Chapter Fourteen Xander
I find Tienne in one of the three main kitchens that serve those who reside here in the castle, her hands dusted in flour and brows pinched in concentration as she kneads a large ball of dough.
The room is already warm from the large wood-fire oven in the corner, the scent of freshly baked goods thick in the air.
So focused on her kneading, she doesn’t notice that I am here until I gently knock on the tabletop, drawing her gaze up, light brown eyes glistening.
“Xander,” she breathes, wiping her hands down the front of her white apron. “What a lovely surprise.” She takes in my stance, the undercurrent of tension that it holds. Things she only notices because we have known each other for so long. “Though I doubt you’ve come simply for a friendly chat.”
I cross my arms over my chest, feeling oddly bare without my armor today.
The king said that we would not need it for the first trial of the Trusted candidates, but despite my hatred of it, I’ve become accustomed to its weight against me.
“You are correct. I’ve come to see if you have heard anything about what might be happening in the first trial today. ”
“You think I might know something?” she teases, wiping her brow with the back of her hand as she rounds the table, leaning a hip against its edge.
The corner of my mouth threatens to lift as I stare down at her, and she huffs out a laugh.
“I don’t know much,” she relents. “A few others heard mention of the king needing sweet cherry wine, but not much else.” She lifts her eyes back to mine and takes in my disappointment.
I was hoping to give my men some kind of edge before the trial. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I answer, straightening and letting my hands fall to my sides. “The king is still much too cautious of what he allows to be known around me. It is… frustrating.”
“You know how his mind works. Patience is key,” she reminds me, offering a small smile. “Have you decided which men you will nominate?”
“I have. I am on my way to meet with them next.” I had told Grayson my choices, and he found them to be our best options too.
They were informed that, should they accept the nomination, they were to meet me at dawn.
I won’t force them into becoming a Trusted, not with the additional blood oaths I know the king will make them take.
“They’ll come,” she says with an air of confidence that makes the corners of my mouth raise.
I swipe a freshly made roll and say goodbye, making my way up the stairs to the castle’s main floor.
I’m grateful for the quiet, only the castle staff, some guards, and a handful of nobles meandering about.
My gaze runs over the tapestries meant to hide the chipped white paint on the stone walls as I make my way to the double staircase centered in a large foyer near the castle’s center.
Depictions of everything from fair maidens dancing during the summer solstice to portraits of past kings fighting wars against foreign foes.
Following the crimson and gold runners that are centered down the main hall, I slow my steps as I pass the entryway to the king’s quarters.
A quick glance out a nearby window tells me that the sun is still a handful of minutes away from rising and I need to move quickly if I am to meet with Darin, Theo, and Alden before today’s trial.
Two guards stand tall as I pass, their eyes locking on me to assess before both relaxing.
Giving them a nod, I don’t linger but rush to the opposite end of the hall, turning left and officially entering the queen’s wing.
Coming to a stop in front of the door with a gold flower, I quickly open it and dip inside, gently shutting it behind me.
It smells of stale air and dust—these rooms having sat vacant since Queen Luna Maxwell last occupied them—and I move quickly through a grand sitting room to the bedroom, finding the hidden door in the farthest wall and pressing it open.
Digging out the matches from my pocket, I strike one and light the torch that I last left here, holding the flame up to see the colored markings on the tunnel walls.
Green signifies the direction leading to an exit outside.
Blue means that the room is within the castle walls and to proceed with caution.
Red leads right to the resistance meeting room, the most hidden of all the places connected to the tunnels.
Mapping them all out had taken the better part of six months, and only I hold the knowledge of all the exits.
Following the red markings to the right location, I’m relieved when I see all three of my candidates already waiting. “Darin. Theo. Alden.” I greet them all as I extinguish the torch and step into the room, meeting Grayson’s eyes where he leans against the wall.
“Took you long enough,” he teases before biting into an apple.
“Needed to stop and speak with Tienne.” Brushing my hands down the front of my tunic, I ignore the way he smirks. I’ve told him time and time again that Tienne and I are just friends, but it might as well go in one ear and out the other.
“Have you heard anything about today’s trial?
” Darin asks, running a freckle-covered hand through his short red hair.
He keeps his face neutral, but his anxiousness bleeds through in the slight tremor of his voice, the way he can’t keep still as he paces.
Theo and Alden are seated at the large table that houses a wooden map of the kingdoms, matching wood pieces placed to represent the beings in each.
“Nothing other than the location. It is going to be in the king’s dining hall,” I say, bracing my hands on the back of the chair set at the head of the table. “The king has managed to keep whatever he is planning between him and Simon.”
“That guy gives me the fucking creeps,” Theo chimes in from where he is seated at my right, his eyes such a light shade of brown that they remind me of damp sand.
Darin lets out a nervous laugh. “Which one? They both make me want to crawl out of my skin.” He winces before sending an apologetic look my way. “No offense.”
I nearly snort. “There is none taken. I am not the man who sired me, only cursed to share his blood.” He and Theo chuckle, Alden’s hard stare catching my attention. “We should discuss the issue of taking another vow, if you are chosen.”
“No need.” Theo knocks his knuckles on the table, rattling the map’s pieces. “We understand the duties of the job. And the risks.” Darin nods in agreement, while Alden tilts his head.
“You’re sure? Blood oaths cannot be reversed, and I cannot predict what he might make you vow.” The oaths of the Trusted are given in private, and though I wasn’t asked to give another vow besides the one I had been forced into at ten years old, becoming a Trusted still bore an extremely high cost.
“Theoretically, it won’t matter what he makes us vow if the plan is for him to die anyway, right?
” Alden asks, his elbows bent as his arms rest on the table.
He’s a broad man with a foreboding glare, one that matches the deep brown of his hair.
In our limited interactions, I have found him to be steely.
Observant. Looking at him now, I can’t decipher the emotions that play behind the mask he wears, and it’s disorienting.
I’m sure Grayson would laugh at the irony.
“Correct,” I answer. “At least, that is the theory.” Despite King Dolian’s fondness for using blood oaths, I’m not sure even he understands exactly how the magic works.
“Then let us hope justice will be brought.” Alden’s jaw flexes, his chest rising and falling with a deep breath.
“Jerrick is coming with candidates of his own. I don’t know who for sure, but I wouldn’t put it past the king to pit you against each other in one way or another to see who comes out on top.
” I look at the three of them, my stomach churning with guilt.
This is their choice, but I can’t help but feel like their lives are in my hands.
“You may end up fighting for more than just a position as one of the king’s closest guards.
” The insinuation hangs heavily between us, but none of them balk in the face of death.
“Okay, then,” I say, standing tall as I nod.
“May the king remember our faces as the ones who betrayed him.”
King Dolian sits tall in a chair that’s so extravagant in stature that it may as well be another throne.
Gold frames his shoulders on both sides, gems in varying colors edging the chair’s tufted red fabric.
The pointed-spire crown on his head sparkles beneath the flame gems lighting the chandelier above, a disinterested expression on his face.
Darin, Theo, Alden, and myself file into the king’s dining hall and line the left side of the massive table.
We’re joined a few minutes later by Jerrick and his men, one of whom I’m surprised to see is Commander Miles.
It is bold of Jerrick to bring him, considering he failed to bring the princess back.
Then again, he had apprehended the shifter.
Lining up across the table from us, Miles and Jerrick are joined by a man named Hudson, who greets me with an annoying smirk.
At a handful of years older than I am, Hudson prefers to bounce around, commanders obliging his wishes to go on whichever excursion or task that seems the most interesting to him.
Which usually meant he was the one they sent to retrieve late tax payments.
He is merciless, willing to harm and maim for the sick thrill of it.
I should have guessed that he would be one of Jerrick’s choices.
The third man, I don’t recognize, though he glares at Theo as if he has a personal vendetta against him. Theo merely cracks a smile.
Simon enters, followed by a handful of unfamiliar guards that spread out around the room. I’m still armed with blades at my thighs and a hidden one in my boot, but being surrounded by men I don’t know makes me wish I had my armor.
Taking his place to the right of King Dolian, Simon clutches his hands behind his back, puffing his chest out as his serious gaze moves over us.
“Gentlemen, understand that it is a great honor to even be recognized as a potential candidate for joining the king’s Trusted.
These positions are the most prestigious in the guard, and you should all feel proud at the fact that you are standing here in front of your king.
” Simon continues, speaking of the duties expected as a member of the Trusted.
“It is because of these reasons that we have created trials for potential candidates. This one in particular will test your dedication to the king’s safety, even when the risk is your own life.
” He claps twice, and three servants enter, bronze chalices balanced on silver serving trays.
One by one, a cup filled with red liquid is set on the table in front of each of us, Jerrick and myself included.
When he arches a brow in the advisor’s direction, Simon offers an unnerving smile in return.
“We will test all of your dedication today.”
Grinding my teeth together, I stare down at the chalice. Sweet cherry wine, just as Tienne had said. But how the fuck is this supposed to test our dedication?
“Poison is a highly effective way to kill a king,” he says, and my blood runs cold, the candidates stiffening at his words. “It can be hard to detect, nearly impossible to stop the ramifications of if not detected early. The role of the king’s Trusted is to ensure he remains safe in all scenarios.”
What are the odds the drinks are actually poisoned? Glancing at the king, I wouldn’t put it past him to take us all out for the thrill of it.
“So, candidates, what lies before you is duty. At the risk of yourself but for the good of the kingdom,” Simon says, that rodent gaze landing on me. “What will you do?”