Page 23 of The Prince

“And you still think you can take the throne just like that?” Threstaught sneered. He glanced at Caro briefly, and his lip curled even further.

“One hundred and twenty years ago, the heir to the throne of Namin was a princess named Cally. She had the power to see the past, present, and future, the same as her father, the king. Her older brother was jealous, selfish, and spoiled. He wanted the throne, but he could only see past and present. His power was lesser, so Cally was chosen as heir instead.” Carmillian looked around the room briefly, gauging the rapt audience, before returning her gaze to Threstaught. “He killed his parents in their sleep. Despite the king of the time being able to see the future, he refused to believe the son he loved would turn so evil. When the prince went to kill his sister, she was gone, for she had seen and believed the future. And the future was clear: she had to flee, if only to ensure the future of the country she had been raised to serve. She knew the power of the royal family of Namin would wane, each subsequent generation born with less and less ability, as long as her brother’s descendants remained on the throne. But she also knew one of her descendants would return to retake the stolen throne and return Namin to the greatness that once was.”

Carmillian didn’t look away from Threstaught, but somehow her presence had the rest of the room focused on her.

“The future is still clear,” she continued after allowing for a moment of profound silence, although Caro could sense skepticism in the way some people were shaking their heads in disbelief. Carmillian let out a breath and her third eye opened, the golden glow of her magic suffusing her body with light. “The future of Namin could be great, a chance for everyone to prosper in wealth and in happiness.” Her voice rang with power as well as authority, her words as suffused with her magic as her body. “But only if I am allowed to sit in this seat,” she added with a wave toward the empty throne. “If you allow the false king to regain power, in five years Namin will no longer exist. Theeastern lands will belong to Toval, the west will fall to tribal warfare, and the city of Svental will be nothing but rubble.” The golden glow faded and her third eye closed. “I want Namin to prosper as one of the most influential countries in the world, and I promise I can ensure that happens if you’ll support me along the way.”

She slowly turned her head, looking at every single person assembled in the room, catching each gaze with her own. Caro knew what that felt like, as if she could look through him, see the heart of what made him, and parse all his secrets. He had felt it when she spoke to him while she was in the courtyard and Caro was using his magic to eavesdrop, and he could see the impact she was having now. Some of the courtiers bowed, others simply nodded, and even the ones that didn’t move had a wide-eyed look of “oh shit.” There would be no passive-aggressive backstabbing with her on the throne, and the practice of allowing the nobles to skim money and resources off the crown to pacify them was over. While that certainly panicked some people, more had the beginnings of dawning relief showing on their faces. Lowered shoulders, faint smiles, and the tight wrinkles around mouth and eyes from pinched worry beginning to fade.

Of course, these were men and women accustomed to the vagaries of the court; their first instinct was distrust. Carmillian would have to prove to them tenfold that she meant what she said, but somehow Caro didn’t think that would be much of a problem for her.

Threstaught’s scowl had reduced to a thoughtful frown. Caro had zero idea whether he would end up being a problem or an asset, but at the very least he no longer said anything disparaging.

“I will—” Carmillian cut herself off at the same time as Caro’s magic pinged.Danger incoming.

Chapter Seventeen

MAGIC FLARED, YANKINGCaro downward. He dropped to his knees just as an arrow passed through where his head had been, clattering harmlessly onto the floor behind him. Caro looked up, his magic still firing strong, just in time to see another arrow flying toward the dais. Except, this one was heading straight for Carmillian. Caro scrambled to dive forward, but he had fallen awkwardly and the extra second to get his feet untangled meant he was much too slow. The arrow was going to hit Carmillian and destroy Namin’s last hope for survival. Gasps and screams erupted from the crowd; Caro tried to shout but found he didn’t have the breath to make any noise.

However, Carmillian simply tilted her head slightly. The arrow zipped harmlessly past her ear, thudding into the throne behind her. She turned to look at the arrow, her expression completely unconcerned. When she returned her attention to the audience she let out an exasperated sigh.

“Fitting that the arrow you shot at me instead mars a symbol of your failed reign,” she called out, looking in the direction from where the two arrows had been shot. “I didn’t even need my magic to avoid that,” she added. “And the explanation as to why is as simple as your thought process is in trying to kill me. You are a false king sitting on a stolen throne. Your magic iswaning; weaker than your father’s, and your heir’s was weaker still. So, it follows the Triumvirè sworn to follow you will be weak as well. You trained them to drown innocents in the moat, or to push them off a tower.” She grinned and her eyes were alight with viscous benevolence. “The true Triumvirè, the ones who followed the rightful queen into exile, have no such weakness.”

She flicked her wrist as if shooing away a bug. Suddenly, two people appeared on the dais. Caro hadn’t known they were nearby, hadn’t seen them arrive, and had zero idea they had followed Carmillian’s group into the throne room, but there they abruptly stood. Wearing head to toe black, with every inch of skin covered and a deep, tight-fitting hood concealing their faces, menacing was a tame way to describe them. They walked past where Caro was still sprawled, their steps completely silent as if their feet didn’t touch the floor.

Caro scrambled to stand as the two people appeared to blur, and suddenly they were off the dais and halfway across the room. The crowd scampered away, leaving three people exposed. Two were in the red armor of what Caro had thought was part of the Triumvirè uniform, but their faces weren’t concealed. In comparison, they looked like petulant soldiers, rather than the scary boogeymen of Namin. Both were holding crossbows, but only one was able to reload and fire before the dark figures reached them. The third arrow thudded into the side of the dais below Carmillian’s feet.

A brief glint of silver showed, and then a spray of red as blood flew. Both red-clad bodies dropped to the ground, throats neatly cut in a stroke that, had Caro blinked, he would have missed. Then the black-clad Triumvirè turned to look at the third figure along with everyone else in the room.

The third person was in his dressing robe, same as everyone else in the room, but he had donned a cloak with a hood thatconcealed his face. Still, it wasn’t difficult to guess who had managed to sneak in.

“You are the liar!” King Cyphus snarled, throwing his hood back defiantly to reveal his scowling face and gray-streaked blond hair. “Your ancestor abandoned this land, leaving Namin to suffer. My family has ensured this land prospered!”

“The fields are barren and the people starving,” Carmillian replied, her tone scathing and her scowl fierce. “While you luxuriate in excess and murder your detractors. Namin will be a failed state by spring. And all of that is your fault, your failure as leader.”

“I will see you hanged! You, and that traitor standing next to you!”

As Cyphus snarled, he was also taking small, tentative steps backward. His eyes flickered around the room, as if he was searching for a friendly face or any sort of support from those gathered. Or maybe he was searching for an escape route, Caro realized as Cyphus shuffled closer to the large doors at the other side of the room. Never mind that there were guards stationed there loyal to either Toval or to freeing Namin.

“Toval will pay for this invasion!” he continued, spit bubbling at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll raze their capital and when Etoval is in ruins, Toval will bow to me too!” He suddenly spun to face the doors and started sprinting in that direction. “You’ll regret this!”

The two masked Triumvirè turned to look at Carmillian, who held out a hand to stay them. With her other hand she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small dagger. She drew her arm back, aimed, and threw.

The knife flew through the air, flashing silver as it passed through the beams of early afternoon sunlight starting to shinethrough the high windows in the wall to Caro’s right. Heads of the onlookers turned as they followed its path. King Cyphus only got a few more steps away, and then the knife slid into his back with a meaty thud that echoed with finality. He dropped in place, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The knife hilt glittered high and to the left of his spine, a direct hit to the heart.

“A fitting death,” Carmillian murmured, although in the absolute silence of the room, everyone heard her. “He died as he lived, fleeing from his problems while whining and blaming others for his mistakes.” She looked away from Cyphus’s body to glance over the room again. “Right. I think we’ve all had far too exciting a morning. Go back to your rooms. I won’t reconvene court until tomorrow at the earliest, but I will warn you now. For those of you used to taking more than your share and flouting the laws of this kingdom, your grace period to end your misdeeds is short. After my coronation, anyone caught committing any of the crimes that have beggared this nation will suffer the full consequences of the laws, which include significant fines, prison time, loss of your title, or even execution. I suggest you take some time over the next few days ensuring all your personal and business practices are compliant.” She threw another glance across the room, after which Carmillian nodded, then turned sharply on her heel and headed for the secret door.

Caro was much slower to turn and follow. Wrenching his eyes away from that glittering knife and that still body was hard, far harder than Caro had ever imagined it would be. Caro had hated his father, had never identified anything redeeming about the man, and yet for some reason an ache in his chest grew the longer he looked at what was left of the man who had raised him—as poorly as that raising had been. Somewhere, hidden deeply away in the recesses of Caro’s hopes and wishes, theforlorn desire that one day his father might praise him, one day Caro might be acknowledged, had somehow persisted. Now, his father was dead and with his death Caro’s last dream of having a loving, welcoming family had died too.

He reached the annex and walked through the crowd to the door, which they had been waiting for him to open. He pushed the button and pulled the lever, and the door popped open. Braxton was standing on the other side. He took one look at Caro and unfolded his crossed arms, then held out his hands. Caro fell into his waiting embrace. Armor pressed against armor again, uncomfortable and in the way, and yet Braxton’s warmth still penetrated. His strength held Caro up and kept the trembling bits of Caro’s soul contained.

“Prince Caro, Prince Braxton, I appreciate all your help today. I will have Captain Thris guide me to the servants’ hall to address them and show me to the offices of state. You both should take some time today to rest and recuperate. I will see you for breakfast tomorrow.” She nodded formally to them both and then followed Thris down the passageway.

“I’ll let Captain Zain and Prince Fen know too,” Captain Grall added, before he also followed the group. In a few moments, Caro and Braxton were alone.

“Is there somewhere private we can go?” Braxton murmured into Caro’s hair where his cheek was pressed against the top of Caro’s head.

The words took a moment to penetrate before Caro nodded. “My room should be empty.”

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