Chapter 30

Chapter

Thirty

JOHA

T he tension in the room is electric, and as I look between my best friend and fake fiancée, I know I just interrupted something. The question is, what?

If it were anyone else, I would say I intruded on a personal moment, especially since the two of them cannot seem to look at each other. However, this is Orion and Alyx. They despise each other and can barely tolerate being in the same room. The idea of them having a secret rendezvous is laughable.

Why would my guard be in her rooms at this time of the night though? Finding anyone in a person’s private chambers at night is going to raise some eyebrows. Their rumpled appearances do not help convince me otherwise either.

“Did I interrupt something?” My lips curl into a teasing smile, like I do not have a care in the world, but jealousy twists my insides. I was not going to ask them about my suspicions, yet I cannot seem to stop myself, even if I am making it seem like a joke.

Orion jerks like I hit him, a scowl morphing his features. “Absolutely not.” He sounds offended that I would even suggest he would have an affair with the assassin, as though I were personally attacking his character.

“No,” Alyx replies at the same time with a shrug of her shoulders, her voice smoother. “You are always welcome in my rooms, Your Majesty.” Her lips mimic my playful smile, but there is something dark in her eyes that has my eyebrow rising.

Orion stiffens, as though he’s outraged by the implication of her words, and although this is how he would usually react to the assassin’s blatant teasing towards me, I cannot help but wonder if there is another reason behind his response.

Jealousy perhaps?

No, I need to stop looking into his actions. I hate that I am starting to question what he does. He is my closest friend, one of the only people who believes in me. If anything like that was going on between them, he would say something to me. Honestly, I don’t think his sense of duty and morality would even allow him to get into any sort of relationship with anyone, never mind an assassin.

“You need to be careful. If anyone sees you, you will start rumours.” Smirking, I nod towards Alyx’s state of undress. I can’t seem to refrain from digging myself further into this conversation.

“The same could be said about you, Your Majesty.” Orion narrows his eyes, and I know that when we are alone, he will have some stern words about this. “It’s dangerous to be out alone at night, wandering the palace grounds, especially coming to see her .”

He sounds more like the disapproving guard I know and love like a brother. Even so, I do not like to be lectured, and for some reason, his comment strikes something within me. “She is my betrothed, and I am king. I can go wherever I please.”

Orion straightens, looking taken aback at my tone. I immediately feel bad. This is not who I am. Exhaustion and stress must be making me delirious. I open my mouth to apologise, but I’m interrupted by a lithe form coming between us.

Alyx.

My gaze goes straight to her, tracking her movements. Her flimsy dressing gown does little to hide her body, and it does not take much for me to imagine what is beneath. In fact, I will spend the rest of the night imagining. I might be a king who is supposed to be virtuous, but Alyx makes that very, very hard.

“Boys, let’s not fight.” She sighs and rubs her temples. “I’ve had a long day, and all I want to do is fall into bed.”

Right. Yes, I came here for a reason, not just to think about her naked. I am perfectly capable of doing that during my own time. Wiping those images from my mind, I clear my throat. “I’m here to get an update from you and see if you have made any progress.”

Nodding, she runs her hands through her fiery hair. “That is what Orion was here for as well. I have already updated him, so he can leave now and get some rest.”

It is a clear dismissal, and I raise a brow as I turn to take in Orion. There is an intense stare happening between them, and the tension rises as neither of them look away. They are both strong-willed, never being the first to back down, and for a moment, I think Orion is going to argue that his place is here with me. However, I am knocked back with surprise when he drops his gaze, scowling.

Out of everything I have seen here, that is what makes me pause the most. What is going on with Orion? Something is happening. I just cannot figure out what it is.

Shaking his head, he finally looks up and meets my gaze, his expression stern. “I will be keeping guard outside. It will look strange if we are both seen leaving at separate times.”

He is right. If anyone were to spot me without a guard, that would raise questions, especially at this time of night. While what I said is true, I am king and can go where I please, if I am spotted alone, assumptions will be made. It will make it harder for Alyx if everyone believes she is not a virgin. While it is fine for a king to be promiscuous—not that I ever have been—if the future queen were to be found having premarital sex, then she would be viewed differently. At least if I am spotted and I have Orion with me, then we can say we had a chaperone and nothing happened.

Nodding my agreement, I watch as Orion turns as if to say goodbye to Alyx. There is a heavy, awkward moment as he scowls at the assassin, at a loss for words. Eventually, she arches an eyebrow, and that seems to kick him into motion. Grunting, he shakes his head and leaves the room.

I wait until I can no longer hear his footsteps, then I turn to my betrothed and smirk, crossing my arms over my chest. “That was strange.”

She climbs up onto the bed, leaning against a mountain of cushions, and pats the foot of the bed, inviting me to sit. “It has been a strange day,” she agrees, exhaustion lacing her voice. “What do you need, Joha?”

Perching where she patted, I turn so I’m facing her. Now that I’m closer, I can see the fatigue lining her features. It is selfish of me to keep her up when I should be allowing her to rest, but I want an update.

At least, that is what I meant to say.

“I wanted to see you.”

She smiles and bats her eyelashes. “I bet you say that to all the ladies.” Her expression becomes more serious. “I have a couple of leads I am following, but I don’t want to say anything about them until I am more certain. You are better off not knowing, so when all of this comes out, you are blameless. Plus, your reactions will be genuine.”

Everything she says makes sense, and from an outside perspective, I would agree with her. This is about me , though, my safety, and traitors in my court who are plotting against me. I want to know every little detail, even the parts she thinks are irrelevant. Curbing my frustration, I ball my hands in the blankets beneath me.

“I hate not knowing, especially when my life is at risk,” I admit, showing some weakness.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” she promises swiftly, her voice hard.

A thump in my chest makes me pause, her words echoing in my mind. I am pretty sure she means it too. I hired her to keep me safe, but something has changed since that first day. I’ve gone from being a job to someone she would protect.

“I know,” I reply, suddenly feeling weary, the weight of my responsibilities weighing on me. “Between you and Orion, I am safe. I just hate feeling so useless.”

“You are not useless.”

Her response comes instantly, and I turn my head to look at her to see if she’s being genuine. Deep down in my soul, even since I became king, I’ve felt inadequate. My advisors and stepmother have never believed in me, and they treat me like a fool. I have no real say in what happens, and my ideas to help my kingdom prosper are just laughed away. I’m just a figurehead, a puppet for them to use.

Alyx doesn’t make me feel that way. She listens to my ideas, and while she thinks most of them are ridiculous, she helps me despite it, so hearing this from her makes me feel more confident.

I don’t know what to say in return. Thanking her doesn’t seem right, and I don’t have the words to express what it means to me. She’s curled up against her cushions, the blanket wrapped around her knees, looking just like a young lady and not the deadly assassin she truly is. I should leave her to rest, yet I cannot seem to make myself go.

“Can I stay just a little longer? I hate sleeping alone,” I say, but as soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. I sound like a needy little boy who needs comfort.

She snorts and rolls her eyes. “I’m sure you have a list of bedmates a mile long, Joha.”

“No, I don’t mean in that way.” Leaning back, I spread out at the bottom of the bed, my legs hanging over the side as I rest my arm over my face. “I just hate the silence of the night. It makes me feel so alone.” She says nothing, yet I can feel her surprise. I know I seem easy-going and like nothing bothers me, but actually, there is a lot about me that I have been forced to hide over the years.

“I’ve never told anyone that before,” I whisper, fearful of her reaction.

“Your secret is safe with me.” Her response is just as quiet.

Lowering my arm, I look over and watch as she smiles softly and pats the other side of the bed, inviting me to lie down properly.

Pausing, I wait to see if she is serious or will take the offer back. I really should not be climbing into bed with her, but I am not here to sleep, just spend time in her company.

Thirty minutes or so will not hurt anyone.

After kicking off my boots and removing my jacket, I crawl across the bed as she watches me with sleepy eyes. In any other situation, this would go very differently. When I crawl across most ladies’ beds, as infrequently as it happens, they do not look like they are about to nod off. Reaching the pillow beside hers, I lie down and roll onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. She snuggles beneath the covers, her breathing becoming deep and even.

We don’t speak, and I stay above the sheets, letting my mind wander as I listen to the gentle sounds in the room. She falls asleep after only a few minutes, and I tuck her in, making sure she’s warm.

My eyelids grow heavy, and I know it is time for me to leave. However, as the sun starts to rise and I know the palace will begin to awaken with the dawn, I finally climb from her bed and sneak out of the room, loneliness nowhere to be found.