Chapter Twenty-Four Xander
“Whoever did these stitches must have had the shakiest hand in all of the Mortal Kingdom,” Tienne chides as she dabs at the torn-open wound at my side. Blowing a shorter strand of hair from her face, I smirk when it falls right back. “Am I to take offense at the fact that you did not come to me?”
“No offense intended, but I needed to get down to see Bella and only had time to visit the infirmary after the trial.” I hiss as she presses a cloth to me that makes the wound sting. “Gods above, that hurts.”
She winces, apologetic eyes meeting mine. “Sorry.”
I tilt my head back and heave out a breath, my fingers gripping the arms of the chair. “It’s fine.”
She presses clean gauze over my skin before gesturing for me to sit forward so she can wrap more around me to hold it in place. She moves deftly, tying the cloth off near the front of my body.
“Did you find the woman I told you about?” I ask, noting how the corners of her mouth turn down at the question.
“I did.” Standing, she grabs my black tunic from where it hangs over the back of a nearby chair and hands it to me, turning away as I pull it over my head.
“And?”
“It took a little time to get her to open up to me,” she admits, shaking her head.
“I’m still not sure that she entirely trusts me, but I’m afraid your assumptions about what the king is using her for are correct.
” My chin falls to my chest as I blow out a breath.
“Her name is Eve, and she comes from a small village a few days east of here.”
“Do you know how she came to be in the castle?” I ask as I stand, pulling the armor piled on a nearby table closer.
“I haven’t gotten the full story, but from what I can tell, word was sent out to the brothels that the king was looking for a woman with certain attributes.
” Tienne’s voice wavers on the word attributes, and my stomach curdles.
“Eve was chosen by her Madam, and then the king’s advisor arranged everything after that. ”
“Fuck,” I murmur, buckling the chest and back pieces of my armor before tying the top half of my hair back. “Do you think she can be trusted?”
“Perhaps. I want to speak to her a little more first, see if I can get her to open up.” Tienne turns just as I slide my sword into its sheath at my hip, mentally double checking that my other weapons are in place. “And how are things going with Bella?”
The sigh that leaves me is heavy. “Things are… complicated.”
Tienne snorts, pushing a tray of remaining pastries on the table towards me. They are leftovers from the meeting, tensions high enough that food was the last thing on anyone’s mind. “That seems to be putting it mildly.”
“Bella is stubborn, reluctant to answer anything regarding the princess. I can’t help but feel like there is so much more to her story than she is telling me.”
“And why would she tell you?” she asks, cocking a hip against one of the chairs. “She believes you to be an ally to the king. Indebted to him.”
“There is only so much I can say before it becomes a risk.” I grab a croissant from the tray, taking a bite and quelling the rumbling in my stomach. “I can’t give her enough knowledge to use against me.”
“Do you think she would?”
“It’s hard to say. Despite our many visits, I feel as if I am no closer to knowing who she really is than I am to knowing if Rhea is going to come back seeking vengeance on the king.
” The latter point had served as a source of contention amongst those gathered today, so many of them eager to know why there hasn’t been progress made in the wake of the princess’s disappearance.
I understand their frustration. I only wish they could recognize how my own hands are bound.
If I move at the wrong time, if I leave anything to chance, the entire movement will fall before it ever sees the light of day.
“Perhaps you need to show her that you are willing to risk something for her trust.” Finishing off the croissant, I look at Tienne and the dark circles that are present under her eyes, the worst I’ve ever seen.
“I’m not saying you reveal who you are to the king or even the resistance, but is there anything else you can give her to prove that your loyalties don’t lie where she thinks they do? ”
The tunnels flash in my mind. Am I willing to risk that knowledge on the possibility that she might believe I hate the king as much as she does?
“I should head back up.” King Dolian has another meeting in the throne room, though I haven’t been able to ascertain who it is with. After that, I will make my way back to the dungeon and hope that Bella is in a talking mood.
“I noticed Alden was not at today’s meeting,” Tienne says quietly, halting my steps towards the door.
My fingers flex at my sides. “He was not.”
“Was that your choice or his?”
In the moments after Alden drove his sword into Theo, it had been quiet chaos.
Miles kept his distance from Alden, climbing out of the pit and taking his place at Jerrick’s side.
I waited for Alden to do the same, unsure of what I would find when I looked upon the man.
He murdered his own ally for seemingly no reason.
It baffled and enraged me. It simply entertained King Dolian.
“It was mine,” I finally answer, looking over my shoulder at her.
“He broke an unspoken rule, even if he did it because he thought it would earn the king’s favor.
” That had been his reasoning when I finally pulled him aside and all but demanded to know what the fuck possessed him to do such a thing.
“Be careful, Xander,” Tienne says, fingers sliding into the pockets of the apron tied to her waist. “Sometimes, men who feel like they have nothing to lose are more dangerous than men who feel like they do.”
I give her a small smile. “Take care of yourself, Tienne. Don’t let this castle run you ragged.”
An unusual energy pulses in the air as I join King Dolian outside of his quarters. “Your Majesty,” I say while bowing, joining Jerrick, Silas, and the fourth Trusted chosen by the king. Grayson had informed me his name is Von.
“You’re late.” He doesn’t wait for me to give him an excuse for why as he walks past, running his hands over the front of his vest, smoothing out the already wrinkle-free material.
The deep maroon color stands in contrast to the intricately woven gold embroidery, the pattern one that sends a pang to my chest. After he found my mother and I, he forced her to teach the castle seamstresses those unique patterns.
In mockery of her life and talent, he now wears garments inspired by her work.
Jerrick limps slightly at my side as we walk.
He, like myself, still has lingering reminders of the trial in the form of bruises on his jaw, scabbed-over cuts dotting his knuckles, and apparently, a leg wound.
We descend the stairs leading to one of the main foyers, a group of passing nobles bowing to the king.
Simon joins us there, the two conversing in low voices.
I quicken my pace to try and get close enough to hear what they are saying.
“My King, are you sure this is what you want?” Simon’s fingers clutch each other where his hands are clasped behind him, the side of his face drawn tight in what almost looks like concern.
King Dolian stares straight ahead, posture perfect as he slips a hand into one of his pockets. “I will not lose any more unnecessary time. If this is what is needed to get her back, then it is a risk I must take.” He’s talking about the princess, of course, but what risk—
“So, you’re down to only one man now,” Silas says from behind me where he and Von walk.
Jerrick laughs, gripping my shoulder. “Don’t be too sad, Xander. I was surprised you chose anyone bold enough to kill one of their own for the hell of it.”
“How do you know I didn’t encourage it?” I shove his hand off of me, keeping my gaze forward.
One of the men behind me snorts, and Jerrick leans in closer. “You’re not ruthless enough for it. Everyone knows that.”
“Touch me again, and I’ll show you I have no problem opening up another position within the Trusted.
” I grip the hilt of my sword as I try to catch the last of the king’s conversation with Simon, the double doors of the throne room looming ahead of us.
But whatever is said is lost to the frustration slicing through my veins.
Jerrick, of all people, should have no problem imagining how ruthless I can be.
As a member of the Trusted years before I joined, he stood at King Dolian’s side as he pushed and punished me under the guise of overseeing the newest recruits.
He’d seen me kill. Watched as my best friend was punished by my own blade.
Two King’s Guardsmen stand posted on either side of the double doors.
They bow, and I briefly catch Brisk’s gaze as he straightens.
He had been silent in our earlier resistance meeting.
Theo was a friend, and though Brisk would never admit to needing space to process the loss, I could see it in the way he stared off as we strategized over future plans.
My ire rises when the doors are pulled open and Miles is standing within, dressed in full armor with his hands together in front of him.
“Your Majesty, thank you for allowing me to assist you.” My eyes bounce from Miles to the king and then to Simon, the advisor quirking a smile as he nods his head.
Why the fuck is Miles here? “The Mirror is ready for you.” He gestures a few feet away to where the spelled Mirror stands tall, just at the base of the dais.
“Thank you for your assistance, Commander.” Miles bows and then joins us outside the room, Simon gesturing for us all to stay.
“I’m afraid the king requires privacy for his meeting.”
I grit my teeth as he signals for Brisk and his companion to shut the doors, while in the throne room, the king makes his way towards the Mirror, its surface rippling.
“Queen Amari of the Siren Quee—”