Chapter 31

Chapter

Thirty-One

ALYX

J oha is gone when I wake up. I didn’t hear him leave, but I imagine he snuck out not long after I nodded off. He is all about presenting an image, and being caught in my bed would not look good for the king. What I said was true though. I will keep my promise about the loneliness he feels. After all, I feel the same.

How many nights have I lain awake, staring into the dark, wishing someone were next to me? Just the warmth of their body reminds me I am not alone in this world. Maybe that weakness is why I let him stay, but I cannot believe I fell asleep so easily.

It’s just another worry to add to my list, like the fact that I kissed Orion last night. Well, technically, we kissed, since he is not innocent when it comes to blame, but we did kiss, and the night before I kissed Crux. What is happening to me?

There is also my promise to keep Joha safe. No doubt news has spread about Beaumont’s death. I do not want to give the people behind this too much warning, which means I need to move fast. The list of who has access to the new treasury coins cannot be too long, and once I find the man or woman behind it . . . well, we are going to have some words.

First, though, I must dress the part. As soon as I think this, my ladies-in-waiting bustle into the room, ready to prepare me for another day as a princess.

Joy.

I am scrubbed, pinned, and primped again. It is something I am becoming used to, though it never gets any less uncomfortable. Today, I am allowed to negotiate my outfit, and I settle on the least restrictive option—a flowing, long, simple purple gown. It’s cinched at the waist but has plenty of room to hide weapons. After I’m dressed, they circle me with critical eyes, pinning my hair and adding jewels as I stand still under their inspection.

“Your schedule is very open today, my lady,” one says as they slide on my cloth slippers that offer little to no protection from the environment, but they are queenly.

“It is?” I ask with surprise. It seems like I’m supposed to attend a million unimportant events and rites of passage every day, so why would today be any different?

The giggle the lady lets out has my eyebrow rising. “Queen Mother requested a tea later as well as a banquet tonight, but the king has cleared your schedule, stating you are tired and in need of rest. He must be very taken with you to stand up to her like that.”

Or more likely, he’s impatient for me to find his would-be killer.

I simply smile as I stand and look into the mirror, nodding in approval at my outfit.

“So, my lady, what would you like to do today?” another asks nervously.

“I have some ideas.” I grin, and no doubt it’s a wicked one if their expressions are anything to go by.

I spend an hour walking around the palace to at least show my face, and then I put my plan into action. I have sent my ladies on a wild-goose chase, claiming a stomach ache that can only be fixed by a certain flower—which, to be clear, does not exist. The only reason they left me in my rooms was due to my insistence.

It’s far too easy to sneak past the bored guards, and then I am out and alone in the palace, ready to track down the person the coin belongs to.

I start at the most obvious place—the treasury. It is hidden within Frey Hall and has barely any protection, which is foolish. It is far too easy to sneak inside the dimly lit building, and once there, I quickly navigate to the records room, hiding in a closed passage as some robed workers pass by. Once they are gone, I quickly scan the shelves. There are rows upon rows of them, detailing every currency, exchange, and intricacy of the crown’s wealth, but what I need is somewhat close to the door. It is a list of the new coins which will be rolled out soon, and at the bottom are the signatures of those who witnessed and agreed to it. There is Joha, of course, Queen Mother, and then below that are two advisors’ names. One is the head of the treasury, and I have a hard time believing he would be stupid enough to bribe someone with coins only he seems to know about. The other is a name I do not recognise.

A’lan Wrynn, witness.

Hmm, witness, so he isn’t someone important? A noise has me shoving the scroll away, and I duck into the alcove as two whispering, robed men pass, and then I sneak back out.

Once outside on the palace grounds, I casually walk behind a building and wait. It doesn’t take long for a little rat to scurry to me, no doubt following my every move. “Find out what you can about an A’lan Wrynn. Fast,” I demand.

“Yes, mistress.” He hurries away, and I watch him go with nothing to do but kill time.

I’m impatient. It has been two hours of hiding in the palace so no one questions why a princess is wandering around alone. The little rat finally returns, red-faced and anxious. “Sorry, mistress, the records were hard to locate. A’lan Wrynn is a noble from Stormhallow Province. He’s lowly but managed to find a job here in the palace due to his father’s connections. They say he is desperate to cut his teeth, and he has quickly climbed the ranks and now sits upon the council as an advisor. Many say he is dirty, stealing from the crown to fund his life, which has seemingly improved.”

Bingo, that’s our man.

I just know it. I also know he’s working for someone. A desperate noble suddenly coming into money and achieving a rank? Yes, someone helped him because they needed his assistance—like bribing other nobles to try and kill the king. No doubt they thought if this got back to them, then A’lan would take the fall and nothing else would come out.

We are getting closer, but the only way to find out the master behind all this is to question A’lan.

“Where is he now?” I ask.

“I thought you would want to know that. He’s over in the baths. His company was just leaving as I hurried here.”

“Company, huh?” I smirk, tossing some coins at the rat. “See that no guards disturb us for a while.”

“Yes, mistress.” He scurries away once more, and I can’t help but grin. A’lan and I are going to have a nice little chat, and I might get some of this impatient anger out while I’m there.

Two birds, one stone, or better yet, one bath, two motives.

I make my way over to the baths, avoiding the guards, and once behind the stout, one-story building set next to the wall, I let the change come over me. Gone is the smiling princess, and in her place is the assassin. Heading to the slightly open window at the back, I peer inside and almost snort at what I find.

Low, wooden baths are set into a deep floor and spread out across the room, steam wafting throughout. Luckily, all are empty bar a larger one at the back, where a nobleman, whom I am assuming is A’lan, rests. His arms are spread across the back, leaving his scrawny chest on display, and his head is tipped back, his black hair slicked with water and sweat. He wears a happy grin on his lips as he floats in the flower-filled water.

Lifting the window, I keep my eyes on him as I slide inside and land on silent feet. He still does not move, so I head up the ramp to the main entrance, where I slide the wooden bolt through the double door.

“Is someone there?” he calls, not worried in the slightest.

The fool.

I giggle. “Just an attendant, Lord Wrynn.”

“Oh, attend away.” The smirk is evident in his voice, and the dumbass just confirmed everything I need to know. Grabbing a robe from the side, I wrap it around my body and steal a water jug, keeping my head down as if in respect as I hurry through the baths. I kneel slightly to the side and behind him. “Would you like some water, my lord?”

“Yes.” He picks up a goblet and holds it out without even looking at me. “I have been waiting far too long.”

“I am very sorry, my lord. I was busy.” I make my voice smaller as I pour the water, and when it starts to overflow, he turns with a glare.

“Do your job properly,” he begins.

“Okay.” I shrug as I smash the jug into his head.

He yells and falls into the water with a splash, sputtering as he nearly drowns. He gets to his feet, his hand on his head. “You dare attack me? Me? I will have your head for this!”

“I’d be worried about your other head right now.” I smirk, still crouched as my eyes drop down his very unimpressive naked body to where his cock bobs in the water.

Gasping, he covers himself, looking around as his cheeks redden. “You . . . You . . .”

“Me . . . Me . . . ,” I mock as I tilt my head, watching him. “Relax, you don’t have anything I want to see, trust me.” I laugh as he swings his head to me, obviously realising we are the only ones here and no one is coming to help him.

“Who are you?” he asks, his haughty noble attitude in full effect despite the fact that I just hit him and he’s naked. Truly, their audacity never ceases to amaze me.

Tugging the coin from my pocket, I hold it up to the light. “Does this look familiar?”

“No, now get out!” he roars.

Tossing it to him, I watch him catch it more out of reflex than anything else—thank fuck because I don’t want to root around in his body soup water. “Take a closer look, my lord,” I mock. “You left this behind. Now, you have two options. Either tell me who you are working with to assassinate the king”—I watch his face pale in realisation, his mouth opening and closing on denials and excuses I do not let him speak—“and I’ll let you die with dignity or don’t tell me, and I’ll spend my time making you and then you’ll die without dignity, left to float in your own filthy water, naked, to be found in all your glory.” I grin widely. “Oh, and then I’ll destroy your entire family.”

He looks from the coin to me, his eyes wide and scared.

“Do not think I won’t,” I warn, sliding a dagger from my thigh and letting it catch the light. “I grow tired of waiting.”

“I cannot tell you.” His shoulders slump, and tears glisten in his eyes. For all his bravado, he’s afraid. “I fear them more than I could ever fear you, so kill me because it won’t stop them. Nothing will. They are everywhere, and they are more powerful than you could ever imagine. They are untouchable. You’ve chosen the losing side.”

“And you chose their side, yet you’re going to die here alone. Isn’t that losing?” I murmur softly. Annoyance flares within me at the resolve I see in his gaze. Despite his attitude, he’s stronger than I imagined. He won’t speak. I’ve tortured and killed enough people to know that. He might break eventually, but he would never tell me what I want, and I would waste too much time. It seems like every lead I track down is another dead end.

If he knows who is behind this, however, then there will be someone else who does as well.

I will find out who and, powerful or not, I will destroy them. They think they are untouchable, but they have no idea who they are playing with.

“I guess you’re right.” He smiles sadly. “I didn’t do it just for the money. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but I am. I suppose someone should know if I’m going to die. It wasn’t just the money.”

“Then what was it?” I ask curiously, despite my anger.

“Love,” he admits. “Love makes us do foolish things, don’t you think? Whether it be family love, romantic, or friendship. We do things we never thought we would in the name of those we care for.”

“And the one you did this for . . . were they worth it?” I murmur.

He blinks, his smile dropping. “I thought so at the time, but time changes everything, even those you thought you knew. I’m ready.” He nods, wading through the water until he stands before me with more courage than I thought him capable of. “Try not to make it too messy. I don’t want my family to suffer.”

“I am the best, so it will be clean,” I tell him despite everything I told him I would do. I soften my voice, ignoring my own frustration. “Close your eyes so you won’t know it’s coming and think of something happy.”

He might have accepted this out of greed, but he’s just a man trapped by his choice, one that leads him to death, and part of me feels sorry for him.

His eyes close, and although I strike out of frustration at another dead end, I also make the slice clean. The knife slips through his neck like butter, the cut so deep he won’t feel it over the shock. He falls back with a gasp, reflexively reaching for his neck as he chokes. I watch. I refuse to look away. I took his life, so it is my duty.

When he stops fighting, his lifeless body floats in the red bathwater. It’s a warning and a promise to those behind it.

I see you. I’m coming for you.

Reaching over, I pluck the bloodied coin from the water and pocket it as I stand.

With one last look at the man who chose to die rather than betray those behind this, a new sort of determination fills me.

I will end this once and for all.