Page 8 of The Warrior Priest
“King Alain has other things on his mind. Things that involve his kingdom, not its capital city.”
“Such as?”
“Such as the fact he’s dying and has no heir. If he dies soon, which is looking likely, there’ll be a power vacuum. Filling it will keep the nobles busy fighting amongst themselves and possibly fighting off the king of Vytill.”
He was right, although I’d never given it much thought. The ruler of our neighboring kingdom was a distant cousin of King Alain’s. Glancia would be swallowed up by Vytill unless we went to war with them and chose a new king from one of Glancia’s dukes instead. The problem was, which duke? If they both wanted the crown, it could result in a civil war between their factions.
I knew nothing about the dukes, but I did know that Glancia couldn’t afford to go to war, either with its richer neighbor, or with itself.
“I’ll go tonight,” I assured him.
He put up a hand. “Slow down, Jac. There’s a lot of security at the governor’s office. It requires preparation to learn the guards’ movements?—”
“The cleaners arrive as dawn breaks, just before the guards change shifts. The guards will be at their sleepiest and won’t notice an extra cleaner, and if they do, they’ll simply see a youth blackened by chimney soot.”
He rose without taking his gaze off me. He never studied me with such intensity. It was unnerving. Yet it warmed my insides, too. “How do you know when they change shifts? Or when the cleaners arrive? I’ve never asked you to break into the governor’s office before, so this should all be new.”
I shrugged.
“And why the hesitation when I mentioned the governor?”
“I didn’t hesitate.”
“You did. You also showed an uncommon interest in the existence of such a document. You’ve never shown an interest in knowing the implications of any job I’ve tasked you with before.”
“That’s because they’ve always been petty or dull or both.” It was mostly true. I never took an interest because the jobs didn’t directly affect me. The machinations of noblemen and rich merchants mattered nothing to my day-to-day existence.
This was different.
I might as well not have spoken. “Why, Jac? Why the interest this time?”
I crossed my arms, but when I realized that made me seem defensive, I lowered them to my sides. “You’re mistaken. I’m not interested."
“Merdu, Jac, are we not friends?”
I flinched at the vehemence in his tone. “We are.”
“Then why don’t you trust me? I trust you.”
“It’s easy to trust me because you know I owe you. I’d be in prison if it weren’t for you, or dead.”
It was his turn to flinch. “I had no idea I was just the source of your next meal. But then, I have no idea about anything when it comes to you. You tell me nothing, no matter how many times I ask.”
“You haven’t asked in a long time.”
“Because you wouldn’t tell me anything!” He stormed off toward the door, snatching up his cloak and gloves, only to stop before opening it. He lowered his head, and his shoulders slumped. “I thought we were friends, Jac,” he said again, without turning to face me.
“We are. Weare, Rhys.” I surged toward him, only to stop myself before I pressed my palm to his back. “I do trust you. I was annoyed just now because sometimes I hate that you can read me so easily.”
He half turned and watched me through his thick dark lashes.
Icouldtrust him. I knew that in my bones. It was time to tell him. “You’re right. There is something about this particular task that affects me, more than any other you’ve assigned.”
He faced me fully. He didn’t speak. He hardly seemed to be breathing. His intensity, so unlike his usually carefree self, was unnerving.
It was why I blurted out my confession in a rush. “The governor is my uncle.”
Rhys slumped back against the door. He stared at me. “You’rethe governor’s niece!”
