Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

JOHA

T he droning of my advisors’ voices is enough to lull me to sleep, especially considering how tired I am. It was a long night, and my adrenaline from sneaking out of the palace and almost losing my life has finally faded, leaving me bone weary. The seemingly endless meeting and the monotonous tones of the haughty males around me does not help with this matter, and I have to fight to stay awake.

I should be paying attention, since they are discussing my kingdom and where to invest money in our lands. It’s an important matter, and usually, despite how I would fake ignorance, I would make mental notes of everything said.

Not today.

Currently, sitting in my large, throne-like chair, I lean against one side and sit at a jaunty angle, my left leg crossed over my right. I stare at my nails as if contemplating a hangnail.

The conversation goes on around me, and honestly, I believe they forget I am here most of the time, which is exactly how I like it to be. These meetings might be boring, but they are important, and I need to be present to hear the decisions made about the kingdom.

My kingdom.

Despite what they think about me, I do care. They will never see that side, however, not while the Queen Mother lives.

She is the one truly in control here and has somehow managed to convince most of the advisors and scholars to listen to her. They say I’m simple and that these decisions are best made by them, but they don’t know that I take note of everything said or that I understand every undermining decision they make, all to enforce their power and fill their pockets

The former queen may appear like a perfect Queen Mother to guide her departed husband’s son, yet she is dangerous. She already had her claws in everyone before my father died, and since I took the throne, she has only grown in power. I have seen what happens to those who don’t agree with her, and I know my life would be forfeit if I ever became difficult and attempted to challenge her, which is why I play up to their vision of me.

Sadly, it is easy enough to do. They all assume I am nothing more than a puppet and have no opinion on what happens in the kingdom. This makes them believe I am weak, pliable, and easily manipulated. I have no power either way, so at least by playing along, I can still be involved and know what’s happening in my kingdom. If the other options are death or imprisonment, then I know which option I will choose.

Even if some days it is so hard I wish to scream and rage, I do not. I play the long game.

I lounge in my chair, my eyes skimming over the familiar meeting room. It is long and thin, only made more so by the dark wall-to-wall bookshelves that are packed with heavy tomes. Most of the books are filled with the laws and history of the kingdom, something that I find fascinating, yet I have to pretend otherwise. The long meeting table we sit at is made of ash, the wood highly polished and gleaming under the lanterns strategically bolted around the room. A large bay window takes up most of the far wall, and I often find my gaze drawn to it and the view of my lands beyond.

Here in Windfall Hall, we are gifted with views over the stone wall that separates the palace from the city beyond. To my left, I see the different provinces, each split and named after the nobles that lead them. From Storm Hallow all the way to Whithorn. Dividing the middle of our lands is the Lanide River, which separates those provinces from the Lowers, as the nobles aptly named them—the lands our workers and normal folk inhabit, the streets I visited just the night prior.

One side boasts wealth, ornate houses constructed with the finest stone, and the most beautiful trees offering shade, while the other boasts the will to survive.

Beyond it all is the Bleeding Sea, the dark, churning water separating our lands from those beyond. My eyes follow the waves for a moment, watching a merchant ship find its way to the docks before I sigh and turn away.

When I do allow my mind to wander, I think of how much good we could do in the city instead of sitting here debating things that do not matter.

However, today, everything is different.

My advisors and scholars are the same as usual, wearing their rich robes in different styles to mark each provenance. Only the purple sash they wear makes them stand out as members of my council—that and their haughty expressions. The meeting room has not changed. Everything is still in its place from the last time we were here. No, the change isn’t anything in this room. At least, nothing I can see.

Today, I do not have to fake being distracted. I should be listening to them talk about the benefits of developing the already prosperous Tundra Province, all while pretending to be lost in thought.

Instead, I do not need to pretend to be lost because all that I can think about is the woman with piercing green eyes and shocking red hair that not even she could tame.

My mind replays our interaction and how she took out those bandits without breaking a sweat.

She saved my life.

Alyx.

I overheard one of the bandits hiss her name to the leader before the fight broke out. They appeared surprised and impressed, meaning they knew of her, so she must have a reputation. After seeing her fight, I am not surprised.

Absentmindedly, I realise that my hand is at my throat again, missing the comforting weight of my necklace. It was my father’s, something passed down to me, and I had not taken it off since he died. She took it as ‘payment’ for saving my life. After what I had seen, I was not going to argue about it. It was stupid wearing it into the city anyway. The absence of the weight is a constant reminder of what could have happened.

My chest feels tight every time she appears in my mind, which happens to be almost constantly since I encountered her. I have to see her again. Someone like her, with her knowledge of the city and the criminal underworld, is exactly what I need. Where I am tethered to the castle like a dog tied to a tree, she has insider information that I need. We could make a difference to this kingdom by working together.

She is the secret weapon I have been searching for.

Perhaps I am just a na?ve moron with his head in the clouds, dreaming of a better world. However, after what I saw last night and the state my city has fallen into, I know I have to do something.

The king and the assassin.

One of my advisors chuckles as if he can see into my thoughts, and I quickly tune back into the room. They are not discussing me or my wishful thinking. Instead, they are discussing revamping the upper market in the Tundra Province—a market that was only built two years ago and is deemed one of the best places in the region to shop. It is nothing like the muddy ramshackle of Christ Church at our very door.

Anger boils in my gut once more, and before I realise what I’m doing, I’m leaning forward and addressing the table, drawing every eye to me.

“Should we not be investing this money into the city itself? I—” I manage to stop myself from blurting out that I’d seen where our citizens live. Clearing my throat, I try once more. “I have heard that people in the city are suffering, especially around the market area. Bandits lie in wait to mug and kill, and the conditions they have to live in are?—”

“Where did you hear this, Your Majesty?” Advisor Ruik asks lightly, cutting me off mid-sentence. As a noble from the family Rivershade, the same family as the Queen Mother, he has always been bolder than most. His brown hair is greying at his temples, and his mouth is twisted in an unfriendly expression, but his eyes, so much like the Queen Mother’s, give me pause.

They are cruel.

No one would usually dare to cut me off, even my advisors, and it takes me aback for a moment. That is when I see the tension around his eyes and shoulders. A quick glance around the table confirms that my other advisors are wearing the same expression. I have made them nervous by asking questions they don’t want to answer. I must have asked too quickly and too out of the blue, and they are now wondering if I’m going to cause them problems in passing the motion they are proposing.

I do not wish to tip my hand, so I must relent.

“Oh. I must have overheard it from someone in court.” Smiling, I shrug and wave off the question, playing up to their opinion of me.

I obviously convince them, as they all let out sighs of relief and Ruik smiles at me like I’m a simpleton—a condescending smile that has my hands gripping my chair tightly. “Your Majesty, I can assure you that the city is fine. I have seen it myself. The people are happy and thriving under your rule. However, the Tundra Province would really benefit from the redevelopment of the market.”

Liar.

He is a liar, and he has the gall to do it right to my face, expecting that I will just smile and agree. The relaxed set of his shoulders and crinkles around his eyes just prove how sure he is that he’s in control here. It sparks an anger inside me that I’ve not felt for a long time. It’s a wild, untamable anger that moves like a wildfire, turning everything to ash in its path.

I want to stand up, slam my hands on the table, and make sure that every single one of the puffed-up males in the room is paying attention. I have been there. I saw the conditions my citizens live in with my own eyes, and that was only a tiny portion of the city. His assurances mean nothing to me, especially now that I know for sure that the reports I am being fed are false.

However, calling them out on their lies is not an option and would only destroy the persona I’ve created. Shattering the illusion that I am just a dumb puppet to be manipulated would put me in danger and cause them to act differently around me.

Sucking in both my anger and pride, I give them what they want. My smile feels bitter as I press a hand against my chest.

“Well, that is reassuring to hear!”

Leaning back in my chair, I beam at them, waiting until they turn their attention back to their conversation before I allow myself to plot. The only person still watching me is Orion, and as I glance over my shoulder, I see the giant of a man observing me with a frown, his arms crossed over his chest.

I will have to explain everything to him later, but for now, I face forward and stare out the window. They have already made up their minds about the market, so I don’t fight it when my mind returns to Alyx.

Who is she truly? Is she from the Lowers?

What must have happened to a female to make her an assassin?

Once again, I can feel myself struggling against sleep, a loud yawn escaping me. Pressing a hand against my mouth, I take a deep breath and find Advisor Ruik’s narrowed eyes on me.

“Are we keeping you awake, Your Majesty?”

He’s annoyed that I interrupted him. However, he has just given me the perfect excuse to leave. There is nothing more I can do here, especially when there is something very important that I could be doing.

“Actually, yes, I am most tired today. I believe I shall retire.” Standing, I smile brightly at the others around the table as they hurry to get to their feet. “You have everything under control here, yes?”

They have already made up their minds thanks to the Queen Mother whispering in their ears, so my contribution is neither wanted nor needed. They do seem surprised by my abruptness, but not enough to stop me, nodding at my comment.

“Then I bid you all farewell.”

Bowing, they mutter their goodbyes, but I do not stick around to hear them. I leave the room with Orion on my heels, my other guards meeting us in the hallway. They dutifully follow behind me without question, even though I know they will wonder why I left the meeting early. The journey back to my chambers within the king’s palace is short, and thankfully we don’t come across anyone. Once we reach my chambers, Orion barks an order, and the guards depart, stationing themselves outside as usual.

As soon as the door is shut and I know it is just Orion and me, I hurry over to the wardrobe and start pulling out different clothing. I will need something that will help me blend in, ideally dark and dirty. Unfortunately, a king doesn’t have much need for garments like that.

My guard and best friend looks at me like I have lost my mind. “Your Majesty, what?—”

“Orion, we need to go,” I tell him, rushing to the other side of the room as I search my chest of drawers, still not finding anything of use.

I have all the money in the kingdom, and yet I do not have an outfit.

“Go?” His voice is sharp, and when I turn around, I see his hands hovering over his weapons, as though he is looking for a threat. “What do you mean?”

I finally let my true smile pull at my lips.

“There is someone we need to find. Someone who can help us win this war.”