Cassarah
Before I got much further, something had me looking back at the head table. It was then I noticed all my men standing, putting their weapons away as they ensured the spymaster’s daughter retreated. It seems I had a little help in making our position clear that they were off-limits to anyone but me.
“Percilla has been trying to tie me to her for a long time, even going so far as to use her father to pressure the union. What she didn’t realize was I had so much dirt on her father, there was no way he could ever force me to do something I didn’t want to do.
His daughter was the source of most of that blackmail and loved to share secrets during pillow talk,” Paxton explained as we whirled around the dance floor.
“I’m not a perfect man, and I’ve used every dirty trick in the book to get what I needed from people to survive.
I had no reason to be good, honest, or loyal to anyone.
Then my entire world turned on its head the moment your mark appeared on my arm. ”
When I’d first met Paxton, I didn’t think there was a chance in hell we would end up where we are today. Even though he was brash with his thoughts, always poking at me, forcing us to talk about the things we’d prefer to leave alone, I could no longer imagine my life without him.
By the time Pax and I had finished our dance, the room settled back into the normal swing of things, aside from everyone giving me a wide berth. I couldn’t blame them. I’d made quite the scene and knew it would establish the clear understanding that I was not to be trifled with.
“Your Majesty,” Sir Roulf addressed with a bow. “Might I have the next dance?”
I looked the man up and down, trying to discern if he was being sincere or not. “You wish to dance with me?”
“Yes, only a dance. I have no intention of even thinking about asking for more than that. You’ve made it quite clear that you and your harem are a closed unit,” he answered, keeping his eyes lowered.
While I’d planned to speak to this man, I hadn’t intended to do so publicly. “You may have one dance. Use it wisely.”
Pax gave me a confused look, but when I smiled in reassurance, kissing his cheek, he stepped aside. “I will meet you back at the table, My Queen.”
“You have a very loving and loyal group of men, Your Majesty,” Sir Roulf commented as he took my hand, leading me onto the dance floor.
I let him spin me into place as the music started up the next dance. We went a few minutes without either of us saying anything, but I’d finally had enough.
“Sir, it’s incredibly clear to me that you didn’t ask me to dance with you out of the goodness of your heart. It would be wise to say what you need to say, or I’ll leave you standing here alone,” I warned, holding his gaze so he knew I was serious.
He swung me away from him then I twirled, returning to him, my back against his chest for a few steps.
“You’re right. I didn’t come to dance with you but to warn you.
I know you’re the one who freed the queen’s mind.
The Lost King knew it was possible with how light his hold on her was, but the failsafe of her losing her memory was also there to prevent someone like you learning our secrets. ”
The dance had me slipping under his arm in a complex move that had me facing him again. He gripped my waist and pulled me tight, even though I tried to keep as much space between us as I could.
“Just accept that the Lost King has already won… he holds Creisal in his hands. Many of his men have infiltrated the castle and the kingdom, so you’ll never be able to tell who you can trust. I applaud your guardians being so overly cautious, but will they be able to protect you against everyone?
” Sir Roulf whispered in my ear. “The Lost King is willing to meet with you and receive your surrender, putting an end to this whole affair. There’s no need for any more life to be lost. All you have to do is admit he’s outsmarted you, and he might see fit to let you and your men live. ”
When we reached the point where the dance brought us to the edge of the dance floor, I stomped on his foot as hard as I could.
He stumbled, almost falling on his ass, but I caught him and pulled him in close by the front of his shirt.
“You tell the Lost King he hasn’t seen anything yet.
I’m just getting started, and I will find what he’s hiding.
It’s the whole purpose of my visit here.
He better get here quickly if he wants a fight he won’t lose because as soon as I discover what he’s so desperately trying to hide, he’s finished. ”
Done with the wretched man before me, I cast him aside roughly so he crashed into another couple, drawing the attention away from me. May appeared at my side, lightly grabbing my elbow as she escorted me away from the scene.
“Do I need to kill him?” May asked in a low voice. “From what I’ve gathered from the palace staff, he isn’t well-liked. The only thing that’s kept him out of trouble is the queen, but now that she’s publicly cut him off, he’s going to see just how much people haven’t liked tolerating his attitude.”
“He’s connected to the Lost King,” I shared as we climbed the steps to the head table.
May’s face twitched as she tried to keep her expression neutral. “Seems Henry wasn’t convinced his mind control would be enough, so he placed backup to ensure she did what he wanted.”
I took my seat at the table and smiled over at King Thomas as I spoke, “It would be wise for you to place a trusted guard with your wife at all times. After a lovely conversation with Sir Roulf, it would seem that the Lost King has more men here than we were led to believe. Even if he were lying, it would be foolish to think it couldn’t be possible. ”
“That is wise advice, Your Majesty. I will certainly take it under advisement. There are a few I would trust with my life as well as hers. Did the gentleman have anything else to share with us?” King Thomas asked.
Reaching over, I placed my hand on his arm. “While this feast has been lovely, I think it’s best to retire for the night. Could we possibly have breakfast together tomorrow somewhere private?”
“Yes, I believe that can be arranged. One of my personal staff will come to escort you to the meal. There is a lovely balcony in our private chambers with a stunning view of the sea I would love to show you,” he offered, understanding the game I was playing.
“Tomorrow then.” Turning to the queen, I caught her eye. “Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. This feast has been a wonderful evening, and I look forward to seeing more of your kingdom in the following days.”
Queen Catharine seemed to be pleased with the flattery as she waved me off.
“Goodness, child, you put me to shame when you speak like that. A queen for such a short time yet as eloquent as the woman of days past. Gavin is blessed to have such a wife. I can see why he gave it all up for you. Now, off with you. I’m sure you must be exhausted with all the drama that’s gone on tonight.
Feasts… you never know what to expect from them, do you? ”
Seeing this version of the queen added just one more mark of cruelty the Lost King has had on this world.
Queen Catharine seemed like a woman who loved her family and did what was best for her kingdom.
The changes since her mind was altered must have come on gradually because that woman I met in my kingdom was nothing like the woman before me now.
I bid goodnight to Phillip and the people he was spending time with before I left the hall. Thankfully, another palace worker showed us back to our rooms. Otherwise, we would have been lost and wandering for who knows how long.
As I went to enter my room, Zan grabbed my arm and pulled me back, shaking his head and holding a finger to his lips.
He signaled to Jade who vanished into smoke before my eyes, then used the door’s keyhole to enter the room.
Moments later, a scuffle and a crash had Dayson and Abbott charging into the room.
“Unhand me.” a voice I knew bellowed.
There’s no way it could possibly be who I thought it was. Shoving Zan aside, I ran into the room where I found my father on his stomach with Dayson holding him down while Abbott tied his hands. Jade was wiping a split lip and dusting wooden shards off his clothes.
“Wait,” I cried out. “That’s my father.”
The three men froze, looking at me in horror as they released him and stepped back.
“Who the hell are you to attack me like that? Do you know who I am?” Father barked, picking himself up off the floor, his nose bleeding and what looked like a black eye forming.
“No, sir. We had no clue who you were, only that someone who shouldn’t be was in the queen’s chambers. How did you get into this room?” Jade demanded, not at all deterred by the fact he’d clearly attacked my father.
Father spluttered, looking at me as if I was going to help him. “I told the palace steward who I was and wanted to surprise my daughter with my visit. Is a man not allowed to do so?”
“Father,” I said, cutting off whatever Jade was going to say. “How did you know I was here? When we sent the letter days ago, you rejected my offer. I assumed that was the end of it.”
The outrage my father seemed to have been feeling drained out of him, and he took a few stumbling steps back to sit on the edge of my bed.
“Your mother left me… well, I suppose it would be more correct to say she kicked me out. She didn’t even give us a moment to discuss the offer you were giving us.
Instead, she spat on the man, sending him on his way.
That night, we argued for hours, and the next morning, I had my bags packed and a horse waiting for me.
She told me if I wanted to abandon everything, I might as well abandon her too. ”
Slowly, I approached the man who’d been the one person I looked up to all my life.
The hero of my stories, the man who taught me everything I know, gave me the thirst for knowledge that’s saved my life more than once.
Sitting before me now was a husk of that person.
He’d lost weight, his hair was far more gray, and where wrinkles hadn’t been, now appeared.
“Father,” I started, only to pause, unsure if I truly wanted to know the answer. “How did you find me here? The messenger told you I was in Sheca.”
“Yes, that’s the odd thing of it all. I didn’t rightly know where Sheca was.
It’s not on many maps that I know of. Then, that first night when I was staying at an inn, a man joined me at the table telling me he was tasked with looking after me if I changed my mind about your offer.
He shared with me that you were preparing to leave for Creisal in the next few days, and it would be better to meet you there, so here I am,” he explained, gesturing with his hands as he told the story.
Something in the pit of my stomach warned me that this whole situation was incredibly wrong.
Not to mention, this man wasn’t even behaving close to my father’s normal disposition.
The first thing that tipped me off was he claimed to have fought with my mother.
They hadn’t even done that when I could have died when the mercenaries first came to take me with them.
Father was willing to let me perish to keep our standing in the eyes of those in higher positions.
“That is quite the long journey. You seemed to have made good time,” I commented. “Did you get something to eat? There is a feast going on if you wish to join the festivities. I know how you love a good party.”
The man claiming to be my father patted me on the leg. “Now, why would I want to do that when I came to see you? Look at you. I can’t believe how much has changed in a year.”
Letting this man touch me made my skin crawl, but I had to get him to slip up somehow to confirm my suspicion.
“Speaking of how much has changed, allow me to introduce you to my consorts and guardians. You remember the once Crown Prince of Norden, now my heir, Gavin. Then there is Jade, Abbott, and Dayson, whom you’ve already interacted with.
You’ll have to forgive them, but no one was supposed to be permitted in my rooms, and we are in a foreign kingdom.
Izel, Paxton, Cole, and Zan complete my consorts.
May is my loyal shadow, and, of course, you know Becka well. ”
The man pretending to be my father watched with unmasked disdain as I introduced each person in my chosen family.
When his gaze landed on Becka, though, she received a brisk nod since I’d made it clear he should know who she was.
My gaze flicked over to her, and I prayed she could see what I noticed.
Even though Becka was a maid in our home, Father loved her like a second daughter and had always been kind to her above what her station would have called for.
“It’s lovely to see you again, Lord Charles,” Becka greeted with a curtsy. “I’m so sorry to hear that things with Lady Adeline have turned so sour. You two have always been so in love with each other.”
He grunted and adjusted his frock as if he was uncomfortable. “These are not matters I wish to discuss with the maid. If you could please leave the room, I would like to speak to my daughter alone.”
While Becka might have been a maid, Father never once held that against her. He would find other kind ways to tell her that she was being impertinent or butting in where she shouldn’t. Father knew I loved Becka like a sister and that Mother tried to use her against me, so he never did.
“I’m sorry, my Lord, but that isn’t going to happen,” Cole stated, crossing his arms. “If you wish to speak to her, there will need to be one of us in the room. That’s non-negotiable.”
“You dare to tell me what can and cannot happen?” Father roared.
At that outburst, I stood, turning on the man.
“Enough.” With a flick of my hand, a glowing blue dagger appeared in my grasp, which I held against the man’s throat.
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you’re not my father.
Did the Lost King send you, or is there a new enemy lurking in the shadows I’m unaware of? ”
“Seems I over played my hand there. I only had a few hours with the fool, not nearly enough time to make this act believable,” the person huffed as the illusion of my father melted away to reveal a woman dressed in all black leather with bright golden hair and glowing green eyes.
“Richard warned me you weren’t stupid, but I thought I would have managed to get something out of you before you caught on. What gave it away?”