Page 57 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

Nodding my agreement, I watch as Orion turns as if to say goodbye to Alyx. There is a heavy, awkward moment as he scowls at the assassin, at a loss for words. Eventually, she arches an eyebrow, and that seems to kick him into motion. Grunting, he shakes his head and leaves the room.

I wait until I can no longer hear his footsteps, then I turn to my betrothed and smirk, crossing my arms over my chest. “That was strange.”

She climbs up onto the bed, leaning against a mountain of cushions, and pats the foot of the bed, inviting me to sit. “It has been a strange day,” she agrees, exhaustion lacing her voice. “What do you need, Joha?”

Perching where she patted, I turn so I’m facing her. Now that I’m closer, I can see the fatigue lining her features. It is selfish of me to keep her up when I should be allowing her to rest, but I want an update.

At least, that is what I meant to say.

“I wanted to see you.”

She smiles and bats her eyelashes. “I bet you say that to all the ladies.” Her expression becomes more serious. “I have a couple of leads I am following, but I don’t want to say anything about them until I am more certain. You are better off not knowing, so when all of this comes out, you are blameless. Plus, your reactions will be genuine.”

Everything she says makes sense, and from an outside perspective, I would agree with her. This is about me, though, my safety, and traitors in my court who are plotting against me. I want to know every little detail, even the parts she thinks are irrelevant. Curbing my frustration, I ball my hands in the blankets beneath me.

“I hate not knowing, especially when my life is at risk,” I admit, showing some weakness.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” she promises swiftly, her voice hard.

A thump in my chest makes me pause, her words echoing in my mind. I am pretty sure she means it too. I hired her to keep me safe, but something has changed since that first day. I’ve gone from being a job to someone she would protect.

“I know,” I reply, suddenly feeling weary, the weight of my responsibilities weighing on me. “Between you and Orion, I am safe. I just hate feeling so useless.”

“You are not useless.”

Her response comes instantly, and I turn my head to look at her to see if she’s being genuine. Deep down in my soul, even since I became king, I’ve felt inadequate. My advisors and stepmother have never believed in me, and they treat me like a fool. I have no real say in what happens, and my ideas to help my kingdom prosper are just laughed away. I’m just a figurehead, a puppet for them to use.

Alyx doesn’t make me feel that way. She listens to my ideas, and while she thinks most of them are ridiculous, she helps me despite it, so hearing this from her makes me feel more confident.

I don’t know what to say in return. Thanking her doesn’t seem right, and I don’t have the words to express what it means to me. She’s curled up against her cushions, the blanket wrapped around her knees, looking just like a young lady and not the deadly assassin she truly is. I should leave her to rest, yet I cannot seem to make myself go.

“Can I stay just a little longer? I hate sleeping alone,” I say, but as soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. I sound like a needy little boy who needs comfort.

She snorts and rolls her eyes. “I’m sure you have a list of bedmates a mile long, Joha.”

“No, I don’t mean in that way.” Leaning back, I spread out at the bottom of the bed, my legs hanging over the side as I rest my arm over my face. “I just hate the silence of the night. It makes me feel so alone.” She says nothing, yet I can feel her surprise. I know I seem easy-going and like nothing bothers me, but actually, there is a lot about me that I have been forced to hide over the years.

“I’ve never told anyone that before,” I whisper, fearful of her reaction.

“Your secret is safe with me.” Her response is just as quiet.

Lowering my arm, I look over and watch as she smiles softly and pats the other side of the bed, inviting me to lie down properly.

Pausing, I wait to see if she is serious or will take the offer back. I really should not be climbing into bed with her, but I am not here to sleep, just spend time in her company.

Thirty minutes or so will not hurt anyone.

After kicking off my boots and removing my jacket, I crawl across the bed as she watches me with sleepy eyes. In any other situation, this would go very differently. When I crawl across most ladies’ beds, as infrequently as it happens, they do not look like they are about to nod off. Reaching the pillow beside hers, I lie down and roll onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. She snuggles beneath the covers, her breathing becoming deep and even.

We don’t speak, and I stay above the sheets, letting my mind wander as I listen to the gentle sounds in the room. She falls asleep after only a few minutes, and I tuck her in, making sure she’s warm.

My eyelids grow heavy, and I know it is time for me to leave. However, as the sun starts to rise and I know the palace will begin to awaken with the dawn, I finally climb from her bed and sneak out of the room, loneliness nowhere to be found.

Chapter

Thirty-One

ALYX

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