as resourceful as you claim, she will survive. Shouldn’t you trust your mate to hold her own?
Trusting her doesn’t mean I worry less or care less. If Riordan hadn’t helped me dreamwalk with her, you’d be flying your scaly arse to Tivalaran and back like a merchant pony, I snapped; the implication that I didn’t believe in Sana’s skills was incredibly insulting.
There was a flash of surprise, but no anger. The dragon’s mind wrapped around my thoughts with warm understanding. She’ll return to you, but if you need to fly to Tivalaran, we will.
Riordan walked into the room, interrupting my thoughts, his eyebrows arching when his talent picked up the threads of the conversation. I didn’t want to shut off my dragon, but keeping my mind open meant my friend, a talented psychic mage, had to make a conscious effort to shield himself from me.
‘Couldn’t you at least wait till servants warm the room before calling everybody in?’ He sighed, wrapping his robes tighter around his body while his breath misted the air. ‘And please don’t tell me you’re going after Roksana. We discussed this.’
‘Not today, but she’s been gone too long, Ri. Irsha returned two weeks ago, and despite sending every available Observer to Tivalaran, there’s still no word.’
My hands tightened on the edge of the table. There was no point in explaining my insomnia. I couldn’t even train with my warriors, not with the need to tear everything apart lurking right below the skin. Ri already knew it all. The pity in his gaze forced me to shrug and change the subject.
‘As for the nobles, I don’t care if their entitled backsides get frozen to the chair; they will endure.’ I glanced at the side door, where my surprise was hidden. ‘Are they ready?’
‘Yes, but Rey… maybe you should rethink this?’ Riordan said, but one look at my face, and she shook his head, stepping closer to the fire as we spoke.
‘Rethink what? If I’d cleaned house after the Lich War, we wouldn’t be having these problems. Gods, I should have cut that snake’s head off the moment he refused to march with us,’ I said, and the ever-diplomatic Riordan sighed.
‘Fine, just don’t purge the entire council.
We need somebody left to run the country,’ he said, nearly climbing into the hearth to get warm.
‘Just tell me one thing. What do you intend to do with Tivala’s heir?
Roksana won’t be happy seeing her in the royal quarters.
’ The concern in his voice was so genuine, I huffed a laugh.
‘Sana sent her here. If she let her live, I will protect her. The royal quarters have the best security…’ I paused, genuinely confused. ‘Why do you even ask?’
‘There’s been a lot of rumours,’ he muttered, ‘they think you’re moving forward with the engagement.’
I snorted a disdainful laugh, but Riordan was serious.
His suggestion that I would even look at another woman was insane.
I couldn’t correct what people thought, but I could ensure they knew to whom the queen’s quarters belonged.
‘Once we’re done, call the chamberlain. It’s time to move Sana’s belongings from her house to the palace.
I want an alchemy workshop built in the queen’s quarters. ’
Riordan’s eyes widened, and I felt his magic touching my thoughts before he smiled. ‘I’m so happy for you,’ he said when I let him see the exact moment she told me she’d move to the palace. ‘But talk to the dwarf first. He’ll object.’
It wasn’t much, but it was a future I was eagerly anticipating in these trying times. Ever since the day Irsha returned with Inga Tivala and the schemata, something had felt wrong. The nagging pain worsened when Tova arrived and instantly wanted to set after his Drah’sa.
Heat rose in my chest again until there was nothing but the roar of blood in my head. I closed my eyes, forcing it down, but the Wild Magic was relentless, and the berserker clawed at my soul at the mere thought of her.
‘Are you sure Inga won’t fight this?’ Riordan broke through my torment, and I nodded. Inga Tivala was an enigma that surprised and confused me. I often found her in the library, working closely with Tova and Lilliana to decipher the strange schemata she brought with her.
‘Yes, in fact, she’s already helping, and if things go my way, Lady Tivala will soon depose her father,’ I said, turning towards the entrance when the guards hammered their fists on the large door. The council members had arrived.
I walked back to the table, observing as the men and women from the country’s best families found their seats. Some were empty, but those would have new owners before this council ended, and not in the way most nobles expected.
‘Your Majesty,’ the chancellor bowed his head, and one by one, others mimicked his gesture. ‘We didn’t receive the agenda for today’s session. What do you wish to discuss?’ He sat down, looking at me expectantly, while I observed their greetings, letting the silence lengthen before I answered.
‘There is no agenda, and there will be no discussion, just decisions.’ I gestured to the guards, who, on command, closed the door, bolting it shut. I could taste the unease building in the room. The sour stench of fear from Tivala’s toadies was so palpable it lingered on the tip of my tongue.
‘Lord Regent, call for our guests.’ I used Riordan’s official title, and for a moment, he didn’t react, unused to me using formal speech. When he finally did, Cinared’s amusement coloured my thoughts.
Your friend looks startled, he said as he took a front-row seat in my mind to watch the session.
Wait until you see the council’s reactions, I thought back, realising his quiet presence had helped calm my temper, even as I faced the men who betrayed me.
Irsha, Tova, and Inga Tivala entered the chamber. The two men looked uncomfortable, not used to such attention. Inga didn’t have the same problem. The disdain on her face made even her father’s staunchest supporters look down.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ Marquise Yaran asked, fingers tightening on his wineglass so hard that the stem cracked.
‘I am pleased to introduce the newest members of the royal council. Master Irsha Wilkor will be the representative of the Dark Brotherhood and the guilds of Truso. Master Tova Orenson has agreed to speak for Wiosna during their time of rebuilding.’ I paused, enjoying their shocked expressions, before I finished the presentation.
‘And after due consideration, Lady Tivala consented to my invitation and will replace her father. The traitor known as Ernesto Tivala is stripped of his rights and titles, and a price of one thousand gold pieces will be placed on his head.’
‘What? You can’t… He’s a duke!’ Yaran rose from his chair, glancing at the others. ‘Even the king can’t do this without a trial. What are the charges? What treason has he committed?’
I nodded to Inga. She bowed her head slightly, stepping forward, staring Yaran down.
‘As you intimately know, Marquise Yaran, my father conspired with the Tangra Empire to take the throne of Dagome. You know this because you were present and complicit during this discussion.’ Her voice could cut glass, giving me exactly what I needed.
Yaran paled, and the goblet, already cracked, shattered, spraying glass shards across the table.
‘I was trying to stop him. This is madness. What does a pampered chit like you know about politics? You’re just a child eavesdropping at doors without understanding,’ he stuttered, eyes darting towards the door and the guards stationed there.
‘Do you also think me a child?’ Irsha asked, and when I looked at the Grand Master’s disciple, I caught the playful smile tugging at his lips. ‘The night you planned to rebel against the regent. When I visited your house with the king’s shadow, did I also misunderstand your intentions?’
A wave of pride washed over me, looking at the shocked faces of those who’d tried to dismantle my rule. My poisonous queen, with her wily tactics, crushed these fools.
‘I… That Brotherhood bitch forced me to lie. Lords and Ladies of Dagome, whom will you believe, a criminal and a child or someone who faithfully served this country for years?’ Yaran turned to the gathered councilmen, but even those who’d previously supported him were now looking down, avoiding his eyes.
I’d planned his death the moment I learned of his involvement in Tivala’s plan. A public execution. He’d make a striking example for those who dared to threaten my kingdom. Politics were politics, but this fool had made it personal.