Page 5 of The Princess of Nothing
My eyes widened. “Who would that be?” I asked, trying to keep calm.
“To us, you will always be Miss Smith, but I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you. It’s not easy to hide your identity when your likeness is always shown.”
I gulped. “If you were right, what would you do with the information?” I questioned, my hand tightening around my staff.
“Nothing, of course. I could have outed you when we were still in Magaelor, but I didn’t.”
A voice sounded in my head, resonating with my father’s views.You can’t let him live, knowing what he does.I dismissed the thought. I was not my father. I couldn’t let fear rule me.
“If you tell a soul!”
“No need for threats.” He growled. “The Mortis rule is beneficial to myself and my crew. You allow us to keep great wealth. We work for your father.”
“You mean worked.”
His brows tangled together. “I don’t follow.”
“The king is dead,” I said, realizing we’d left before the news would have swept the kingdom.
He looked at the ground for a second, then pulled his dark gaze back up to mine. “We must get you home.”
“No. I... I can’t be there right now. Edgar has the throne, but once I am done with my business in Berovia, I can return.”
“You must take your place as queen.”
I fumbled my fingers. “I can’t yet.”
Suspicion laced his bold features. “Why not? I was delighted to see you were still alive at the tavern and others will be too. If what you say is true and the king is dead, then you must become queen.”
“Well, you see... I can’t. It’s complicated.”
“What’s going on?” he asked, his stare pointed.
“I just need to take care of something.”
“While your father just died?”
“I know how this must look.”
He shook his head slowly. “Indeed.”
Silence hung between us. I took a chance, one I hoped I wouldn’t regret, but then, what choice did I have?
“Look, my father died while I returned to Magaelor. I didn’t kill him,” I lied, “but I’m worried people will think I did. It looks too convenient, you see. We had fallen out and then I show up, alive, on the day he dies.”
“Regicide,” he said. Wrinkles crowned his forehead. “I see. If that is believed, then you wouldn’t be allowed to return to power. They would execute you.”
“Yes, and I’m innocent.”
He scoffed. “Like that ever mattered to the high priest.”
“Ah yes. Vahaga.” I frowned. He was my father’s biggest advocate and would be able to sentence me in a second if he believed I was behind Amos’s death. I took a deep breath and rubbed the back of my hand, pressing my thumb into my palm. “You seem like an intelligent man, so I will spare you any lies. If you don’t want my cousin on the throne, a man I guarantee will not let you keep the tax breaks you are accustomed to, then do not let anyone believe I was in Magaelor. You must take me to Berovia, then return me. I will, of course, ensure the crown pays you handsomely, once I am back in power. An extra two hundred gold coins. The extra would include your silence on this matter. If you do decide to speak up or attempt to bribe me once I have taken back my crown, I will have you quickly taken care of.” I heard my father in my tone, but some fear was needed. I was losing control of the situation.
He searched my expression, then dipped his head. “We found you while visiting the shadow markets in Woodbarrow and recognized you. You were in hiding because of the recent attacks on Berovia, and we took you home. Perhaps King Xenos tried to kidnap you to bribe King Amos, but you escaped.”
I nodded. It was an excellent plan. “You’d make a good advisor,” I stated. “Can you get the men on board with the plan and guarantee their silence?”
He looked behind him and arched an eyebrow, a smile playing on the corner of his mouth. “These half-wits, they’ll believe it if I tell them to. Do not concern yourself with a thing. We will bring you back and place you on your throne.” He bowed, turned on his heel, and marched to the other side of the ship, leaving my line of sight.
