Page 58 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

Joha is gone when I wake up. I didn’t hear him leave, but I imagine he snuck out not long after I nodded off. He is all about presenting an image, and being caught in my bed would not look good for the king. What I said was true though. I will keep my promise about the loneliness he feels. After all, I feel the same.

How many nights have I lain awake, staring into the dark, wishing someone were next to me? Just the warmth of their body reminds me I am not alone in this world. Maybe that weakness is why I let him stay, but I cannot believe I fell asleep so easily.

It’s just another worry to add to my list, like the fact that I kissed Orion last night. Well, technically, we kissed, since he is not innocent when it comes to blame, but we did kiss, and the night before I kissed Crux. What is happening to me?

There is also my promise to keep Joha safe. No doubt news has spread about Beaumont’s death. I do not want to give the people behind this too much warning, which means I need to move fast. The list of who has access to the new treasury coins cannot be too long, and once I find the man or woman behind it . . . well, we are going to have some words.

First, though, I must dress the part. As soon as I think this, my ladies-in-waiting bustle into the room, ready to prepare me for another day as a princess.

Joy.

I am scrubbed, pinned, and primped again. It is something I am becoming used to, though it never gets any less uncomfortable. Today, I am allowed to negotiate my outfit, and I settle on the least restrictive option—a flowing, long, simple purple gown. It’s cinched at the waist but has plenty of room to hide weapons. After I’m dressed, they circle me with critical eyes, pinning my hair and adding jewels as I stand still under their inspection.

“Your schedule is very open today, my lady,” one says as they slide on my cloth slippers that offer little to no protection from the environment, but they are queenly.

“It is?” I ask with surprise. It seems like I’m supposed to attend a million unimportant events and rites of passage every day, so why would today be any different?

The giggle the lady lets out has my eyebrow rising. “Queen Mother requested a tea later as well as a banquet tonight, but the king has cleared your schedule, stating you are tired and in need of rest. He must be very taken with you to stand up to her like that.”

Or more likely, he’s impatient for me to find his would-be killer.

I simply smile as I stand and look into the mirror, nodding in approval at my outfit.

“So, my lady, what would you like to do today?” another asks nervously.

“I have some ideas.” I grin, and no doubt it’s a wicked one if their expressions are anything to go by.

I spend an hour walking around the palace to at least show my face, and then I put my plan into action. I have sent my ladies on a wild-goose chase, claiming a stomach ache that can only be fixed by a certain flower—which, to be clear, does not exist. The only reason they left me in my rooms was due to my insistence.

It’s far too easy to sneak past the bored guards, and then I am out and alone in the palace, ready to track down the person the coin belongs to.

I start at the most obvious place—the treasury. It is hidden within Frey Hall and has barely any protection, which is foolish. It is far too easy to sneak inside the dimly lit building, and once there, I quickly navigate to the records room, hiding in a closed passage as some robed workers pass by. Once they are gone, I quickly scan the shelves. There are rows upon rows of them, detailing every currency, exchange, and intricacy of the crown’s wealth, but what I need is somewhat close to the door. It is a list of the new coins which will be rolled out soon, and at the bottom are the signatures of those who witnessed and agreed to it. There is Joha, of course, Queen Mother, and then below that are two advisors’ names. One is the head of the treasury, and I have a hard time believing he would be stupid enough to bribe someone with coins only he seems to know about. The other is a name I do not recognise.

A’lan Wrynn, witness.

Hmm, witness, so he isn’t someone important? A noise has me shoving the scroll away, and I duck into the alcove as two whispering, robed men pass, and then I sneak back out.

Once outside on the palace grounds, I casually walk behind a building and wait. It doesn’t take long for a little rat to scurry to me, no doubt following my every move. “Find out what you can about an A’lan Wrynn. Fast,” I demand.

“Yes, mistress.” He hurries away, and I watch him go with nothing to do but kill time.

I’m impatient. It has been two hours of hiding in the palace so no one questions why a princess is wandering around alone. The little rat finally returns, red-faced and anxious. “Sorry, mistress, the records were hard to locate. A’lan Wrynn is a noble from Stormhallow Province. He’s lowly but managed to find a job here in the palace due to his father’s connections. They say he is desperate to cut his teeth, and he has quickly climbed the ranks and now sits upon the council as an advisor. Many say he is dirty, stealing from the crown to fund his life, which has seemingly improved.”

Bingo, that’s our man.

I just know it. I also know he’s working for someone. A desperate noble suddenly coming into money and achieving a rank? Yes, someone helped him because they needed his assistance—like bribing other nobles to try and kill the king. No doubt they thought if this got back to them, then A’lan would take the fall and nothing else would come out.

We are getting closer, but the only way to find out the master behind all this is to question A’lan.

“Where is he now?” I ask.

“I thought you would want to know that. He’s over in the baths. His company was just leaving as I hurried here.”

“Company, huh?” I smirk, tossing some coins at the rat. “See that no guards disturb us for a while.”

“Yes, mistress.” He scurries away once more, and I can’t help but grin. A’lan and I are going to have a nice little chat, and I might get some of this impatient anger out while I’m there.

Two birds, one stone, or better yet, one bath, two motives.

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