Page 50 of The Throne's Undoing

King Domitius merely shrugged. "She is just a woman--and a handmaiden at that. No one would believe her if she uttered a word." Fixing his gaze on Myra, the king arched a brow. "Though she won't, now will she?"

Myra understood the king's unspoken demand: if she wanted to see her brother again, she would obey.

Myra bit down on her tongue as Mynhos's screams came to the surface of her mind.

While she might have failed to keep him safe over the years, she was determined to keep him alive. Whatever Domitius wanted her to do, she would do it if that meant she would save her brother.

Sebastian hummed in agreement, scratching his chin. "I suppose it is worth the risk to be able to boast about our success."

"A king does not boast," King Domitius said with a click of his tongue.

Sebastian's jaw twitched, but he tilted up his chin. "And some kings do nothing at all."

King Domitius smirked. "It is a wonder you were able to make any progress with the research."

"My brother may be pretty on the eyes," Sebastian said, "but that is all he is good for. He has always been soft, and his head is constantly in those old textbooks. Knowledge, however, is only powerful if one knows how to use it and is willing to push the boundaries of what is possible.

"My father knew this, and he knew who Rian was. So, when the time came, I was the one who my father had confided in and entrusted. Since his untimely death, I have taken it upon myself to continue my father's research."

Domitius nodded. "And you have made great strides."

Sebastian nodded. Then, he pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But we made a deal. This knowledge does not come freely."

"You will get what is owed," the king said with a flick of his hand. "You need not be hasty. You still do not sit on the throne."

The back of Myra's neck grew damp as the heat of the room increased. She tried to hide her interest as the conversation continued.

"Not yet. Though that will be solved soon enough. I cannot say the same for your side of the deal, though. The princess is still nowhere to be seen," Sebastian argued, quirking a brow. "From what I've heard, she is still gallivanting with the Pontians."

Myra's heart thumped in her chest, and she swallowed down her relief. She could only hope that Kallie was hidden and as far away from the king's reach as possible.

"Do not worry yourself over them," King Domitius said. "They mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. We have ensured they will not be a problem for long."

"And if they are able to thwart your plans once again?" Sebastian asked.

"They won't," King Domitius said, his nose twitching.

"How can you be sure?"

"Steps have been taken to ensure their demise."

Myra tensed when she felt the king's gaze land on her. Guilt stirred within her for the actions she was forced to take before the wedding. She could only hope she had somehow failed to twist Kallie's mind.

Sebastian shrugged. "Well, let us hope your little pet is as successful with this experiment. After all, I didn't come all this way for nothing. Let us see if she is truly the answer we have been searching for."

He turned around and followed the other man into the room, where waves of fear and dread poured from in macabre waves.

A flurry of emotions twisted in the air and washed over her. Myra's stomach grew sour, and her skin became clammy and cold.

The king stepped in front of Myra. He tipped her chin up with a finger and lowered his voice so only she could hear. "You have failed me once. Let us see if you can redeem yourself, shall we?"

Myra swallowed the rising lump in her throat and said the words she had been trained to say, "Yes, My King."

He released her chin and followed Sebastian.

As the guards pushed her forward, an overwhelming sense of fear enveloped her. It soaked the wall, spilling onto the floor and threatening to drown her. But only some of the fear belonged to Myra. The rest emanated from whomever remained in the room from which the king had emerged.

The intensity was unbearable, consuming her and overtaking her senses.

---