My guards are too well-trained to shuffle on their feet, but my advisors are growing impatient, muttering amongst each other, sniffling, coughing, moving in their seats. The noises make my teeth grind.
Still, I sit and wait, enough that the light reflected off the blue chandeliers has moved a few inches across the marble—a re-routed river flowing through the floor.
“Where is he?”I bite off, the words as hard and dry as jerky.
Odo jumps to his feet, scrolls and quills sticking from the wide pockets of his coat—for note-taking. If the bastard king ever shows up.
“I’ll go inquire, my king.”
“Hurry up.”
He nods quickly, balding head rimmed with a halo of gray hair curling around like a topless hat. As Odo departs through the back door, my foot bounces, knee jumping.
He’s playing mind games, of course. For every move I make, so will he. Still, I could be in my rooms right now, comforting Auren, helping her to settle.
My mind flashes to the flare in her golden eyes as she spewed anger at me like dragon’s fire. Never. I’ve never seen her look like that.
I don’t like that, either.
I’m not sure what happened to her out there, unprotected. But Iwillfind out. I will get every possible detail from the guards, the saddles, everyone. And then I will extract vengeance.
I’ll start with the Red Raids. They only had her for hours, but I’ll make them pay for each one, right down to the second.
King Ravinger, though. His army had her for days and days. No wonder she’s so out of sorts.
My finger taps six times.
Good faith. He returned her back to me out ofgood faith. I didn’t actually believe he would do it. It was a test. The result of which tells me the most important thing of all—he doesn’t know what she is. What she can do.
Once I knew that, I was able to breathe for the first time in weeks.
So long as that secret is secure, the rest can be managed.
I feel my lips curl with a self-satisfied smirk. What a fool he is. He gave away the most valuable treasure in the entire realm, forfree.
I’d laugh in his face if I could, just to rub it in.
But the secret is much more valuable than my ability to gloat. It’s why I’ve learned to do so in private. Every time Auren turns something gold under my direction, I gloat. Every time someone else marvels atmypower, or calls me the Golden King, I gloat.
I’ve fooled the entire world of Orea.
And now, I’ve claimed two kingdoms for my own. I just need to ensure that I keep them both, which is why this meeting is so important.
If the meeting ever actually happens. The tapping starts up again.
Six more minutes. I’ll give the bastard six more minutes, and then I’ll go down there to his encampment and drag him out myself.
No onekeeps me waiting.
My fingertip counts the seconds. One minute. Two. Three minutes. Four. Five. When I hit six, anger is thick in my chest, like viscous mucus I’m unable to clear.
I get to my feet, shoulders set with vexation, the corners of my eyes creasing with stress.
“I’ll go after the bastard myself,” I bark out.
Just as I’m about to take my first step, the door to the throne room is tossed open like a wayward wind tore through the wood as it slams against the wall.
Three sets of footsteps echo in—no, four. One of them has a tread too light to hear. All of them are in full black armor and helmets, but even without being able to see their faces, I can sense their arrogance.
