Chapter 4 #2
The group of eight guards immediately went tense and Benson narrowed his eyes at Myriam. “The queen only has to ask and we would—”
“Oh yes, I’m sure she feels comfortable with that given half the guards seemed to be in the elders’ pockets.
They still have their jobs, right?” Myriam said with a deathly cold tone.
“And the other half of you treat her like an outsider and were too stupid to see through that ‘adopted sister’ whore’s act. ”
“That’s not even—”
“It’s more than fair,” she snapped and jabbed her finger into his chest…
Which was honestly impressive because Benson had maybe two feet on her.
“And your job is to serve and protect your queen. Hers is to take care of her people. You think she’d ask and risk any of you?
Why, so someone can accuse her of being selfish or frivolous? ”
“Your point has been made,” Benson bit out before seeming to realize I was there. “This isn’t a conversation for outside and especially not in front of strangers. Who’s your friend?”
“That’s fair,” Myriam accepted. “I apologize for the place, but seeing you all get to enjoy something I know she never has is infuriating.” She gestured to me. “Someone I met getting the lay of Nerthus. It’s fine.”
I wasn’t sure what to do, so I went with my best acting instincts and was glad my magic would change my voice too. “You didn’t tell me you worked for the queen.”
Myriam shrugged it off. “I’m a lot of things. Have a nice night, gents. I want to see the rest of the market.”
I went to move with her but flinched when Benson stepped in front of me.
“I didn’t get your name,” he hedged, studying me too closely. “Have we met?”
“I didn’t give it,” I drawled. “You didn’t give me yours either and I don’t care to ask it. Excuse me.”
A few of the guards chuckled as I forced past Benson with a shoulder check. It was beyond rude he blocked my path like that.
And not just because I was the queen. Who was he to question a woman on the street?
“What’s up?” I asked about an hour later when I was finally full and Myriam seemed on edge.
“We have a tail,” she muttered. “Split at the next fork and duck behind the stalls to get out while I handle it.” She shook her head when I argued. “Don’t make it worse by doubting me. I got this.”
I really hoped so, but I felt like a coward doing what she said. I made it back to the castle but had to duck around too many corners and watch my butt to get in.
Benson’s stepping up security. About time and fucking annoying.
Finally, I managed to get in but then froze as I realized I wasn’t alone in the library.
Onyx’s eyes flashed shock as he took me in. “Why are you sneaking about like that?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled and quickly took off my cloak so no one would think I’d been outside. “It’s not your business.”
He beat me to the door and had about a dozen questions in his gaze and even more emotions all over his face. “Tell me you’re being safe at least.”
I lost some of my edge and gave a swift nod. Then I realized there was something I should say. “Sorry Myriam fucked with you. She and Treena are really upset given…”
“They should be. I am too,” he whispered as he reached to touch my face. He froze when I backed away. “I am sorry, Sagan.”
I gave a half shrug. “It is what it is.”
“No, I hurt you and this upsets you,” he whispered. “Please, give me a chance to—”
“To what?” I mumbled. “I don’t know that I believe you that this is real or anything other than trying to one-up Kole. Either way, I can’t deal with it. You can have a guest room or—I have to go.”
He swallowed loudly and moved out of the way of the door. “My feelings for you are real and grow the more I get to know you. I’m in no rush to prove that since only time can. Just don’t push me out. Please?”
I wasn’t sure what to say and I wasn’t sure I even agreed with him, so I just left. It seemed the best thing to do right then.
Right?
My body was flooded with relief when Myriam arrived ten minutes later. Like my knees went weak and I needed to sit down before I fell down.
“Your worry is touching, but there isn’t much I can’t handle, Sagan,” she chuckled.
“You don’t know how strong some dragons can really be, Myriam. And even Benson is two feet taller than you. That—maybe you should train with the guards since you don’t have your own like Treena.”
She held up a hand to hold me off. “Great idea and I will, I promise, but the tail was Avior and we have a problem.”
I swallowed the need to let out every curse word I knew as she filled me in. “Okay, well, I guess we pull the plug and—”
“Fuck that. These bastards aren’t controlling you anymore even when they don’t know it’s you,” she seethed. “I got this.” She pointed her finger at me when I opened my mouth. “Sagan, I got this. That’s why you brought me in.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I was scared and curious when she pulled out her phone and put it on speaker.
“This is a surprise,” the male voice answered with hesitation.
“Is it?” Myriam chuckled darkly. “Or did you think I’d call immediately after you sent someone to check on me like I was a kid throwing a fit?”
Her father. She was calling her father, but I had no idea why.
He didn’t respond right away. “You were never one for fits but yes, I expected a call. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed you didn’t note someone was there. I taught you better.”
She winced, so clearly she hadn’t known. “You also taught me patience and not to fly off the handle like other families who are thugs.”
“Touché, Daughter,” he purred, his voice full of pride.
I swallowed down my feelings and looked away. Wow, a mafia boss showed more emotion to his daughter than my noble father had.
“I wanted to see if it was a quick check-in—which is expected, and I love you too—or if it was a reoccurring thing to keep tabs on me. Though I bet others noticed with the amount of magic covering the man.”
“It’s not a regular thing, but an associate who was in the area and I asked a favor from. Though I will say I’m surprised to hear what he had to tell me.”
I nodded when she glanced at me, saying it was time to tell him the story we’d made up.
“Your honor this goes no further and you won’t use this information, Papa? I’m telling you so you don’t worry, but don’t ask me to betray more.”
“Go on.”
“Papa, say it,” she sighed.
“You have it. You always have it, Myriam. I checked in as your father because you’re in a strange country we don’t have the best relationship with, not as the head of the Metcalf family.”
She swallowed loudly. “Glad you’re coming back to the man I knew and loved.” She cleared her throat and hurried on. “The fighter is a guard for the queen. It’s an investigation I’m helping with because I can.”
He was quiet again. “I find that surprising.”
She snorted. “Sagan is smart and Thovudin is much more sexist than the world has understood. You’ve seen that from her press coverage here.”
“Yes, quite despicable, and I know I’m still a sexist knuckle-dragger too. I think you’re all more fragile than us and yes, sometimes need more guidance, but the way they talk of her—it worries me you’re near that.”
She gave a soft smile but moved on. “They’re starting to run girls thinking she won’t be able to keep the level of policing up that her father did.”
He snorted. “Fools. She’s already making smart, sweeping changes that show she’s all in. Absolute fools.”
“I find too many people are,” Myriam drawled. “But tonight we got the answer that it’s the actual owner because they want to nab my fighter and keep her as a sex slave.” She nodded when he snarled. “Yes, so that’s what’s going on.”
He chuckled after a moment. “You’re still making some money on the side though, right?”
She snorted. “I’m a Metcalf.”
“That’s my girl. What can I do to help?”
Her eyes went bug wide and I couldn’t hide my shock either. “Papa?”
“I’m not switching sides or—I want you safe, Myriam. I always have. If there’s anything I can do to keep you safe—I’m always your father.”
“Thank you, Papa,” she whispered. She shot me an apologetic look.
“I had a tail tonight.” She nodded when he snarled.
“I handled it. If you’re offering one of your investigators here to find out who this owner is and how deep this really goes, that would be amazing.
Sagan thinks she knows, but she’s being blocked at every turn already. ”
“I’m glad that she understands she can’t always be in the light to make the world better. It was a complaint I had with her father.”
“I think no one knew the real story, and I’m learning too much was bullshit just from the little I’ve seen,” she grumbled.
“As is always the case and makes sense. He couldn’t have been dumb for her to be so smart.
I’ll make it happen and not even ask for anything.
She saved your life and all she ever asked for was a meeting if she needed it.
That’s someone of honor when she could—she is someone who should be in power.
I’m assuming she wants to stay out of this? ”
“She doesn’t know I’m asking this far. She wants to trust her people to step up instead of assuming they’ll fail.”
“Good leader, but I won’t take that risk with you.” He cleared his throat. “She’s treating you well otherwise?”
She was quiet a moment. “She’s having her guards train with me so I know how to handle myself better against a dragon.
She’s offered to hire private security for me since Princess Treena has her own detail.
” She snorted. “She had contractors update a large room in the royal family residence wing with a huge balcony as if I didn’t know that was for my tiger. ”
“She’ll grow into a fine leader taking care of her people like that.
I wasn’t completely for this, and part of that was my own stubbornness, but watch her back, Myriam.
The world needs more good leaders, and being allies with Thovudin is good for Protesia.
Just make sure you’re not linked to anything in the end. ”
“She wants to legalize it,” she admitted, chuckling when he went dead silent. “She said Rhys did too but was blocked at every turn.”
“Meaning the people who were supposed to help him own the fucking gambling dens and fights,” he drawled.
“A point she’s brought up but won’t commit to without evidence. But part of my investigation is that she doesn’t know the world and wants to do it right, not make it go deeper.”
“Her thoughts so far?”
She seemed to give a mental shrug like she wasn’t going to give away big secrets.
“Limit how much agents can take. Fighters have to have something in writing about how much they’re fighting for instead of what we know happens.
Also, medics on hand and fighters getting checked before and after each fight. ”
“All fair and done when the people in charge aren’t morons,” he muttered. “She doesn’t want to change it to be more like the legit fights? I find that surprising.”
“No, she’s fine with all-out fighting. Her only change on that is rules for when someone is on the ground.
She’s not a fan of kicking people when they’re down so they can’t come back for a rematch.
And it seems the lowlifes egg fighters into stomping on backs and legs to take them out of commission for a while. Even when they’re unconscious.”
“And we’re animals?” he drawled. “Good, keep me updated.” He sighed. “I didn’t mean like that. I won’t use this information. I just…”
“You worry and you want to make sure I’m always working for someone smart enough to keep me safe.”
“Yes. Be well.” He’d evidently hit his paternal limits and hung up.
I didn’t judge. It was better than my parents who gave their love to hundreds of wards of the royal family instead of their own daughter.
“If he has any suggestions about what he would limit or make rules on, I’m open to hearing them,” I told her when she put her phone away.
I gave a half shrug when she couldn’t hide her shock.
“Your father is smart too and knows more of this than both of us. I didn’t say I’d just blindly do it, but I’m not against listening to experience. ”
She studied me a moment and shook her head. “I was wrong about you. I think you’re going to make the best fucking queen Thovudin has ever seen.”
I wasn’t sure what I’d said to deserve that, but I wasn’t going to argue with her either. I appreciated the support and confidence.
Who wouldn’t?