Page 48 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

“It was a bit of a shock to hear that you and Joha are to be married. He never mentioned you before, nor any desire to take a wife.”

Oh, I bet it was. While this may look like a casual conversation between two royals, I know that she’s really trying to get information from me. Either that or she’s attempting to sow doubts in my mind about my relationship. A future husband hiding the existence of his fiancée would usually signal a red flag. Of course I’m not worried about any of that, what with this being a fake relationship, but I still have to sell this. Queen Mother is already suspicious of me, so I can’t risk blowing my cover.

“Yes, we kept the whole arrangement very quiet, but I couldn’t be happier.” I flash her a wide smile as I gush, pressing a hand to my chest as though I can’t contain my excitement.

“Yes, I can imagine,” she replies dryly, her eyes following the movement and flicking over my dress. “This will be a big change for you, I am sure.” She pats my hand, her expression shifting into what I am sure she thinks is motherly, only it comes off as stiff. “If you ever need anything, please know that you can come to me.”

That is never going to happen, but I nod solemnly, looking as though I’m taking her advice to heart.

Before I can say anything, she quickly clears her throat and changes the subject. “How is Joha anyway? Did he seem well this morning?”

She seems genuinely interested in my answer, which takes me aback. I’ve seen no fond emotions towards Joha from his stepmother, and this sudden change of heart makes me think there’s more to her question than would appear. Not knowing what else to say, I allow my bright smile to dim a little and shrug lightly.

“I’ve not had a chance to see him this morning.”

Nodding in reply to my comment, she smiles, but there is a twinkle in her eyes that puts me on edge. Something about my response pleases her, yet I can’t seem to place my finger on it. My instincts are telling me that something is going on, and my hands itch to hold the daggers I managed to strap to my thighs before we left my rooms earlier.

A large figure appears in the corner of my vision, saving Queen Mother from being interrogated by me. Tilting my head, I look up at the handsome, hulking figure and take in his scowling expression. For once, he actually seems to be making an effort in hiding his blatant dislike of everyone. In fact, I swear I see shock pass over his face as his eyes land on me. It’s gone within the blink of an eye, but I know I saw it.

“Your Majesties.” Orion bows to us in greeting.

“Sir Orion, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Queen Mother asks loudly, drawing the attention of those around us. “I do hope that everything is alright with the king.”

That’s the second time she’s mentioned Joha and whether he’s well or not, and it’s raising all of my internal alarm bells. Has something happened to him? No, I would have heard about it already if he was hurt. Perhaps she really does care about him . . . No, my instincts are telling me that I’m right. She knows something. I just need to figure out what that is.

“Yes, Queen Mother, the king is well. Thank you for your concern,” Orion replies, dipping his head once more. “There is a matter I wish to discuss with the princess.” His words are aimed at her, but he looks at me as he speaks, and I get the feeling that whatever he needs to speak to me about is related to whatever Queen Mother has been hinting at.

“Anything you need to share with her, you can share with me. Isn’t that right, Alyx?” Saccharine sweet, she pins me with a look that would make most shrivel in their seats.

Thankfully for me, I’m not like most.

Smiling in apology, I get up from my throne before she can stop me. “If you’ll excuse me, Queen Mother, this might be news regarding my family.” Gesturing towards the large doors to the ballroom, I smile at Orion. “Please, sir, lead the way.”

Sir. I want to snort.

The two of us leave the ballroom with calm, unhurried steps, and I’m acutely aware of the eyes on me as I go. My dress makes a soft swishing noise as I walk, and as soon as we leave the ballroom, Orion glances around before placing his hand on the small of my back and guiding me through a set of corridors until we reach a small, secluded room. He practically shoves me into the room, then he looks around once more and shuts the door behind him as he steps inside. Anger grew inside him as we made our way here, but he managed to keep it contained while someone might see us. Now that we’re alone, though, I’m fully expecting him to rage at me.

Raising my eyebrows, I gesture widely as apprehension builds within me. “What’s going on? Is Joha okay?”

“That’s His Majesty to you, and don’t play dumb with me.” Jabbing a finger in my direction, he begins pacing the length of the room. “I’m sure you know everything going on in this palace, sneaking around after dark. You probably even know who the attacker was.”

He’s not even looking at me at this point, lost in his anger. I’ve never seen him like this before, and I’m so taken aback that it takes me a moment to digest what he just told me.

“Wait, attacker?” Standing up straighter, I go on alert, my voice sharp as I try to assess the danger. “Are you telling me that Joha was attacked?”

“Yes, last night after your little sparring match.” Scowling, he shoots me a glare but continues pacing, his hands now flexing at his sides. “You couldn’t hang around and make sure the king was safe? You just killed and ran, doing what you do best.”

Oh, we’re going for personal attacks now. Thankfully, I don’t give a shit what he thinks of me, and I have thick skin. Stepping into his path, I hold up a hand to stop him.

“Hold on a second.” Surprisingly, he does, glaring at me the whole time. Placing my hands on my hips, I give him attitude right back. “One, I have no idea what you’re talking about, and two, I’m offended that you think I’d just leave Joha after he was attacked.”

It’s true. I might be an assassin, and my morals are pretty low, but Joha is my client and fake fiancé. He might be a dreamer in a world of naysayers, but he genuinely wants the best for his people. Despite myself, I kind of respect that.

Orion looks at me properly now, some of his anger draining away, and his eyes scan my face, truly taking me in. “You really didn’t know?”

“No! Tell me what happened,” I demand, and for once, he doesn’t fight me.

Sighing, he scrubs his hands over his face. “After you and the king trained together, which we will be having words about, someone attempted to murder him. Before they could, a dagger flew out of nowhere and killed the assassin. Until now, I thought that the person who killed the attacker was you.”

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