“I received your message about wanting out. I was hoping to dissuade you from doing so.”
To attack him would be foolish on Vade’s part, but Orelia wondered if the king had ever seen the fae’s cruelty firsthand to know what he was truly capable of.
“You’ve done excellent work for me over the years. What made you want to leave?”
Vade was quiet for a moment. “My priorities have changed.”
Aradonis glanced over his shoulder at Orelia, who quickly looked away. To have the attention of the most powerful man in Nivinia made her heart beat faster. She didn’t know how this conversation was going to go and she began fidgeting with her shirt.
“And these new priorities, they are more important to you than being one of the wealthiest people to work for the kingdom?”
When they came to a split in the path, the king stopped. The High Guard fanned out around the garden, covering each path and every exit. A glint of something made her squint and she looked up to see two batalins standing atop the far wall. Their steel arrows glistened in the sun, set in the bows resting in front of them. Half relaxed, half ready to fire at a moment’s notice.
Vade faced the king. “You have made me a very rich man, I will admit that, Your Majesty. But I have been your loyal emissary for many years and I now wish for my life to be my own.”
Orelia wasn’t sure where she should stand or what she should do, so she smelled some pink roses growing on bushes bordering an eight-tiered fountain. The feeling of someone watching her made Orelia turn. The batalin the king had ordered to come with them, Marquin, was homed in on Vade. His mouth was twisted in disgust, a lilac hand squeezing the hilt of his sword so fiercely that his knuckles had gone white. She didn’t know what his problem was, but the contempt for Vade was clear.
“I see,” the king said. “Is there nothing I can do to convince you to stay? A raise, perhaps?”
Vade gave a curt shake of his head. “I’m afraid my mind is made up, Your Majesty.”
The king lifted his chin, looking Vade over. “I’m assuming you wouldn’t request to leave my service without the payment we discussed?” He smirked beneath his well-groomed mustache.
On the way to Axelton, Vade had told her the astronomical payment the king required for him to leave. She’d been dumbstruck he’d acquired the amount, but he assured her it wasn’t all from killing.Vade said he stole from many wealthy people when he was younger, particularly those who lived around Goldbottom. He told her he would never be a slave to someone else, so he made sure to save up the money as quickly as he could in case he ever wanted out.
Vade stuck a hand in his pocket and every member of the High Guard readied their glaives. The batalins atop the wall pointed their bows at him.
The fae had the nerve to smirk.
The king lifted a hand and the guards slowly lowered their weapons, Marquin being the last to concede.
Vade fished out a coin purse and handed it to the king. He’d said the bank condensed his payment into larger coins she’d never seen nor even heard of before. The two coins were half the size of his palm, pure white as they were made of dragon bone. A sharply drawn black dragon head with its mouth open graced each side—the symbol of Nivinia.
The king opened the pouch and looked inside. A quick frown graced his face, like he was surprised Vade had actually acquired the money, but it was gone a second later. Seeming satisfied, he handed the pouch to Marquin.
“As per our conditions, I need your tracking stone and weapons as well.”
Marquin practically jumped at the opportunity to disarm him.
Vade put his arms out at his side to acquiesce but glared at the batalin with his bestdon’t fuck with meface as he was relieved of the two seidr blades on his back.
Orelia thought there may have been a history between the two of them and made a mental note to ask Vade about it later.
“Where’s the stone?” Marquin asked in a deep, booming voice.
“Right pocket.” Vade’s fingers twitched at his sides and Orelia wanted to scream at him not to do anything stupid.
Thankfully, Marquin retrieved the stone and rejoined the rest of the guards without incident.
Orelia released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Vade gave her a quick mischievous glance.
“I can’t say I’m pleased about you leaving, but I am a man of my word,” the king said. “Didn’t think you’d ever save up enough money, but I see you’ve been busy doing just that.”
Vade half-smiled. “Thank you for trusting me to get your jobs done, but it’s time I find something else to center my life around.” He looked at Orelia.
The king looked at her like he knew the look of love all too well. His eyes were kind, and he had been surprisingly understanding about the situation. Though Orelia knew he was the one who had hired Vade to kill people he deemed “unworthy”, she was finding it difficult to see him as some heartless being who gave execution orders on a whim.
“I wish you the best of luck,” Aradonis said. The two men shook hands, then the High Guard surrounded the king as they headed back in the direction of the carriage. When everyone was out of earshot, Orelia jumped into Vade’s arms.
