Page 56 of The Mad King and the False Queen

She had to beat him at his own game.

She would marry him and search his personal room and study before he got any information out of her, whatever it was that he wanted.

And before he found out that she killed Sabien.

CHAPTER 22

Dagmara

The following morning, Dagmara woke with a jolt. Her time here would be limited, and she had to avenge Aleksy and Bogdan’s deaths before King Claude was finished getting information out of her—or so he claimed.

Aleksy. The thought of him made her feel ill. He had been a friend her whole childhood, and was taken from her life too soon. Pushing aside those thoughts to avoid confronting her grief, as she had when her mother died, she focused on the task ahead.

Today, she was going to seduce a murderer, otherwise known as a Mind Guardian. She had to get Claude to like her enough so that he wouldn’t kill her before she could access the royal wing. Easy, right? Meanwhile, he couldn’t discover that she killed Sabien, or that she wasn’t actually Magda.

Easy.

Urszula helped her get ready, making her look like a true princess. She was more careful to hide anything that made her stand out, opting for a long-sleeve dress to cover her arms, and pinning her hair up. Urszula had to add an extra coat of the silver dye, for it easily washed out in the bath water. The top of her dress covered the scar on her shoulder, but she chose one with a low neckline on purpose. Additionally, she wore short gloves to cover the new scar on the palm of her hand.

Martine informed her that Claude was practicing swordsmanship all morning and would meet her for lunch on the front lawn. However, she wanted to run into him before lunch and decided to interrupt his sword practice.

“Why does he have to practice with a sword when he’s a guardian? Can’t he just kill people with his mind?” Urszula asked.

“I don’t know, and I’d rather not think about it.”

Dagmara exited her chamber, thanking Urszula, and went to the field. Martine, of course, accompanied her the whole way.

Glass doors led out onto a glorious walkway with a towering fountain. Beyond, the cobblestone ground turned to grass and stretched on for miles. The smell of ocean air and the countryside filled her senses. The trees were ripe with foreign fruits, and the vineyard on the castle grounds was overflowing with food. It was a stark contrast from the rest of the kingdom she had seen on the carriage ride here. Was Claude hoarding resources while the rest of his kingdom was starving? Everything he did was vile, and Dagmara knew she had to expedite this mission.

Not only would this marriage allow Dagmara to sneak around in the Ilusaurian royal quarters, but the medicinal trade routes could be reopened. Teos, along with all the other children suffering from zowach, would be cured.

Dagmara broke out of her thoughts when she reached the small field directly outside the castle. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the king.

Steel clashed against steel as Claude battled three of his guards at once. He wore a loose-fitted white shirt and trousers tucked into tall boots. His bronze skin glistened in the sun. He fought with one hand, the other pressed behind his back.

The way he moved was mesmerizing, each step both graceful and lethal. Every thrust of his sword was more powerful than the last. Beads of sweat dripped from his temple, running down his sharp jawline and dripping to his collar. He was pure strength, the true embodiment of a guardian, and Dagmara had no doubt he could slice her to pieces with his sword.

He was frightfully good. It took him moments to disarm one guard before knocking the second onto the ground and pressing his sword to the third’s neck. He spoke to them in his native language and broke into a laugh.

He looked so curious when he was laughing. It didn’t fit his character, and certainly didn’t fit the rage she saw yesterday.

Sheathing his sword, he reached his hand out to help a guard up. The guards saw Dagmara first. Claude was the last one to turn around and notice her standing there, watching him.

Then he jogged across the field, his sword at his side, and only slowed his pace when he was within earshot.

“Princess, I’m surprised to see you this morning,” Claude said. His accent speaking Azuremi was still captivating.

“I seem to surprise you a lot, Your Majesty,” Dagmara replied. She was acutely aware of Martine a few paces behind her. There was no doubt Martine was reporting everything to Madame Annette. That meant today she was going to be the perfect princess.

Claude used his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow. As it lifted, Dagmara was briefly distracted by the rippling muscles in his chest and stomach. She had no idea there even were that many muscles in the stomach and chest. Her breath hitched, and she had to clear her throat.

“I have come here to discuss the wedding,” she announced.

Claude’s let go of his shirt, covering his body, and disregarded her comment. “Let me get cleaned up, and we can call for lunch. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Dagmara didn’t want to wait for lunch to speak with him. “How long after our marriage will the trading routes be reopened?”

“A week, maybe two,” the king replied.

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