Chapter 21 #2
I thought my heart had been broken before, but hearing Bannik’s words shatters it completely. He will never know this, though. It is the penance I must pay. “I do not expect you to. Nothing I do will change the past.”
A long, uncomfortable silence settles until, finally, Janik breaks it.
“Now that we have all of that out of the way, we need to figure out where Mohneek and Orvak are hiding so we can put an end to this,” he says. “We are no closer to knowing what Ryvik intends to do with his knowledge of Carrik. The only way to disrupt whatever it is, is to play our hand first.”
“By exposing who I am.” It is not a question.
Horek nods. “The real Bannik has returned to Preska. We will continue to use your animosity toward each other in order to perhaps force Ryvik’s hand.
With the truth no longer secret, our hope is he will reach out to Bannik and share what he had been trying to accomplish by telling him what he knew of Carrik. ”
My brother jolts. “You wish me to become involved in this scheme?”
“You are a guard in the royal army and loyal to the queen, me, and the throne, are you not?” Janik asks.
Bannik straightens. “Of course, Your Highness.”
“Your duty, then, is to assist in bringing these threats to the crown to justice,” the prince states.
“I am yours to command, Your Highness. I will do everything in my power to help.”
Janik nods. “Take the remainder of the day to rest and recover. We will begin to spread word of the real Bannik’s imprisonment and subsequent escape.
With it, the sudden knowledge that the male who has been acting as him is his twin brother.
No one needs to know Carrik has been working for the crown just yet.
If you are asked why he imprisoned you and took your place, deny knowing why.
If you are asked how long you were imprisoned, tell them nothing more than you were kept underground and have no idea how much time had passed.
Tomorrow, we will meet back here to devise a detailed plan on what our next steps will be. ”
Commander Horek shifts my direction. “You have gone quiet.”
“What is there to say? I take orders from the prince, and he has spoken.” I don’t bother hiding the small amount of bitterness I’m feeling. My entire life has been about following orders I have never questioned. Nothing—and yet everything—has changed.
Janik and the commander stare at me, as if waiting for me to change my mind and offer a differing opinion, but I keep my thoughts to myself. Except the prince isn’t having it.
“If you have an alternative suggestion, then share it.”
Already, I brace myself for the refusal. “What if we don’t tell anyone Bannik was imprisoned? What if I remain in my current role and my brother takes my place instead?”
I ignore Bannik’s shock. Horek studies me. “And then what?”
“As ‘Carrik,’ Bannik will rent a lavish home here in Preska and make his presence known. Perhaps whispers begin speculating why he’s in the city.
Some have heard he’s here to reconcile with his brother.
Others have discovered Carrik has finally heard that Bannik had been a rebel spy.
Or perhaps others have heard Carrik has some secret meeting planned with the royal family with news about the rebels. ”
“What do you hope to accomplish?” Horek cants his head.
“Ryvik doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to make contact again.
In fact, his parting words to me the time we met in the tavern were that there were better ways to do ‘this,’ but that I wasn’t ready to hear them yet.
Perhaps with both brothers in the city and rumors swirling about why Carrik is here, we can get things moving faster.
Maybe set up a confrontation between us where I can attempt to prove I’m ready for whatever it is Ryvik wants from me—from Bannik. ”
“If that doesn’t work?” Janik asks.
“Then we try something else.”
Both the prince and the commander turn to Bannik with a questioning look. My brother radiates anger.
“I object to this, but as I have already stated, I am yours to command, Your Highness. If this is the route you wish to take, I will follow.”
Janik paces for several ticks before returning to the center of the room and glancing at my brother.
“Bannik, you will remain in the palace for now. I want to think on this longer and discuss our options with Horek and the queen. Let’s all meet again in the morning and go from there.
One more night without answers isn’t going to change things. ”
It’s clear my brother wishes to object, but with a tight jaw, he does nothing more than incline his head. Horek shifts his attention to me.
“You should probably take this time to speak with your heart’s fire,” he says.
Bannik jerks his head my direction, and he takes me in as if it’s his first time seeing me. As if he is only now noticing the changes my body has gone through since Lindsey became my mate.
“You have a heart’s fire?” he rasps.
I nod and turn to Janik. “If there is nothing further, Your Highness, I will take my leave for the day and return in the morning.”
The prince waves me off, and without another glance at my brother, I pivot and stride out of the throne room, feeling Bannik’s gaze boring into me the entire way.