Page 24 of The Gold Dragon Prince
“Should we rely on our queen to solve this and every other problem?” a young alpha man asked, his brow knit in thought, “or should we take matters into our own hands to help the people who could be hurt by Lady Saoirse’s ambitions?”
“I certainly have no intention of bowing the knee to that sorceress if she should somehow manage to overthrow Queen Gaia,” a handsome beta lord said with a huff. “She might have invited me here today in an attempt to woo me to support her with promises of gold and glory, but we all know that she has no intention of keeping those promises.”
I smiled as I stepped away from that group to refill my platter.At least someone had plans to resist whatever mad attempt Lady Saoirse might make to overthrow the queen. It would have been nice if they were a bit louder in their planning instead of whispering in the corners of the garden, though.
I stopped by the staging area to refill my platter, then headed out into the growing number of guests spread out across the yard. Gildur was just coming through an arched trellis with beautiful, golden-yellow flowers growing and dripping from it, Lady Saoirse clutching his arm. That made me frown, as did the way Lady Saoirse laughed and tossed her head, glancing to the small cluster of eager-looking nobles following her.
I wanted to march straight over to that group and throw my tray in their faces, perhaps Gildur’s included, since he seemed to be enjoying the attention a little too much. He wasn’t, though, despite appearances. I could feel that through our bond. I was stopped from doing anything as Lord Manfred stepped up behind me.
“I do know you from somewhere,” he said, standing a bit too close and frowning a bit too intensely. “I recognize your scent as well.”
My stomach sank at those words. Of all the times for my omega scent to be noticed, it had to be then. Alphas were the only ones who could smell omegas, and vice versa, and since I’d just ended a lightning-fast heat with Gildur, my scent was likely stronger than usual.
“I wouldn’t know, my lord,” I told him with a shrug. “Omegas can’t smell their own scent. And I only just started working with Gildur the gardener recently.”
Unfortunately, that only sparked Manfred’s suspicions. “Where did you work before?” he asked. “Are you entirely certain you’re from this world?”
More alarm splashed through me. “This world, my lord?” I said, my voice shaking. “Is there any other world?”
“Of course there is,” Manfred said, leaning even closer and sniffing. If he laid a hand on me, I would smash his face with my platter of tarts. “There are many other worlds. I come from another world entirely, a world that I will soon rule.”
My brow shot up. Did Lord Manfred still have ambitions of usurping my father?
As if he could hear my mind working, he shrugged and said, “Well, Saoirse will rule that other, pitiful world. I will merely act as her agent as she uses the farmers and peasants to grow her army until it is of a strength to attack Queen Gaia herself.”
I gaped, not only at the plan Manfred revealed, but that he could be so irresponsible as to reveal it before it had happened.
Then again, the smug confidence that Manfred exuded seemed to say that he was so certain of his eventual victory that there was no point in concealing what Lady Saoirse had in mind. Almost as if he believed some force would aid them in achieving their goal one way or another.
“Tart, my lord?” I offered Manfred the tray, my voice shaking slightly.
“I’ll have all the tarts soon,” Lord Manfred said with a chuckle, taking a tart from the platter. “And then I’ll ensure that only the right sort of people can have tarts ever again.”
“Manfred, there you are,” Lady Saoirse called out as she and her small retinue, including Gildur, approached us. “We’re ready to begin discussions,” she added, excitement and malice glittering in her eyes.
Lord Manfred stepped away from me without a thought, as though I were below his notice. As soon as hejoined Lady Saoirse and her followers, their group hurried off toward the hedge maze.
Gildur stayed with me as we watched them go, then he turned to me.
“Are you alright, my darling?” he asked, taking the tray from me. He set it on a nearby table, then took my hand and whisked me across the lawn to the nearest cluster of topiary that could conceal us for a moment. “Your emotions are all over the place.”
My head was still trying to make sense of what Lord Manfred had said, not to mention the vile tidbits from the others, so it was easy for Gildur to lead me aside.
Once we were behind the topiaries, I took a breath and glanced up at him. “Lady Saoirse is planning to take over my father’s kingdom and use our people to form an army against your mother,” I blurted out in a tight whisper.
Gildur’s face fell into a sharp frown. “She cannot. It is expressly against the laws of the magical realm for our kind to exert any sort of control or ambition in other worlds, especially ones that do not have magic.”
“I don’t think that Lady Saoirse cares two figs about laws and rules,” I said. “I think she plans to consolidate her power in whatever way she thinks she can, laws or no laws.”
Gildur’s frown deepened. “Mother will not allow it.”
An unexpected burst of relief hit me. “Good! Then we need to go to your mother right away and tell her what Lady Saoirse has planned. Surely, she will take my word as witness to all you have discovered and do something to stop this plot.”
I expected Gildur to agree with me wholeheartedly. I did not expect him to look guilty andshuffle his feet.
“I would prefer that we resolve this matter ourselves,” he said, his cheeks pinking a little.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why?” I asked. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Your mother is a good queen, is she not? She would want to stop this and neutralize any threat to her peaceful rule, wouldn’t she?”
