Page 55 of Kingdom Of Veil And Vow

“I know this is a strange update. I, myself, have been stuck wondering why Prince Nox felt the need to come here at all. While he didn’t necessarily work near the king, he was close enough that he could have made a move against him if that was his true goal.” And with magic like he has, it is even more curious why he did not act.

“And what of the princess?” Remi asks from where he is seated at the end of the table, strands of dark hair hanging over his brow.

“She is there with them. I saw her through the Mirror.”

More chatter erupts, panic coloring their voices as words like “invasion” and “usurp” are tossed around. Guilt slithers over me, serpents that represent every fear I’ve harbored over the princess since she left. “The Mortal Kingdom is not my home,” she had told King Dolian, and I was inclined to believe she truly felt that way. As the volume of worried voices continues to increase around me, I sift through everything I thought to be true of the princess and every small detail that Siyala has given to me during our conversations. In every story relayed by the shifter, none of them ever painted Princess Rhea in a bad light. None of them ever showed something different than a woman bound by her confines, trying to do the best that she could. Seeing her in the Mirror, watching as fear drained the color from her face when King Dolian spoke to her, I didn’t see a woman who wanted vengeance. Nor did I see one who was angry. I saw someone scared and desperate to cling to the new life she had found.

No, I was no longer worried that Princess Rhea was the threat I once perceived her to be. If anything, I was more uneasy about the prince being at her side with his disturbing magic than I was about her returning to the Mortal Kingdom.

Those serpents coil around my neck, making it more difficult to breathe as I catch Grayson’s eye. Somehow, the man knows what I’m thinking and raises his own hand to demand quiet. It takes a few seconds for silence to trickle in, and even when it does, something frantic still sits heavily in the air.

“While Princess Rhea does appear to be in league with the mage royals, I do not believe her to be a threat to this kingdom. Or its throne.”

“How can you be sure?” someone shouts out.

“They could be plotting to rule over us all!” another voice comes.

I dig my nails into the wood of the table, trying to calm my nerves.

“What of the shifter?” All falls silent at the deep, booming voice that asks the question, heads swinging to look back at where Alden is still leaning against the wall. He looks not at the other resistance members but right at me, expression made of pure stone.

“What of her?” I ask carefully.

“What has she told you of the princess?” Eyes flit back to me, curious and imploring.

“What S— What the shifter has shared has been minimal,” I say, catching myself before I say Siyala’s name. I feel Grayson’s stare on the side of my face because of it. “And what she has shared doesn’t dispute my theories. Princess Rhea is not the threat we need to worry about.”

A few heads nod in agreement, and my stomach settles slightly. But, apparently, Alden isn’t done.

“Why should we trust your judgement alone?” he asks, leaning away from the wall, one hand resting on the hilt of the sword strapped to his hip. The same one that hangs from my own.

“I beg your pardon?” Though my hands rest easily at my sides, my fingers twitch in anticipation as Alden stalks closer.

“Speak plainly,” Grayson commands from behind me.

“Okay, I shall. How do we know that Xander speaks the truth? That he hasn’t been compromised in some way?”

Whispers sound around me as I draw my brows together in confusion.

“How do we know,” he drawls as he walks through the gathered members, stopping when he is only a few feet in front of me, “that he hasn’t been seduced by the enemy?”

“The shifter is not the enemy,” I counter.

“But neither is she a friend.” Uncertainty cloaks the air as I glare at Alden. “Though I wonder if you know that, Xander.”

There is no reason that he should suspect anything occurred between Siyala and I. Everything we have done has been in the hidden safety of the cell or the secret room.

“That’s enough, Alden,” Grayson barks, moving to stand at my side. “I think we can all agree that Xander’s priorities have always been in doing what is best for the resistance. If you have a problem with his methods, then take it up with him in an honorable way. This speculation and accusation without proof is beneath you.”

Alden takes a deep breath, jaw tight as he gives me a quick bow of his head. “My apologies, Xander. I would never mean to question your integrity.”

Grayson quickly dismisses the meeting, and Alden quietly retreats, joining the others as they exit through the tunnels in waves. Brisk stays back, the young guard’s eyes brimming with an unasked question.

“What is it, Brisk?”

“The Trusted position, I want to throw my name in—”

“No,” I cut in, Grayson nodding in agreement at my side.