Silence, but I had my answer. There it was, the fear I’d seen yesterday, the dilated pupils from the nightshade coursing through his bloodstream, and the sweat beading on his temples.I even noticed the slight twitch of his fingers marking my slow, purposeful steps.
‘Tsk, tsk… Did your little ploy not pay off? Your bluster won’t protect you.’ I crossed my arms on my chest. ‘Everyone here knows you’re in Tivala’s pocket. Did you think the esteemed duke would be grateful for you fracturing the king’s support?’
He must have sent his family away to somewhere he thought I couldn’t reach. Despite my threats and warnings, he’d decided to support Tivala.
‘Is that what you…’ He stopped when I leaned to his ear.
‘I’ll find them, and I’ll make them suffer for every word against the king,’ I whispered. Yarran sucked in a breath, meeting my gaze before swallowing hard.
Did you assume I wouldn’t challenge you? Motherfucker… Wrong call.
Yarran swallowed twice before finding his voice. ‘I acted in good faith. After all, each noble offering their daughters for marriage to the king was told he’d already chosen his bride.’ He flinched when I rested my hand on the back of his ornate chair. ‘Even though I haven’t seen a marriage contract, it’s the only logical conclusion. You can’t seriously believe the king would choose his lowborn dalliance as queen.’
Gods! Another one who assumed that was how Rey saw me, as a whore, a nobody, a momentary distraction. I’d never wanted to kill someone as much as I did right now. My magic, awakened by the painful emotions burning inside me, wanted to reach out and disfigure him, to expose his rotten soul to the world. I fought down the anger before I lost control, curling my fingers into a fist when flames licked over my palm. I let Yarran see the unspoken promise in my eyes. Sooner or later, I would relieve his wife and young heir from the burden of his existence.
He must have sensed the danger because he promptly added, ‘This discussion is pointless without His Majesty. Let’s focus on organising provisions for our troops!’
His vassal looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and betrayal before standing up abruptly. ‘My lord, what are you saying? You told me the king signed a marriage contract. You said we needed to make it known…’ The man slammed his palm onto the table.
‘Remove this fool before he spews more nonsense,’ Riordan said, and the guards instantly approached him.
‘I have the right to be here. You cannot silence me.’ He struggled, looking at his liege lord for support.
Yaran shook his head. ‘Not another word. Go with them and wait for me in my office.’
‘What the fuck just happened?’ Niemir asked, a deep frown creasing his forehead as his gaze shifted from Yaran to me, ‘Who are you, woman, that you can silence a noble in this council?’
‘A loyal servant of the War King,’ I said with a smile he couldn’t see. I turned around and walked towards Riordan, placing my hand on my chest and bowing. ‘Regent, my work here is done. I shall await my orders in your office.’ After my intimidation of Yaran, this show of obedience didn’t go unnoticed, and several people looked at Riordan with new respect.
Smoke and mirrors could change a man’s mind faster than a knife to the throat. Countless nights of people-watching in the House of Lillies had taught me that. Still, this gamble left me shaking, and I needed to leave before the façade crumbled under the pressure.
Riordan waved dismissively, picking up on my clue. I bowed once more before striding to the hidden door and exiting the room. I’d won this battle, but once their heightened emotionssubsided, many who’d heard the accusations would question whether the contract existed.
‘And if it suddenly appears, Rey won’t be just an oath-breaker, but the man who dallied with another woman while his betrothed waited for his attention,’ I muttered as I reached Rey’s office, knowing exactly what I had to do.
The question was whether I had the courage to do it.
Chapter 15
Roksana
With each step I took, I felt the weight of my actions grow. When I arrived at Rey’s office, the man standing guard took one look at me and scrambled to open the door. Once inside, I ripped off the mask and tossed it aside. Then I collapsed into my wolf’s worn leather chair and buried my face in its cushions, hoping for the slightest hint of Rey’s scent.
The office hadn’t changed in his absence. Well, apart from the paperwork, which was neatly stacked rather than scattered across every available surface. Besides this, it was just the same, perfectly reflecting the king’s personality.
Riordan was still busy, but that worked for me. I needed to draft a letter. Telling Rey about my plans filled me with dread, so I looked around, hoping to find some liquid courage hidden in a dark corner. My luck had run dry as neither wine nor mead appeared during my search. Instead, I found a quill and ink… but the words to describe my feelings eluded me.
The grand plan was simple. Search Tivala’s castle, find any and all evidence or schemata, then destroy the marriage contract. The problem lay in the execution, and I didn’t know how toexplain this, or why I was the best person for the job. He wouldn’t accept me saying it was my way of protecting him – that if I failed, then at least he wouldn’t need to justify my presence to the council.
‘Gods, Tova will be pissed if I go there without him. Ha, Rey… he’ll tan my arse.’ I blushed, pushing that thought aside, racking my brain for something to help him understand why I had to go. It was tempting to say nothing. To handle things as I always did, by myself and in secret, but keeping Reynard in the dark didn’t sit right anymore.
I picked up an empty sheet of vellum from the pile and started writing.
Hey Wolfie,
How’s your frozen backside? I’m sitting in your chair, drinking your mead, and wondering why I’m missing you so much. I’m sure Riordan is sending you reports, but knowing him, those are dry facts. He’s doing a terrific job despite the circumstances, and I’m trying to help. Don’t you dare blame him for what I’ve been up to because that’s all on me.
I paused, wondering how to soften the blow. The last thing I wanted was for him to worry about the capital while he was fighting a war.
