Page 25 of Bred By the Emperor

“They were labeled in Kellimarian.”

“And?” His brows draw together.

“The rebels are from Gremalia. They don’t speak Kellimarian.”

He blinks.

“Gremalians don’t speak Kellimarian for the most part. Nobody uses our language. We speak Enovar together, but I’d wager you can’t even form a full sentence in my native tongue.” My heart begins racing. “But the maps were labeled in perfect court Kellimarian.”

Malakai goes completely still. I can almost see the realization spreading across his face.

“Someone from my grandfather’s court either provided copies of those maps, or they were stolen from the map room. I can prove that it was the second option. Several valuable maps depicting the underground caves were stolen two years ago, when I was still seventeen. They aren’t the sort of thing that could be easily replaced with satellite images.” Old memories flash through my mind. Cabinet meetings. The old ministers. One face. One name. One man who insisted on handling trade manifests, who argued against strengthening the border because we could rely upon the emperor to sort it out. We didn’t need to get involved…according to my head guard.

I can’t believe I asked him to marry me! What a mistake that would have been.

He must have been the one who facilitated the break-in. The head guard would have had access, and as a trusted leader within the castle, he could have kept the rebels’ secret by shifting blame and covering up their activity.

Tears rush down my cheeks in a hot storm of relief. “I need to see my grandfather. You can find the records of the theft. It was reported everywhere. We didn’t connect it to the rebels. We just thought it was some kind of brazen art dealer looking to sell a rare and valuable collection, but it must have been an inside job, and I know who could have done it. My very own head guard.” I smack my forehead with the heel of my palm. “How could we be so stupid?”

“Not stupid, my brave princess.” He kisses my forehead. “Without you, I could have executed an innocent old man for treason. Now, we know where to round up the rebels and how to arrest them.” A grin stretches his sensuous lips. “They won’t know what hit them.”

Chapter 16

Malakai

The last thing I want is to allow Lili to come with us to Kellimar and confront the rebels, but I did agree that it was her kingdom to rule as she sees fit.

Within reason, of course. I’m still the emperor, and what I say, goes—which is why she is nowhere near the military unit that sweeps into the warehouses and kills or captures the rebels hiding there. Instead, Lili is safely inside her castle, tending to her grandfather.

His wounds, fortunately, aren’t life-threatening.

While I’m personally leading the team to apprehend the rebellion and destroy their outpost—those pesky little shits have been a thorn in my side for years and I’m not going to miss the opportunity to get my revenge—I anxiously wait for word from my empress.

When we’re on the ground again, I jump down from the helicopter and run along the parapet into her castle. Our castle, now. The same blue and white pennants fly above the picturesque turrets, but now they have been joined by Enovar’s royal flag.

Inside, I make my way to the small unit where the King of Kellimar is being treated. Lili looks exhausted. She’s back in her royal finery, a somber midnight-blue dress devoid of ostentation in honor of the people killed at our wedding.

“You’re safe,” she says, relief easing the worry in her features. I want to pick her up and carry her away from all this mess, but the business of being a royal leader never stops. She understands this as well as I do.

“Did he agree to step down?”

She nods. “He says he should have done it years ago.”

“He’s right about that.” I enfold her into an embrace. “You have a good head on your shoulders. You are more than capable of leading Kellimar. You’ve demonstrated that.”

“Have I?” she asks, her chin wobbling and her eyes filling with tears. “I was ready to abdicate all my responsibilities if it meant I could be with you.”

My heart swells. Since meeting this woman, I’ve gone from being an all-around unfeeling bastard—truly Malakai the Monster—to feeling almost too much.

Too much sweetness and softness.

Too much joy.

Before Lili, I was stalled and bitter. Now, I’m ready to embrace life to the fullest again.

“I would have done the same for you,” I tell her. “When I said that if you were going to prison, I would go with you, I meant every word.”

Lili dashes one tear away from her eye and grins broadly at me. “I’m glad it didn’t come to that. I love you for being strong enough to hold together this empire. Our people needed peace after so many years of war, and you gave them that.” She kisses me sweetly. “But I have one last thing to ask of you before you take me back to your castle and we can finally settle in.”