Page 49 of Rise of the Vicious Princess

“To be safe, your secretary can be replaced immediately.” Mother’s eyes sparked with rage.

“There’s no need to kill Darold,” Charis said, her voice steady though her stomach felt as if she’d swallowed worms. Darold had been in charge of her schedule, her correspondence, and the various minutiae that came with being a very busy princess since she was seven. She couldn’t imagine a scenario in which he would betray her, but perhaps this was yet another example of the weakness Mother was constantly trying to stamp out of her.

The ache that had blossomed within her at the loss of Milla, Fada, and Luther sent a sharp spike of pain through her, and she lifted her chin. Maybe it was weakness, but she couldn’t face being responsible for the death of another person she cared for. Not unless she knew for sure that he’d betrayed her.

“Explain.” Mother’s tone warned Charis to tread carefully.

“Darold has given us no reason to distrust him. What motive would he have for wanting me dead now, after all these years?”

“I’ve told you. People will either want to use your power or take it from you.”

“Or they just want to serve me well because they believe I can stand between them and Montevallo and keep them safe.” Charis leaned forward. “Darold has never once tried to use me to gain anything. And what if removing Darold is the goal here? What if removing those closest to me, to us, is the plan? Isolate us, surround us with strangers who are easier to bribe or threaten, and we would be far easier to kill.”

The queen sat back, her expression thoughtful as she considered Charis’s words. Finally, she nodded. “I see the wisdom in that. The truth is that it doesn’t matter how many spies we catch and kill. If he’s determined to kill us, he’ll keep trying. What we need to understand, and quickly, is why Montevallo’s strategy seems to be changing. What does King Alaric want? Why invade Irridusk when it’s so far from the port he’s been fighting to claim? Why try to assassinate you when I’m the one who is opposing him?”

“Because I’m the one who authorized General Thane to drive more than half of Alaric’s army into the sea.”

Mother’s smile was vicious. “Indeed you did.”

“But now that his generals know that strategy, we won’t be able to repeat it. We’re back to defending territory without being able to make any headway on Montevallian soil.” A soft breeze stirred Charis’s hair, and she pushed it out of her face. “We still don’t have leverage. We still don’t have a way to bring Alaric to the table to discuss peace. Unless we take Rullenvor’s offer—”

“Absolutely not. I don’t trust it.”

“I don’t either.”

Charis sipped her water and considered the problems facing them. War was like a giant game of chess where the board was full of shadows and a knife could enter your back as easily as a sword could cut through your front. But for all the answers she didn’t have, one thing was clear.

“King Alaric wants to punish us for what his kingdom perceives as Queen Rhys’s treachery and our continued dishonorable treatment of them. His people are starving, and he has to deliver something that restores their honor and reputation. He wants power over us.” Charis set her glass down and leaned forward. “He doesn’t just want the Ebbington port. If he did, all his troops would be focused there. He’d be negotiating with us for trade routes and tariffs.”

“Montevallo doesn’t negotiate.” Mother’s mouth set in a hard line.

“No, they don’t. But maybe that’s because we haven’t offered them what they truly want.” A terrible idea was forming, and the weight of it felt impossible to carry.

“They want to annex the northern section of our kingdom so they can have a sea lane without paying any tariffs for it,” the queen said, though she was frowning thoughtfully.

“It’s more than that. I’ve been listening to our refugees from the north. Some of them overheard conversations between Montevallian soldiers. They are on a zealous quest to punish us for the treachery they believe happened years ago. But as a result, their people have gone nearly two decades without access to trade beyond what the smugglers have managed to sneak in and out of small, seldom-used harbors. They might have repelled our invasions, but that doesn’t put food on their tables or clothes on their backs. Like you, Alaric’s entire reign has been overshadowed by war, and his people must be suffering greatly as a result.”

“It’s no longer enough for him to gain access to the port.” Mother nodded slowly. “His pride demands more. Maybe his people demand more.”

“So he attacks farther in. Destroys a farming village. Sends his spies to assassinate us.”

“Irridusk is in a direct line between Montevallo’s southern border and the palace.” The queen straightened. “He wants to destabilize us and clear the path for an invasion of the capital. He wants the throne.”

The idea forming in Charis’s mind settled into place with stark clarity, and she dug deep for the courage to say quietly, “So let’s give it to him.”

The queen’s gaze snapped to her daughter, starlight glittering in her eyes.

“Or at least let’s make him think we have.” Charis folded her hands in her lap to hide the way they wanted to tremble. She’d always known she’d been forged in the fires of her mother’s indomitable will for one purpose only—to protect the Caleran people. She’d just never dreamed that protection would come at the cost of the quiet longings of her own heart.

Mother’s eyes sparked. “Give him the illusion of power.”

“Yes.”

“There’s only one way to do that.” Mother watched her carefully.

“I know.” Charis lifted her chin, silenced the whisper inside that had dared to hope she might one day find someone to truly see her and love her while wanting nothing but her own love in return, and said with icy calm, “We offer King Alaric my hand in marriage to one of his sons and the use of the Ebbington port in exchange for an end to the war.”

Slowly, Mother leaned across the table and took Charis’s hand in her own. Her skin was soft, and Charis let herself relax into the touch for a moment. “We are surrounded by enemies. That will never change. But this . . . this might just work. And we both know you can keep the prince in line. He’ll be nothing but a consort, though we’ll be careful not to refer to him that way lest that get back to Alaric. And in case he doesn’t accept the offer, we’ll still work to get the trade delegates to commit to helping our war effort.”

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