Page 115 of Ruling the Green

“Put that down,” I demanded when Tove made his way to the hearth with the paperwork.

“Are you sure you want me to?” Tove asked. “These top few are to start the work to build ten more work camps,” he said, flashing the papers. “They’re already signed. Just not sent out. And this one is to start a conscription for all the first sons in every fae family in the Dark. Also signed and waiting to be given to the head of the military. Then there is one to open government-funded brothels full of imprisoned women because Cass believes that there is a morale problem and the answer is forced prostitution. And guess who gets nearly a hundred percent of that revenue?”

“You want me to believe you, my father’s most trusted advisor, wants to burn all his plans?”

“Most trusted and most loyal are not the same,” Tove said, tossing one of the pages into the fire, pausing to watch it catch and burn. “Did you know your father is naturally a neat man?” he asked, gesturing toward the desk. “This mess drove him crazy for a long time before I convinced him it’s how he likes to work. And it conveniently allows me to let paperwork get ‘lost’ for several weeks or months at a time.”

“You’re trying to tell me you’ve been working against my father all this time.”

“Someone needed to step in while you took your time formulating your plan. Your father couldn’t be left to his own devices. Not when these were his plans.” Tove tossed another page into the fire.

“What about the laundress?” Serin asked, making it clear I’d missed a chapter or two.

“Like I said, I didn’t hire her. Simply found her. Asked her a few questions about why she was imprisoned. Not much goes on in this palace without me knowing about it. Though your more ramped-up security lately has made it more difficult. That dog was a pretty inspired addition. He grumbles if he hears anyone nearby.”

“He’d rip your throat out if you pushed it.”

“Indeed,” Tove said, tossing another paper into the fire.

“Why should I believe you? That you’ve been working against Cass this whole time?”

“The whole time? Perhaps not. I believed at some point that he was doing what was best for his people. Back when I followed him blindly instead of gathering my own information. But after your sister’s visit… we both know how much of a turn your father took.”

“He wasn’t right before then.”

“And I wasn’t seeing it. But it became too obvious to ignore after that. Then his spiral…” Tove stopped, shaking his head.

“Why would you step in then? Why not let it become clear how unstable he was?”

“Because you were too young and too green and not nearly ambitious enough yet to take over. And your father had a lot of men ready to take what was rightfully yours.”

“And why would you have any loyalty to me?”

“I have loyalty to the people. And who will serve them best. That’s not Grimwood. Or Carver. Or Thistlegreen. Men just as greedy and selfish as your father.”

“And you think I’m not?”

“Greed has no appeal to you. You were born with everything you could want. There is nothing left to aspire to own.”

“And selfishness?”

“You think I don’t know how work camps have been liberated when you’ve traveled? The people who have been let out of the dungeons? That you were perfectly capable of giving the true death to the redcaps your father kept on your heels. You threw rocks at them or let them fall off cliffs of their own stupidity.

“You married a woman you knew wasn’t Gemma Grimwood. You sent out your guards to get her lake water when you realized she was ailing. You had gardens set up so you, your guests, and the staff could eat without starving your people.

“I’m not saying you’re perfect, Jet. But I am saying you could be a good ruler. If you keep your morals. And you listen to your advisors.”

“Meaning you?”

“No one is more experienced,” Tove said, shrugging as he tossed the last of the pages into the fire. “But not just me. Your wife. Vishen. Nira. Hell, even Mendalyn here.”

Mendalyn’s brows rose.

“Yes, I know about you, your women, and your mission.”

He knew.

But didn’t tell Cass.