Page 108 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

“Leave with dignity, my king,” I whisper into his ear.

I don’t know why I do it, I don’t really care if he gets dragged out or not, but something moves within me as I watch his supposed supporters turn on him. I feel him hesitate, but eventually, he must see it as I do.

There is no choice.

“I expect to be updated on what’s happening in my country and to be consulted about any changes before the council makes any decisions. Remember that I am your king.” Bracing his hands on the table, he pushes up to his feet, staring down the table as authority rings from his voice. “Find whoever is behind these attacks,” he orders, sounding more like a king than I’ve heard from him before.

Spinning on his heel, he strides towards the door, his guards jumping to attention and opening it quickly. We fall into formation around the king and leave the room full of traitors behind us.

Chapter

Fifty-Eight

CRUX

“Iam sorry, my king. I do not agree with this plan, but it was put to a vote, so there is nothing I can do,” the older male explains, his hands open wide in a gesture of helplessness. He wears the same robes as the other council members and advisors, yet he seems genuinely apologetic about what happened.

The king’s smile is tight, but there is sincere warmth in his eyes as he reaches out and touches the man’s shoulder. “Thank you for coming to see me, Advisor Perin. Your support means a lot to me.” Glancing over the man’s shoulder, he looks at the guards and frowns at their restlessness. “You better return before you get locked in here with me.”

One council member a day has been given permission to enter the king’s palace to update him on everything that was discussed in that day’s meetings. Advisor Perin volunteered to be the go between and is the only one who seems to have stayed loyal. Even though this meeting is council approved, the guards hovering in the doorway are not from the king’s personal protection unit, and they are making it clear that the advisor is taking too long.

Bowing his head in respect, he gives his king a quick, apologetic smile that looks more like a grimace and leaves the room, escorted by the guards.

I wait until I can no longer hear their footsteps, then I ditch my guard position and extend my arms above my head, jumping up and catching one of the ceiling beams. Swinging, I pull myself up and perch on a beam where it crosses with another, giving me something to lean against. With one of my legs propped up, the other dangles down as I carve a small piece of wood. It has only been a day since the king was confined to his palace, and he is already going stir crazy. I learned the art of patience as an assassin, so I’m not bothered. Rushing into any situation is a surefire way to get yourself killed.

Watching the king with a smirk, I count his steps as he paces—ten, pause, and then ten back—a habit I find is impossible to break, but a useful one nonetheless. I continue to whittle my piece of wood, the shavings falling from the beams and landing on the floor, looking like snow floating through the room.

“Can you not find somewhere else to do that?”

The king’s annoyed voice brings a smirk to my face, but I feign innocence as I glance down at him, raising a brow. “I promised Alyx I would keep an eye on you, and that is what I’m doing.”

I’m fairly sure he knows I’m only doing this to annoy him, but if he admitted that aloud, it would prove that it’s working.

Gritting his teeth, he huffs out a frustrated breath and runs a hand through his long, sleek hair. “Well, do you have to do it from the beams?”

Leaning back, I take up whittling once more. “It’s easier to hide if I’m up here, plus I find it comfortable.” While what I say is true, I find pleasure in sitting up here because I know it annoys him, especially now that I’ve picked up a new hobby.

Scowling at the wood shavings on what I’m sure is a priceless rug, he takes a moment to gather his thoughts, most likely to bite back a cutting remark about my presence.

After a moment, he looks up at me with a scowl. “What are you even making?”

I flash him a grin with entirely too many teeth. “That’s a secret.”

Truthfully, I have no idea. Turns out I am really bad at whittling, but it keeps my hands busy, and I am less likely to kill the king out of pure boredom. The benefit of it annoying the crap out of him is also a strong motivator for me to continue.

Joha drops it and returns to pacing. I have no idea how long he’s planning to do that, and I don’t really care, but I know that Alyx would be worried about him. The king’s mental state is not something I care a single iota about, but if Alyx comes back from her trip and Joha’s mind is broken, it will hurt her, which I won’t allow to happen, meaning I have to pander to the needs of the puppet king.

I must be getting soft.

I hold out for as long as I can in the hopes that he will magically sort himself out, but eventually, I have to admit I need to step in. I can practically see the king’s mind unravelling by the minute. He needs something to focus on that isn’t related to the council that betrayed him.

Sighing quietly, I stash my blade and piece of wood away in my secret pockets and drop down from the beams. I land silently, but Joha catches my movement and narrows his gaze on me, recognising the determined look in my eyes.

“Let’s go for a walk,” I say, not waiting to see if he’ll listen to me or not before I cross to the door.

“I’m not allowed out, remember?” Mirth colours his words, but I don’t let that bother me.

“You have this whole palace to yourself.” Glancing over my shoulder, I raise my eyebrows and give him a smirk. “You should take me for a tour.”

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