AllFreeNovel
Share Us
El and the councillors nodded and began to rattle off instructions to the men and women surrounding us: my orders, but in the form of detailed, articulate commands that would enable the guards to actually carry them out without tripping over each other in the chaos.
“...and Comandante,” Morales was saying. “Allocate teams to search Máros in an outward spiral from the palace, with forwardscouts to catch unusual activity occurring ahead of the search pattern...”
“...ensure the king’s disappearance is kept quiet,” Vidrio was telling the rest of them. “Spread the word that we’re looking for gold stolen from the treasury, and don’t...”
“...coordinate with the city guard...”
“...report to us with hourly updates...”
I marvelled at the competency of the two councillors, at their ability to keep level heads in a crisis and the efficiency by which they transformed my grand yet vague demand into practice. I knew my husband wouldn’t have surrounded himself with any less than the best Quareh had to offer, and I had a sudden urge to compliment him on his choices. A rare urge, but a driving one, and a wave of bitter fear surged up my spine at the reminder that he wasn’t here to tell.
That he might never be here again.
“I’ll check the tunnels?” I said when the guards dispersed with their orders, and where it once may have been a declaration that I didn’t bother to wait for a response for, now it was phrased as a questioning offer. The last thing I wanted was to disrupt this Blessedly impressive operation they had going on. Not when Ren’s survival could depend on it.
The councillors glanced at each other and the Comandante, sharing something I couldn’t interpret.
“We’d rather you didn’t,” Vidrio said to me, sounding almost apologetic. “We have guards searching down there already.”
I scowled. “I may not be military trained, but I’m perfectly capable of using my eyes to look for someone.”
“The tunnels have been cleared, king consort,” Elías cut in, offering me a consoling smile. “But-”
“Which is why we’re rechecki-”
His voice rose sharply over my protests. “-but they still present a security risk. The king’s captors could have easily taken his key, allowing them access back into the palace at any time.”
“I’ll be careful,” I said.
But Morales shook her head. “I’m afraid we must insist, Your Highness. Your safety is our primary concern and duty.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Ren’ssafety is your primary concern and fucking duty, councillor.”
“In his absence, and without an heir, it becomes yours.”
I flinched. Ren’s childlessness had become a popular topic of gossip and complaint over the last several months, and those who discussed it rarely bothered to quieten in my presence. And even if they didn’t voice the accusation, I felt the sting of it all the same.
It was my fault.
My fault, for being male, when Quarehian kings had only ever married women.
My fault, for rendering the king essentially infertile and incapable of continuing his line.
My fault that Quareh would be thrown into the instability of an uncertain regime upon Ren’s death, now that his sisters had renounced all rights to the throne.
“Please stay out of the tunnels, Your Highness,” El repeated, as if suspecting how tempted I was to ignore their warnings. He knew me too well.
“Please,” Parvan murmured from over my shoulder, and I sighed again, backing down with only a scowl thrown in each of their directions.
“Fine. I’ll stay out of the Blessed tunnels.”
Morales’ smile showed teeth. “We have guards posted inside them.”
I eyed her suspiciously. “Is that your way of telling me that you’ll know if I misbehave?”
“Not at all,” she said smoothly.Liar. “It’s my way of telling you that we take your safety seriously.”
Snorting, I began to pace back and forth across the width of the corridor. “I can’t just sit here waiting for news. I won’t. Give mesomethingto do that could help.”
