Page 34 of His Realm

“They had to know their plan would produce casualties. I mean, really, Jason, attacking the king with weapons? How on earth were you supposed to have thought, oh, they just intend to detain him. That’s madness. They could have just come to the palace and asked to speak to him.”

“I doubt they had any idea they could do such a thing. They’ve lived their whole lives in Ophir, with no contact with the outside world. The only reason they knew you were getting married was because you sent word to everyone.”

“I did. And I sent a royal missive to Decimus by courier as it was done a hundred years ago. Of course, Indira, Dairo, and Shafir went by plane and helicopter, not by boat and horseback. But it was a proclamation that was read to Decimus in front of his entire veiled court.”

“Veiled?”

“Yes. Traditionally, outsiders were greeted with everyone covered so they could never report on who they saw. It hasn’t been a practice for ages, but Ophir, as you probably guessed, is like something out of a history book.”

“Was Decimus veiled as well?”

“My dreki stated that he was.”

“That’s interesting, but how do you know that the order was read to everyone there?”

“Because those were my instructions, and my dreki followed them.”

Indira, Dairo, and Shafir were three of the guards who came into Varic’s service after four left to guard me. He was still looking to add one more to his service, but so far no one had impressed him enough. It was the greatest honor bestowed on a soldier to protect the prince, as they did not stand guard in the palace as the king’s men did. They flew all over the world with Varic and had to be ready for anything at a moment’s notice. Hadrian trained them mercilessly, mine as well, and as nice as Brenna, Eris, Kamari, and Sibel were, they were also utterly lethal. Anyone who came near me or Varic without permission was simply dead.

“Jason?”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“It’s all right, I like it when you drift off thinking of other things when we talk. I like to watch the faraway look in your eyes when you’re ruminating on something.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes. Your eyes become very dark.”

“I think you just like my eyes,” I teased him, thinking of his beautiful green ones. “I’m a big fan of yours as well.”

He made a rumbling noise of happiness that made me sigh.

“You missed me.”

“Well, yes, clearly.”

We were both quiet a moment.

“Anyway, that’s good,” I said. “Now I understand how Decimus, who apparently never tells his people anything about anything, had to tell them about me. He didn’t have a choice. Indira made sure of that when she got everyone together and read your intention to marry me and that you’d already given me your seal.”

“As it was a royal proclamation, if he had turned down my dreki, that would have brought me to his door.”

“Why did you send your dreki and not Tiago?”

“Honestly, I have not spoken with Decimus in so long, I wasn’t sure of the greeting to expect, and though my father said to send Tiago, I wasn’t comfortable with that.”

“Your guard was better.”

“If there was trouble, they would have been safe. And that’s not to say that Tiago is defenseless, but he was captured by the Rothschilds when you first encountered him.”

I smiled because Varic was chuckling softly.

“Is he pissed that you brought that up again?”

“You can’t hear the hissing?”

Everyone enjoyed pushing Tiago’s buttons.