5. FIVE
FIVE
Darius
“Well, tonight certainly took an unexpected turn,” Staefan says, settling into his usual seat amid the destruction of my office.
I pour us each a glass of amber liquid, the spice burning a path to my empty stomach. “Unexpected is an understatement.”
All my careful planning never accounted for a wild card like the Crown Princess of Kalisham showing up on my doorstep. I need to get more specifics from her tomorrow, but I don’t doubt the truth of her words.
Her eyes were the same as mine after finding my mother bloody in her bed. A mix of rage and sorrow—a unique torture that no one can fake.
The irony of our perfect pairing isn’t lost on me. She provides an escape from the harassment of my council’s desire for a queen, valuable intelligence about my missing contact, and a new opportunity to complete my plans to add Kalisham to the empire.
I refill my glass and breathe in my favorite smoky scent, but it does little to quell my frustration. To think he was foolish enough to act without me, knowing I’d still come for Kalisham.
I’ll personally ensure he regrets that decision.
Alexi maneuvers himself from the shadows and surveys the shattered glass with a whistle. The aftermath of Mina’s display of magic remains in scattered chaos at our feet.
I imagine each scattered paper as a body on the field and shudder. How far do her powers extend? If her family were just as potent, there’s no way we would’ve won with a normal invasion plan. No wonder every attempt to conquer Kalisham has ended in total defeat.
“How did they take it?” I ask.
Alexi tiptoes around loose pages on the ground with practiced ease. “Three are silently brooding, but the other two are already making plans to rectify the situation.”
By "rectify," he means a scandal at best, an assassination attempt at worst. I have my suspicions that the princess will be a lot harder to kill than they expect. She carries herself with the grace and confidence of a warrior. “I’ll have to find a way to appease their egos. How bad?”
He toys with the short blade on his belt, nimble fingers flipping it over. “Nothing concrete yet, but at least one is angry enough to do something unwise.”
“I might have an idea on how to appease them,” Staefan interrupts, swirling the contents of his drink. I raise my glass in invitation. “A queen usually provides her own ladies-in-waiting, but since the princess has no one, perhaps the council could propose a few candidates.”
Kings used to find eager concubines among ladies-in-waiting.
Maybe they’ll hope the right woman might sway my mind about taking only one wife.
“All the pawns in one easily watched place…” I run through the scenario in my head but can’t find any obvious reasons to disagree.
Mina will have to watch her back, but she had no problem dealing with the woman in the garden. She can handle a few more.
It would be inconvenient if she died before delivering on her bride price, though. “Not a bad idea. Have them submit their candidates by the end of tomorrow.”
“Understood. What about the other matter? Do you really think he was foolish enough to take Kalisham for himself?” Staefan asks. I already filled him in on what little the princess disclosed and my suspicions about the new king’s identity.
“Yes. For now, any of his spies still in Veloria are a top priority. Find me one and get some answers.”
“Consider it done,” Alexi replies.
I rustle around for a blank paper to write a repair request for the balcony window. “Staefan can handle it. I’ve got another assignment for you.”
Alexi’s brows pinch as if I suggested he quit being a spy altogether. “What’s more important than hunting traitors?”
“Shadowing my bride. I want you to watch over her. Keep her safe from any harm until she delivers on her promise.”
He barks out a laugh. “Not sure she needs my protection.” He kicks a piece of glass onto a pile of crumpled papers. “But I’ll do it. Want me to report back on her movements and conversations as well?”
“The usual.” Princess Mina Ardeshir has secrets to discover, and while I understand her pain, I know better than to trust her without question.
My pulse hitches at the thought of our conversation tomorrow. I’ve grown bored of groveling fools who watch their every word. Her unapologetic rhetoric is an amusing change of pace.
Her confidence in confronting the entire council was as impressive as it was attractive. The alcohol in my stomach warms at the thought of those fiery jade eyes on me.
I throw back the rest of my drink and pick up the paper stuck to my boot.
My private files are mixed with the other forms. I’ll have to organize them all myself, but the destruction around me could depress even the most diligent worker.
“We’ll handle this mess after sunrise. Go finish your night off with Tayla. Send her my apologies.”
Staefan’s face lights up at the prospect of bed instead of a long night cleaning. “You don’t need to tell me twice.” He hurries toward the door, ruffling Alexi’s hair as he passes. “Good night.”
Alexi swats his hand away, smoothing his shaggy dark strands back into place. “Congrats, by the way.”
“For what?” I ask, halfway to the exit.
“Your engagement. I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ll handle something you’re not a natural at. If you need any help on how to talk to a lady, let me know.” He flashes me a mischievous grin.
I mock-bow. “I yield to your vast experience. Remind me, how many women have you wooed in your sixteen years?” He flips me off and hops over the balcony edge with a laugh.
Even before I started my campaign, I rarely took a lover and had no interest in any of them beyond a physical reprieve. No one spent the night in my bed. The second someone grew too attached, I ended things.
Romance is a weakness that leaves people vulnerable to manipulation and injury.
Despite the second queen’s unsubtle hatred toward my mother and me, many court ladies tried to catch my attention, even those twice my age. A viable womb had been their only criterion, since our son would’ve been next in line to be king.
I have no intention of leaving my legacy to someone simply due to blood. Siblings slitting each other’s throats in the night, plotting against one another to secure their greed. The system disgusts me. I tore it down kingdom by kingdom, purging most royal bloodlines altogether.
For Veloria.
As much as I want to, I can’t run every aspect of an empire alone. A docile woman who can have as many lovers as she desires, but never me. A puppet queen. That was the plan.
Instead, I found a fierce princess with a sharp tongue. Less than an hour together and I can tell she possesses the drive to remove any obstacle in her way, including me. I’ll be on guard for the entirety of our marriage, but having Kalisham join my empire is worth a lifetime of restless nights.
Though for the first time, a part of me hopes they’ll be the fun kind instead of a dagger-in-the-back kind.
The memory of her rosy lips tilted in a dangerous smirk is enough to summon irrationally dirty thoughts.
She has the soft face of a heavenly being but the body of a soldier and long legs that would wrap perfectly around my—
Focus. She’s from a queendom of fierce warriors.
I should be wary of her, not fucking captivated.
Perhaps my self-imposed ban on women has gone on too long.
The last year and a half of my campaign left no time for quick trysts.
My temporary celibacy was never an issue until now.
It’s as if the demons of my past crafted the princess for my personal torment.
I slam the door to my bedchamber and complete a standard sweep of the space before falling face-first onto the cool sheets. Every muscle screams with tension, and a hot coal settles into my abdomen.
“Mina Ardeshir.” I enjoy the sensation of her name on my tongue and can’t help but wonder what my name might sound like on hers. Over and over.
I scold my dick and banish that line of thought, focusing instead on everything I need to accomplish now that my plans for Kalisham have changed. The princess has to remain a piece on the board, nothing more than the prestige of her home and the protection and trade it offers.
A physical relationship would be a massive mistake.
I need to debrief her for defense details and compare them to the information our main contact provided. Considering his betrayal, I wouldn’t be surprised if he fed us tall tales. Not that I ever truly trusted the traitor.
He’ll pay for crossing me.