Page 6 of The Empire and the Wolf King

I told the video tae freeze, I walked forward and really stared intae his eyes.

Then I asked for the video tae resume.

I leveled my gaze and watched it play out. He was demanding that I respond, requiring me tae answer.

I said, “Ye will regret the hand ye laid upon her head, Asgall.”

He forced Kaitlyn tae hold up a newspaper. Her eyes were watering with pain.

I felt a red hot hatred boiling up from my middle.

He demanded that I negotiate.

The voice in the room asked, “Would you like to dictate a response?”

“Nae. I want tae watch it again.”

I watched it a second time, feeling more outrage than shock. I asked the room, “Where is this taking place?”

It returned with, “The room where this ransom video was filmed fits the floor plan and description of a brothel in Staunton, Virginia, although we cannot be certain?—”

I said, “Show it again.”

The video played, I froze it on the date on the front of the newspaper.

June 15, 1775

I considered it while talking it through. “Tis likely that a newspaper in the colonial age would be a weekly, so twould take a few days to get tae his hands...but,he has taken pains tae show me the front page, he is using the date tae spur me tae action. Will ye check the week of June 15 for any storms or other discrepancies?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I requested, “Play it again,” and watched it through until the moment when Asgall said, “Lady Mairead, ye see I winna take hesitation kindly. I hae yer son and yer daughter-in-law. They are at my mercy. Ye must sign the contract.”

I said, “Howdarehe speak directly tae me, as if I hae consented tae a conversation. Howdarehe?”

I began tae pace. “I will not be addressed in this manner,ever.Not by another king and definitely not by a two-bit villain in a brothel parlor who is trying tae steal a throne.”

The room asked once more: “What is your response, Your Highness?”

I stopped pacing. “What is the meaning of Asgall’s rise tae power, dost ye think? Why doesanyonebecome villainous?”

The voice in the room said, “Any number of?—”

I interrupted, “Tis either seeking revenge; or building an empire, a quest for power;ortis sociopathic fun, he wants tae undermine Magnus, tae watch him suffer. It might be all of these things — so nae, I winna negotiate. He is losing. He lost the moment he murdered my son, Sean, and he kens he is losing because he sent me a ransom letter and now in a panic he sends a video. Howdarehe! Ye can tell he is weak because he has a fistful of my daughter-in-law’s hair. He has overplayed his hand, sending me this video revealing his weakness. He looks pallid and angry, there is perspiration on his brow. He wants tae strike fear intae m’heart, but he is sweaty and abusive, nae!”

I looked at the video still on his face. “Nae.”

The voice in the room asked, “No response, Your Highness?”

“I daena respond tae this nonsense.”

“He has given you a deadline.”

I took a long deep breath. “If he already has Kaitlyn, then he already has Magnus. That he daena shew Magnus in this video means Magnus is likely… might be… dead. Both of them are likely dead whether I negotiate or not. I could give up the throne tomorrow and lose every member of my family, one after another, or I can say nae, and keep the throne. I say nae. Daena respond in any way.”

I picked up my bottle and glass and left the room for my chamber.

CHAPTER 2 - KAITLYN

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