Page 6 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

Following him closely, I keep my eyes on my king, wishing I could help him in this battle he faces.

One most know nothing about, fought for the soul of our lands and the heart of our king.

Chapter

Five

JOHA

The droning of my advisors’ voices is enough to lull me to sleep, especially considering how tired I am. It was a long night, and my adrenaline from sneaking out of the palace and almost losing my life has finally faded, leaving me bone weary. The seemingly endless meeting and the monotonous tones of the haughty males around me does not help with this matter, and I have to fight to stay awake.

I should be paying attention, since they are discussing my kingdom and where to invest money in our lands. It’s an important matter, and usually, despite how I would fake ignorance, I would make mental notes of everything said.

Not today.

Currently, sitting in my large, throne-like chair, I lean against one side and sit at a jaunty angle, my left leg crossed over my right. I stare at my nails as if contemplating a hangnail.

The conversation goes on around me, and honestly, I believe they forget I am here most of the time, which is exactly how I like it to be. These meetings might be boring, but they are important, and I need to be present to hear the decisions made about the kingdom.

My kingdom.

Despite what they think about me, I do care. They will never see that side, however, not while the Queen Mother lives.

She is the one truly in control here and has somehow managed to convince most of the advisors and scholars to listen to her. They say I’m simple and that these decisions are best made by them, but they don’t know that I take note of everything said or that I understand every undermining decision they make, all to enforce their power and fill their pockets

The former queen may appear like a perfect Queen Mother to guide her departed husband’s son, yet she is dangerous. She already had her claws in everyone before my father died, and since I took the throne, she has only grown in power. I have seen what happens to those who don’t agree with her, and I know my life would be forfeit if I ever became difficult and attempted to challenge her, which is why I play up to their vision of me.

Sadly, it is easy enough to do. They all assume I am nothing more than a puppet and have no opinion on what happens in the kingdom. This makes them believe I am weak, pliable, and easily manipulated. I have no power either way, so at least by playing along, I can still be involved and know what’s happening in my kingdom. If the other options are death or imprisonment, then I know which option I will choose.

Even if some days it is so hard I wish to scream and rage, I do not. I play the long game.

I lounge in my chair, my eyes skimming over the familiar meeting room. It is long and thin, only made more so by the dark wall-to-wall bookshelves that are packed with heavy tomes. Most of the books are filled with the laws and history of the kingdom, something that I find fascinating, yet I have to pretend otherwise. The long meeting table we sit at is made of ash, the wood highly polished and gleaming under the lanterns strategically bolted around the room. A large bay window takes up most of the far wall, and I often find my gaze drawn to it and the view of my lands beyond.

Here in Windfall Hall, we are gifted with views over the stone wall that separates the palace from the city beyond. To my left, I see the different provinces, each split and named after the nobles that lead them. From Storm Hallow all the way to Whithorn. Dividing the middle of our lands is the Lanide River, which separates those provinces from the Lowers, as the nobles aptly named them—the lands our workers and normal folk inhabit, the streets I visited just the night prior.

One side boasts wealth, ornate houses constructed with the finest stone, and the most beautiful trees offering shade, while the other boasts the will to survive.

Beyond it all is the Bleeding Sea, the dark, churning water separating our lands from those beyond. My eyes follow the waves for a moment, watching a merchant ship find its way to the docks before I sigh and turn away.

When I do allow my mind to wander, I think of how much good we could do in the city instead of sitting here debating things that do not matter.

However, today, everything is different.

My advisors and scholars are the same as usual, wearing their rich robes in different styles to mark each provenance. Only the purple sash they wear makes them stand out as members of my council—that and their haughty expressions. The meeting room has not changed. Everything is still in its place from the last time we were here. No, the change isn’t anything in this room. At least, nothing I can see.

Today, I do not have to fake being distracted. I should be listening to them talk about the benefits of developing the already prosperous Tundra Province, all while pretending to be lost in thought.

Instead, I do not need to pretend to be lost because all that I can think about is the woman with piercing green eyes and shocking red hair that not even she could tame.

My mind replays our interaction and how she took out those bandits without breaking a sweat.

She saved my life.

Alyx.

I overheard one of the bandits hiss her name to the leader before the fight broke out. They appeared surprised and impressed, meaning they knew of her, so she must have a reputation. After seeing her fight, I am not surprised.

Absentmindedly, I realise that my hand is at my throat again, missing the comforting weight of my necklace. It was my father’s, something passed down to me, and I had not taken it off since he died. She took it as ‘payment’ for saving my life. After what I had seen, I was not going to argue about it. It was stupid wearing it into the city anyway. The absence of the weight is a constant reminder of what could have happened.

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