Page 167 of The Throne's Undoing

And he would be damned if he let someone else's love and bond for another do so now.

If the seer believed his chances of winning the upcoming war were slipping away, he would change the fates.

After all, he had defied his fate before. He could do it again.

The sound of creaking armor stirred him from his thoughts. Glancing over his shoulder, he found one of the guards hurrying toward him, breathless and wide-eyed, holding his helmet in the crook of his arm.

"What is it, Kolen?" the king asked, annoyed by the interruption.

The guard skirted to a stop a few paces in front of Kage and promptly bowed before speaking, "Sir, the king and the handmaiden have escaped."

Kage froze, every muscle in his body growing taut. His jaw flexed, his teeth grinding together to an almost painful degree.

Behind him, Lundril, the captain of his guard, let out a low curse.

The seer had not mentioned this chain of events. If she had kept this from him, what else was that wretched woman keeping from him?

It seemed another visit was due.

His grip around the iron railing tightened, threatening to break it in half.

"How?" Kage demanded.

Lundril stepped closer, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"One of the guards assisted them in their escape," Kolen said, his voice trembling slightly.

Kage snapped, then. He spun around, seizing the guard by the collar and yanking him closer. The guard's helmet fell to the floor with a crash.

"You let a traitor into our midst?" he spat.

The metal armor bit into Kage's skin as his fingers curled tightly around it, but the pain only fueled his anger.

"I didn't know. He--" the guard stammered, the whites of his eyes enlarging, his expression soaked with fear.

Good, he thought.His fear shall motivate him.

"Who?" he asked.

"Our men are looking into it as we speak, Your Majesty," Kolen said as he struggled to stay standing, his toes barely skimming the floor.

With an exasperated grunt, Kage released him.

The guard nearly collapsed on the floor, the joints of the armor screeching as they rubbed together. Kolen, at least, was smart enough to kneel at the king's feet.

The guard hung his head in penance. The back of his neck stung with a brilliant red mark where the collar had pressed into his skin. "I apologize. If I had been there, perhaps--"

"Save your breath on your excuses and apologies, Kolen," Kage said, cutting him off. He signaled for the guard to stand. "It is a waste of my time."

Grabbing his helmet from the floor, the guard rose to his feet. Clearing his throat, he straightened and flattened his expression. "I am already gathering a squad to go after them."

Kage flicked his hand. "Don't."

"Your Majesty?" the guard breathed, confusion curling his brows. "I'm sorry, I do not understand."

The king exhaled, the anger slow to release from his body.

Leaning his hip against the railing, Kage ran a hand down the front of his jacket, smoothing out any wrinkles. The beginning of a plan was already forming in his mind.

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