Page 192 of Prize for the King
“What do you accuse us of?” Bernard asks, his voice unperturbed.
I take a deep breath and roll my shoulders back, leveling the kings with a triumphant stare. Oh, I will not pass up this opportunity. After all the humiliations they served me, I am going to gloat.
“Does the name Egerd de Bloom mean anything to you?” I ask with a smirk.
Bernard inhales sharply, Xander curses, and the others flinch and mutter before I silence them with a look. Richard watches me without moving, serpentine rage coiling in his eyes.
“It took me a while to figure it out. Do you know where I heard his name first? In Roharra, during one of my ministers’ trial. He was accused of treason, but what’s hilarious is, it was a pure accident that he was discovered. All I wanted was to lessen my husband’s burdens and make the ministers more efficient. Instead, I discovered a plot—my own ministers were funneling secret information to Trista.”
Richard purses his lips, his voice tight with anger. “I have no knowledge of this.”
“No? You must have signed the documents while sleepwalking, then. Unfortunately, a man is a king even when he sleeps, just like your men are yours on their day off. Such a pity.”
He says nothing, his jaw working. Everyone is silent, waiting for me to reveal how much I know.
“Among the information sent over were maps of Roharra’s capital and the keep. I kept wondering—why would a man in Trista need those maps? Did they plan a visit? Were they looking to admire our architecture? Or did they need a way in to assassinate the queen of Farneer?”
No one says anything, and I smile coldly. “I was shot at in my own garden. The attackers shot with the intention to kill me.”
“Could have been anyone,” Xander says through clenched teeth.
“Of course,” I nod seriously. “But I had a hunch. You know, my husband is a wise man. He trusts my hunches, and that taught me to trust them myself. After I realized who Egerd de Bloom was, as well as his connection to the treason in my court, I went to have tea with Sidonius. I must reprimand you, gentlemen. You’ve treated the Master of Peace in a manner unbecoming of his station. Indeed, hewas happy to give you up. I didn’t even have to beg him.”
“You’re the traitor, then,” Richard hisses, looking at Sidonius. “You are sworn to secrecy!”
“The only thing I am sworn to is preserving the peace in the Eleven,” Sidonius says cooly, his manner sharp, so unlike his former hand-wringing. “I am done being your lackey.”
“We have documents bearing all your seals and signatures,” I say, looking at the kings, some stone-faced, some furious, some afraid. “You have paid Egerd de Bloom the sum of forty thousand manoli in total for the service of assassinating the queen of Farneer, and, incidentally, the heir to the crown of Farneer. You broke the peace, and you are hereby stripped of your seats at the Table of Kings. Your wives will take over in your place, and you shall be locked up in the Citadel’s dungeons. The Master of Peace will decide your fate.”
“None of the documents say what the money was for,” Richard grits out. “That’s not proof.”
“But Egerd de Bloom knows what he was paid for,” Sidonius says, baring his teeth in a grin of triumph. “You brought him here to assassinate Magnar if your plotting didn’t work out. Right now, he is out there telling the people of the Citadel of your crimes. Not only did you try to have the young queen of Farneer killed, you tried to have her killed while she’s pregnant.”
“Nobody knew she was pregnant!” Xander shouts, raising his arms. “She’s not a real queen! No princess of the Eleven would ever marry an Agnidari. She doesn’t deserve the crown!”
“Sit,” Arvi growls when Xander pushes his chair back.
“Interesting you should mention that,” Sidonius says with a sharp laugh. “Caliane is hailed as the savior of peace in the Citadel. She single-handedly stopped the Tyrant’s march through the Eleven. By marrying her, he was forced to stop his conquests. She’s a hero. And you are the ones who plotted to kill her. Truly, I’ll be forced to lockyou up not only for your crimes, but for your safety, as well. If you leave the palace, you will be lynched.”
“My wife’s not here. She’s back home, recovering from a birth. Are you going to keep me from returning to her?”
“You will be imprisoned for your crimes, and your wife will be invited to join the Table ofQueens.I know Cassia relies on Trista for wheat, and Amber Port for your textile exports. She will work with us.”
He doesn’t answer me, only nods, sitting back. I admire his poise.
“You will pay for this,” Richard sneers, glaring at me. “When you crawl back to us, because you have no idea how to rule, you will pay.”
I shrug. “Of course, we will make mistakes. And then we will learn and fix them. Honestly, Richard, were you really such a great ruler? I say give Nasturtia five years. She’ll make Trista thrive like you never could”
He sneers. Xander shoots off his chair, toppling it back. Arvi throws a knife but it misses, and then, Xander’s arm is around my throat, pressing down until I wheeze for air.
Everyone freezes, and he laughs, his breath smelling of sausages and something rancid. I cringe away, reaching for my belt. He doesn’t restrain my hands, and maybe he doesn’t need to. His choking hold deprives me of air.
“Release the queen,” Raduna says, the command soft, but deadly. “Now.”
“Open this fucking door,” Xander hisses, spit flying out. “Or I’ll crush her fucking throat!”
Raduna opens the door and moves aside, gesturing at Arvi and Khay with faint motions of his palm. I gulp in a breath when Xander’s hold loosens as he drags me toward the door.
